District 309 Design Studio

We hired District 309 to help with our Renovation. We have built and renovated many times over the past 30 years and have always hired a decorator to help us thru the process. At our first meeting with Deena and Chelsea, I gave them a scale drawing of our home on which I drew in the changes that we wanted. They talked me into letting them draw it out on a computer to scale and told me that it would save me thousands on kitchen design and other things. The kitchen layout that they came up with was pretty but not practical. They turned up with an ensuite layout that was impossible to do in real life because of plumbing pipes that are in the cement slab and cannot be moved. Their walk in closet design had substantially less hanging space in it than mine and was very poorly laid out. We have vaulted ceilings in the Great Room and Master Bedroom. Their Beam Layout was impossible to do as where they drew in the beams, there was no room for them because with their plan, the Top of the kitchen cabinets would have to be cut out to put the beams where they wanted them to go. They sent us a Drop Box File of Plumbing and Lightning Fixtures that we didn’t like and charged thousands for it. We had already picked these items prior to them doing this Drop Box File. So far, they have billed us around $8,000 and the only thing that we are using that they suggested is the Outside Paint Colours which are very nice. Every other decorator that we have used on past projects has met us at Tile Stores, Lighting Stores, etc and we chose stuff together and it was all stuff that my wife and I liked. Deanna and Chelsea brought out tile sample for the ensuite which was bright blue and did not bring or suggest anything else that we may like. We hired a New Decorator who met us at the Lighting Store and Tile Supplier and we chose wonderful stuff in a few hours. Using a Designer like District 309 will turn a $200,000 renovation into a $300,000 renovation quite quickly. Anything that we asked them about the Construction End of the Project, they know nothing about and told me to ask my Contractor. I asked my Contractor and have now hired my Contractor’s wife who is a Decorator and we are very happy with her.

Deena at Think Design is an exceptional designer. She is innovative, enthusiastic and professional. She listens and communicates well and provided us with a fantastic design for our new build. I would highly recommend her services.

Synthesis Design had the pleasure or collaborating with Deena from Think Design on The Brooks Residence in North Vancouver. Deena, who had worked with these same clients in the past, really understood the clients needs while respecting the architecture, creating a sympathetic,warm interiors that had the feeling of "home". We look forward to working with Think Design again in the near future. Sincerely, Curtis D. Krahn Synthesis Design Inc.