Just the Thing

Mary was exceptional in her ability to show me a vision of what my condo could look like when I gave her very little to go on. Furniture placement and additions, what to keep, what to let go of, choosing textiles, light fixtures and paint colours. I could not have done this on my own. Mary’s expertise was just what I needed to turn my space into a cozy home.

We were delighted with services for the sale of our home. Not only was Mary available at the drop of the hat, but she rearranged numerous other commitments to help us redesign and decorate our home within a matter of three days for its sale. Her attention to detail and keen sense of style that would suit the finest of tastes but appeal to all really did the trick, and we sold our home well above asking within hours. This was the third service we had undertaken with Just the Thing, and as previously, we were astounded and amazed!

From the very beginning, we were very impressed with Mary. At our first telephone conversation, Mary clearly outlined her approach to a project, and the steps we'd be taking along the way. We undertook a significant renovation: the kitchen, family room, hallway, stairs and powder room. Throughout the project, Mary kept us moving forward, assisting us by narrowing down the available choices based on our style and budget. At every stage of the process she could be counted on to give us good advice. We were impressed with her professionalism, diligence, knowledge, vast experience, and sense of style. The results have been spectacular and within budget!

I've been a fan of Mary's, studying her online portfolio for months before approaching her for advice on my condo renovation and an appropriate budget. She, very kindly and generously, shared her expertise and guidelines on renovation costs. A few months later, I made an appointment to meet her and show her my condo and she provided great ideas. Mary is clearly very knowledgeable, creative and experienced and helped me to see the space and its potential in an entirely new way.

For several years I had contemplated renovating the kitchen of my condominium unit. I had dreaded starting this project as I have no interest or experience with renovating and had heard numerous horror stories of others who had undertaken home renovations with terrible results. When I purchased my unit 15 years ago, Mary assisted me with the selection of living room and dining room furniture, hardwood flooring and area rugs and did a wonderful job. I decided to retain Mary to undertake this project and am so glad that I did. Mary planned and took care of every detail, including retaining a construction contractor, who was excellent. Her design for the kitchen was fantastic. The size of the kitchen did not change but Mary's design increased cupboard and drawer storage area. The design included innovative storage concepts. Basically, the only things I had to do were to pack and unpack the contents of the kitchen and make the final decisions with respect to design, flooring, backslash tiles, countertop, etc. Mary also assisted me with the selection of appliances. At our first meeting I advised Mary of the amount I had budgeted for the reno and she stayed within budget, including her fee. I cannot recommend Mary enough. She will do a great job with any design or renovation project, no matter the size.

I found Mary via Houzz. I was looking for someone to help me decorate the living and dining rooms in my 1958 side split. I lean toward a contemporary version of mid-century style in keeping with the architecture of the house, which is a different style than many of the houses in Mary's on-line portfolio. I found Mary to be very adaptable to our style and taste. She is very patient and has done an excellent job of steering me away from choices that wouldn't have worked out and directing me towards lay outs, fabrics, and styles that have been perfect. The path to perfection has not always been smooth but Mary has tactfully dealt with all of the issues that have arisen (e.g., poor workmanship from a furniture company, lighting that needed to be returned, etc.). In the end, it is how the professional deals with problems that differentiates a great professional from a poor professional. Mary has earned this rating because of how she has dealt with the issues that have arisen and because she has kept this project on budget. As for the decorating, the rooms are gorgeous, comfortable and functional.

I had the absolute pleasure of working with Mary on my house three times, 10 years ago, when we redesigned our kitchen and just recently for the remainder of the house. Mary’s straight forward problem solving approach is so refreshing. If you have pieces you love and don’t want to part with she is wonderful at finding it a new approach that will make everything not only feel like new but look current and fresh! Mary has solutions for literally every issue you could have, bringing her talent and expertise to every design from your powder rooms to your entire home. She has a remarkable ability to not only work within a budget but also to source amazing pieces to keep you in your budget, well within in my case!

Mary's years of experience and ability to meet every budget is what drew me to her the first time I had her over to help me figure out how to decorate a few rooms in my house, how to "spruce things up" and how to work around a few challenges I was having with my floor colour and carpets. I get overwhelmed with choices and needed someone to take the reigns and point me in the right direction. Mary was honest and creative (positioned some pieces of furniture in a way that made the whole room come to life and she looked at things in a way that wouldn't make my house look like every other house in the neighborhood and that is important to me!). Mary didn't tell me what I necessarily wanted to hear, but rather what was right with my overall decor. She actually saved me a ton of money by helping find viable solutions that didn't include ripping up the floors and carpets etc. A bit later, when I decided to reface the kitchen, I had Mary join a meeting with the kitchen company I had chosen. Honestly, within no time, Mary helped pick countertops, doors, colours etc. and pointed out things to the kitchen people that they didn't even mention to me. Things I never would have noticed or known to do. Now that we are looking to move, I even had Mary come to a potential condo we were thinking to buy- to help us decide if and how we could make it work with our favorite pieces of furniture and lifestyle. It is incredibly calming to be able to rely on Mary's experience, creative wisdom and professionalism.

Mary accommodated me in regards to meeting at an earlier time. She answered e-mails promptly and followed up with additional information. She was very thorough in her evaluation of a room ( placement of furniture, lighting, window treatments etc.) and was willing to look at additional rooms in the home. She did leave me with a paper outlining her services beyond the hour visit. My one suggestion for her would have been to go over that document should I have wished to continue working with her on the project.

Mary has been my friend’s designer for several years and was referred to me by her for my kitchen and dining room reno. The final kitchen and dining room result is even better than I hoped!! Not a single detail was missed and the installation was very smooth!! Mary is always very quick to respond and is very honest. She is the consummate professional at all times and doesn’t take anything personally. She has a vast knowledge of all aspects of design as well as a plethora of trades and companies she can personally recommend based on her experiences with them. I would highly recommend Mary for any projects, big or small that you have. I can not wait to work on another reno with her!!!

In mid-May 2021, I purchased a spacious but "original" one bedroom apartment in a 20 year old condo building, effective, June 1 - just as COVID restrictions were lifted in Toronto, Canada. Mary Bannet was able to book the contractor for an early June start, reserved then scarce appliances, understood my decorating style, sourced new pieces of furniture and navigated management requirements diplomatically. In one month, I had the home of my dreams - light and bright, with a stunning bathroom, a new, classy kitchen, a welcoming living room, beautiful laminate wood flooring, unique window treatments and a walk-in bedroom closet. We consulted easily on hanging the pictures and for the first time in my life, I did not have to hold my breath - a professional picture hanger calmly tapped in the hooks! This was a very positive partnership, which brings me ongoing, daily joy. Thank you, Mary! Kathleen

Mary arrived on time and was professional. She went room by room in my house with me and discussed possible design ideas. The conversation was pleasant and she had many thoughts to share. It opened my eyes to options that I had not thought of - and I have since started applying some of her suggestions and they look great!