Description Of Work: Renovated the first floor of our home, eliminating three walls (one weight bearing) creating a very spacious, redesigned family room and kitchen, and in doing so, created a new first floor den. DESIGNfirst met or exceeded all of our expectations in every facet of the project. Here is what my wife and I liked. 1) First, a DESIGNfirst architect created what looked like a "three dimensional" color drawing of their design for our first floor. 2) Once the design for our renovation was agreed upon and references were visited, only then was a contract signed. 3) Then a personal portal for our project on the DESIGNfirst website was created for all communications. All emails, contracts, architectural drawings, photographs, and the project plan were stored and maintained within our personal, password protected portal. 4) The project plan created for our renovation was completed on time per the plan. DESIGNfirst never fell more than a day or two behind plan and in most cases was ahead of plan... which more than amazed us. 5) Payments were made prior to the start of each new phase of the project. This made me feel very good about writing a check. I knew before I ever put pen to checkbook that one phase of our project was completed and another phase was about to begin. 6) Different skilled craftsmen were brought in for each phase of the project, e.g. design, demolition, framing, electrical, drywall, flooring, cabinetry, siding, roofing, painting. I was amazed at how many different individuals worked on our home. 7) Yet, what impressed me the most about the entire project was that a project manager was assigned to our project. That was not unique. However, when I asked our project manager what his responsibilities were as our project manager his answer was unique. His response was one simple sentence... "To make your wife and you happy!" (note the order priority).. and that was exactly what he did throughout the project! One last, but maybe the most important point to be made... every DESIGNfirst craftsman treated our home like a residence and not like a new construction site. Plastic walls were put in place, with zippers, to catch the dust but not us. Floors were covered throughout the first floor. And everyday the entire area, inside and out, was swept clean and tools and materials were stored so we could live our lives with minimal mess. read more

We are delighted with our new kitchen! We have a design and look beyond what any other company proposed, for a similar cost. We had our 40-year-old kitchen completely remodeled; it was demolished down to the studs. The existing hardwood floors in the adjoining dining and living rooms were refinished to match the new floor installed in the kitchen. We also slightly widened the passage between the kitchen and family room to improve flow. Finally, we enlarged the window located over the sink. Our new kitchen functions beautifully - so much better than what we had before. We are very glad we chose DESIGNfirst, which we recognized right away was an ethical, above-board, well-managed company. Their process included using Buildertrend software to facilitate communication and transparency. The software enabled us to see 3-D images of what the room would look like as we worked through the choices available, which was a big help to us. Buildertrend also contained a calendar indicating work to be done on a daily basis, daily logs, a record of the product selections we made, change orders, and a running total of expenses incurred and paid. Signed documents were attached and comments and messages were easy to use. The entire process encouraged open communications and discouraged misunderstandings. We had a terrific team, including Architectural Designer Heather, Interior Designer Diana, Construction Manager Justin, and our outstanding Project Manager, Gary. Sandra was a gracious and significant administrative help throughout and Marketing and Client Relations Director Tara kept tabs on the project. The subcontractors provided high quality work and Gary went above and beyond to complete the project to our satisfaction. read more

Type of project: home addition, including basement, large family room, master suite, and additional bedroom Our designer was Tony. He is very good at his job and quickly understood our home and how it could become more functional for our family without going outside of our budget and lot size. We enjoyed working with only one company from the start of the project to the end and not have to juggle outside companies. We had never built a new home or done a remodeling project. DESIGNfirst did a great job of walking us through the process and setting our expectations. As novice remodelers we were amazed at all of the details involved in a remodeling project. Shortly after signing the contract we were introduced to their online client tool. We used it throughout the project to check the schedule, communicate with designers and project managers and manage our budget. DESIGNfirst was able to handle with ease the surprises that demolition of our home brought. . Everything that was completed by DESIGNfirst was done very well and in a timely manner. The crews did their best to minimize any dust and dirt. A mistake in communication did occur between the designer and the project manager, but it was handled quickly and without any hassle. We did go slightly above our budget, but we expected that because we chose to upgrade our master bath (which was not originally in our contract). DESIGNfirst stayed within the contracted budget or notified us of upgrade options that would cost more.. The company did a great job on our home and we are satisfied with our addition. read more

Type of project: home addition, including basement, large family room, master suite, and additional bedroom Our designer was Tony. He is very good at his job and quickly understood our home and how it could become more functional for our family without going outside of our budget and lot size. We enjoyed working with only one company from the start of the project to the end and not have to juggle outside companies. We had never built a new home or done a remodeling project. DESIGNfirst did a great job of walking us through the process and setting our expectations. As novice remodelers we were amazed at all of the details involved in a remodeling project. Shortly after signing the contract we were introduced to their online client tool. We used it throughout the project to check the schedule, communicate with designers and project managers and manage our budget. DESIGNfirst was able to handle with ease the surprises that demolition of our home brought. . Everything that was completed by DESIGNfirst was done very well and in a timely manner. The crews did their best to minimize any dust and dirt. A mistake in communication did occur between the designer and the project manager, but it was handled quickly and without any hassle. We did go slightly above our budget, but we expected that because we chose to upgrade our master bath (which was not originally in our contract). DESIGNfirst stayed within the contracted budget or notified us of upgrade options that would cost more.. The company did a great job on our home and we are satisfied with our addition. read more

After searching many different places for a new vanity for a powder room - and finding none that fit properly - I decided to call Design First. They came up with a design for a new vanity and actually produced it in their shop for a custom fit. They also provided guidance on how to redo the tile to have a nice flow from the foyer(the powder room is right off the foyer). They provided samples as well as other locations to look for counter tops, lighting and fixtures. When all was said and done, I was very pleased with the outcome. It was done on budget and per the prescribed timeframe. Before the work started, there was a lot of conversation about expectations and things I could do to save time and money. The designer was also good about trying to implement my desires, but also pushed back when he thought my selection was something that I might not actually like as much as I thought I would, so their input was very valuable. Very pleased and I intend to call them soon about my family room. read more

The designer Adam was absolutely teriffic. He created an incredibly beautiful design for the kitchen as well as two bathrooms. The master bath in particular is stunning. We used 5 different types of tile there and he as our designer even incorporated a decorative stripe running down the shower wall and across the bathroom floor. It looks fantastic. Everyone who has seen it is totally amazed by how great it looks. The tile workmanship in that bathroom is better than I have ever seen anywhere. I am also quite pleased with the Kitchen. It took a while but when it finally all came together I was amazed at how beautiful and functional the kitchen now is. We even knocked out a wall to change the layout so that added another dimension to the project. While the journey was not without it's problems and I was very frustrated at times the end result is quite exceptional. I actually thank the designer Adam for keeping it all together when things were difficult. read more

We chose DESIGNfirst Builders for our kitchen project and were VERY happy! The people we dealt with were super nice and explained their process to us as well as showed us other projects they had completed. It was a bit higher; but overall it was worth it for their professional expertise. We worked with Phil and he is GREAT!! Sandra was also very sweet during our consultations she was welcoming and friendly; offering us something to eat or drink when we'd come in. All in all we felt they went above and beyond our expectations! We have no pending projects at this time, but we would use them again and HIGHLY recommend them! read more

We live in Chicago and bought a home with a new 2nd floor addition but the kitchen wasn't updated. We loved the layout and figured we would remodel the kitchen later. We met with a lot of companies including DESIGNfirst and just individual guys and they were the best in what they offered and the most down to earth yet professional. They were slightly higher than some but it was worth it in the end. We took a wall down and now have a brand new beautiful kitchen and a better kitchen/dining layout. I would for sure recommend them. read more

We called several companies to remodel our master bath and no one came up with a design plan like Design First. The utilization of the space and the color schemes and materials are impeccable! Every one that has come over to see it absolutely love it! We have since had them do our kitchen and our entertainment room, again the way they designed is edgy and unique......my house looks like no other in my neighborhood! Happy customer...... we are having them do our hall bath and patio this spring/summer. read more

Outstanding service, high sense of urgency and moved quickly on my project. Love their design capabilities, flexibility and careful attention to detail. Great project management tool -- shows you how funds are spent in very clear detail. No room for error or guessing. Very helpful in helping me get project back no budget due to unexpected situations that arose and completely out of our control. I highly recommend Design First -- what a great decision to hire them for my project!! read more

Fantastic design, made real by the team at designfirst. Absolutely thrilled with the outcome of my project. No breakdown in communication was experienced as stated in previous reviews. I knew this would be an extensive project so I stayed away from the site as much as possible so as not to become discouraged with my house being in a state of destruction. I received everything I requested and am super happy with the final outcome. read more

We selected Designfirst from reviews on BBB and a good friend's recommendation.Very Professional staff We needed a a new look for our Kitchen and Tara walked us thru the process. We are so happy with our new modern look kitchen that was almost 40 years old; and they worked within our budget. Additionally, we added all new upgraded appliances and flooring. WOW. Even neighbors are in awe. Highly recommend. L and J read more

DESIGNFirst did our kitchen remodel and it was fabulous. Can't say enough nice things about this company. Tony's design of the kitchen was so spot on. Our kitchen is so much more functional. All the crews were dependable. My house was always left very clean after a day of work. Had a couple issues and they were quick to resolve. We would totally recommend using them. read more

DESIGNfirst Builders did a great job on my first floor remodel. I removed walls for a more open layout and updated all the rooms. I have a media and family room also with built in surround. Their process was great and detailed. My project manager Gary was always on top of things. Everything came out better than I hoped. I would definitely recommend them and use them again. read more

I have always been pleased with Adam D's concepts and attention to detail. I am often impressed with his ideas and always look forward to consulting with him. Adam is professional, a pleasure to work with and- most importantly- is passionate about designing projects properly so the work can go smoothly and the end result is tight. read more

DESIGNFirst Builders were wonderful to work with. Very patient as they listened to all of my requests and came up with a perfect design. Highly recommend them to use for all of your remodeling projects. Extremely professional and pleasant. read more

Design First is very professional and adapts to all your needs. They make sure to take all of your wants into consideration. I would recommend giving them a call, you wont regret it! read more