Outdoor Kitchen Designers in Rochester

“We hired GEM for a full renovation in Pittsford and the experience was exactly what you hope for when taking on a project of this size. From the beginning, the process felt organized and intentional. The design phase stood out right away. Instead of guessing how things would look, we were able to see everything come together before construction even started. That alone made a huge difference in our confidence moving forward. Once the project began, the level of communication stayed consistent. We always knew what was happening, what was coming next, and how everything was progressing. The crew was respectful of our home, kept the space clean, and paid attention to details that most people wouldn’t even notice. What really separates GEM is how they approach the work. Nothing felt rushed or thrown together. The tile work, cabinetry, finishes, everything was done with care and precision. You can tell they take real pride in what they do. We also appreciated that there were no surprises along the way. Everything was explained clearly, and the project stayed aligned with what was discussed from the start. The finished result feels like a completely different home. It’s not just updated, it feels thoughtfully designed and built to last. If you are looking for a remodeling company in Pittsford that combines design, organization, and high-quality craftsmanship, GEM is absolutely worth considering.”

“My wife and I had a really positive experience with Hometown Design-Build (HDB). If a family member or close friend was looking to do a significant renovation project and wanted high quality work, I would definitely recommend HDB to them. Our project was a gut kitchen renovation with some additional stuff thrown in. The additional stuff included updating a powder room, preserving an existing ~140 year old built-in butler's pantry, removing a partly structural wall, filling in windows, opening up a new window, removing a chimney that was original to the house, and re-routing a short staircase and hallway. The additional stuff is the main reason I'm glad we hired HDB. They have a lot of knowledge and experience with old houses like ours, and had good common-sense advice when it came to both the designing and the building phases of the project. They somehow managed to make the very new modern, high-end construction blend in with the very old, existing Victorian-era details in the home. It is a pleasure to come home to everyday. Our project cost a lot of money (more than we had originally planned) but I would not say it was expensive. I don't think we could have paid less for a similar quality and scope of work. In sourcing the work we also spoke with an architect and a larger kitchen+bath specialty shop, and HDB was definitely competitive, probably even cheaper for the same scope of work. We changed some things during construction that incurred extra costs, and I thought the charges for those additional items was reasonable. We were relocating to Rochester and the project began before we lived here. Dan (the owner and main design person at the company) was super helpful during this period. He was flexible about meeting us at the house when were happened to be in town, and helped facilitate some things (like our donation of existing house fixtures to Habitat for Humanity) while we were out of town. It gave us peace of mind to know that he was stopping by the house semi-regularly. He also recommended some roof and insulation contractors that we could use independent of his project. The people he recommended were excellent and also very competitive on price when compared to other quotes we sourced ourselves. We had hoped to have the project mostly done before we fully moved in, but the city of Rochester took forever with the permits. I don't think Dan/HDB could have done much about this delay. While no one wants to move their family into a construction zone when they first settle in a new city, HDB did what they could to make us more comfortable. In the end the delay may have been a blessing in disguise. Having HDB coming and going as we settled into a ~140-year-old home was very helpful. They had tons of advice for how to deal with little things that came up once we were living in the house, and fixed some small things without charging us. Just the advice they gave us has probably saved us thousands of dollars, not to mention time/headaches.”

“We highly recommend Design Works Architecture. Chuck and Jan Smith designed an extraordinary lake house for us in the Finger Lakes. From the beginning of the design process through the final build, they were timely and professional, and their final design costs were within their budget estimate. Chuck began the process by walking the property, which has a significant slope and mature trees, to ensure that the house blends into the landscape in a way that is aesthetically pleasing. They worked with us and tweaked the plans until we had designed the house of our dreams. They also provided valuable assistance in selecting windows, paint colors, siding, decking, etc. Their expertise, based on their decades of experience in designing homes, particularly lake homes, was readily apparent. If you are thinking about building a new home or renovating an existing one, you should contact Design Works Architecture.”