ELIZABETH J INTERIORS

As a single man with very little time, I knew I needed help. Looking back, I’m very grateful I called Elizabeth. At first, I was only looking for help in choosing tile for the kitchen floor. But I could see she brought a wealth of experience and a very keen eye for design. So, over time, she ended up transforming every level of my house, including a complete finishing of my basement. It was the little things she saw, and ideas she offered, that I found especially helpful—things I wouldn’t have thought of in 100 years. From carpet patterns, to the size and positioning of tile, light fixtures, and wall colors, she has an eye for all of it. To quote a visitor, “Wow, who did your kitchen?!” I’ve gotten used to the same kind of praise for her work in remodeling my basement and bathrooms. Elizabeth brings excellent design skills along with a delightfully pleasant manner and caring attitude. A great choice if you’re looking for design help. (PS-- I put $10,000 in approximate cost but Elizabeth helped me on multiple projects over a period of years and costs varied by the project and the type of help I needed. If you give her your budget, she will work with you.)

I bought a large, almost 4,000 square foot, home in Ann Arbor, but had almost no furniture. One table and a few chairs and shelves. I wanted to have the house furnished in a coordinated fashion that would look good and reflected my tastes and how I wanted to live in it. The real estate agent recommended Elizabeth J Interiors. I had never worked with an interior designer before, and felt out of my comfort zone. But Elizabeth was very good at figuring out what sort of look and colors would suit me, and trying to get everything to fit together. We started out working on the living room, but over time added furnishings to the bedroom, den and media room, plus some lighting and curtains. We struggled to figure out what to do with the dining room, because I was resistant to paying the cost of a dining room set. In the end, Elizabeth surprised me with a creative solution that resulted in me obtaining a full dining room set, including side pieces, within my price range. The end result of working with Elizabeth looks great. Everyone who comes to my house is complimentary how nice everything looks. And I'm comfortable and happy living in my house the way it is now. It is costly to get high-end furniture through a designer. And I guess it's an essential part of the interior design business that one thing leads to another. I ended up getting more things that I had expected I would buy when the process started. Elizabeth would convince me with an enthusiastic case for each new improvement. But, in the end I'm happy with the whole process and would recommend Elizabeth to others. I'd say she's creative, has a good sense of how things should fit together, and is very committed to making sure that a client ends up happy.

She was good at the beginning but clearly had $ signs in her eyes from the start. We used and appreciated her advice, but when we elected to not purchase some pieces from her, the level of service began to deteriorate. The worst experience of all was with the light fixtures she helped us select. She ordered one fixture (which was to consist of three tiered lights) incorrectly and all three lights hung at the same height. As a custom piece, we could not return the item and it required that we have the installer modify (ie cut!) the brand new very expensive light in order to make it into the intended light fixture. While all of this drama was occurring, she never once admitted to the mistake or offered an apology. In the end the install cost as much as the fixture! Do you think she rebated any of her fees to cover som of the costs? No way. To this day, the fixture remains incomplete as the light diffusing lenses don't fit properly. Emails to Elizabeth go unanswered. Avoid her services at all costs. Wish we did.

Elizabeth brought fabric samples and books to the house and later took me to a furniture and fabric showroom where we spent several hours picking out suitable furnishings. She ordered everything and was present for delivery. Our living room looks 100% better!

This is the second time I have used Elizabeth J for interior decorating services. She is a friendly, understanding person with whom to work. She will work with you to use furniture you have which is suitable to the design which pleases you. She is honest in her opinions about what works well and what doesn't. Her past work has continuously evoked complimentary remarks about the room she designed and furnished for me.