My experience with Leslie Hart Davidson (HDD Studio) was not what I expected it would be. 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. read more

My experience with Leslie Hart Davidson goes back to 2004. She participated on a local home makeover 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. read more