When my aunt decided to hire a design team for renovations and interior design for her new home in…read moreReno, I was excited to be involved, given my background in real estate and renovation project management. We met Leslie and Lisa from Mindful Design and reviewed their proposed designs. While my aunt and I had brainstormed some ideas, I was initially concerned with a few of their choices. When we presented our revisions in person, many of our suggestions were dismissed.
As the project progressed, several issues became apparent. For example, Leslie initially dismissed the arched mirrors we chose for the bathroom, claiming they wouldn't fit the space--but they ended up fitting perfectly. Unfortunately, other elements of the design were far less successful. Leslie's furniture and art selections felt cheap and were poorly proportioned for the space. Additionally, the overall execution was subpar. My aunt had to hire a contractor to fix numerous issues, including custom beams on the ceiling that were falling down, and didn't meet the walls properly, a raw wood band on the hood with visible nail holes, and a light fixture in the dining room that was 2 feet off-center.
There were also significant design flaws that could not be easily corrected without major rework. For instance, one of the shiplap walls was installed backwards, with poorly aligned seams around light switches and electrical outlets. The beams were improperly installed, and the hood over the stove was mismeasured by 4 inches--thanks to Lisa, the owner of Mindful Design--which led to costly custom work that was still unfinished.
Despite spending over $100K with Mindful Design, these issues were never fully addressed. Lisa and Leslie failed to take responsibility for their mistakes. They also neglected to inform my aunt about the 90-day return policy for furniture if they ordered it for her, in the end left her to handle returns on her own with a 30-day policy, which was problematic being as she was living out of state at the time. Additionally, basic design principles were overlooked--such as placing a round rug under a round table, which is a basic design misstep.
When my aunt left an honest review, Lisa became defensive and dismissive, even attempting to portray herself as a victim of stress, all while failing to manage the project and team professionally. After encountering all of these issues, it's clear that Mindful Design was unprofessional and failed to meet the expectations set for such a costly renovation.
