Distinctive Designs Landscaping

I had been thinking about replacing my dilapidated deck, and also wanted some stone work done, as in a new pathway to my front door plus some stone steps installed at the front of the house, as well as the side door.
I did my research, then contacted three companies all on HomeStars, one of which came out and gave me an estimate (got high ratings on this site) but his overall manner was so lack luster and the total lack of input and ideas put me off-even though their estimate was fair. My feeling was he just wasn't interested, and I wanted someone that was enthusiastic. The second company did return my email at first, but then after that he said he's come out to give estimate and never did, and didn't reply further. The third estimate was from Kurt at Distinctive Designs and meeting him was like a night and day difference! He was personable, enthusiastic, and had lots of good/creative ideas and explained them well! This was what I'd been looking for, and I felt comfortable to place my trust in this company.
Although I ended up having more extensive work done than originally planned, and a couple of hiccups due to the weather, I was very happy with the results. Kurt and his crew worked diligently every day, and cleaned up after themselves as others have said, so wonderfully it was not a hardship to have them around and not the chaos I was expecting! They were polite and respectful, and I have to say it was interesting and enjoyable watching the transformation of the house as they progressed...they work truly as a team!
We've had lots of compliments from neighbours, and can't wait until this spring when the look can be finished off with some new sod and foundation plantings, as had all the old bushes ripped out due to them making my front entrance almost disappear!
I also had new windows installed prior to this, and got my trees trimmed afterwards, both from other professionals (also found on HomeStars), and now I feel like I have a whole new house! The project took a couple of weeks, and was completed right before Halloween 2015.
Thank you so much Kurt, and the boys...Shawn, Patrick, and Mike, you are the best!
My advice? Pick Distinctive Designs-you won't regret it!

After years of dealing with a bindweed infestation in our backyard, we wanted to have everything removed and sod put down with new smaller flower beds. Kurt was very, professional, knowledgeable and easy to work with. The renovation included removing all the soil, leveling the ground, laying sod, putting in a small gate and adding natural stone borders to new flower beds. The crew was fabulous and went above and beyond what we expected. They offered to replace our back gate which was falling off the hinges and finished the back fence for us. When we asked if we could add to the natural stone borders that they were putting in our front garden, they were very accommodating. We can't wait to plant in the spring! Thanks so much to Kurt and crew!

The work was started on time. The old wall which was concrete was taken away in a good and tidy fashion the site was cleaned along the way and somewhat functional while the work was going on. The job was finished in a couple of days and the crew were excellent. workers.

We are so glad we choose Distinctive Designs to build our deck. Our start date got pushed back a little due to weather but once Kurt and his crew started the job, they showed up every day and put in full days until it was finished. Each evening we came home from work to find another big piece of the project completed. We found the Distinctive Designs team to be friendly and courteous, and kept the work area clean and tidy at the end of each work day. We had received other comparable quotes, but had a sense that Distinctive Designs would give us something more than the others in terms of design, materials and quality of the work. We were right. With Kurt's help we ended up choosing Wolf PVC decking in a Rosewood colour and stone facing for the planter box, pergola and bench. Kurt also provided some suggestions and advice on the design of the deck, added features (lighting), as well as maintenance advice, which were all greatly appreciated. The design and materials compliment the classic style of our house, and make it a beautiful space that that we look forward to spending a lot of time on in the years to come. Thank you Distinctive Designs! Carol & Dominic

Kurt came on time for detailed estimates for our family needs on two separate occasions this year:

Spring: front garden circular wall with triple mix that grew huge vegetables and flowers this summer, side fence and gate and side walkway.

Fall: back garden wall, back patio with ramps and steps to garage, back walkareound walkway, seating area and triple mix.

Kurt and his staff were timely, courteous, happy, reliable and professional for our beautiful new side gate, walkways, patios and garden walls.

Their price was reasonable for the quality workmanship.

We're likely hiring them again in the future for a front walkway.

When my husband and I decided to completely redo our backyard and put in a pool, we really wanted to do our homework before hiring someone for this massive project, so we spoke to at least a dozen different companies – pool companies, landscapers, and all-in-one companies (i.e. those who do both the pool and landscaping). After receiving many quotes and getting a feel for the contractors, we opted to go with Kurt and his team for the landscaping, and have the pool installed by a separate company. We felt that Distinctive Designs was a company with integrity and would deliver quality workmanship within the budget we set forth. We were absolutely impressed!

This project was enormous. We needed to replace our entire fence, remove an existing patio, incorporate a second existing patio into the design, regrade and resod the side yard, build an area for a play structure, add a staircase off of our main-floor deck, add a firepit, a water feature, some trees, accent lighting, and tonnes of stone around the pool. Of all the contractors we spoke with, Kurt was the one we felt was really listening to what we had in mind. He was willing to work with our ideas and very respectfully offered his opinions on various aspects (he has a good eye for design). He even met with us at the landscape supply company to ensure that we were happy with our stone choices.

When work began, Kurt and his crew were always sensitive to our neighbours in terms of the equipment, the trucks, the noise, and the mess. We appreciated that the guys weren’t loud and never used foul language. They started each workday at 8am, and worked hard until they were done and the site was cleaned for the day (some nights that meant after 7:30pm). On days when it rained, they were still here trying to accomplish whatever they could – one day in particular, that meant one guy was in the pool filling in the cement on the underside of the coping, and 2 other guys were building the staircase while it poured. We were very pleased with how hard they worked to get our project done in a timely manner, and they did so with excellent attention to detail. Even the pool company we used was impressed with the work, and vowed to connect with Distinctive Designs on future projects.

As with many projects of this nature, problems arise that are beyond anyone’s control. In our case, a change in the final height of the pool in the ground meant design changes for the patio, as well as a change in the grade at the side of the house. This led to a need for retaining walls in a few places. Thankfully, Kurt was very mindful of our budget and was able to address the problem in a cost effective manner, while still making the solution look great. Having a contractor who’s respectful of the budget the client lays out is certainly refreshing.

The team at Distinctive Designs does beautiful work, and we now have our dream backyard. From the stunning new gate to the yard, to the incredible stone and coping, to a functional staircase that finally gives us access to the back from the main floor, to a solid and gorgeous new fence. There are too many things to mention! Everything is exceptional, and our guests marvel at the workmanship! Thank you Kurt, Sean, Patrick, and Mike for all of your hard work! We are very grateful to have found such a high quality company. If you have a landscaping project – big or small – and you have big expectations, go with Distinctive Designs! You won’t be disappointed!

My wife and I recently purchased a property which had good bones, but had been severely neglected on the outside.

After performing our due diligence, we chose to go with Kurt.

Kurt is a kind, knowledgeable, and hard-working man. Using his experience, he derived and delivered a cohesive plan for our front and back yard.

We needed grading (front/back), new sod (front/back), new fence & gate (back), new steps and landing (front), new deck & privacy screen (back), new patio (front/back), and a new driveway (front). Notably, Kurt's entire team worked very hard, day-after-day, to complete our project - they were all very nice/friendly people.

I would not hesitate one iota, to recommend Kurt for your landscaping project.

Kirk and his crew did a new front porch and new contoured garden walls. Also, they added a brick divider between the front lawn and driveway from the new garden wall to the curb. They were very professional and diligent in the work that they did for us. Any future jobs that we might be looking at, Distinctive Designs will be sure to get a call from us.Many thanks to Kirk and his crew.

We were in need of a new front porch, walkway and sitting area. After several quotes and research, we decided to go with Distinctive Designs. Kurt was extremely patient and helpful in the design process. He exposed us to materials we hadn't thought of or seen and brought multiple samples prior to our final design. From beginning to end, Kurt and his team were very organized, tidy and professional. Kurt's customer service is impeccable. There was one issue with the stone finish and without any hesitation, it was corrected promptly. We are very pleased with the outcome and we are constantly receiving compliments. We would recommend this company without any hesitation. Thanks for your hard work. The Young's.....