This is a long review so get a coffee…
It was hard to find the right contractor (it took 5-6 months) and we had a lot of concerns with trusting a website, but after failing to find someone we liked through friends and some large cabinet/designer companies, Home Stars really came through for us. Many people come to this website because the thing that they are most concerned about is that their contractor is going to take off with their money or drop the job after doing the demolition. So they look at the scores and the number of reviews, but rarely do they read all the reviews and really look for some of the important details. Sure a bad contractor will be poorly rated but can you really know how good the finished product will look or tell the quality of the cabinets, hardware (glides, handles etc.), installation, or the finishing touches (calking, bumpers, moldings). Everyone is happy that their kitchen is finished and you expect that the new kitchen should be a lot better than what they had before. I suggest that you take the time to read all the reviews of any contractor you are considering hiring. It is important to know if your contractor has the experience necessary to do the size and type of job your renovation requires. Lastly, when you meet them, trust your gut impression, if they don’t make you feel confident that they can do the job or you don’t like them, don’t hire them, you are going to be spending a lot of time dealing with them.
Our Kitchen renovation involved removing a loadbearing wall, moving a doorway (which became a pocket door), adding a large opening looking into another room (again in a loadbearing wall), our 1980’s dropped ceiling removed, plumbing, HVAC, tiling, electrical, countertops, drywall, painting, moldings and of course cabinetry. This was a total kitchen transformation.
Valentini Kitchens is a family owned business and it shows in the way they care about every aspect of their work. Renovations are a messy business. Valentini Kitchens covered the floors, set up vapor barriers to reduce the air borne dust, blocked vents and cleaned up every day.
Piero, the face of Valentini Kitchens, is a very likeable guy who really listens and works with you to create a design. His experience really showed in the great ideas he brought up when we first showed him our kitchen. Before he had left, Piero had already created rough sketches (which he later turned into beautiful computer generated 3D drawings). Most people are concerned about hearing from their contractor after handing over their 1st payment. Communication with Piero actually became more frequent. After each tradesman had done some work, Piero would call to make sure we were happy and would answer all of our questions. Piero was always working behind the scenes, making sure the product and the trades were lined up to avoid delays.
Tony, Piero’s brother, is a perfectionist who really takes pride in making and installing his cabinetry. Tony is invaluable! He attends to every detail as if he was working on his own mother’s home. Speaking of the product, the cabinets are of very high quality with exceptional finishes and hardware. The product is not inexpensive, but it is of good value and built to last.
Piero and his brother Tony have assembled an excellent team of professional tradesmen (not handymen, where the same guy does plaster, tile work, plumbing and electrical). If you read a good number of the reviews you will see that many of the tradesmen have been working with Valentini Kitchens for quite a few years. You can’t help but be impressed at how every worker respected the fact that they were in YOUR home. Piero kept us informed of who and when we were to expect someone at our house. He placed a lockbox on our door so each tradesman could come and go as needed. We never had any concerns that there would be any problems. They even made sure our indoor cat never got outside. These guys worked diligently. Very few of the tradesmen smoked, and any that did, did it outside. The tradesmen really respected each other, so much so that they would tell you about the great work of the next tradesman.
Here are some of the names that you will see in many of the Valentini Kitchen reviews:
• Dave, A great guy, and right hand man. 1st to arrive last to leave (thanks for all of the clean-up too)
• Tilesetter Ronny, worked hard to get things just right,
• Tony the master electrician,
• Joao the painter, really nice guy and did a beautiful job finishing (note: all walls and ceilings were skim coated, that’s quality).
• Marek the Plumber, nice clean work,
• Gene and Danny (Structural Openings workers) – these guys were amazing, an unbelievable amount of work done in one day,
• JP the moldings and trim specialist, he found solutions to make the old parts of the house fit with the new,
• Kitchen Installers Paul and Luis, quiet but then they were working too hard to talk.
Valentini Kitchens truly transformed not only our kitchen but the whole first level of our home. We have had a lot of people come in and remark on how fantastic the kitchen looks. I encourage you to take a look at our before and after photos. As good as the photos look, they still cannot capture the beauty of this kitchen.
We have and will continue to highly recommend Valentini Kitchens to friends, family and co-workers. We will certainly call on them when we are ready for our next project.
Thanks guys,
Linda and Gerald
