It is really a pleasure to work with this team. Wayne and his staff are reliable, clean, do excellent work, communicate well, and are very lovely people on top of all that! We were referred to Wayne by our architect after our prior contractor failed to return to finish up the job. Wayne talked through all the steps with us, discussed the options, and then his crew came and tied up all our loose ends. This included carpentry, repair of our historic wooden floor, troubleshooting our A/C system (in consultation with the A/C contractor, saving us the trouble of being a go-between) and redoing some ducts and access panels, sheet rocking and ceiling repair, and lots of painting. With that all done, we were able to move on to new projects (more of the same kind of work).
It is rare that contractors clean up after themselves, but these guys do. They were never more than half an hour late, presumably caused by traffic or a longer-than-expected trip to the hardware store, but nothing like the usual unreliable no-shows I’ve found at every price point on the contractor spectrum. Each of his employees who worked in our house turned out to be a real sweetheart, nice to chat with and very respectful. They tolerated our kids being around and curious and did what they could to be out of our way. Wayne is honest about when he will be busy on other jobs, and I respect that. His price was not the very cheapest, but he was not the most expensive either, and with service like this we thought his price was quite fair. Our house is old and strangely shaped. Modern systems have to be shoehorned in. Wayne and his team were creative and flexible in dealing with the issues native to our house.
Wayne was patient in helping us decide how to do the work, explained things clearly and stayed in touch at all phases of the process. He was happy to take our calls with questions, and very flexible in reaching solutions and sourcing materials. All in all, we highly recommend !!
A.K.
The porch of our 1882 Victorian needed to be replaced. We were working with a construction crew, but they were unable to make the balusters and railings. An “L” shaped front porch with a semi-circle turn. Our local hardware store recommended Wayne.
Wayne came over to see us a few times about the design of the project. He understood how important the front porch was to the beauty of the home. He had great suggestions! We appreciated his knowledge and friendly manner. Scale was of extreme importance, also the curve at the corner. Wayne got it right! The porch came out perfect. Many passers-by comment on its beauty!
A.S.
Red Hook Design has undertaken several projects for me, including: re-configuring the drainage system for my building’s roof (this was a huge and technically ambitious project); installing a new roof membrane; fabricating and installing decking; fabricating and installing an 8’x 10’glass and steel skylight; rebuilding a glass wall that was severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy; installing windows; and performing miscellaneous interior work, such as sheet-rocking, cabinetry, painting.
With each project, the biggest surprise has been the lack of surprises! Wayne is skilled at estimating costs, so no significant budgetary surprises. He and his guys are conscientious and prompt, so no scheduling surprises. They are fastidious about containing dust and debris, tidying up at the end of each day, etc., so no surprise messes.
My building is 120 years old, so construction and repairs always present unexpected challenges! Wayne is thoughtful and unflappable and just “deals with it”, whatever “it” is on any given day. Wayne is a true professional and a craftsman who clearly takes enormous pride in a job well done. He is patient and responsive to client questions and concerns; really listens and is a very creative problem solver. He’s also a super nice guy and a pleasure to work with. I recommend him without reservation!!
E.H.
We have a home in NW Connecticut – it was a kitchen/dining area reno involving total redesign, which included eliminating the wall between the kitchen and dining room. The house, built in 1974, sits on a beautiful piece of wooded property, but the kitchen was cramped with an odd layout and old appliances, with a door to a dining area with a fireplace. We wanted to open it up — redesign and create one large cooking / dining space. We had begun the demo with a contractor/designer but had enough questions and doubts in the way he worked (i.e., working haphazardly, leaving behind an incomprehensible mess), that we were having second thoughts. We brought Wayne in for a consultation, and he had some terrific ideas – e,g, creating a separate scullery area in an alcove part of the kitchen and installing acid-stained countertops in an L shape that provided a nice flow from cooking to dining. Since the dining area was dark with two small windows, we had thought about adding a sunroom addition, for the light, more than the extra space. Wayne’s proposal offered a brilliant solution: two and a half walls of Marvin French doors and windows, looking out to the wooded landscape. This was a much better solution than our ill-conceived and expensive addition. Within days of engaging Wayne, the kitchen began to take shape, with appliances installed and working. Then he and a very small crew took down the DR walls and installed the new doors and windows, leaving the area so clean and tidy each evening that we were able to serve dinner and dine in the space. The finishing touch, his acid-stained concrete countertops are beautiful. We were beyond pleased. Wayne is extremely skilled and knowledgeable, and he is a lovely person to work with.
What did Red Hook Design LLC do especially well?
Many things: That he never tried to upsell, and in fact found a much smarter, more beautiful and less expensive solution to bringing in light (than the one we had in mind.) His working style – his professionalism, accountability, and care in the realm of physical space, our needs and business arrangements. Minimal interruption of our lives, and no loud music. Very respectful and easy to be around.
The experience was extremely positive in every way. Pleased with the process, delighted with results.
We have a one hundred and seventy-year-old house. The front door looked it. Black, cracks and required a good hard tug to open the thing not to mention a shove to close it. It was time to restore the door, the frame that has leaded glass and side lights. It was more like a great hole in the wall than an entrance way.
Contacted several companies. Fortunately, we discovered Red Hook Design / Portland Door Restoration. Wayne (the owner) described how he and his team would restore the door. Tighten it up (several panels were loose) and bring the door back to the way it looked when the original owners first put a key in the lock. Oh yes, Wayne found a locksmith to restore the original mechanism. Works great. Very cool.
My wife and I simply love our “new” door. Sometimes we open and close it for no other reason than we can.
We couldn’t be happier. Wayne and his guys did the job on time and on budget.
These guys are the best.
H.T. & K. K.