Küster Design

Loved working with Küster Design! James had a way of listening to my design needs (and wants!) and almost magically incorporated it all into a layout that really worked for my kitchen. He’s got a keen eye for good design. A real pro.

James was the best designer. He listened to all of my ideas, asked insightful questions, and explored design photos and examples with me to understand exactly what my vision for the project was. I was going for an European Style basement and wanted that old world look. He was essential is recommending contractors who had the skills and artistry for my project. When it was complete, it was my favorite room in the house!

James was very fun and knowledgeable to work with on our kitchen remodel. I especially loved his idea for the design of my cabinet doors. The overall design turned out beautiful. I’m simply amazed every day walking into my kitchen how beautiful it is. He handled all of the details with scheduling and contractors., so the whole project went very smoothly.

James and I have known each other for many years and when I decided to downsize from a suburban ranch home into a center city high rise condominium, I called James immediately for his expert advice on a shift in my home's decor. Attentive, but not intrusive, with attention to detail has been the relationship as we coordinated a new look over the last year. I couldn't be happier.

My wife wanted to update our bathrooms and we gave James Kuster the tough task of doing the updates for around $15,000. We updated a half-bath downstairs, our full guest bath upstairs, and our master bath. In the half: painting, new sink & cabinet, new mirror. In the guest: new countertops, new sinks, new hardware (our old fixtures were all a different type: ceramic, brass, brushed), removed shower door--added material to disguise that. In the master: new countertops, new sinks, new hardware, removed plastic shower, installed larger tile shower with glass door and wooden bench. James saved us a lot of time and made excellent selections for us. Granite countertops would have broken our tight budget, and James found a nice resin mixture for the new countertops. With most projects, there were some hiccups and James helped us work through them eventhough he was on vacation (Thanks James!).

We have known James Kuester for many years. Kuester Design has assisted us in staging a condo that needed to be sold when the housing market was down, and designing our exterior home to Interior home colors. We needed to remodel our exterior home because the dryvit was not installed to code. James spent a great deal of time with us when we first met learning our visions, understanding our design preferences and functionalities as we selected colors, stucco texture and stones material. James was instrumental in remodeling our exterior home and brining the color and design into our home. Another example of James creativity was when he staged a 1400 square feet condo. The small condo looked roomy and functional. We do believe the staging help sell the condo quicker when homes were not selling. James demonstrates a great deal of sensitivity to his client’s personality and organizational needs, as well as adding his creative touch to solving problems. He is perceptive, emphatic, and committed to every task he takes on. James is a creative designer, and we would recommend his work (Kuester Design) to anyone.

James provided the designs for two projects, a bathroom remodel in our basement, and a major remodeling of our entire second floor. Both turned out wonderfully. The basement remodel was fairly simple- replace an old shower stall, sink & toile that were taken out in order to install a waterproofing system. We knew generally what we wanted, and James helped make it happen. The second floor was much more complex- James really helped us find a vision for that project, and gave us a design for a spectacular space. We expanded living space into poorly used (or previously inaccessible) attic space, creating a library/sitting area, closet/dressing room (calling it a walk-in closet is a huge understatement), and put in a full bath with steam shower. James' eye for details made all the difference. He also understood the structural issues involved in changing the space (he has an engineering degree), and he was present at every step of the work. Mostly, while giving us guidance, he listened. I can't stress that enough. Design work began in 2011. The basement work was completed in 2012 (Feb-April), and the second floor in 2013 (Dec 2012-April 2013). We went through a couple of versions for the second floor- james helped us see what would work and what wouldn't. The space is completely functional, comfortable, and beautiful. Yes, James, there's a kitchen with your name on it...