Benjamin Moore paint is probably the best stuff out there. It coats the best, is the easiest to…read morework with and just looks better. So that by itself makes Besse's the ultimate painter's destination in Torrington - well, DIY-painter, that is. They know their stuff here, are very friendly and have just about everything you need to paint anything in their relatively small store. Parking is a bit problematic at times, but it's not a big deal. Great painting resource.

We wanted to update our experiences with Ace, and we realized in doing so that they really haven't…read morechanged much in the last three years. We like this store very much. We like the enlargement of their stock in recent years, the ease of access in this clean, well-organized store, and the helpfulness of the folks who work here. We think the store is more customer-oriented than ever, and we are especially happy with their rental section from whom we have rented everything from equipment to tents. And we continue to like that they offer a nice selection of Litchfield-tagged clothing items (hoodies, sweatshirts, etc.). Parking is better these days, and ... well, like we said, we're happy here. Thanks to the owners.

I haven't been in Ace since they were a True Value, and frankly much is the same. Tools, pet…read moresupplies, paint, more tools, etc. But there have been some changes - the area by the register is moved, with displays encouraging buy local. They have the Connecticut 169 books, local products, and really cute little stickers. There are even Litchfield sweatshirts. The employees were very engaged with the customers, and free ones were quick to offer their assistance. (One could call them "helpful hardware folk....) The aisles were clear, and the displays clean and well organized. The parking lot lines are a bit faded so it can be a bit of a free for all, or at least close quarters where the line is clearer one side than the other.

While visiting a friend's home I learned she had recently worked with Thomas and his team to…read morerefinish their kitchen and dining room cabinets, which were beautiful. The same evening I met her neighbor who also worked with Thomas to refinish her kitchen. I had been thinking about doing this in my kitchen as my dark cabinets, while beautiful and perfectly functioning, made my space look very dark. Like many people, I spend the majority of my time at home in my kitchen. I scheduled a consult with Thomas and his team and was struck by their eye for design and ability to keep the things we had that worked well and enhance them by adding just the right colors to make the space more current and to add brightness. I did not feel oversold and they took the time to come out several times to help us work through color decisions. When the crew came to do the work I was awestruck with their diligence, attention to detail, focus on preparation, and cleanliness. They minimized disruption to our family, and executed the project perfectly. Thomas came by frequently to be sure the project was on track. My husband and I could not be more pleased with the outcome. I absolutely give Thomas Mach Interiors five stars! The entire process and the outcome were flawless.

We have been in our house for 5 years and have lived with the old dark kitchen colors that were…read morepopular in the early 2000's. We had looked at replacing cabinets and at painting and we decided the cabinets were great and checked on painting. Some of the painters we looked at did not do the quality job we wanted (visible brush strokes etc.) so we contacted Thomas Mach for a consultation. He came and shared his vision for how our kitchen could look and we decided right then to go ahead on the project. His team was so professional, and completely protected the rest of the house from the painting. Everything was sprayed on the spot using Farrow and Ball Paint which carries a 6 year warranty. They also helped us decide on new countertops and back splash. They managed the entire project start to finish and we had a new kitchen in just over a week. We were so impressed we had them also paint our dining room which needed it. This was not a low cost project and more expensive than other companies we checked with, but the quality, professionalism and speed made the choice obvious and worth the value.

This update is for Lowe's home delivery and NOT in-store experiences, the latter of which have been…read moreboth good and bad, and sometimes on the same visit. This time we ordered online wooden garden boxes to be delivered to our home for convenience sake. Good news: we got the boxes, exactly as ordered, on the day they were promised, and their condition was excellent. We quickly got them unpacked and set up (you can see the results in our photos). We were very pleased with the experience, hence five stars. A little less confident about going in the store, however...

Or a good day for me at Lowe's. A little tidbit ; most customers don't understand this whole red…read moreshirt blue shirt thing. If I ask a question. Or ask for assistance I don't want to hear about a red shirt. Just handle it. Everyone's in the clock these days including me. I was there twice as long as I needed to be because the left hand and the right don't know each other well enough to help me.