My wife and I had been discussing remodeling our small kitchen for several years. We finally…read moredecided to act after reading a magazine article about a local designer with special expertise in the remodeling of small areas. We contacted Dee Lertola of Chai Design and decided to retain her services. Our new kitchen is now done and we are absolutely delighted with the end product. It's beautiful and functional, meaning that it's designed to maximize the efficiency of movement within the area. If you live in mid-Michigan and are thinking about remodeling your kitchen, then you need to seriously consider Chai Design. We found Dee to be extraordinarily creative, highly competent and professional, responsive to our needs and concerns, and completely trustworthy. Her attention to detail was amazing and her commitment to quality unwavering. We recommend Chai Design without reservation.

We used Chai Design to remodel an existing kitchen space. The space was a bit smaller than we had…read morehoped, and we were able to work with Chai Design and our builder to bump out a wall and add more square footage. With this additional space Dee Lertola was able to design a state of the art kitchen with gorgeous quality cabinetry and high end appliances. Dee has an amazing to ability to utilize space, creating unique and effective designs. She is professional, creative, and a pleasure to work with. My project was completed on time, and within budget. I love using my kitchen and am thrilled with the aesthetics! I would sincerely recommend Chai Design!

My mother bought a leather sofa and recliner. Tina was very helpful in the planning stage, which…read moremade that part of the process nice but we were very disappointed to see the quality of the furniture that was delivered. Tina is a

I went to buy some hand blown Christmas tree ornaments and I loved them so much I've gone back and…read morebought more an additional two times! Charlotte was very helpful in showing me all the different selections, even the ones that hadn't been put on display yet! I'd like to add that these handblown, painted and etched ornaments benefit the organization Women At Risk or WAR, Intl. so it's also for a good cause.

My experience with Leslie Hart Davidson (HDD Studio) was not what I expected it would be…read more Her services were not worth it. Without going into all the ugly details, here are a few things you should if you are thinking of working with Leslie. Be careful to get a written contract documenting exactly what services you are going to receive for your 'retainer' (in advance of giving her any funds). Also document when you are going to receive her services and goods. Expect her to show you customer designs that are costly (and include a high mark up). They will require 50%+ deposits for items that 1) you can buy yourself locally (ie Lowes for blinds) or find similar quality goods locally without having to wait for 4 months (which you are required to pay most of the cost of upfront). Beware that if an item is back ordered, you will not get your money back while waiting for the order, yet Leslie will not be required to pay the manufacturer until the item or fabric is in stock (4 months in my case). Finally, double check her recommendations for other service providers. I am new to Michigan and trusted her recommendation for a painter who we hired to repaint the whole house (interior walls, trim and doors). He used cheap quality paint on a $10k job (as confirmed by both Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore reps) and I had to hire another painter to repaint.

My experience with Leslie Hart Davidson goes back to 2004. She participated on a local home…read moremakeover show that benefited my family. Years later (2013) I needed to make some changes to my home and I thought I'd show my gratitude by hiring her to oversee this new project. She promised my budget was sufficient for the work and finishes I wanted and asked me for $10k up front ($3k of which was to pay her in full). The contractor told me she was rarely on the job site, the budget rose significantly, I could no longer get my finishes, "unforeseen costs" appeared and I now had to paint multiple things myself (not part of the original deal). My contractor didn't understand what I was paying her to do. The subject of costs came up and I learned that she had added thousands to the bids and many of my promised finishes were never even communicated to the contractor for his original estimate. She wouldn't return my phone calls or meet with me. She then sued me for breach of contract and I counter sued her for fraud. I won my case and she just finished making monthly payments to me totally almost $30,000. My heart breaks as I read other reviews that seem to describe similar experiences when hiring Leslie.