Kitchen Additions in Ellicott City, MD

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Elana Lorenzen 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Dream Design was a great company to work with!  Listened to our needs, and designed a beautiful and functional space for our family! All Workers  were prompt, respectable, reliable, and incredibly friendly. Hard workers and got the job done quickly!  Thanks for everything! What a great first experience we had and look forward to many more opportunities to work together!
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Joanne Eich 
 
 
 
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It is without hesitation that I offer this letter of recommendation for Dream Design Build and Remodeling, Inc. Dream Design is owned and operated by its founder and President, Richard King. In order to understand the extraordinary positive impact Dream Design and Richard have had on my husband, Arthur, and myself, I will describe how we started on this home remodeling project. Our home is a rancher built in 1957 in The Oaks community. In early 2007, we moved into our fifty year old, very well built, home. We were delighted by the beauty of the nearby Patapsco State Park, and the friendliness of our neighbors. Like many homes, it was apparent that some interior renovations had occurred prior to our arrival. The washer and dryer (1980'ish) had been installed in what was previously the coat closet in to a hallway leading to our bedrooms. A new coat closet was built in the vestibule of the front door. That renovation made the front door entrance very narrow and quite awkward to navigate. I knew it was just a matter of time before the very old washer and dryer would quit! At that same time, we decided to update our 1957 style yellow and black tile family bathroom adjacent to our back bedrooms. Trying to be smart homeowners, we got multiple estimates, and in August, 2023, we contracted with another local company. That decision turned out to be the wrong decision. They began by demolishing the bathroom, and installing a new tub, countertop and sink. Unfortunately, they made multiple mistakes with some of the equipment, and some parts of the installations were sloppy and unfinished. Worst of all, communication stopped. No calls, No show. After much discussion, Arthur and I decided to find another contractor to complete our jobs. We first contacted Dream Design in early Spring, 2024. They had completed a beautiful addition on a home in our neighborhood. That is when we contacted Richard King. Richard met with us within days. He carefully listened to everything we said, and then confirmed it with us. Within days, we had a plan, a budget, and a START date! Now, just six months later, we have a beautiful new laundry room addition, a real coat closet in our bedroom hallway, and a new, opened front door vestibule with a lovely tile floor. Most recently, Dream Design installed new gutters and downspouts for our entire house. It was hard, laborious work...and beautifully done. Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Richard's team. We got to know his staff of electricians, painters, carpenters, and plumbers very well. Down to the last man, they are highly skilled and talented. They treated our projects as if they were working in their own homes. Respectfully, Joanne and Arthur Eich
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Scott Arms 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
We'd be excited to work with Richard and the Dream Design Build & Remodeling team on another project! They built a two-story 24'x24' addition to our house over 10 months of construction time and we're thrilled with the results. In fact, we've already recommended them to a coworker! The process throughout was straightforward and easy. The design process was collaborative. The permitting and inspection portions were thankfully transparent to us and fully executed. Immediate term schedules were shared appropriately. Issues were listened to and almost always addressed quickly. Changes and additions to original plans were estimated quickly and either implemented or dismissed with no high pressure tactics. And some upgrades were given along the way when they just made sense. One thing that we particularly liked was how the whole team worked with us regarding our dog. Most of the guys obviously loved dogs in general and ours in particular. She was always excited to greet her visitors and they were excited to do the same. And they were always careful about keeping track of her when entering or leaving spaces she was in so that she was safe. Another thing that we really liked was the availability for communication. We tend to be difficult to reach during the day and ended up contacting Richard later in the evening by phone or text as well as at various times via email. He was always quick to answer or respond. Whether it was answering questions or letting us know what was next, that availability provided a lot of comfort during such a lengthy overall project! All of that said, any project of this size will have some challenges. Areas we'd recommend for improvement are minor relative to the strong positives throughout the experience, but they do exist. We expected some problems to come up, but Richard's responses are what mattered. One example was when the team didn't properly cover the exterior wall during the winter and some water started leaking into our basement ceiling late one evening. We grabbed buckets and towels, and called Richard after a quick triage; his first reaction was to apologize and reassure us that they would repair and cover any damage that this caused. The water got into some brick, so Matthew brought a high quality dehumidifier the next day. Ultimately no permanent damage resulted, so no harm done. Another example was when we got sod in the summer after the project moved fully inside. Erosion was starting to cause problems, so we went with sod. The first two weeks after laying sod are critical for its success, but during that second week it seemed that someone from the team shut off our sprinklers that were on timers already and the sod clearly suffered. It's fair to say that it's not always obvious what will happen by the spring, so we proposed that we'd care for and watch it until next spring; if it doesn't come back healthy, Richard will pay to repair it, and if it does come back then we all win. That seemed like a very fair compromise. Be wary of any review for any project like this that doesn't talk about issues and how they were addressed. We were happy with how Richard moved forward with us and he was a great partner throughout. We are very happy with our new addition and we truly would be excited to work with Richard and Dream Design Build & Remodeling again on another remodeling project!
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Ellen Kuhn 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Richard and his team helped us add an accessory apartment onto our colonial for my mom. The result was a beautiful space where she is comfortable and happy.  He also moved my laundry room upstairs and fully remodeled now larger kitchen area.  Richard didn't have a lot of room to work with for the upstairs laundry room, but he used every inch wisely! It's functional and beautiful - easily one of my favorite spaces in the house.  The kitchen is a cook's dream featuring a large island and a 7 burner range with a double oven.  In all aspects of our build, Richard listened carefully to what we wanted and was creative and thoughtful.  The results are beautiful!  I highly recommend Richard and his team!
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Steven Davis 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
I am giving Richard and team a high 5 review.  From the initial planning I was really impressed. His price was comparable to another bid but we felt that Richard really gave us both good design options as well as listening to our needs. Almost every week during permitting and construction Richard would call us to first tell us what to expect that week, and then always check in that we were ok with the progress. Anytime we had a question, Richard was very responsive to explain what as going on. I would say that going with Richard’s team of full services: planning, architectural design, and building really made a difference and made it easier than contracting with separate services. Be aware that inspection phases are sometimes tricky because of the county inspectors time and how they review work in progress.  However Richard’s team was always prompt to respond to any adjustments the inspectors required.
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Janet Kuhn 
 
 
 
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My daughter and I purchased a home over 30 years old in Ellicott City in 2023.  Our goal had been to buy a house that would give us the space we needed for each of us to to keep our privacy, but give us the togetherness we wanted.  We could not find anything that worked for us, so we said, let's find a house and a builder/remodeler that understands what we want.  We were so lucky to find that house and to find Richard. We could not have possibly picked a better partner.  Dream Design handled the entire project beginning to end, from conceptualism through the architectural design phase, the entire build process, managing the work at every turn.  Richard was zealous in making sure we did not compromise our dream  At the same time, he offered suggestions and alternatives that enhanced our notions of what we wanted.  He made our dream come to life.  Throughout the project he was always responsive to our phone calls and maintained strong communication ties to keep us informed.  I don't think anyone could exceed the quality of the work, the attention to detail, or the beauty of the final project that Richard gave us. We had the broad picture of what we wanted, but during the build, we learned how complicated and intense some of the work was, tying into electrical, plumbing and space constrictions.  Somehow Richard & his crew made it all work seamlessly and made it look easy.  My new ground floor suite (called an accessory apartment by the county) is gorgeous and just what I wanted.  The best part for me is probably the openness.  I have windows & sliders that open up giving me great views of the backyard & the woods beyond.  The scenery is tranquil and ever changing.  In addition to my apartment, Richard did some projects in the main house, in particular moving the laundry room upstairs, allowing us to enlarge & renovate the main house kitchen.  He also enlarged the master bath shower, making it much more usable & luxurious.  I would definitely recommend Dream Design Build Remodeling to anyone looking for someone reliable and capable of converting concepts to reality.
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Melissa Boone-Miller 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
The Dream Design Team was professional, creative, and responsive to all our project needs.  Working with an older house takes a special team.  This team was able to take all our wants and bring them to fruition on schedule.  Thank you Dream Design and Build!
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Clayton Pullins 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Excellent experience with the Dream Design team. Richard and Matthew were excellent in both design and execution phases. We appreciate the options and ideas they provided to help us with design and construction options. The work quality is top notch, and we are very pleased with our project results. We recommend this team for your next home addition project!
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Aleta Phillips 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Richard connected a small sink  we purchased for a kitchenette.  Very professional with perfect clean up! Our new house’s back porch was screened in, steps were added and a wonderful screen door to access the steps was installed. The steps are fabulous, easy to ascend and descend with a small landing at the bottom!  Everything matches our house perfectly!!! We could not be more pleased with the fine workmanship and the results
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Kate Siplon 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
I cannot express my gratitude and admiration for Richard and his team at Dream Design Build Remodel. We completed a 700sf addition / in-law suite for my Dad, and used Dream Design for both the design and build. Their working knowledge of permits, old houses and old neighborhoods, construction materials and what clients and families need is just incredible. I talked to numerous architects and contractors before our project started and am glad I went with the local, trustworthy team. Over the 6 month build, Richard was on top of every set back, change order and milestone. I especially want to note that their commitment to their clients is rare and makes all the difference (even making my dad who has Alzheimer’s feel proud and welcome on the job). Our addition is beyond what I imagined possible, and we actually were able to afford it! Highly recommend!