I recently bought a new construction home and my builder, Boynton, unfortunately used Dalene for…read moreflooring. After the builder caused water damage to the kitchen and bedroom, Dalene came out to re-install wood in the affected areas. While the quality of the original work was good, the finish on the re-installed wood was awful. There were lap marks and visible streaks of filler smeared across many planks. At least it felt smooth. Aside from this, their "dustless sander" spewed dust all over the countertops, walls, etc. and I had to throw out a lot of items in my kitchen because I did not want to eat dust. Although this perhaps was to be expected, I was told ahead of time that plastic wouldn't be needed because they use a "dustless sander." I knew better for next time and bought and laid out plastic myself. They came out to assess and we decided to leave the bedroom as-is since I would be placing furniture over the areas where mistakes were made. In the kitchen, the issues were widespread, so they did the job a second time. Unfortunately, they applied two coats of Bona Traffic Go within about 1 to 2 hours of each other. I saw the label on the container. First, I paid for Bona Traiffic HD, which is more durable, yet they didn't use what I paid for. Second, Bona requires at least 3 hours between each coat, because the grain is raised after the first coat and, if the grain is still rising at the time the second coat is applied, it will end up rough and grainy. That's what happened. The smears of wood filler are gone but in place of that issue the floor is now rough and grainy, sandpaper-like in some areas, so I've only traded one issue for another. The builder reached out to them but they never returned. Even if they did, I'm not sure I would trust them to not mess it up further. They move 100 miles per hour; their only goal is to get out of there, not to do the job right.

My wife and I have purchase whole-house carpet from Dalene's twice. Once when we built our house…read moreand again 23 years later when we recarpeted the house. Connie, the designer/sales associate, is knowledgeable and a pleasure to work with. If you encounter an unforeseen problem (we did), the co-owner, Rich Dalene, is very accommodating in working through the problem with you. A word of advice: Carpet is a huge investment. Make sure the carpet you choose is compatible with your vacuum cleaner - or be prepared to buy one that is. If not, you could find that trying to push your vacuum over your new, soft, thick, or high pile carpet is a real chore. We recommend Dalene's and would purchase from them again.

While they don't have a huge storefront, don't judge until you go inside. It's a really…read moreprofessional little showroom with nice samples throughout the place. Great for getting ideas for whatever your "Kitchen & Flooring Dreams" are, so to speak. Everyone is really knowledgeable and professional, not pushy or anything like that. I met Humera and Jimmy, and they both definitely know what they're doing. Jimmy came to the house and took measurements so the custom cabinets could be cut right. Much like ordering windows, it takes a week or two to get them made, but this is reasonable given the logistical challenges. Great alternative to the industry giants like HD and Lowe's. Because the prices are competitve, and these people actually CARE! :)

Fozia was so helpful and professional throughout the entire grueling process. I love the results!read more

I wanted to re-do my kitchen so I went to The Home Show in Hartford a few months ago and connected…read morewith a few contractors. I did some research on review sites and had 1 come to my house for a consultation and estimate. We liked him and his work - but I also decided to drop into Granite & Kitchen Studio, LLC in South Windsor as they are around the corner from my house. I looked in their showroom, spoke with Devon and arranged for Ahmed to come give us a consult and estimate. The moment Ahmed started measuring, commenting and suggesting - I knew he was who I wanted to work with. BUT, I also sensed he'd be very expensive based on his approach to the project and others we spoke with. Guess what - a few days later when I got his estimate it was only slightly higher than the other, and if apples-to-apples on material was used he might be the same. I was psyched because it was within our budget, and I REALLY wanted to work with Ahmed and his Team. Snooping around his office at contract signing I noticed not 1, but 2 MBA's from UCONN - Engineering and Business, and he's an architect by trade....no wonder I thought he was such a quality partner! The experience was amazing from start to finish! On time, (started 1 day late due to Noreaster, but finished on time), within budget and the various artisans / craftsman that did the work were all excellent. I mean EXCELLENT. The demo guys (also painted, did tile, electric and trim work), Cabinet installer, Granite installers and Back-splash tilers were all amazing. They ALL showed up on time, did their work, were neat, clean and very pleasant and professional. Ahmed periodically stopped by to manage the project and other than 1 stressful morning when 3 contractors had challenges, all at once, it was smooth sailing and a super pleasant experience. I liked that Granite & Kitchen Studio has their own granite in their yard to pick from, has all the material and samples on site and has a retail showroom with knowledgeable staff to help. NOT the case with the other firm that came and would send me to Windsor to select my granite, and it would be cut elsewhere. I can't praise these folks enough for how they run their business and the quality of the work done by them and their sub-contractors. Two thumbs up (it's all I have!!) to Ahmed, Devon, Christine and the entire gang at GKS for a spectacular job!

Highly recommend GKS! Used them to finish my laundry area with a countertop, upper cabinets and a…read moregarment rod. It was one stop shop to the studio to design what I envisioned and choose materials. Devon used a rendering software to help me visualize the options and her significant experience and expertise was invaluable when fine tuning the details. The team was extremely communicative throughout the whole process. Very pleased with the finished product! 10/10 highly recommend!

Heartwood supervised our new counters and sink installation. We called on them 10 yrs after they…read morere-surfaced our kitchen cabinets. 10 years later the cabinets are still in great condition, to peeling, no loose corners, nothing is wrong. Mark of Heartwood was our go-between and organized all the businesses involved. We didn't need to hunt down any of the involved tradespeople. Everything went through on Mark's predicted schedule. The carpenter, counters, and plumber did exemplary work. We are considering more similar work done and would not hesitate to call on the business again.

I am so glad I found Heartwood. They recently did a cabinet refacing job for us and it turned out…read morebeautiful! I feel like I'm in someone else's house. The job was done as promised, quickly and at a good price. What also impressed me is the way they cleaned up after themselves. Everyone we came in contact with was very professional and very polite. I would highly recommend them to anyone. Helen Byars - Waterbury, CT

Best shower door installation I have ever experienced and I've built penty of houses - no one…read morecomares to thir quality and craftsmanship.

Very professional. Great installers!…read more A couple years ago I had them do a sliding glass door in bath with a tub came out fantastic. I just had them do a walk in shower with a hinged door that swings in our out of the shower. Came out perfect. The owner Patty is great to work with. ***** Five Stars!

Our Granite installation was completed today and we couldn't be happier! Ray, Jamila, and their…read moreentire crew have been excellent throughout this entire process. Strongly recommend them. They are professional, do excellent work and are extremely reasonable in their pricing.

My wife and I went in there on a Saturday and looked at a few different patterns of countertop. The…read moreowner eventually helped us a bit and even gave us samples to take home. We got a rough estimate for replacing our countertops and backsplash based on my measurements. The owner said he had a big job to do in Stamford on Monday, but would come out and measure our job on Tuesday or Wednesday. He would call first. That was well over a month ago. Fortunately, I have come to expect this from some home improvement companies. When they get busy, they only pay attention to the people with the biggest jobs. A.k.a. the most money for them. I really wanted to give them a chance because I like to support local businesses. But I guess they weren't interested in our money. $10,000 might not be much to some people, but I still think it's a lot of money. In the end, I was thankful that they blew us off because that meant we were able to get the job done by Home Depot (one of the other 3 quotes we got) for far less money than these guys were quoting. They also treated us like human beings. And though they didn't do the job themselves, the company that they contracted to do the work was very professional and did a wonderful job. So if you are the owner of this business (or any other local business) and wonder why the big box stores are eating your lunch. Maybe you should think about treating EVERY one of your customers like they are important because there are only so many "big fish" out there. It's the "medium fish" that will keep you & your family fed for the long haul. if you are a person looking for cabinets, countertops or backsplashes I highly recommend getting at least three quotes, and make sure Home Depot is one of them. I never thought that I would get better treatment from big box store than a local family business, but that was precisely what we got in this case.

Stair Replacement - Nutmeg just completed removing my old carpeted stairs with a new gorgeous…read morestaircase. The approach Jonathan took to explain the Nutmeg process provided me with confidence I picked the right company. Jonathan inspected and measured the staircase (twice) and explained it was a two-day process from start to finish. He was true to his word. The first day the existing stairs were removed and prefinished stringers, risers and oak treads were installed by knowledgeable and experiences carpenters . On day two, the finish painter came over and filled every nail hole and touch up painted everything to perfection. The results are outstanding! The quality of the planning, along with the expert carpenters and painters, made the entire experience pleasurable. I would highly recommend Nutmeg to anyone considering work in their home.

We just gutted & remodeled our kitchen, dining room & mud room. I love it all. Kathy, John &…read moreJonathan made the process so much easier with their expertise & suggestions. I 100% recommend them. In fact, now my daughter is using them for their new cabinets.

"One man's ceiling is another man's floor" (Paul Simon)…read more The time has come for our entry floor of old, sad, cracked, faded, tired looking fieldstone to be replaced, so today we wandered into Tile Designs of New England. We thought it would be a good place to start because their tile inventory has "more than 35,000 tiles to select from." Specifically, we were in search of porcelain floor tiles and our search started with a conversation with Debbie, who directed us to the myriad of porcelain floor tiles in every shape, color, texture, pattern, and style you can possibly imagine. After a long deliberation, we emerged with a clear favorite we'll probably buy very soon -at around $10/SF. What a great alternative to the big box stores!

We went in to look at backsplash for work we are having done in our kitchen . The lone person (…read morewoman) working in the store ignored us until I asked for help, the phone then rang and she spent about 15 minutes talking on the phone ( sounded like a personal phone call), then came out of her office, Ignored us again and spent about 15 more minutes talking to a woman who came into the store after us. We finally just left. We will not go back or recommend this store . All she had to do was say " sorry, I'll be with you in a few minutes", but she acted like we weren't there. There is no excuse for the rudeness we encountered.