We were in London when Martins did the rennovations on our home. We didn't know exactly what we were coming back to. We opened the door . . . and walked into paradise. We felt like we were in someone else's home. Someone who had a lot more money than us! Martins isn't just a builder, or a designer. He's an artist. When you bring someone into your home to change it forever, you have to trust that person. When Martins came by for our first free consultation (something other people had charged us for), he stayed for two hours. He wanted to get to know us, and figure out exactly what kind of home we wanted. To say he cares about his work is an understatement! Other people we looked at charged us for that first visit, came in, took measurements, were out in 30 minutes, and then provided some cookie-cutter recommendations. Besides his off-the-charts talent, he is honest, flexible, responsive and easy and fun to work with... not to mention reasonable. He even provided us with guidance and recommendations to bring the overall costs down. If you're looking to do renovations on your home, that not only are beautiful, but also unique and specific to you and your family, your search is over. Martins Buka will not only deliver, but exceed your expectations! read more

See all

My family hired the Martin family to do some work on my aunt's house in the suburbs. They were a pleasure to deal with. Reliable and honest. Phone calls were returned and we always felt we were in the best hands. We remodeled our aunt's basement down to the studs and when the job was done, it was AMAZING. Highly recommended for remodeling jobs! read more

Hire Martins! THE END. We purchased an old storefront to convert into a single-family home several years ago. As designers, my husband and I came up with an overall plan and went looking for a GC to build it for us and, most importantly, help us hammer out details along the way. We went through a few different GCs who didn't work out for a variety of reasons. Some were unable to visualize the unique project we wanted to build and others gave us bids that did not seem to encompass the whole and true cost of what we envisioned. This left us in a bad place where we were convinced the project wouldn't happen. After one meeting with Martins, this instantly turned around for us. His ability to imagine the space that we wanted to create and immediate willingness to start dreaming up great ideas was exactly what we were looking for. He was willing to work with our budget knowing that we would be trading dollars between areas we wanted to spend along the way. He is very familiar with the construction loan process which made all the bank draw paperwork that much easier. His workers are top notch. He cares about how we spent our money, about the design and utility of every space, and he is super knowledgeable, thoughtful and kind. Simply put, without him our dreams of our home would never have happened. Not only was he able to complete our project but he was amazing to work with. He is very clear in his strategy and concerns and will explain the details of every decision so you can be sure you are informed before finalizing and moving forward. I've worked with other contractors in the professional field and they are often pushy and unclear or even misleading. Martins is one of the sincerest people I know and he really cares about his work. His passion and commitment shine through in the quality of the work. If you are in the market for a contractor and not sure who to work with call Martins and meet him. You will not regret it! read more

See all

Hire Martins. Hands down the best decision I made in 2021. I wanted a total reno of my master bathroom and met a few different contractors / design firms after having my guest bathroom done by another design company and not loving the experience. Thankfully I made the right decision this time around in hiring Martins. I recommend him to anyone and everyone considering a remodeling project. I especially appreciated his transparent / reasonable pricing, top notch quality, collaborative manner and creative ideas. He listened to what I wanted and definitely delivered. He also came up with creative ideas to make my small master bathroom have a true luxury bath feeling. He brought a lot of experience to the table and I fully trusted his advice. I really can't say enough great things about Martins. The whole experience was amazing and I LOVE how the bathroom turned out. Just a delight to work with and all around good guy. Can't wait to work with him on my next project. read more

See all

If you are deciding between contractors, stop thinking about it and hire Martins, I promise you will be happy with your decision. It is hard for me to put into words what an unbelievable job Martins did with our built ins and how much I enjoyed working with him. My wife and I were nervous because we had never done any sort work on our home and finding Martins was a godsend. In all honesty we are very picky and sometimes hard to work with (just ask our wedding vendors haha) but I cannot think of one thing we would have change in our experience working with Martins and how the built ins turned out. He is very good at what he does and just a very honest guy that you can trust with your project. He cared about how everything would look and function almost more than we did if you can believe that. His attention to detail was impeccable and is exactly what you want when you are making a big change to your living space. Every one of our friends that come over are in awe of our new built ins. Martins is a true artist! read more

MB Design & Build - Interior Design Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Martin has done a couple of projects for my wife and she was very happy with the quality of work that he did, including his design advice. We definitely recommend him for any housing projects that you may have, and will surely use his services again when we have a remodeling job. read more

I hired Martins to convert my two-unit rental property to a SFH in 2016 and I am thrilled with the results. What he was able to do with my budget is nothing short of amazing. Everyone person that has seen it has commented on how great the place looks and the attention to detail of the work. After a terrible start to the project with a crooked contractor I had started with, working with Martins has been an absolute joy to complete this undertaking. My project was to convert my rental property to a SFH. Martins took over a project that was a complete mess. I had been working previously with another contractor, to dig out the basement and do the conversion. After stealing much of my money and not getting the permits, I had a partially dug out basement and a gutted house. Martins took over and put together a plan of how to complete the project and started working with my bank for the arduous post-renovation value mortgage loan process. When I was looking for contractors, the most important attributes are integrity, passion for their trade, attention to detail, reliability, and creativity. Martins scores off the charts in all of these facets. Martins took existing design plans and redesigned it in a much more functional way to use the space. He was able to take blueprints and high level ideas to create elegant and sophisticated designs. Martins is one of the most honest people I have met. He is clear about the risks of doing something and gives his feedback on whether he thinks it is a good idea. Whenever something went wrong throughout the project, he brought it up quickly and let me know the options to resolve them. He also has negotiated back refunds for me from some sub-contractors when he thought there were issues with their work, although they were imperceptible to me. He also only works with tradespeople that have his similar attention to detail and integrity. In summary, I can't recommend Martins enough. He is a joy to be around and his honesty and passion for his craft is evident in talking to him and seeing his work. His rates are extremely reasonable when you consider he has a formal design background and his planning and attention to detail minimizes/eliminates costs from rework or mistakes read more

See all

I was a first time home builder and hired Martin's team to frame my home as well as design and build all the detailed millwork. He worked hand in hand with me every step of the way making recommendations and willingly taking my suggestions. Often he would sketch a concept for me while we talked so I could see exactly what I was going to get. Martin is exceptionally talented. Some can design and some can build. Martin brings the unique ability to do both - taking something from concept through to construction. Many will say they can do it, Martin has done it many times. Just look at examples of his work on his site. He knows how all the parts are going to come together. This is a rare skill to find. I can't offer a higher recommendation. Hire Martin and you will be in good hands from start through that first house party where everyone will be "oohing and ahhing" at the finished product! You will find no better combination of design and execution - and at a price that will have you coming back for more on your next project read more

I was looking for an interior designer and remodeling contractor to renovate my loft. I did not want to deal with too many people because my project was almost a complete gut rehab, and that is what happened in the past when I hired designers and contractors from different companies. My goal was to have one person to design and build my new floors, bathrooms, kitchen, and entertainment center/library area. As soon as I saw Martins Buka design work, I knew his sense of style is definitely fresh and unique! As a home remodeling contractor he took me to couple of his projects to show me his construction skills and quality - rest was a history. I really enjoyed that he engaged me in his interior design process - that made decisions making so much easier for me. His attention to details impressed me so much. No wonder I get so many compliments about my new place from my friends! Remodeling process was executed in a very professional way because his construction knowledge and ability to communicate leaves a very small room for mistakes. Martins supervised project from a start to finish and completed as promised. I definitely saved time and money by using Martins as interior designer and contractor! read more

If you need small or big work done go no further. Martin Buka is not only has the genuine passion for what he does, but also is professional and very knowledgeable in his field. He makes any project go smooth and it will be done in no time. Being a woman I was very pleased, as Martin listen to my needs, took me by hand and guided through whole process. Martin and his team rehabbed all house starting from bathroom tiles, kitchen..., to a custom build cabinet in the living area. I'm very pleased with the job quality and smooth process through the whole experience. Highly recommended! read more

We hired Martins to replace the bookshelves that surrounded our fireplace. His work exceeded our expectations. The attention to detail and craftsmanship were top notch. read more

Do yourself a favor! Our experience was great! Our backstory was we bought a brick two flat built in the early 1900's in the North Center Neighborhood. We knew going into it that we would have to gut down to the studs and dig out the basement. We had learned about Martins and his Team from countless hours of research. We explained to Martins that we wanted to rebuild into what we just were not seeing in the marketplace what we envisioned our forever home to be ...not the standard layout that all of the $1mm homes all look like. He and his team understood that vision and helped design and coordinate with the architect to put together exactly what we discussed and more. Based on his vision, focus, excitement, and personality, we hired Martins to be our General Contractor as well. Not without our issues like any construction project in the City of Chicago, everything was very clearly communicated to us and all hiccups explained thoroughly so that we were comfortable. We know Martins was always listening. It shows. Having not gone through ANYTHING like a project of this magnitude, we may have been difficult along the process too (which never phased Martins or his crew(s)) and he continued to be our guiding light. He challenged us to be involved and for us to make a lot of tough decisions which we are forever grateful. The end result is not only a product of excellent worksmanship, but true care with NO corners cut and a home we wake up in every day thanking ourselves and Martins for undertaking the project. We have lived here a year and know with certainty we picked the right person for the job. Not to mention, Martins is a good soul; his family and ours will be connected forever not just by this project but from the friendship we built alongside our home. Thanks Martins. A+ read more

See all

We are very happy with the work Martins did in our home. We had him build built-in book shelves surrounding our stone fire place. He has an amazing eye for detail. Due to the stone fireplace, there were many factors to consider. Martin listened careful to the vision I had in mind and the functionality I needed. The result was better than I had imagined. Also, an issue with a painter's work came up. Martin's made sure that the work was done correctly. He is an extremely honest and talented craftsman. I highly recommend him for your design and build project. read more

I hired Martins and his crew to renovate my kitchen and fireplace when I bought my loft and could not be happier with the results. Martins is such a pleasure to work with, he has extremely creative ideas and helps guide you through the whole process with making decisions and new ideas. He treats your place like it's his own and is excited as you are to see the end product. I also want to stress what an honest person he is, that is hard to find. I smile every time I walk in my new home, thank you Martins!! read more

I worked with Martin on my ranch house that we added a second floor to. We completely gutted the first floor and basement and added a garage. Martin's design ideas for the layout and function of the house were great. Little details for separating rooms in a subtle way created the home I was looking for. Martin was always looking to add design details to make the project personal for me from the finishes to built-ins. The tradespeople he used were professional and easy to work with. We couldn't be more pleased. read more

We hired Martins Buka of MB Design and Build last year to renovate the guest room in our River North, Chicago condo. Martins looked at the the 15 foot ceilings and said, "let's take advantage of this." The room, only about 14'x12' has now been transformed into a living/working space with a stand-up size loft area for reading or just hanging out. Beneath the lofted area is space for a desk and outside that area is a queen-sized sofa bed, a wall-mounted TV and a new modern closet. The room is totally transformed. Martins used American walnut to build and accent the lofted area and the closet. His crew were polite, clean and barely noticeable during construction. Martins managed the project involving us in the process. His work is impeccable and his attention to detail is unmatched by any other designer-contractors we have hired before. We were so pleased with Martins' work that we also recently hired him to re-fresh our kitchen island, countertops and backsplash. He is a joy to work with and his enthusiasm for his work shows in the quality results and reasonable costs. Martins works seriously with his clients to mitigate costs and provide them with cost-saving options. Martins Buka is the best, for design and construction. read more