Creekstone Designs

John May/Creekstone had done 3 jobs for us prior: a guest bath remodel, a master bedroom closet remodel, and new entry door. We were thrilled with each one. BUT...times have changed and the Creekstone of today is not the Creekstone of a few years ago. This time around our experience was extremely disappointing. We first contacted John last December--stressing that we needed the curbless shower and that we wanted to have the work done during the summer. (I work from home and summer workload is lighter.) He gave us an initial estimate, we paid his design contract fee, and we began planning. In mid-July when we still didn't have any firm numbers for the job, no signed contract and no construction schedule, I sent John a "where are we" email. John replied that the actual bid was about double what he'd estimated. He didn't explain the discrepancy and suggested that if the budget was a concern, that we should skip the curbless shower, indicating that although we'd been clear about what we needed from the project, he really hadn't taken our discussions to heart. Without going into more detail, working with John this time around has been a disaster. We wasted 7 months and a few thousand dollars and have nothing to show for it. (His design/bid process isn't the most efficient.) This recent experience with John and Creekstone is unfortunate on so many accounts: confusing since he never explained the bid snafu, disappointing because the customer service (John is really charming) which had been outstanding, is now sorely lacking. We'd looked forward to having Creekstone do not only our master bath, but some additional projects in the future as well. Now we will look elsewhere. Because home construction is so "hot" right now, I doubt Creekstone even cares.

John spent many hours with us in planning, picking colors and fixtures, working through design idea, and including some "do it yourself" bits in the plans, to help us lower the costs. He's got a great eye for color and design, and we wouldn't hesitate to bring him into any remodeling or design job.

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I highly recommend him. We were really happy. He is very personable, sunny, and very competent. You feel that your trust is well placed.

John's two greatest strengths are his responsiveness and his dedication to the kinds of details a homeowner wouldn't know to care about. John, on his own, chooses the highest quality products, the most reputable subcontractors. A friend in the business was always impressed with the quality of the companies and the products John was using for each phase of the project. For a homeowner somewhat overwhelmed by the details, the knowledge that John was always choosing the responsible option was invaluable. No cheap doors, no poor quality electricians. A full room remodel of any kind is not a cheap process. WIth John, you know that the final product will be something you and your family will be proud of and confident in.

We love our basement SO MUCH. It's warm in the winter -- so much better insulated than the rest of the house -- but cool in the summer, so we can sleep down there during heat waves. John got exactly what we were going for, in terms of a space that feels new and modern but also feels very much like part of a 1926 bungalow. The work has held up beautifully, and the design and colors are so much better than we would ever have come up with, if we'd been in charge of telling the contractor what we wanted. The bathroom is well ventilated and spacious without taking up any of the room that we can use for just hanging out. John also stayed within the budget, even as we ran into issues that hadn't been anticipated (like the ways to move and raise all the pipes). I recommend Creekstone without reservation.

He is the perfect repair guy. He shows up on time. His rates are reasonable.

John came recommended to us by Black Cat Plumbing when we started talking about remodeling the bathroom of our 1925 house. John patiently helped us sort through the many choices and proved even more valuable as the scope of the project widened. Separate from John's work we also added hydronic radiant heat floor to our entire house. This ended up requiring $12,000 worth of structural support work under our house. As the general contractor, John gamely took on the added project and stuck to his bid on this added project even after complications arose. John's work coordinating the many trades involved and walking both projects through Clackamas County's permit process proved invaluable. He drew from a pool of dedicated and qualified professionals that did exceptional work. From start to finish John stuck with the project for approximately 9 months even during delays caused the flooring project. You would have to search a long time to find another contractor with the integrity, skills and dedication that John brought. Even on the darkest days we never regretted the choice we made.

They were excellent. He was quick and very responsive and responsible. He also did a large remodeling job for my daughter.