In my search to Jennifer's site to look at some cabinet fronts for the fourth (4TH!) house we are doing with Jennifer, I saw the one star review and couldn't let it go unanswered. She doesn't even know I'm writing this review. When I say four houses, it's kitchen, bathrooms, closets, and laundry room. Jennifer's vision for design is amazing. Her ability to see spaces anew is a gift. She also listens and executes the design we are looking for. She takes into consideration how we work in the kitchen, as a baker and a cook, giving us each our space. Her patience and care from start to finish of any project is a strength. Her measurements are exacting and ordering has been seamless. She goes above and beyond on every project from tile shopping to stone. She takes as many trips as necessary to find what I need and want. This will be our 3rd out of state project with her where she has to fly in to measure. She is that good. We aren't the only people who feel that way. She seems to be in Florida a lot. Remodeling has its challenges and patience can be tried. I've worked with people Jennifer has referred me to and she has worked with contractors I've hired. Ultimately, the hiring decision is mine as I'm the one paying the contractor. The reviewer clearly has an issue with the contractor and is unfairly targeting Jennifer. We have referred Jennifer out to friends without hesitation and would willingly let Jennifer give me as a reference if needed. read more

My wife and I have remodeled 6 homes, so we are no strangers to working with suppliers and contractors on projects. We wanted to upgrade our small wet bar and chose to work with Greater Chicago Kitchen and Bath because Jennifer Hissa has won numerous awards and had a beautiful showroom. Admittedly, our project was not very large, however Jennifer was very helpful and engaged when she was working with my wife to select a new Wood-Mode 48" bar cabinet with 72" of open wall cabinets above. Jennifer recommended her general contractor Matt, to handle the entire project including demo, installation of the new cabinets, re-installing the bar sink with plumbing, LED lighting, electrical, drywall patching and painting. Matt started the demo work in December and when he was done, he left a 6' wide by 3' high open section of exposed exterior walls studs and insulation. After a phone call, he returned to install a sloppily cut piece of drywall over the opening with a 1" irregularly shaped gap around the perimeter of the patch piece. He told us that his drywall contractor would be back to patch up the wall properly before the upper cabinets were installed. Never happened. Even with the "patch", so much cold air was leaking in during the cold snap, I had to use shipping tape and caulking because the gaps were too wide for regular patching. I should not have to spend my time fixing the GC's sloppy workmanship. The cabinets finally arrived in January and it took another week or more to schedule the finish carpenter to do the installation. The wall was still not patched, and I assumed that when the work was scheduled, the wall was going to be patched as promised. Nope. He installed the wall cabinets right over the unfinished drywall. When I realized what he had done, i asked him why the wall wasn't patched, and he said he didn't know anything about it. But that that the cabinets would seal the wall. Really. There was also a slight upward bow in the existing drywall soffit, so he installed a wood shim in the middle of the upper cabinet top that stuck out beyond the cabinet, leaving a 1/2" gap between the cabinet and the soffit. When i asked him what his plan was for that, he said it should be caulked and painted it red. Really. He installed the base cabinet so that it protruded an inch past the side wall, and his solution was to install trim pieces that wrapped around the corners and eclipsed the wall and casing. It looked more like a DYI project than a custom installation. We sent pictures to Jennifer and she said that he cabinet had to be installed that way to clear the existing under counter bar cooler. This was not the case at all and when the carpenter returned, I showed him that if he pushed the cabinet back to the wall, none of his trim pieces would be necessary. He also installed brass finger pulls that we ordered from Jennifer and we could not open or shut the drawers without the pulls hitting the counter top or adjacent drawers. We told Jennifer and she said the drawers were adjustable, but no one adjusted them, not to mention that the pull was never installed on the bottom drawer because it needed to routed. The carpenter said he doesn't do routing so it remains unfinished. I did my best to adjust the drawer spacing, but they only work properly if you pull out the 3rd drawer and work your way up to the second and first. When the countertop was installed (by others), we noticed that the amount wall tile Jennifer ordered was not sufficient for the job....so we had to wait another 2 weeks for the shipment. As soon as it arrived, Jennifer was on the phone asking for a $500 check to cover the additional tile. We shouldn't have paid her until the job was done and there went any leverage we might have had. The electrician finally showed up...an hour late...last Friday 3/6 to install the LED strip lighting. Both Jennifer and Matt were texted and there was no response from either, so they are now fired. We will hire someone to patch and paint the walls (even though it was in her scope) and then I need to find a cabinet maker who will route out the drawer faces to properly accommodate the finger pulls. On a positive note, the plumber, the electrician and the counter company did a great job. As for Greater Chicago Kitchen and Bath, Jennifer Hissa and Matt, I would never use them again or recommend them to anyone. This was a small, simple project. It was not well managed, the communication was poor, the quality of work was mostly sub-par, they were unresponsive and there was no accountability, 10 plus weeks and still not completed. I don't know how she won those awards, but this was one of the worst reno projects we've ever been involved with. We paid for custom and got Menards. Look at the pictures....this was a hack job. Total rip-offs. R&P C Barrington Hills read more

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I first connected with Jennifer Hissa in June of 2016, shortly after I opened my design firm, Stephanie Sarris Interiors. Jennifer's complete technical mastery of kitchen and bath cabinetry and design attracted me to collaborate with her on my clients' kitchen & bath projects. Since that time, I have only become more impressed with Jennifer, both as a professional and as a person. We are completely aligned in our commitment to designing excellent outcomes for our clients. Jennifer really shines in how she truly connects with her clients. Jennifer creates a safe space for her clients to share their truest dreams and wishes for their new space. Jennifer creates gorgeous and original designs for each project that reflects her client's best lives at home. During the project implementation phase, Jennifer keeps everyone updated with the latest project status and information. While remodeling your home can be a stressful experience, Jennifer partners with contractors who respect your home and your space. I've also had the pleasure to team with Jennifer to design entire homes for clients. Jennifer designs the kitchen and bathrooms while I step in with the decorating and design of the bedrooms and living rooms. In 2019, we designed and remodeled an entire circa 1925 bungalow in Evanston. The homeowners purchased this home in 2019 for around $650,000. They also spend $150,00 on our work together. In 2021, this couple was transferred to the east coast and put this home on the market. They sold it for $980,000, generating $230,000 profit in 18 months. Good design increases property value. Currently, Jennifer and I are collaborating on a whole home refresh in the City. As the design phase begins, I enjoy the certainty that Jennifer and I will create another beautiful - and profitable - result for these wonderful homeowners. read more

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Jennifer has finished 3 major projects in three of our properties and is engaged with us on a fourth. Her sense of style and creativity is fabulous! She asks enough appropriate questions to understand the vibe you're trying to create and then blows your mind with her proposals. This is not Home Depot or IKEA quality stuff; it's high-end and you pay for what you get. If you're willing and able to afford truly upscale results, you can't do better than Jennifer Hissa. read more