Kingston Design Remodeling

What a great team! We just love our update. Kingston updated the main floor of our house. They had to remove a wall, move a window, move plumbing, move wiring, replace all our flooring, update the kitchen, fireplace, powder room and mud room. We started off getting quotes and met with Phil. We could tell from just going through our ideas with him that we would be able to work with Kingston. Once we selected Kingston we met and worked with their designer, Gigi. She was so easy to work with and just seemed to get our style. We shared Pinterest ideas with her which enabled her to streamline all of our material selections. She provided great advice to us and was just wonderful to work with. Then the construction team came in lead by Josh. This group of guys were polite, professional, and worked hard. They cleaned up at the end of every day and this was the least amount of dust we have ever had on a remodel. We are so happy with the way everything came out and would use Kinston again. Thanks for making our house beautiful!

Wow. What a tremendous experience! We’d updated our master bathroom about ten years ago and were not completely satisfied with the workmanship of a different Remodeling Contractor, so searched very carefully for great Design and Build firm when it was time to update our hall bath and a powder room. We selecting Kingston Design and Remodeling and couldn’t be happier with the process, quality, and results! Emily (who’s won several prestigious design awards) transformed our rough sketches, discussions and hand-waving into beautiful design boards, product selections and color/finish schemes that were precisely on budget. Phil and Anthony worked behind the scenes and hands-on to assure logistics, demolition and construction proceeded seamlessly. And Josh! Josh was on-site nearly every day to assure the craftsmen and trades completed e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g to perfection. His skill organizing and coordinating the various trade appearance hour by hour was (no exaggeration) like watching a symphony - not to mention extraordinary efforts to minimize dust and keep the remainder of our home tidy. And MacGyver and his team! Signs of their superb craftsmanship are everywhere you look. We could go on, but suffice it to say Kingston is a wonderful group of dedicated, thoughtful and extremely talented people who delivered our hope for a great renovation. We couldn’t be more delighted. A few before and after photos are attached.

I could not have dreamed up a better crew than the Kingston Design team. We met with 5 contractors, and from the beginning, Kingston was the most engaged and knowledgeable. They were the first team to respond to our inquiry, and were patient while we met with the others. They had the most reasonable budget, which we stuck to except for items I added during the project. Emily is an absolute visionary, she listened to what I was looking for and brought so many beautiful ideas to the table while encouraging me to dip a toe in the creative process. Phil and his team are phenomenal. They worked nonstop, were extremely respectful of our home (which we stayed in during the renovation), and just an extremely pleasant crew to be around. Our renovation was finished ahead of schedule and is absolutely stunning. Four months later and I’m still in love with our remodel. Also, they’re all dog lovers, which I personally think says a lot. I cannot recommend this team enough.

We love our new bathroom! Kingston did a fantastic job from start to finish. Their attention to detail was outstanding. Carlos and crew are the Very Best!!

There are certain moments in life when the stars align perfectly and the outcome far exceeds your expectations. This type of appreciation and gratitude is how we feel having worked with Moira Hall and Carlos Abrego at Kingston Builders. Having been through prior difficult experiences with renovations we were tentative before meeting Moira and Carlos. Fortunately, they came highly recommended from people I trust and the moment we met them they put us at ease. I specifically remember them telling us they would treat our family home as if it was theirs. They did, and then some. They took beautiful care of our home, our neighbors and us. In fact, several of our neighbors told us they never heard them and had no idea they were there. Everything Moira and Carlos promised us was delivered. They were respectful of the home and neighbors, the work site was cleaned every day, and most importantly, they finished on time and on budget! Let me repeat, they finished on time and on budget! In all my years, and I have a few, I know of one other renovation/ remodeling job that finished on time and on budget, only one. Not only did they stick to the budget and schedule, they went the extra mile. My husband and I were out of town and received a call from a neighbor telling me an enormous tree had fallen in the yard and another one was precariously leaning over the house. When I called Moira to see if she could check on it the next day, she and two of her brothers also on the Kingston team, drove from Virginia into DC that night in the middle of the storm to assess the situation. Aside from family, who does that? Not many people or companies I know. Somehow she got a tree company and crane to the house 12 hours later at 9:00 am on a Saturday morning. The crew removed both trees and told her it was a matter of hours before the second tree fell on the house. She took care of everything! This is just one example of the many times Moira, and the Kingston team, went above and beyond. Little did I know when we first met, and they told us how they would treat my family's home, that they would treat us as family, too. Moira was always available for questions and concerns, big and small, and always pleasant and personable. Being an hour away from the house I was secure knowing that whenever an issue arose Moira and Carlos would take care of it, and they did. Aside from the immense respect we have for Moira professionally, we really like her personally, Carlos, too. As for the renovation, we were blown away! What Kingston was able to do for our 80 year old family home was miraculous. Moira's impressive design knowledge guided us through the process and the results completely exceeded our expectations. The craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail evident throughout the renovation is impressive. This was an extensive interior and exterior renovation job including overhauling the electrical system, gutting and redesigning the kitchen and five bathrooms, and so much more. The respect we have for Moira, Carlos and their team is only outweighed by the respect they have for each other which is clearly personified in their work ethic. Because of their expertise and skill we were able to sell our home for fifty percent more then it was assessed before the renovation. I thought I knew what integrity meant before working with Kingston but Moira and Carlos have redefined it for me and my family. We wish Moira, Carlos and the Kingston Builders team the very best and continued success, they deserve it!! Liz and Jim Martinez 

My FAVORITE ROOM IN THE HOUSE AGAIN! Thank you Kingston Design for once again making my screened gazebo the favorite place to hang out for our large family. Old leaking skylights ruined my roof, ceiling, and the interior of my favorite outdoor room. Kingston took out the old ceiling, replaced roof beams and remodeled the interior roof with recessed lighting and ceiling fan instead of skylights, replaced the screens , painted, matched our roof to the rest of the house. They did a fantastic job! The work was done on time and on budget. I would definitely use this professional team again!

We selected Kingston to add a family room and screened-in porch to our home. They did very good work. Austin, Moira, and Carlos were prompt, courteous, responsive, and helpful. They were meticulous in their design and workmanship. We really enjoy our new space!

We remodeled an upstairs bathroom that had developed a leak that came down into the living room. It hadn’t been reworked since the early 80’s & it showed in a butter yellow & turquoise color scheme & shower pan that had started to disintegrate. After getting some other quotes we chose Kingston Design Remodeling to help bring better function & aesthetics to the room. Austin sold us with his knowledge & focus on customer satisfaction. Kingston had their work cut out for them. The bathroom was gutted down to its bones. There were a few plumbing issues that had to be resolved so the fixtures could all be aligned on one wall. I wanted a bathtub that would both fit in with a contemporary design scheme & the small space that the shower had been in. This took some additional time & work, but Moira, Kingston’s Director of Operations, got any problems sorted out with as little disruption to the schedule & budget as possible. The attention to the smallest details..like being able to pick out our own countertop at a local stone supplier..let us make the space into what we really wanted. The results speak for themselves. It was a real transformation. To achieve such dramatic results for the price was a good deal. The team’s patience with helping us find the right vanity, tile, etc, was remarkable. Kingston took a space that wasn’t well-lit or laid out logically & turned it into an oasis of calm cool tones & clean modern edges. We like it a lot & have recommended them to neighbors.

My 3 1/2 bath renovation is wonderful. They transformed my basic builder grade baths into spas. All of the pros were professional, polite, and responsive to any questions and issues. They were able to deal with all the challenges presented by the design plan and were flexible with any changes that needed to be made. I would recommend them for any home renovation project.

We had a flooded basement and after everything was dried up, Kingston Design helped put the basement back to its functional condition. The worksmanship was very good, the workers were polite, and the work was done as scheduled. The professionalism of the contractor, Austin Schmitt, was fantastic! We highly recommend the company.

The Kingston construction crews were highly capable and competent in the skills needed for our project. They started when they said they would, completed the project by the projected end date despite record breaking rainfall during construction, and their price was fair. Staff was responsive to our concerns with securing the window openings during constrution and made modifications to address the issue. They were also prompt and fair in negotiating changes to the scope of work when unanticipated conditions were encountered. We recommend them and anticipate using them again.

Kingston design managed a bathroom upgrade that turned out beautifully. They were professional, courteous, honest about pricing and options and turned out a great product. To say we are pleased is an understatement. We love our new bathroom!

We enjoyed working with Kingston on our home addition. They did a fantastic job listening to our needs and wants and putting together a solution that fit in our budget. They kept us up to date through out the process, even when our permits were delayed by the county. Our project was fairly large (a new master bathroom, a bathroom upgrade, a bonus room, and two walk-in closets) but Kingston managed to get all the small details right as well. Any concerns we had were address quickly and to our satisfaction.

Austin, Moira, Carlos, and the Kingston team made a striking transformation at our home. The team at Kingston reached out to us as soon as we inquired and met with us at our home to discuss our plans. They were open and had a positive, “can-do” attitude about everything we wanted to do. (We had met with other contractors that said that what we wanted either wasn’t possible or was too hard to do). Kingston saw our vision and immediately embarked on making it happen. One reason we selected Kingston was their open and proactive communication as well as their responsiveness to any question we had. Kingston was open and accommodating to the fact that we looked for engineering design and construction from them but that final finishing would be completed by us, the homeowner. The framing and construction crew on site was professional and courteous and were focused on protecting our home and ensuring all technical aspects of our project were at or above standard. Kingston rapidly addressed any concern we had during construction and was timely in completing the project. The end result was just as we imagined!

Kingston Design Remodeling is by far the most skilled group of professionals my husband and I have ever worked with. We have owned four homes, and two of them were designed and built for us, so we have worked with many contractors in the past. Therefore, when we were looking for a company to do a minor kitchen improvement, we went with Kingston Design Remodeling. The Owner, Austin Schmitt, has certainly attracted talented and down to earth people. His company and ethics are a true representation of himself. Moira, Emily, and David met with us to review what would be taking place in our home and designed pictures that showed us exactly what the “after” would look like. It was so easy to understand, and they were very detailed in going over things with us. We knew how long the project would take, what times and days they were due to be at our home, and they even implemented our preferred communication, which was text messaging. Communications were always timely and precise. The owner and the management team mentioned above, took the time to visit our home during the renovation, which was very impressive. Fernando worked on the project and collaborated seamlessly with Carlos and another employee. There was never a concern for our kitchen project. We trusted each person that worked in our home and they came and went as they needed. The house was superbly protected from dust and dirt. They didn’t skimp on protecting your home because plastic was not used on our floors. It was some sort of soft absorbent floor protection that they invested in. Our dog didn’t even mind it! They had their own shop-vac to clean up after each day. Fernando was very knowledgeable and went above and beyond his responsibilities. They truly care and they are experts in their field. We are so happy that we made the right choice. There is no need to look elsewhere. Once you meet them, you will understand the competence and attention to detail they bring to the table. Their focus is all about you. They guide you and give the right advice because they ask the right questions. They do what they know, and they are committed.

Austin Schmitt and his team from Kingston Design Remodeling saved us from a major disaster after my wife ordered cabinets from a warehouse store. The cabinets that were delivered from the other company were missing parts needed to complete our kitchen cabinet replacement remodeling job. His team was able to redesign certain parts to properly fit all the cabinets into the space provided. Their ingenuity saved us time , frustration and money! They were also courteous, understanding and reliable as well as on time. They managed to fix a problem that was not even their fault. Thank you Kingston Design Remodeling!

I was very pleased with Kingston Design and Remodeling work on the kitchen and two and a half bathrooms in my old D.C. Rowhouse, and I'd use them again. The project was complicated by old, leaky plumbing; early 20th century floor layouts in three stories; unlevel floors; and a tight budget. Before we finalized the contract, they made multiple visits with trades experts to assess the challenges and optimum possibilities, ensuring that the budget could cover anticipated costs and that my expectations were in harmony. It worked: there were no significant surprises or unexpected costs. They took me to showrooms to facilitate selections. Their contractors replaced flooring, plumbing, electricals, tiles, lighting, appliances, and cabinetry in all four rooms. They regularly hauled away heavy debris so we didn't need a large container on the narrow residential street. The workers were highly respectful of my property; and the on-site lead was excellent to work with. Once begun, the renovations took just over two months to complete, with Kingston handling permits and inspection arrangements as well as the overall project. As you'd expect in an old house, there were some in-progress adjustments and added fixes outside the scope, handled well and within expected timeframe. Friends who've seen the results are very complimentary. Kingston proved to be capable, responsive, and of high integrity.

We hired Kingston to re-do our kitchen. As my wife and I put it, "we wanted a gourmet kitchen that would knocks people's socks off." Kingston delivered and then some. Their design personnel worked with us extensively, pointing out where certain choices we were making would complement other materials, and where (in her opinion) the materials would clash. She was absolutely top notch. The construction crew came in and gutted the kitchen and then started putting everything back together so much better than what we had had previously. Kingston came in on time and on budget. We have since hired them for another job, and are thinking about them to remodel our family room.

Our project was a complete kitchen remodel. From our initial meeting with the owner, Austin Schmitt, and his designer, David Jorgenson, to the final punch list, Kingston Design Remodeling gave us their full attention and met and even exceeded our expectations. We had almost daily communications with Moira Hall, the project manager, who visited the project on a regular basis. She was always professional, pleasant and eager to meet all of our desires. She promptly replied to all of our e-mails even late at night. Her objective was to provide us with the best kitchen possible, keeping in mind our budget constraints. The construction crew led by Bill Ball was professional and highly skilled. They were able to solve numerous problems including a roof issue which came up unexpectedly and also to repair a ceiling crack, even after the ceiling had been painted. All the subcontractors were highly skilled and provided us with quality work. We were quite particular about the appearance of the painting and Kingston agreed with our concerns and brought in a professional painting crew to correct the issue. Although both the budget and completion times were extended somewhat, it was due to our addtional requests or conditions beyond their control. We are particularly pleased with our Kemper cabinets configured by Linda Constantine, as well as the granite countertops, backsplash and flooring recommended by David Jorgenson. Kingston furnished the appliances we wanted at the lowest price they could find. John Ball, constructing supervisor, resolved a number of issues concering installation and operation of the appliances. We highly recommend Kingston Design Remodelers to anyone in the market for exceptional quality work. .

Marblex Design International, Inc. and Kingston Design Remodeling work together on many projects. They are easy to work with and communicate frequently and easily to insure the best results on each project. We are very impressed with their integrity, the quality of their work, the professionalism of their people, and the relationship they develop with the homeowner/client. We would highly recommend them to anyone considering remodeling.

I need to let everyone one know about this company. I am in a great position to know the great companies out there, because I see in detail the quality of their work. I photograph all their projects. From beautifully done small bathrooms, to elegant & dramatic whole houses. Kingston has done so many wonderful projects all over the metro area including a number of projects in my home. They are quick, smart, wonderfully real & sweet. Completely fair & competitively priced. I highly recommend working with Kingston. They will provide perfect design and flawless construction, and you will end up making new friends! Ken Wyner www.kenwyner.com

Our brick front landing and walkway were crumbling and in disrepair. Leaks from water could have seeped into our foundation. We took action and con- tacted Kingston Design Remodeling, the company that had transformed our screened-in porch, after a fire in 2006, into a beautiful three-season sunroom. Kingston sent Mark Jackson to see what the project involved. Mark brought in Nick Gil, who developed a beautiful design and gave us an estimate. He was very good at discussing options with us and getting a feel for what we wanted. We also asked him to evaluate the outside lighting, which had over the years mostly stopped working. Nick's crew was punctual, professional, and courteous. They worked extremely hard and followed Nick's design and directions. If there was any question, they could answer it or contact Nick, who was very responsive. The front landing & walkway were finished in about a week. Nick came back in warmer weather to give the stonework a final acid wash. His crew pulled up the old electrical lines and laid new ones for the lighting design. Nick actually did much of the finishing work himself and we are very pleased with the outcome. He is easy to work with and very professional. We would not hesitate to use this company again.

We loved working with Kingston--design, planning, construction--even accounting. The firm did an excellent job in every phase with great attention to detail and impeccable ethics and customer relations. The firm surpassed our expectations in many ways from courtesy, cleanliness to quality of design and actual construction and final finish. On several occasions we were pleasantly surprised with planning for detail and quality we would not have known we could expect, for example, creating moldings beautifully matched to the rest of this century-old house. The entire area (kitchen and rear of house) is built to last, very comfortable to use and beautiful to look at. We'd heartily recommend Kingston for any home construction or renovation.

We live in a 135 year old historic home on capitol hill hill in Washington D.C. We had been searching for a contractor to diagnose and repair some major structural problems when we got referred to Kingston. From our first meeting and throughout the following fifteen months they handled every aspect of the job with honesty, integrity and skill. All my emails and phone calls were answered promptly, and every unforeseen event, no matter big or small, was dealt with care and consideration. Recently I recommended Kingston to a friend. She had gotten many estimates for her job, and then received one from Kingston as well. The advice I gave her sums it up best. I told her, " whatever happens during the project, Kingston's priority will be your 100 percent satisfaction every step of the way.