Created innovative design to change an "old" floor plan of small boxy spaces into an "open" space with great flow - AND - Remodeled large condominium (built in 1981) - kitchen completely redone, cabinets, plumbing, lighting, appliances - moved walls, created closets, opened doorways, installed sliding/pocket doors, - created a sumptuous spa master bath, with huge shower for two with 2 showerheads - updated one bathroom, and completely renovated 2 others, - created the perfect bar/sitting space to highlight the open concept (wet bar, icemaker, refrigerator) - unique decorative stone wall, mosaic detail, arched display area - wood flooring laid in an unusual diagonal pattern, curved slate floors in master bath - completely reworked the lighting plans and electrics, adding customized display walls/areas Can't possibly say enough good things about Jim Gardiner - excellent "eye" for detail, a creative outlook, willing to engage in new ideas, and very adaptive to the customer's wishes (even when we didn't know how to make our notions real, he managed to take our unclear wishes and tone it down/or ramp it up so that we would get the effects we wanted). I interviewed many design/build firms in the area - and soon realized that no one had a lock on a great price - everyone came to about the same dollar estimate. For us, the fact that he was the only one who asked to see our current apartment (so that he could gauge our style) BEFORE he saw the condo we wanted to renovate, was a thoughtful quality we were very impressed with - and put him ahead right from the beginning. We have now been in our condo for almost a year, and there is not a single thing we would change - we did have the luxury of time (living in our apt until all the work was finished), but that creates other kinds of stress providing time to second-guess decisions. His suppliers were quite cooperative; the silestone in the kitchen was done twice, since the first effort did not match his standards which are high. The cabinetry company that he works with did some fabulous custom work that was impeccable. He also has a broad local network of specialists to call on -- really superb craftspeople to handle such items as granite selection, stone cutting, carpeting, glass shelving, custom countertops in unusual materials, even intricate electrical switching and other odd but useful arrangements that suited us. Jim was supportive and encouraging and his crew was wonderful. He was always reachable, and his prime guy-on-site Tim Starr (one of his leads) was meticulous, detail oriented, and a superb craftsman in any medium. He custom-built cabinets in our bar area, created perfect curves in a marble arch, laid the stone for the decorative wall, custom cut marble/slate floor in powder room, and took on various small projects that helped make this place the home we love!