Wow, I don't even know where to start! A remodel that touched as many parts of a home as ours did…read moreis so incredibly personal, and emotional at times, but from the first moment we met Crystal of TVL Creative, I knew I was working with someone who would hold my hand; and guide me with the perfect blend of love, creativity, passion, and experience.
Our project was not a straightforward kitchen or master bathroom remodel, in fact it was just about every part of our home needing attention but those. And so the daunting task of finding someone who could not only take on a project of that scale, especially because we really didn't have a ton of ideas as to what we wanted beyond a few basics like "get rid of the dark wood (railings, doors, trim), update hall bathroom, total redesign/redocorate of family room, create a pool table room in our living room, and update the closet space on main level". That's how I explained it to Crystal via their website seeking a consultation after seeing the amazing work they did on a friend's kitchen remodel. And from the moment Crystal came for our initial, and free (!), consultation I knew I was headed the right direction.
First, once Crystal came to the house, she walked through the whole project with me and my husband, took photos, asked great questions and offered interesting ideas to gauge our design personality. Then she followed up with a complimentary 3D photorealistic rendering of what our pool table room could look like (which we ended up making pretty much no changes to!). We knew from that point that we were all in with TVL!! Their pricing is super flexible, offering their services hourly on an a la carte basis. But even though it's hourly, they tell you how long they think it will take and that's all you pay, so they can't gouge you unexpectedly. With the a la carte, you can choose just their design services, and/or material purchasing and delivery management and/or staging, assembly & installation, and/or contractor recommendation/alignment, and/or project management and site visits. Well, I hate all things design and wanted to be as hands-off as possible, so I signed up for everything!! We then set a budget for everything else and we were on our way!
We started talking to Crystal almost 6 months before starting our project. But we filled our first weeks with lots of back and forth via email (my preference and hers), sharing renderings and discussing ideas of what we wanted our family room to look like. By the third rendering she had nailed that design down for us. We then locked down the design details of the other parts of the project. Then began the fun of shopping and ordering all of the beautiful new things. Crystal understands how timing works for things like a custom order couch, and since she knew we had some pretty specific criteria including the need to actually be able to test it out in person, she began the hunt for our perfect couch plenty early. And she found it!! That was the beginning of many successful shopping missions Crystal accomplished for us; both in stores and lots online too. She confirmed all purchases with us before buying, provided us with receipts as well as a spreadsheet tracking all expected and actual spending to assure us our budget was still on track. Crystal was reassuring every time I started freaking out about this or that. She was patient when I became obsessed with finding the *perfect* console table, such a small piece of furniture in the grand scheme of everything else but she made it her priority to find me that perfect table with a smile and good humor.
Once the time finally came to start the project, it could not have gone any better!! Everything from our contractor she recommended, to the painters and the carpet install, to the tiniest of details-she attended to them professionally and with a genuine desire to act in our best interest. Our project was completed in the expected time frame, and her team killed themselves to ensure we'd have our home done and ready for a New Year's Eve party. There were a few follow up items like returning/replacing broken or incorrect deliveries, and Crystal handled it all with such grace and was fully committed to the very end with us.
Most impressively, we ended up UNDER BUDGET! Not by a ton, but without sacrificing any of our needs and wants, we still had a little money left over at the end! How often do you hear of a remodel that is ON TIME and UNDER BUDGET!? Not often, because they didn't have Crystal and TVL guiding them every step of the way. Also, keep in mind they work with ALL budgets, so while other contractors or designers might scoff at your budget or if you think there's no way you can do what you want on your budget, I encourage you to contact TVL to find out for yourself. They take a fresh approach to design and construction, and are nothing like any design firm your mom (ha, or my mom) has every used!!