Bkdp

BKDP did a wonderful job on creating a relaxing high tech home entertainment center in my basement. There attention to detail made the design process so easy and enjoyable as they really understood what I wanted (I was unsure!) and it is now a well loved room in my house. The powder room reno was a challenge for any design team and it exceeded my expectations in the end. I would recommend the BKDP team without hesitation!!!

I had such an absolutely incredible experience with Fardid and the team at BKDP. Here are some highlights:

- First, their work is top notch. My place has exceeded my expectations in every possible way.
- They are on time .. they were fully transparent about the schedule, set realistic expectations, and delivered on them.
- They set expectations about price .. they will tell you what you get, for what amount, and what the tradeoffs are. Then they will try to keep you in that budget when you start to wander out. I had multiple meetings with Fardid where he was trying to convince me to stay within our budget .. it was great to have a real partner.
- They have impeccable attention to detail .. everything from the location of outlets to the tiniest details of the backsplash were thought out.
- They are such a pleasure to deal with .. great people, great staff, wow

I wish I could give more glowing praise of the firm .. this was such an incredible experience, I am so happy with the work, and I consider Fardid to be a friend. Obviously, I *highly* recommend them.

My husband I and purchased a 3 story, 90 year old Georgian style home in North Toronto due to it's exceptional location. One drawback was the interior and out of date systems that needed a complete overhaul. It was a very daughnting project and we met with many designers, contractors, etc., who were mostly inept, unprofessional, or unreliable beyond the first meeting. In the end, we had a meeting with Fardid and Ken, the principals of BKDP and felt confident in their abilities to plan and execute our project. We realized from the start that planning and communication were going to determine the success of the project and BKDP delivered every step along the way, even when hiccups occurred. Our project consisted of electrical, plumbing, structural, waterproofing, flooring, heating, kitchen, bathrooms, and interior painting. The work was done on time (5 months) and within budget, and three years post renovation, we are still very happy and have recommended them to numerous friends.

I hired BKDP back in October 2011 to redesign the ground level and 2 second level bathrooms of my home. After interviewing different design companies, both my wife and I felt most comfortable with Fardid and Ken as they were very clear and detailed in explaining the whole design process and how they charge for design and renovation to us.

The design process took about 6 weeks and the design was revised a couple of times as we added more items to our wish list. With the additional items in our with list, Fardid and his team worked really hard to try to keep the project within budget and we really appreciate their effort. They presented different design and material options to us and guided us to select the design that we like.

The renovation took about 3 months to complete and we were very pleased with the end result. During the renovation, Cristina kept us updated with their progress and schedule without the need of me calling them. And whenever I call or e-mail them with questions concerning the project, they would respond to me right away.

Aside from their great service, what I liked the most was their quotations were fixed-price, and that took away all the concerns we had for renovation as we heard many stories from friends and families on how their project costs had escalated when they didn't have a fixed-price contract with their reno companies.

We are considering to renovate our basement this summer and we would definitely rehire BKDP for their service without hesitation.

After seeing the glowing reviews here and talking to the 2 references provided by BKDP, I thought this was the right firm for the kitchen reno I needed to do. WRONG!!! I would never use this firm for any reno of any kind.

Five months after my initial meeting with Fardid elapsed before a final design was prepared. From day 1, they ignored my list of requirements, substituted different appliances in the design from the ones I had already purchased, eliminated counter, storage space, and walls willy-nilly from 1 iteration of their design to the next without me requesting it. They totally missed the mark when it came to creating a design that made the most use of space in my small kitchen, and had left lots of dead/inaccessible space -- with Ken just shrugging and implying that that was the best they could do. The junior designer either ignored or did not receive the feedback I provided to Ken. They seemed oblivious to possible electrical or structural restrictions, and even in the last "detailed" design had not included an item for plumbing hook up for the washer/dryer. They continued to include line items/costs for items I asked to be removed, and omitted another item that was stipulated as "must have" from Day 1. BKDP exhibited a lack of imagination in dealing with kitchen size limitations; I had to research and suggest options myself.

But the real negatives about using this firm were:
- They only utilize one cabinet manufacturer, Miralis, so if you don't like their cabinets, tough.
- They have a bizarre policy regarding spec'd fixtures (sinks, faucets, lights) in that they charge OVER list price for them and, if you balk and want to buy them on your own, they will charge you a 20% penalty of the price you pay for them (they call it an administration expense). Case in point: a $148 (+ 20% penalty) sink available at Lowe's would be billed at $256 if they purchased it, another sink found online for $800 (+ 20% penalty) was going to be billed at $1300 if they sourced it. I asked around and none of the 4 or 5 kitchen design firms I contacted had such a punative policy.
- The cost of their design phase is $2000 after taxes and only 50% is refunded back if you opt to go with their firm for the build portion. Most other firms charge < $1000 for the design and credit 100% of it during the build phase.
- You are not allowed to take product samples home to see if they are a good fit for your lighting and decor.
- In theory their final design should have detailed specifications for amount of tile, and which cabinet models are to be purchased. You are supposed to be able to take this to your own general contractor for completion, but their final design lacks this level of detail.
- They are not NKBA-affiliated and are not Certified Kitchen Designers. It shows. They did no preliminary work to find out how I used my kitchen, what type of cooking/entertaining I did, what things about my current layout I liked/disliked.

Responsivenss/Timeliness: 0
Listening ability: 0
Meeting customer requirements: 0
Attention to detail: 0
Cost effectiveness: 0
Professionalism: 0

On time on budget and exactly what I ordered. Very happy and no arguing about fixing things. They forgot to plan for some new hardwood but acknowledged it was their error and fixed it with new fuss. Planning 2 more renown and will use them without hesitation.

I originally hired BKDP in October 2009 to design and renovate my kitchen and I couldn’t be happier. The biggest problem I had was my kitchen didn’t have any windows and Ken offered great insights on how to maximize my kitchen. Although the renovation was delayed by two weeks because of waiting for material, it was on budget and I was kept in the loop the entire time.

The thing that I want to mention is that after a year and half later, my faucet broke from wear and tear. It was still under warranty from the manufacturer (Riobel) and I contacted BKDP for assistance. Sylvia from BKDP got the manufacturer to mail to the part to me. Unfortunately, Riobel mailed it twice and it was returned to them both times for some reason (probably because I’m in a townhouse community and my mailbox couldn’t fit it?). Sylvia had the part delivered to their office and took time from her weekend to deliver to my home (totally unexpected and very much appreciated!). It’s something I didn’t expect after a year since the renovation. I will go back with BKDP when I get around to my bathroom renovations!

We chose BKDP to renovate a dated 30-year old home. The scope of the project was large, covering the entire main and second floors, including a new kitchen and three baths. We needed a design-build firm that had:

A track record of completing projects on budget and on time, with designs we liked;
Good tradespeople and a good range of products (from mid- to high-end);
Designs that suited our tastes (classic, with a hint of contemporary);
Knowledge and experience (e.g. permit process) to make structural changes; and
Most importantly, cared about their projects and their clients.

BKDP delivered on all counts!

We can't stress enough the last point. Fardid and Ken looked after all the little details in the design and construction. We didn't have to constantly monitor the progress of the project, and the project was finished flawlessly.

Also, the time Fardid and Ken invested in the design stage really contributed to the success of the project. We went through several iterations of the design and (very detailed) budget until we arrived at a product that maximized the value of our budget and met all of our needs. In the end, the result of our reno project far exceeded our expectations. You’ll find pics of our home on BKDP web site (labelled “Casual Luxury” in the Portfolio section).

A&Y

Have had a kitchen reno done by BKDP, as well as painting and doors/windows installed. They have been great. Professional, stay on budget and on time. We had a minor disaster (flood from a faucet) which they dealt with quickly and effectively. I really felt as if they responded to our needs. The kitchen turned out beautifully, and is on their website (bkdp). Have used them again, since. Love their service, committment and truthfulness.

I have worked with Ken and Fardid of BKDP on numerous occaisions over the past 3 years and have been completely satisfied with the results. They are a highly capable, well organized, creative and professional team that I would recommend to anyone looking at major renovations in their home.