We needed to repaint multiple rooms on multiple floors of our Skokie home... but what we originally…read morethought would be a small project blossomed (to our delight) into a moderate remodel that's completely transformed our living space thanks to Payam and Optim Design. To give you the punch line first: we highly and completely recommend Optim Design for your remodeling needs. You cannot go wrong for work ethic, vision and creativity, clear and straightforward proposal and billing, staff professionalism, staying on schedule, and the thing that ultimately matters most: results. I met with 7-8 potential contractors for this project. Payam was the clear winner. Optim Design was one of the only companies that really understood our vision, who was able to augment that and make additional suggestions, and who provided a professional and transparent bid for the work. Take, for example, one of our day one requirements: the installation of a Murphy Door hidden bookcase door. Payam was the ONLY company we talked to who had experience installing them--frankly he was the only contractor who knew what I was talking about. The other companies either looked at me like I was nuts (big red flag) or nodded along, clearly just pretending to understand (bigger red flag). Optim Design undertook a 7-week project that almost to the day nailed the milestones and timeline. Payam's staff were extremely hard-working and completely professional. Payam himself was on-site every day if not multiple times/day. I would trust Optim Design staff to work in my home if we were not there. Among the work we had done: Three floors of painting and plaster work Multiple light fixtures installed Ceiling fan installation Glass block window repair Window casement repair Wall construction Carpet tear out Vinyl flooring installation Dry bar tear out Drywall and plaster Murphy Door hidden bookcase installation Gas fireplace door/insert replacement Design consultation As noted at the outset, we unconditionally recommend Optim Design for your remodeling needs, be they large, small, or in-between.

Payam Bahrami PHD of architecture "The House Doctor", saved…read moreour lives! We (husband and I) had a horrible experience with another "contractor", that "contractor"destroyed our home and took our money. It was nothing but a shell with a ton of work to be done. I was so disenchanted with the whole process after I fired the first "contractor". In my despair, I decided to look on Yelp. I could not find anything that told me about Optim Design LLC but I decided to leave a message anyway. Payam called me back not once but three times! He was not sure Yelp had provided the correct information. He comes to my home very jolly and genuine. We go see the house and then discuss the business. He was willing to take on a complete gut rehab where he had to go backwards and fix stuff the other guy did not do correctly. We negotiated Payam and I. He worked with me in a time frame that was comfortable for my family. He accommodated my thoughts and designs, answered all my questions and did not try to tell me what to do or gaslight me. Always listened and if there was room he made suggestions. A lot of time women have difficulty with male contractors, we know that females everywhere! Not Payam! He looked at me as a design equal (I am a color theorist, a designer in my own right) we did the house together. Payam had a core crew of 3 guys some days 5 (sometimes I would sneak up on them and they were always working) that worked Sun up to Sundown. All the guys, Johnathan, Betto and Octavio (forgive me, I forget the other 2 names) are disciplined, trustworthy, kept their heads down and worked! Love that.. A person in charge, running his business instead of his business running him. Payam was always available to me in a matter of minutes. He texts you back the fastest I have ever seen! Answers the phone if you call him, imagine that? Someone answers the phone still. Fantastic! Payam installed new everything! Doors, windows, rewired entire house, brand new gas and water pipes. Built an additional full bathroom in the basement and assisted me with designing a Master Bathroom of my dreams. Never mind how the kitchen is FABULOUSLY MAGNIFICENT!! Custom built cabinets, quartz countertops. The house is gorgeous!! I will say this.. Dr Payam is not cheap.. That is okay with me! In the long run what was most important is how fair, more than fair, More than fair Payam is with his honesty in pricing. All you can do is ask someone to do a good job and treat you and your hard earned money with respect. Payam could have charged me more money and taken longer, done stupid "contractor" tactics. No not Payam Bahrami PHD He is a good stand up man, aren't many of those floating around now a days. Icing on the cake ? ALL of his work, anything his company does work on in your home or commercial property comes with a one year peace of mind guarantee! What?! That's unheard of unless, you are certain you are good at what you do! Here we are, done 6 weeks later . You get what you pay for and we won!! We won!! Thank you My house Doctor. I cannot wait for our next project together! M and S :-)

Working with John was a horrible experience. I should have known that he was not the right fit for…read moreus when he referred to our furniture as "way too Pottery Barn" and too "matcy-matchy". Later came to realize that his billing and general business demeanor was questionable as well. We withdrew his services but after a considerable cost. He was abrasive, condescending and unprofessional. Be careful.

My family has worked with John Gray for 15+ years on three separate houses. Two in Chicago and a…read morelake house in Michigan. Last year I bought a Mies Van Der Rohe condo unit on Lake Shore Drive, which I planned to gut-renovate. Early on I wanted to design and GC the project myself. This became impossible due to an increased work schedule. On top of this, I had a tight and fixed budget. Initially, I reached out to John for guidance, and to help source good contractors. I realized that John's experience, his eye, his team, and negotiating skills would quickly pay for itself. We completed the renovation in 6 months: demo, new plumbing, upgraded electrical service, new integrated kitchen, hardwood floors, newly constructed walls and a renovated bathroom. Building management mentioned that it is one of the nicest units in the building. Even better, we came in exactly within budget, with no major surprises. I have lived here for a little over a year and am very happy with the end product. If you are seeking a designer to simply provide you with popular finishes or tell you what you want to hear, then John is not for you. John and his team are empathetic and versatile designers. They rely on an engaged relationship with their clients. This allows them to create a home that is a personal expression of his clients and their families. - Zack

We just took ownership of our new home in Lombard, and I must say that this was a wonderful…read moreexperience. Bob is a great builder. He really makes doing what I thought was going to be a stressful project super easy. The craftsmanship of his work is impeccable. He's very attentive to your needs as a customer. He's super patient and he walks you through this entire process. He always answers my calls and responds very quickly anytime we had concerns and he was flexible to pivot when we made changes to the plans. The end product is truly fantastic. We still have some things left but overall this was a great experience. If you're looking to build a new home or remodel your existing one definitely give Bob a call.

We built our custom home with United Home Builders 1.5 years ago and we are very happy with the…read morebuilding experience and the quality craftsmanship. Bob, listens to you, and builds the house you want at the price you agreed to. United Home Builders not only build great houses, they are great people with integrity that stand behind their product. If you are going to build in or around Lombard you need to talk to United Home Builders.

Proceed carefully and document everything We engaged Xcēd…read moreDesign Build for a residential project, but the contract was ultimately canceled before construction began. We were unable to reconcile the deliverables we received with the portion of the design retainer that was kept. Based on our experience, we recommend approaching the process as a structured business relationship with clear documentation at every step. While early conversations were collaborative, relying on verbal discussions instead of written confirmation led to misalignment and, ultimately, disappointment. We expected Chelsey to lead the design based on early discussions, but the project was assigned to a different designer. Documenting decisions, preferences, and changes after each meeting would have helped ensure expectations were aligned. Recommendations for homeowners: *Request visibility into design hours, specify how you want those hours prioritized, and require notification at defined milestones *Confirm the specific deliverables for each design review *Confirm who the assigned designer will be and ask to see their portfolio *Require confirmation that proposed designs would reasonably pass permitting * Ask how dimensions, clearances, and usability are validated * Even if budget alignment is confirmed upfront, document it clearly in writing *Follow the contract closely and keep all decisions in writing A consistent, well-documented process from the beginning helps set clear expectations and accountability.

I needed a contractor to finish a second floor remodel. Drywall, windows, flooring, bathroom, etc…read more Gary Dayan and Chelsey Jackel were fantastic to work with. They had a crew of very professional workers. I cannot praise them enough. We now have a great looking second floor apartment. Be sure to give them a call when you are comparing contractors.

We worked with Paul Knobel on our kitchen remodel almost14 years ago. We were busy working people…read morethat needed help from the design of the kitchen, to the selection of the right elements to the completion of the job. Paul delivered a beautiful and functional kitchen that gets compliments every time someone comes to our home. It has aged wonderfully, and when we needed little incremental repairs or replacements, he was very willing to help and always very responsive. We are going to work on a bathroom remodel next. On time, On budget and very personable.

My wife and I decided on a home renovation project and addition as we love the neighborhood in…read morewhich we live. We interviewed several builders and contractors and viewed some of their previous projects before hearing about Alpine Custom Builders from a recommendation from a co-worker. We toured the home of our co-worker to see the quality of work that had been greatly impressed. Knowing our co-worker and his penchant for detail, we decided to call Alpine Custom Builder's owner, Dan Casaletto and speak with him regarding our project. The ideas we had for an addition to our home along with a remodel of the original home was a large project, and we were totally inexperienced in this area, but after speaking with Dan, and hearing his thoughts and ideas about the project we were convinced that we found our building contractor. The craftsmen that Dan uses for each step of the project were true professionals in each of their trades. A bonus for us, was during the construction, as Dan would supervise the project and have an idea that he thought might be a better choice, he would contact us and explain idea at the site and give us the opportunity to make an informed decision at the proper time in the building process. It was a great help is us getting the home we really wanted. The attentiveness to detail and our personal desires exhibited by Dan, truly eliminated the anxieties that are inherent with such a project. We would not hesitate to use Alpine Custom Builders for any future project.

Meticulous is Dan's middle name. Serious attention to detail. Dan completed three projects for…read moreus. Completely new composite front porch (neighbors stop all the time and compliment us), vinyl siding including new foam board insulation, and gutting a bathroom. Great work all the way around and very trustworthy. A big thanks to Dan.

WARNING!!! Do NOT hire Michael Bugno, BGZ Custom Homes (West…read moreChicago), or M&M Services (Carol Stream). He is both unethical, and incompetent and we have the documentation to prove it. We hired Michael Bugno to build an $800,000 home. He is now trying to charge us MILLIONS even though he admits our budget was $800,000. Keep in mind, the more expensive the house Bugno builds, means more money in HIS POCKET! UNETHICAL. He has wiped out our life savings, and refuses to admit any mistakes, or do anything about it. After FIRING Michael Bugno, we have found out from ALL the subcontractors ALL the mistakes made in the construction that have contributed to the outrageous costs. INCOMPETENT. He made decisions on building our house without consulting us, without telling us the costs, and without knowing or caring about the costs. Both INCOMPETENT and UNETHICAL. Do NOT hire Michael Bugno, BGZ Custom Homes, or M&M Services.

Michael built a 3500sqft home for over $950,000 for my family and I. Through this process he was…read moreextraordinary with communication about any changes I wanted and if there were any ways to have cost effective savings on the project when the plans were in progress with the architects. He went above and beyond to make sure that every detail was thought out properly and the functionality of the details would best fit my family and I. I would recommend him not only for his attention of detail but how he communicates effectively throughout the project.

Paul and Robert did our recent kitchen remodel in Aurora, including all new cabinets, appliances…read moreand backsplash. It turned out fantastic! There were challenges along the way, but you can definitely see the craftsmanship and attention to detail throughout. One example is the drawer directly below the cook top, where there technically wasn't room for the gas line without protruding into the drawer. Paul beautifully modified the KraftMaid drawer, and we ended up with a usable drawer that many other contractors would have simply told us could not be used (it would have been purely decorative). Remodeling a kitchen is highly labor intensive, with a diverse skill set that includes working with tile, cabinets, drywall and electrical. Also, the tile back splash Robert did for us is very precise and aesthetically pleasing - it really "pops"! We highly recommend this team, they were one of two teams available at our local Lowes.

Ive been working with Pawel for years on all sorts of projects, from redoing a water-damaged…read morebathroom in a condo to rebuilding a leaning porch to building a brand-new garage, start to finish. When I call, he picks up. When we schedule an appointment, he shows up on time. When he says he will do something, it gets done. In a world filled with unreliable and dishonest contractors, a straight-shooter like Pawel is worth his weight in gold. Save yourself the headache and just call him next time you need anything.