Really bad experience - lack of experience, professionalism and unethical…read more
My project consisted of a remodel of a 2 bedroom condo, involving complete replacement of floors, removal of popcorn ceiling, kitchen remodel and conversion of a walk in closet into a 3/4 bathroom. I decided to work with Dina after screening 3 interior designers recommended by Home Advisor, including Dina. The reason I chose to go with her because of her and her contractor's enthusiasm with the project. She also explained she had 10 years of experience, and had a degree in technical design (similar credentials as the other designers I screened). Her hourly pricing was similar to them, although she was the only one that charged me $250 for in home consultation, where as the other ones were free. I cannot recommend Dina, and had an awful experience. My main issues with Dina are below, and my recommendation for anyone that works for her would be to closely avoid that she make the same mistakes with you that she did with me. I learned a very hard way, after suffering serious delays with the project, having items incomplete, and after speaking with multiple attorneys, contractors, real interior designers, the California Certification for Interior Design and the Contractors State License Board:
1. Not a licensed interior designer. The license number posted on Houzz.com is not an interior designer's license.
2. No set up of contracts - this is really bad, because contractors or anyone else she subcontracts can put a lien on your property, if they feel money is owed to them. She has no liability even though she brings her subcontractors and she forces you to pay them through her. This is acting as a general contractor, for which she does not have a license either.
3. Very unclear invoices, and gets defensive if you ask questions. Her response to me was typically "I can't remember now, but if I charged it, it's because I did it". I also overpaid her, and she didn't acknowledge my notifications of this, and even showed up with a "partner" at my home telling me I owed her money for things that I had already paid for. She's also very secretive about her pricing.
4. She doesn't want you to talk to her subcontractors. She told me that I shouldn't even say good morning to them, and that all should go through her.
5. She really doesn't watch for your budget. I had to follow closely with her on things because she would say "it's a little bit more" and when I'd press for how much more and hard numbers, it was usually about $500-$1000 more.
6. Zero project management -she ended up telling me to set up the list of pending things to be done at my home, and I ended up having to set up Gantt charts to get time commitments from her contractors..
7. No commitment on her end: she literally told me at 5:45 pm the night before I was supposed to move back in that I couldn't move back in... What was I supposed to do with movers and storage? I ended up having to move half my things and live out of a room.
8. She has no permit experience, therefore, saying she does remodels is not accurate. She began a demolition in my home without a permit, leaving me to live with a hole in my foundation, dirt dug out, and pipes exposed. She kept thinking the delay was on the City, but it was really her permits guy that was too busy with his own projects and wouldn't commit to mine.
9. She hails to have "her people" or contacts in the business... Her windows vendor person for me was a vendor she picked up from googling, and I ended up having to hear the guy's 2 hour sales pitch while she went inside my home to work. Mind you, she had me pay her hours during this. The guy ended up quoting something outrageous, after which she said "oh now I understand why in my other project the contractors quoted as much...".
11. 12. She posts pictures and videos of your project without your consent. I feel very uncomfortable having pictures and videos of my home that everyone can see. I requested she remove them using Facebook, as a comment, but she did not remove them.