Natasha and Joe in Bloor West

In August/September 2009, having researched carpenters on Home Stars and having seen photos of Ewen's wainscotting work, my husband and I decided, as part of a larger self-contracting renovation, to hire Ewen to do extensive wainscotting work throughout our house, and he did not disappoint. It was the added touch that gave the house the "wow" factor at a cost that was not much more than pre-fabricated panelling, which in the end would not have looked anywhere close to the "real deal" once it was done. There were a lot of contingencies to deal with in an old house and Ewen mastered them beautifully. He is a true craftsman, a gem among a sea of people who would like to call themselves tradesmen, but who truly cannot deliver the quality of work that can only come from years of training and experience. We have him returning in the new year for more work and my husband and I would never think of hiring anyone else.

As part of an extensive renovation and being our own contractor, we hired Jose to do extensive electrical work on our century home which included removal of all knob and tube, retrofitting all rooms not being renovated with new outlets, switches and overhead lighting, hardwiring a new smoke/CO detector system, updating a very messy panel, and wiring all the new construction including a new kitchen and outdoor lighting. We needed someone who would not only bring our house up to code, but work out a practical and functional electrical plan for the main floor new construction. Jose was always a step ahead of us in proposing practical solutions to our electrical needs. He was flexible with our schedule, came when he said he would and always cleaned up at the end of the day. It was a large job and he handled it very well at a reasonable cost.