Performance Kitchens & Home
About us
Philadelphia's oldest Kitchen Design & Cabinetry Company for over 40 years. Rated Best of Houzz Kitchen Design Firm for Design & Service 2012-2017 5 Award winning Designers Specializing in older home remodels. Beautiful Cabinetry displayed in our Design studio in Manayunk 7 miles from downtown Philadelphia For a free consultation please call 215.482.0700 Browsers Welcome, Free parking on site
Business highlights
51 years of experience
Services we offer
Design & Cabinetry for your entire home. Full coordination services for any size remodel or addition.
Amenities
Free Estimates
Yes
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
Reviews
4.124 Reviews
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 75% | ||
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| 8% | ||
| 17% |
Showing 1-24 of 24 reviews
Alejandro R.
May 2023
I recommend that you stay away. The design work is good, but the main business of Performance Kitchens is to sell cabinets. At some point the conflict between design and selling cabinets comes up. There are things in the design of our kitchen that are difficult to explain without the justification of selling another cabinet. We also had problems with measurements that were wrong. The cabinets were changed but this caused several weeks of delays. We also had a terrible experience with the contractor that they recommended, who wasted our time and money. He was working at a very slow pace and never brought qualified workers. They were a couple of teachers doin spare change during summer, an art school student, and a tile installer out of his depth. They were all nice people, by the way. But no the kind of workers you expect a contractor to bring to your house. We ended up with dozens of floor tiles with chipped borders and bathroom tiles that are crooked. The bathroom toilet moves to this day, they chipped the finish in the bathroom faucet, the laundry faucet is not well installed, some light switches were never installed.I also spent several weekends doing his work to try and speed up the work. I did painting and grouting. I helped to install the front door, the oven, and the fridge. I installed locks and handles. I cleaned every night and I disposed of trash. I can keep going but you get the picture. To be fair, the contractor does not work for Performance Kitchens. But he was recommended by Performance Kitchens
Response from Performance Kitchens & Home
"While we appreciate you saying that our design work was to your liking, we also pride ourselves both in our heritage as excellent cabinet manufacturers and experts in the process of kitchen remodeling for almost 50 years. Our goal is to give our clients a new functional, and beautiful kitchen that they will enjoy for many years while adding value to their home. We feel we have accomplished this with your exciting layout and rededication of the space. I’m sorry for the experience you had with your installer. Many of our clients provide their own contractors. It is not appropriate or fair that we are judged by circumstances beyond our control or by the ability of any contractor to fulfill your expectations, how you interact with them, or what personal problems they or you may have. Remodeling is a complex endeavor. We strive to do everything humanly possible to facilitate a seamless project. We hope that as time passes and [Homeowner Name Removed]concussion heals, your appreciation for the beautiful end result will far supersede any temporary inconvenience. Until then we remain available to answer your questions or honor your guarantees on your beautiful Performance Kitchen."
Joan R.
Sep 2017
I got the best design help from Performance kitchens... the ideas were things that I never dreamed of! They listened to all my needs. Definitely the best creative people in the universe!!!! Love the way my kitchen turned out.
Mary M.
Sep 2017
I love my new kitchen!! After living in my house for 18 years and always having other projects that needed to be completed, I finally got my new kitchen this summer. After many designs of our own without success, we decided to hire Performance Kitchens. Their entire process from start to finish was the highest quality. Nancy and Larissa are very knowledgeable and very patient with our many questions! During the first meeting, they came up with a wonderful design. Over the next three design meetings, we fine-tuned the design. They listened to our needs and the design reflected them. We were given many different options to select from and they made many recommendations. Did the project go smoothly? Yes and No…two of the cabinets came in from the manufacturer incorrectly built…but Performance got them rebuild and shipped to us within three weeks. One area that Performance measured to be 28 inches ended but only being 24 inches after the tear out of the old kitchen…but our contractor came up with a solution to this issue. Were the cabinets expensive? Yes, the cabinets are expensive because they are custom built and very high quality. No particle board! If you want a well-designed kitchen with quality cabinets, use Performance Kitchens. Was the design service expensive? Yes, but Nancy and Larissa designed a kitchen after listening to our needs and implementing a plan for us. It was worth EVERY penny. The design included things that I never thought of and the solutions were inventive and creative. Performance comes to your house to look at your old kitchen and see how and what is working and not working. Larissa saw my kids come in and dump their backpacks and sneakers in the middle of my kitchen. In addition, using Performance Kitchen Designs saved us from getting divorced...we had no major arguments because we were presented options to choose. When we did not understand something, they explained it to us. No question was considered minor. All our calls were answered with professionalism. Did we go over budget? Yes of course. Plan on an extra 20% over what you budgeted to get the kitchen you want…don’t skimp because you are only going to remodel your kitchen once in a lifetime. But now we have an incredible kitchen. Did we use all their vendors? No, we had our own contractor and use our own counter top company. We did purchase pull handles from them. We got some items online from Amazon or Build.com, because they were less expensive. Would I use them again? Yes, 100% yes. It was worth the money for the design services. Their design was everything I wanted in my kitchen.
Pamela S.
Jul 2017
The work was handled by real pros who know their stuff. Nancy, Larissa, Kyle, Brian work so well together. We were very fortunate to have them. After my husband and I had a bad experience with a competitor in Spring House, who offered a lot and did nothing, we turned to Performance with a big request. Could your team design a new kitchen, laundry room, pantry and den, within 6 months? Thanksgiving is a huge holiday for us and we were having family from all over the US fly in. They were cautious and said that the schedule would be very tight but they thought they could do it. The Performance team was thorough and meticulous throughout. They were involved from beginning to end. They were in touch with all of the contractors and subcontractors, keeping them on schedule. They made visits when requested to the house and several on their own initiative. The result was a huge success. Project was done early, per their schedule which they had been updating with us all along. The rooms look sensational. I wanted more cabinet space. Got it. My husband wanted more light in all rooms . We got that. Workmanship? The best. We are very happy and our friends, neighbors and family have expressed amazement at how good the house looks. We are so grateful.
Lenny K.
Jul 2017
My husband and I were nervous when we downsized from the suburbs to a high rise apartment in Center City. The kitchen has always been the hub of our house. We love to entertain friends and were used to a very large kitchen with lots of cabinets and countertops. Nancy Forman at Performance Kitchens completely allayed our concerns about living in a much smaller apartment that had lots of windows that prohibited cabinets. Nancy was so creative and came up with such clever ideas for storage in drawers which helped the design and functionality -- and I didn't have to give up any of my many (my husband says "too many") treasured dishes and serving pieces! 6 years later, when we decided to move to Florida, our Performance kitchen was one of the deciding factors that helped us sell our apt. in record time for top price. We enjoyed our city kitchen so much and working with Nancy was such a great experience that we called on Performance again to help renovate our FL kitchen. The new space was very different from our Phila. apartment and we were able to do lots of wall cabinets this time. Nancy showed us several designs and made it easy to find just the right ones. While we were a little skeptical about doing a long-distance renovation, the plans were detailed and precise and Nancy and Brian worked closely with our new contractor. The renovation was completed on time and on budget and made our move that much easier. For both renovations, Performance's prices were realistic and we were given lots of choices. We feel so lucky to have found such a reputable company with creative, caring people who really listened, never said no to our ideas and helped us sort out what we thought we wanted with what would work best for our lifestyle and budget.
Response from Performance Kitchens & Home
"It was a delight to work with you on both of your Kitchens! We thank you for the kind words. We hope all is well with you and hope to work with you again in the future!"
Scott A.
Jun 2017
After moving to South Florida, my Kitchen was in need of help, I was having trouble finding a company that felt right to work with to do the job. Luckly I had been visiting friends/clients in Philadelphia, after going to Manayunk for lunch I stumbled into Performance Kitchens. They showed me their process: plans, renderings, and details of how it all gets done. I was very impressed but a little hesitant about doing the job long distance. They assured me that they had many clients that had worked with them in Philly , then moved and wanted to have the same experience again across the country. We planned for 2 meetings at the Design studio and a few phone and face time meetings. This worked out great with my schedule as I had some other business to attend to in the area. They worked very closely with my contractor and provided plans for him to follow. They were super great and everything went as planned. The design is perfect, the cabinets arrived on time and my contractor had very few questions, and best of all the overall price was within my budget and I couldnt be happier with the professionalism and all the designers I had contact with throughout the process. I own a salon with a international clientele and I have been recommending them to Performance Kitchens.
Response from Performance Kitchens & Home
"We appreciate your beautiful review of your experience with us! Your Kitchen space was definitely in need of creative ideas with many doors and windows, it was definately a challange to come up with a design that gave you more storage and counter space! Thank you for sending new clients our way. It was super fun working with you and we definately will come take pictures when we visit your area in the future."
Maryl L.
Jun 2017
Now we have the Kitchen of our Dreams! Performance is a A+ company and we are so glad we found them! It all started doing a search for white Kitchens. We found they're project page on Houzz.com They have a page with lots of their projects and many outstanding reviews. Our kitchen was outdated and not very functional. I searched around and was totally impressed with Performance's first consultation meeting. Nancy Forman and her talented Design team showed me the process from start to finish in they're beautiful design studio. After visiting our home to measure and check out the way we live, they presented several designs to help me see all the possibilities. Not being very artistic, or understanding of floor plans, I found that seeing the design come to life was extremely important, to help me avoid making any mistakes. I realized the value of a Designer is critical in remodeling your home. Nancy's knowledge and guidance helped me make all my material selections. The cabinetry is beautiful and the price was very close to the amount we budgeted for, as they made it clear to us every step of the way, if we were picking items that took us over they came up with cost savings options. The installation of everything was flawless and any time the contractor had a question they helped him to understand. Performance has a great process. I will be enjoying my home for a long time now that the design is beautiful & efficient.
Response from Performance Kitchens & Home
"Thank you so very much for the review! It was so much fun transforming your space, we ar happy that you love it!!!"
Stephen B.
Nov 2016
Another Angie’s List reviewer wrote about Nancy and Brian Forman: “I think this husband-wife team are sickeningly sweet on the surface and dishonest to the core”. Had we read Angie’s List reviews prior to engaging them, we would have avoided the most outrageous chicanery of our personal and professional lives. Over a year has passed, but it’s still difficult to document these events dispassionately. We retained Performance Kitchens & Home (hereafter, PKH) in June 2014 to redesign our kitchen, bar, and powder room space. After visiting our home, Nancy showed us a budget guideline for our cabinets of $18-25K, based on selections. OK by us. After the design phase, we were contractually required to deposit 50% for a cabinet purchase from the Formans to take home our design documents. Meeting at their office in December, we were surprised by a revised cabinet price 50% above the prior range (now $38K). After some hesitation, we wrote them a deposit check to “move the project forward” and take home our design. In January, we were shocked by an envelope from PKH citing “omissions” on our order and presenting a revised cabinet order totaling $58,767, requesting payment in full to keep our project moving. The January letter attributed this $20K increase to an “honest mistake”, “an omission” on their part. However, it never offered to refund our deposit amount (cashed in December), if such a drastic increase were unacceptable to us. After weeks of frustrating communications to recover cost sanity, we decided that the Formans’ “honest mistake” wasn’t so honest and we would go no further. We sent them a polite letter requesting our deposit be refunded so that we could “part ways amicably”. Their response letter denied the “omission/mistake” language of their earlier letter, insisted that we comply with their design contract, and flatly refused our refund request. (These two contradicting letters would become the centerpiece of our legal case against them.) We were outraged and decided to pursue them legally. So we found a knowledgeable and resourceful attorney, who was a pleasure to work with (Dan McElhatton, of McElhatton Foley PC - 215-557-0811 – if you ever need a good lawyer) and filed with the American Arbitration Association. After filing with AAA, Brian Forman showed true colors by sending us a threatening letter, claiming that they would prevail at arbitration and that we would then owe them legal fees of “at least $10,000 and likely a great deal more than that”. This bullying only doubled our resolve to bring them to justice. Long story short, an arbitrator was assigned to hear both sides at an in-person meeting, found that the Formans had “wrongfully held monies for services not performed”, and awarded us $19,193. We were elated! Cashing the Formans’ check for this amount re-energized our dormant kitchen project, so we engaged new partners with real capabilities and fair business practices and achieved a stunning transformation of our kitchen and surrounding spaces! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Having first failed with PKH and then succeeded with new partners, we now recognize red flags in the PKH business practices and contract that should have been easy to spot from the beginning. So we include points of advice below to help others avoid traps and realize value for their home project investments when working with self-proclaimed “kitchen designers”: 1) Never sign a contract, ignoring the fine print on the back. Have a lawyer review first. Ours said that we had signed a contract of adhesion, totally one-sided. 2) Never pay for design services without retaining rights to the design throughout the process – PKH wouldn’t release design docs until we wrote a cabinet order deposit check. Our new partners kept us updated on design drafts, which facilitated a better outcome. 3) Never sign a lock-in contract to buy cabinets from a kitchen designer – After PKH, our new partners encouraged us to shop their design among cabinet suppliers. So we got 30% more cabinetry for ½ the price simply by having several cabinet makers bid our design. All of them had similar woods, quality, door fronts, hinges and finishes, so we chose on price. 4) Never pay advance retainers for services like this – We naively wrote two $4,000+ checks in advance to PKH for design services with their contract stating that they are not required to deliver a pro-rated hours at their stated rate. Our new partner simply invoiced us monthly for hours worked after performing them. 5) Minimize the cost of your design, it’s only a small part of your value – PK’s software design looked fancy, but a contractor said that he couldn’t implement them without re-drawing. We found that many contractors and cabinet suppliers will do kitchen layouts for < $2,500 which can be applied towards future purchases of products/services. These designs were strikingly similar for our space. So, using this approach, our redesign was basically free. 6) Buy cabinets direct from a supplier that manufactures locally – Plenty of good ones around Philly. We shopped Adelphi Kitchens, Conestoga, Village, etc. A local supplier avoids a 2x mark-up and expensive delivery fee, and allows quick turnaround on adjustments. (PKH added a $995 charge for cabinet delivery from the Midwest.) 7) Never pay for cabinets in full and up front, before delivery – Our final cabinet supplier asked for 30% to initiate production and the balance when cabinets were delivered and inspected – a more friendly business practice. 8) Never commit to cabinets, granite, appliances, etc. until getting construction estimates – Our project involved a structural rework of the core of our old home. Construction was ultimately the largest expense and most valuable investment. It would have been foolish to commit $58K up front for wooden boxes that we can shop around among multiple sources. 9) Never accept cabinets weeks in advance and store them around your house – The Formans process claimed that cabinets need to “acclimate” to our house for a few weeks before installation. Instead, we had our local supplier time cabinet delivery for the day when installation would begin. The cabinets installed flawlessly and look great months later. 10) Never work with a designer who mandates a preferred construction partner – PKH listed one contractor on their website as their “construction manager” and introduced us. It turned out that he was not their employee and that they may have earned a mark-up for his services, had we hired him. So, for the rudimentary task of measuring your kitchen and advising on cabinet placement, a kitchen designer can mark-up your cabinets, granite, construction, etc without you even knowing it. 11) Speak to at least 5 references - Remember to ask them where their costs ended up compared to their budget expectations. 12) Trust your instincts – If you’ve lived in your home for several years, you probably know better how to transform your space than any “kitchen designer” ever will. After all was complete, we learned that my wife was, in fact, the best designer of our new space!
Response from Performance Kitchens & Home
"Client's satisfaction is the utmost importance to Performance Kitchens and it has allowed us to remain in business creating beautiful functional kitchens for over 40 years satisfying hundreds of clients. On the very rare occasion, when there is a disagreement that cannot be resolved our contract allows for arbitration which we feel provides protection to our client as well as our company. In this case, not only was the client awarded relief, PK was also awarded relief for services that were provided. Although, PK did not agree with the amount that was awarded the client, we gladly fulfilled the obligation of our contract to abide by the arbitrators' decision. We value the feedback about our business practices. It is apparent after this review that to avoid any miscommunication, all people involved in decision making be present at all meetings . We have taken steps to ensure the factors resulted in the dispute do not happen again. We look forward to continuing to help create dream spaces for our clients."
Richard C.
May 2016
I'll start by saying that I don't write letters of praise easily or often but I felt compelled to write this one about Performance Kitchens of Philadelphia. I live on Long Island, NY and was recommended to this company by my wife's cousin. My first concern was that of the logistics involved in creating a custom kitchen using a company that was so far away. Would they be hands on, would the quality be what I expected, was there going to be any issues with my contractor, etc. Along with that, was the daunting task of recreating a somewhat small space into the dream kitchen that I envisioned? That was no problem for Performance Kitchen design team who's initial design included sealing up doors, moving walls and ingeniously rearranging every aspect of the kitchen to maximum space. It seemed like they were most comfortable thinking, "Outside the Box"
Once the process started, all of my fears were washed away. Not only were there no issues, but also I knew EXACTLY what my kitchen was going to look like based on a series of computer renderings that were spot on. My contractor was provided with one of the most detailed set of plans I've ever seen! But I have to say that as awesome as those things were, Performance's Customer Service staff was the BEST! As a homeowner, I asked some really silly questions throughout the job, but nothing fazed them. Between Nancy, Performance's Head Designer to their two Senior Designers, Larissa and Kyle, every question, concern and issue was addressed in a light handed manner that you often dream about but never get.
We watched in amazement as the job progressed and this gorgeous room, like a piece of artwork was created.
From a tiny space with a 30" stove/oven combo and a sink, to a kitchen with double ovens, a six burner stove, built in microwave and dishwasher and enough counter & floor space that three of us can create spectacular meals and never bump into one another, the experience and result were wonderful!!!
Thank you Performance Kitchens & Home, we think of you everyday!
Response from Performance Kitchens & Home
"What a beautiful review!!! Thanks so very much for sharing your experience."
Jeffrey C.
Apr 2016
We entertain a lot and after 10 years of living in a tight kitchen that our builder designed, it was time to seek the advice of a professional to design a kitchen to fit our lifestyle.
We visited the Design team at Performance Kitchens in Manayunk Philadelphia, The Design studio was filled with lots of choices beautiful quality cabinetry and we weren't quite sure what direction, but knew we were in good hands!
They visited our home and took pictures measured and made notes of our storage needs.
The visit was amazing as they came up with an idea to switch our Dining room with the Kitchen.... Something we would never have dreamed of!!!
We were concerned about the cost as we were now going to be doubling the size of the Kitchen but we waited till they were ready to present the designs to see if that was something we wanted to do.
Concept Meeting
We were super excited to see what they designed. They presented 4 different designs and even one in the old space just in case.... We weren't up for the change.
There was no doubt that moving the kitchen into the dining room was the best choice. They even had plans showing my old kitchen space redesigned as a mini bar.
After this meeting they helped us choose the door style, finish and other decorative finishes so they could present color perspective renderings of what the new spaces would look like.
They renderings were so realistic they were like actual photographs we could see how the kitchen space would look from all different angles. This helped us see what we were purchasing before it was even made, which made us feel comfortable that we weren't making any mistakes.
The design retainer is worth every penny. We could have easily made expensive mistakes without their guidance. They helped us with an electrical plan, tile, flooring, backsplash designs and paint colors.
Our job was installed by the contractor they recommended and because of all the detailed plans that they provided the install of everything went super smooth. We couldn't be happier!
Our home now makes sense. We love entertaining and our home is now where everyone wants to hang out.Definitely loved the process... I would say that my fears about remodeling my home and the cost was a factor, but The team at Performance was sensitive to the cost and did an expert jo and gave us lots of options.
Our home has been transformed and we will enjoy it for years to come. It will also add value whenever we decide to sell it. Definitely worth the investment. Thanks Performance Kitchens and Home!
Response from Performance Kitchens & Home
"Thanks so much for the review! It was a pleasure working with you and I have to say... I have seen the Kitchen & Bar in use and it performs as good as it looks!!!"
Michelle D.
Oct 2015
N., B. and the team are charming, accomplished designers and salespeople. Their strengths - at least in our experience - are their focus on aesthetics and the level of detail to which they take the design exercise. On our project, they unfortunately fell very short in some key areas. We subsequently discovered through talking to people who'd used them before that these themes were not unique to our experience. It's a great shame, since the issues are not around quality so much as transparency and business practices.
1. Budget - We were led to believe that our budget, which had been set out clearly by N., would be respected. However, our project came in at over 3 times what had been discussed with N. Although we expressed concern at several points throughout the design exercise and asked for construction estimates, we were given evasive replies and a (very nice) refusal to have even preliminary construction estimates done for the designs. We subsequently realized that we had been put in a position where we had been signed up to pay for cabinetry and design without knowing the full cost of our project. We can't judge whether this lack of transparency on their part is because they really don't know how much it'll cost , or whether they do know, but don't want to lose the sale by scaring off the customer. Either way it is a horrendous business practice that put us in a false position and left us scrambling for funds. (In case you're wondering, our contingency for the project was 100%, although friends had told us 25% should be fine!)
2. Technical design - The design team did not seem to have the knowledge to meet the practical demands of a kitchen space with normal physical and structural limitations. Here are some examples (they're not exhaustive):
a) Tiles - We were told that their recommended tiles were not at all suitable for the floor surface. Luckily, we realized this in time with the help of our terrific, long-suffering contractor and selected a smaller, differently-shaped tile. b) Microwave placement - The design called for a microwave to be placed in a location that didn't have a cupboard above it. However, microwaves are designed to be installed below cupboard-like structures so that they can be secured properly. When the contractor pointed this out to the designer, the response was "Oh. Uh. I don't know what to do." It took us 2 days to come up with a solution, again, thanks to the contractor. c) Washing machine and dryer placement - The design didn't allow adequate space to hook up the washing machine and dryer. As a result, they protrude terribly from the wall. The contractor helpfully built a structure to help protect them - but it's far from ideal.
3. Listening skills - We eventually asked them as nicely as we could to please stand back from the project and to stop sending us quotes for their recommended materials, which were usually 3 or 4 times the price of the once we sourced. But they kept on sending these quotes. They also came into our house once when we were out, without asking our permission.
All in all, this was a horrible, horrible experience. It took me a long time to be able to go into the kitchen without feeling sick to my stomach. With great regret, we can't recommend working with these guys at all based on our experience.
Response from Performance Kitchens & Home
"Performance prides itself on working out any issues with all our clients. Any items that needed attention were discussed with the installer and creatively addressed. Part of the service we provided to this client was to stop by to check in on the contractors progress. The ceilings were very low and the issue with the microwave was discussed before any installation began. This was a construction detail that would be determined once the appliance was at the home. Some appliance manufactures sizing is not clear and this particular microwave had to be physically seen to be able to work with it's proper placement. The client did not express any dissatisfaction, and the installer agreed that our suggestions in the placement worked best for the situation. Regarding the washer dryer, the client was trying to cut costs, so we did not plan on any type of cabinetry built-in enclosure. The contractor had to pull the stackable unit forward to allow for wiring. We have spoken to the installer about this, and he did extra work to build it in. His comment was that they were happy! They signed up for our full services to specify and price decorative materials and as part of the service, we figure out all of the tile, lighting, cabinet hardware, flooring, sink fixtures and order the items to be at the home before the install. This was a very difficult space in a tight cramped basement. There were many obstacles that we had to overcome, as well as being time conscious because the client was expecting their first child."
PETER Q.
Jun 2015
I think this husband-wife team are sickenling sweet on the surface and dishonest to the core.They tried on several occasions to add outrageous "add-on" fees to jack the price up over the agreed -upon fee.....would never deal with them again
Response from Performance Kitchens & Home
"We are surprised when someone writes a review like this........ why it took them over 5 years to write it? Unfortunately the husband who is wrote this review rarely attended meetings and was not communicating with his wife about our fees and services. We find that when the husband and wife do not attend key meetings together this type of situation can arise, that is why we insist that all parties involved in decision making attend the first meeting, to avoid any miscommunication. At our very first meeting, before anyone contracts us for our services we clearly go over all the choices of services we provide. Some people choose to have us just do the design and supply cabinetry and others choose to have us help with every aspect of the project, which gets proposed and paid for once the design for cabinetry has been completed mid way through the process. The wife attended all the meetings was happy to have us help with the entire project. She signed up for the 2 services we provided. We did not "add-on" any extra fees, the 2nd fee was signed up for by his wife. It is truly unfortunate that there was a disconnect of what our role was with the husband. Had he attended the key meetings he would have understood that this was what his wife had contracted us to do. We put our heart into this very difficult job. The design we created was unique and we transformed the space from a tiny enclosed space that was cramped, dark and unfunctional, to a very large space that was open, functional and truly beautiful. There were many re-designs later in the project due to a post that had to stay in the design. To balance the post we recommended designing a 2nd post, this required additional moldings that were not in the original price of the cabinetry. These details required extensive detailed drawings and were specified and proposed to the clients. They were elaborate and expensive... not in the original pricing as this was something that arose through the construction. These additional moldings that wrapped around the posts were requested by his wife to complete the look. Home remodeling is not an exact science, it is a architectural process... especially in older homes, there are details that may arise, that you have to work through creatively to make it work out. Most of the time it makes for a better more interesting job because you are adding something unexpected. We are professionals and have been one of Philadelphia's premiere design firms in working with older homes since 1974. Through 43 years of Designing and providing beautiful Kitchens, there will always be a few that did not have the best experience, we wish all the hundreds of satisfied clients would write reviews based on their great experience. We have noticed that Angie's list is where people like to go to complain."
Chris V.
Jan 2015
My wife works from home a lot and she reached her breaking point with working in a make-shift study in the back of our dining room, where our two german shepherds could easily interrupt her, and we realized it was time to carve out a real space in the house for her.
We have tons of books so we knew we wanted some serious built-ins to house them, and that?s how we ended up at Performance Kitchen?s website. Since my wife would be working in this space for most of the day we didn?t just want to throw up some shelves and call it a study, we wanted to make this a functional, real purposed space for her.
Performance Kitchen and Home guided us through this process beautifully. We ended up re-purposing a section of the basement and the design team at PK turned it into a beautiful, quiet library/study/home office for us, complete with custom built ins, tons of storage, and a great desk area.
They listened to us every stage of the process, took our ideas into consideration and took the time to get to know our tastes. They recommended contractors for us to work with so we didn?t have to go and find one on our own.
Overall, it was a great experience and they are truly professionals at what they do, we could not be happier with how the room turned out and we would recommend them to anyone!
We have tons of books so we knew we wanted some serious built-ins to house them, and that?s how we ended up at Performance Kitchen?s website. Since my wife would be working in this space for most of the day we didn?t just want to throw up some shelves and call it a study, we wanted to make this a functional, real purposed space for her.
Performance Kitchen and Home guided us through this process beautifully. We ended up re-purposing a section of the basement and the design team at PK turned it into a beautiful, quiet library/study/home office for us, complete with custom built ins, tons of storage, and a great desk area.
They listened to us every stage of the process, took our ideas into consideration and took the time to get to know our tastes. They recommended contractors for us to work with so we didn?t have to go and find one on our own.
Overall, it was a great experience and they are truly professionals at what they do, we could not be happier with how the room turned out and we would recommend them to anyone!
Response from Performance Kitchens & Home
"Thanks so much for the review!!!"
Michael S.
Dec 2014
The designers and employees at Performance Kitchen are undoubtedly the most wonderful and personable people my husband and I encountered. They are professional, creative and are very good at troubleshooting!
We knew we needed a new bathroom for quite some time. We live in the East Falls area of Philadelphia and some the row homes in this area are quite old. We wanted to gut our bathroom and give it a modern, fresh feel - almost a feel that you were in a luxury spa! Like most row homes, our bathroom is quite small so that also created a lot of difficulty with the design aspect, but the miracle workers at Performance Kitchen worked around it!
The solution to the small size was a stand up shower with gorgeous glass doors (which was actually what I was hoping for!) - the shower had a stone floor. Additionally, Performance was able to work with our electrician to install a HEATED tiled floor for
our new bathroom!
Our only issue was the price. It was more than what we had wanted to spend on such a small space - however, by the end, we were so pleased with the way it looked and made us feel it was completely worth the investment. You pay for what you get and
Performance Kitchen really followed through with all that they promised us!
The sleekness and warmth of the design almost makes the space seem bigger than it actually is!
Can't thank you enough, Performance Kitchen!! We will be thinking of you when it is time to re-design our kitchen!
We knew we needed a new bathroom for quite some time. We live in the East Falls area of Philadelphia and some the row homes in this area are quite old. We wanted to gut our bathroom and give it a modern, fresh feel - almost a feel that you were in a luxury spa! Like most row homes, our bathroom is quite small so that also created a lot of difficulty with the design aspect, but the miracle workers at Performance Kitchen worked around it!
The solution to the small size was a stand up shower with gorgeous glass doors (which was actually what I was hoping for!) - the shower had a stone floor. Additionally, Performance was able to work with our electrician to install a HEATED tiled floor for
our new bathroom!
Our only issue was the price. It was more than what we had wanted to spend on such a small space - however, by the end, we were so pleased with the way it looked and made us feel it was completely worth the investment. You pay for what you get and
Performance Kitchen really followed through with all that they promised us!
The sleekness and warmth of the design almost makes the space seem bigger than it actually is!
Can't thank you enough, Performance Kitchen!! We will be thinking of you when it is time to re-design our kitchen!
Response from Performance Kitchens & Home
"Thank you very much, we can't wait to work with you again!!!"
Michael S.
Nov 2014
I'm so pleased with Performance Kitchen and Home and the amazing library/study they gave my wife and I. Every step of this process was painless and the easiest renovation my wife and I have ever gone through.
Back story: I work from home. I had been trying to convince my wife to agree to re-do my home office for about a year now. She was VERY against doing another renovation because we re-did our kitchen a few years ago with a different company and it was a disaster. It took way too long, was a mess the entire time, and the people doing it were very difficult to work with. We did end up with a kitchen we love, but the process was a huge hassle. I knew to convince her to undergo a different renovation I had to find a different company with a good track record and stellar portfolio. That's how I came across Performance Kitchen and Home. I found them through the website Houzz and loved their work.
My wife and I went for the consultation with Nancy and her designers and we were very pleased with the level of professionalism and creativity that her staff has. I was really looking for someone who could do custom cabinets because one of the main things I needed was a functional study and I specifically wanted built in shelving around my desk and I wanted part of the room to function as a library. Performance Kitchen's specialty is custom cabinets and that certainly shows in their work!
Nancy and her team designed me a functional study and library, transformed the entire plan of the room, and even added in a wet bar for me so I can have a coffee maker and mini fridge in there. The room is now functional, with TONS of storage space, everything is organized, and the room feels much more open and spacious. I have a great place to work that I can focus in, as opposed to my old study where everything felt cramped and cluttered.
Everything was done on time, the construction crew was minimally invasive and very courteous, and it was worth every penny we spent. Heads up, they do charge a fee for consultations, but it is so worth it to sit down with them and discuss options, renderings, plans, etc. That initial meeting set my wife at ease and it was after that she agreed to go through another renovation, and neither of us have looked back since then. Thanks Performance Kitchen!!
Back story: I work from home. I had been trying to convince my wife to agree to re-do my home office for about a year now. She was VERY against doing another renovation because we re-did our kitchen a few years ago with a different company and it was a disaster. It took way too long, was a mess the entire time, and the people doing it were very difficult to work with. We did end up with a kitchen we love, but the process was a huge hassle. I knew to convince her to undergo a different renovation I had to find a different company with a good track record and stellar portfolio. That's how I came across Performance Kitchen and Home. I found them through the website Houzz and loved their work.
My wife and I went for the consultation with Nancy and her designers and we were very pleased with the level of professionalism and creativity that her staff has. I was really looking for someone who could do custom cabinets because one of the main things I needed was a functional study and I specifically wanted built in shelving around my desk and I wanted part of the room to function as a library. Performance Kitchen's specialty is custom cabinets and that certainly shows in their work!
Nancy and her team designed me a functional study and library, transformed the entire plan of the room, and even added in a wet bar for me so I can have a coffee maker and mini fridge in there. The room is now functional, with TONS of storage space, everything is organized, and the room feels much more open and spacious. I have a great place to work that I can focus in, as opposed to my old study where everything felt cramped and cluttered.
Everything was done on time, the construction crew was minimally invasive and very courteous, and it was worth every penny we spent. Heads up, they do charge a fee for consultations, but it is so worth it to sit down with them and discuss options, renderings, plans, etc. That initial meeting set my wife at ease and it was after that she agreed to go through another renovation, and neither of us have looked back since then. Thanks Performance Kitchen!!
Response from Performance Kitchens & Home
"Thank you!!"
Michael S.
Aug 2014
I was so concerned about remodeling my kitchen when my husband and I first decided we were going to begin the process. I am a perfectionist and am extremely picky about things, especially when it comes to things in my home. The kitchen that we remodeled was the one that was built originally in the home so it was quite old and in desperate need of a facelift and to be completely gutted. I love cooking and I love being in my kitchen so this was a very important project to me and I am so glad that we went with Performance Kitchen!!
We found out about Performance Kitchen through surfing the web a bit and decided to take the trip up to Manayunk one day to go for a consultation. Once I stepped into their studio I knew we found the right place, their portfolio was beautiful, their staff was great, everyone was very nice and understanding and so creative. My husband is hard to please, as he used to work in the construction business, but even his high expectations were exceeded by the consultation.
We were both sort of not clear on where we wanted to go with our kitchen or what design we wanted it to take on. We had a vague color palate in mind but that was about it. Performance Kitchen offered design ideas that we never would've thought of and we were both shocked that we ended up liking a very modern, sleek kitchen. That's not the path we thought we would go down but we're both so glad we did. They offered up design ideas that we would've never thought of on our own; combinations of tiles and flooring and granite that I was sort of skeptical about, but they totally came together in the end. I'm so glad I just trusted them to make the design decisions and run with it!
The kitchen that we have is beautiful, modern, and FUNCTIONAL. That was one thing I was concerned about, with all the cooking and entertaining I do, I really needed a kitchen that would flow and work with me as opposed to just getting in my way. Performance Kitchen designed ours so I have loads of counter space, the flow in the kitchen while I'm cooking or baking is magnificent. I have no idea how I lasted so long in our old kitchen, probably because I didn't know what I was missing!
We used their contractors and were very satisfied with their professionalism. They always cleaned up, the job was contained and completed on the time frame! Also Brian and Nancy are great, I had the pleasure of meeting both of them during one of the design appointments and I was so glad that I could put a face to the names of the business owners!
Yes their kitchens seem pricy, yes it's more involved than going to Ikea and picking out one of the kitchens they have on display there that 4000 other people have in their homes, but it is SO WORTH IT!
I'm so glad my husband and I chose to work with a specific kitchen designer as opposed to just going to Lowes or Home Depot because we got the kitchen of our dreams designed by people who do this every day and know everything about every step of the production inside and out! Their work is high quality, professional, and if I ever had another kitchen to work on I would sign them in a heart beat. I actually just referred my sister to them because she's thinking about re-doing her kitchen, you won't regret working with the folks over at Performance Kitchen, they're stellar.
We found out about Performance Kitchen through surfing the web a bit and decided to take the trip up to Manayunk one day to go for a consultation. Once I stepped into their studio I knew we found the right place, their portfolio was beautiful, their staff was great, everyone was very nice and understanding and so creative. My husband is hard to please, as he used to work in the construction business, but even his high expectations were exceeded by the consultation.
We were both sort of not clear on where we wanted to go with our kitchen or what design we wanted it to take on. We had a vague color palate in mind but that was about it. Performance Kitchen offered design ideas that we never would've thought of and we were both shocked that we ended up liking a very modern, sleek kitchen. That's not the path we thought we would go down but we're both so glad we did. They offered up design ideas that we would've never thought of on our own; combinations of tiles and flooring and granite that I was sort of skeptical about, but they totally came together in the end. I'm so glad I just trusted them to make the design decisions and run with it!
The kitchen that we have is beautiful, modern, and FUNCTIONAL. That was one thing I was concerned about, with all the cooking and entertaining I do, I really needed a kitchen that would flow and work with me as opposed to just getting in my way. Performance Kitchen designed ours so I have loads of counter space, the flow in the kitchen while I'm cooking or baking is magnificent. I have no idea how I lasted so long in our old kitchen, probably because I didn't know what I was missing!
We used their contractors and were very satisfied with their professionalism. They always cleaned up, the job was contained and completed on the time frame! Also Brian and Nancy are great, I had the pleasure of meeting both of them during one of the design appointments and I was so glad that I could put a face to the names of the business owners!
Yes their kitchens seem pricy, yes it's more involved than going to Ikea and picking out one of the kitchens they have on display there that 4000 other people have in their homes, but it is SO WORTH IT!
I'm so glad my husband and I chose to work with a specific kitchen designer as opposed to just going to Lowes or Home Depot because we got the kitchen of our dreams designed by people who do this every day and know everything about every step of the production inside and out! Their work is high quality, professional, and if I ever had another kitchen to work on I would sign them in a heart beat. I actually just referred my sister to them because she's thinking about re-doing her kitchen, you won't regret working with the folks over at Performance Kitchen, they're stellar.
Chris V.
Jul 2014
Everything was wonderful. Our expectations were more than fulfilled. Our space was small and enclosed. We had ideas, but soon realized that we had no idea of the possibilities and that our ideas would have limited us dramatically. Nancy and her design team are so talented and creative. Their team came to our home and took lots of pictures and then provided renderings of proposed options for us to choose from. They suggested moving a wall and a window which opened up the space dramatically. The storage options they provided inside the cabinets has drastically improved my life! They made suggestion I would have never dreamed of on my own. We were thrilled with the time of completion and the added touches of back splash design and alternative material for counter top. (We went with soap stone which I had never heard of before.) All and all an incredible experience and I highly recommend them!
Karen K.
Oct 2013
They were very professional. They came up with ideas that I had not thought of, designed a useful and beautiful layout. I chose additional services to help make sure the renovation process went as smoothly as possible. They helped me determine the style I wanted, and learned from that to make suggestions that work for me. I highly recommend them. To respond to another review, they are open to different levels of service, just discuss it with them before you start.
Response from Performance Kitchens & Home
"Thanks so much, after your Kitchen was finished you told us that you found us on Angie's list, you said that one of the reasons you choose us was because there were positive and negative reviews. It shows that our reviews are real and you trusted all the positive results! We put our heart into every job and take each review very personally, so thank you for trusting us! It was a absolute pleasure working with you and we all love your completed new Kitchen/Dining Space!"
DIANA K.
Aug 2013
Early on there were problems. They regularly broke set appointment times, were pushy about us selecting particular product vendors and, worse, did their best to convince us that their perceived design style (aka sleek modern) was much better than any other. We neither liked 'modern' nor did 'modern' complement the Victorian feel of our house. Later it struck me that 'sleek modern' was, by far, the most predominate one in their 'showroom.'
The most egregious errors were:
The stove/oven was placed against the wall immediately under a window. The cookware handles hit the wall and the heat/smoke from cooking damaged the wall.
The breakfast table/eating area was designed to be an extension, albeit at a lower height, of the cabinetry and counter area. The table area was too large for us to comfortably sit across from one another, the table itself was too high (when using typical dining chairs the table top stood a bit below an adult's armpits, and the support for the table top was an unfinished mess of oddly shaped and cut pieces of unfinished wood glued one on top of the other.
Most horrifying of all: The entire kitchen dimensions were incorrectly measured by Brian Forman. Nothing fit properly. The pre-cut and delivered counter was too large, the sink and cabinetry along one wall was noticeably off-center. The cabinetry did not fit. Literally. There was a 10 inch gap between the end of the spec'ed cabinets and the wall. It took a very long time to get him out to look at the gap area. However, he was quick to blame us for the measurement error. Huh? The cabinet manufacturer did not create cabinets to fit the gap area. They refused to redo the entire wall of cabinets; and, given too many other stressful events in our life at the time, we did not have in us to enter into a legal battle against them. The gap was covered with matching cabinetry veneer. A matching cabinet style hinged door was hung against the veneer. In other words, what looked like a cabinet was actually a 'cabinet facade.'
Since the measurement error was clearly their fault, we were stunned when they tried to bill us for the additional 'facade cabinet' and its installation! When we refused to pay for their obvious mistake, they became very, very nasty. We'd **never** use them again.
(It should be noted that we sold the house 2 years after the kitchen renovation. The first thing the new owners did was replace the kitchen!)
The most egregious errors were:
The stove/oven was placed against the wall immediately under a window. The cookware handles hit the wall and the heat/smoke from cooking damaged the wall.
The breakfast table/eating area was designed to be an extension, albeit at a lower height, of the cabinetry and counter area. The table area was too large for us to comfortably sit across from one another, the table itself was too high (when using typical dining chairs the table top stood a bit below an adult's armpits, and the support for the table top was an unfinished mess of oddly shaped and cut pieces of unfinished wood glued one on top of the other.
Most horrifying of all: The entire kitchen dimensions were incorrectly measured by Brian Forman. Nothing fit properly. The pre-cut and delivered counter was too large, the sink and cabinetry along one wall was noticeably off-center. The cabinetry did not fit. Literally. There was a 10 inch gap between the end of the spec'ed cabinets and the wall. It took a very long time to get him out to look at the gap area. However, he was quick to blame us for the measurement error. Huh? The cabinet manufacturer did not create cabinets to fit the gap area. They refused to redo the entire wall of cabinets; and, given too many other stressful events in our life at the time, we did not have in us to enter into a legal battle against them. The gap was covered with matching cabinetry veneer. A matching cabinet style hinged door was hung against the veneer. In other words, what looked like a cabinet was actually a 'cabinet facade.'
Since the measurement error was clearly their fault, we were stunned when they tried to bill us for the additional 'facade cabinet' and its installation! When we refused to pay for their obvious mistake, they became very, very nasty. We'd **never** use them again.
(It should be noted that we sold the house 2 years after the kitchen renovation. The first thing the new owners did was replace the kitchen!)
Response from Performance Kitchens & Home
"In response to this review, we are very surprised first that Angies list would allow a review from 14 years ago…. as this client never raised any complaints with us. Most of her comments in the review center around the installation of the cabinets, which was not performed by a contractor we provided. We prepare detailed plans for cabinet installation, lighting, hardware placement, decorative materials... that qualified installers have no trouble following with our guidance. 90% of our clients choose our Full Coordination Services, which this client choose not to do. On the rare occasion that we do get a complaint, it is inevitably thoose who have chosen do to various aspects of the job on their own. Regardless we pride ourselves on responding to each and every obstacle. It behooves us to point out that this is a distorted recollection of the cause of their difficulties14 years ago. We would not be in business for as long as we have, if these complaints were common in the way we run our business. We listen to our clients needs and design to fit the style of the home. In this day and age where there are forums like this, there will be people who will vent to vent and they are never happy with anything. We hope you see our other reviews and see all the happy people we have helped through our 40 years in business! Nancy Forman -Creative Director Performance Kitchens & Home"
Michael C.
Feb 2013
uughoutghout the whole remodel.TThe entire experencey room in their home.
Kyle M.
May 2012
I am so happy to have walked into Performance Kitchens' doors! I never understood exactly how much work and detail went into a kitchen remodel and after seeing their process compared to other kitchen consultants, it was easy to see why they have been in business for as long as they have. They showed me how the remodel would go from start to finish and developed a budget guide I was comfortable with. Throughout the whole process, they made sure that the selections I made stayed within the budget we allocated for each part so that I really stuck to the number I wanted to spend which was great. I was provided with several layouts to decide from and I was so amazed with how creative and beautifully designed each were for a space I thought little could be improved with. The staff of Performance is very talented! I was even given photo realistic pictures of what my finished kitchen would look like to make sure my selections were truely what I wanted. I am so thankful for all the work they did which resulted in a gorgeous, functional kitchen. Working with Performance was a great pleasure and I would highly reccommend their services to others.
Neil T.
Apr 2011
When my wife and I were in the initial phase to redesign our Center City Philadelphia kitchen, we had the opportunity to meet with Performance Kitchens in Manayunk. Upon meeting with Brian and Nancy Forman and Larissa Burza, any concerns we had regarding the task at hand were eliminated. Brian, Nancy and Larissa took the time to explain the process involved in taking our vision and making it a reality. Before going through the design process we held little hope that our small kitchen could become any more than an updated version of an L shaped kitchen with a new dinette set. . They involved us in the design process and presented several different designs with regard to our vision and budget. They patiently explained how all the plans would come together (Lighting, Cabinets, Flooring, Appliances and Hardware etc.) to produce the kitchen that we wanted. They showed us colored perspective drawings of what the final results would be, this eliminated any fear of what the final results would look like. I can honestly say that when I look back at them now they were so accurate! They helped us select all the Material selections and provided detailed plans for the contractor they included the Tile design, Hardware placement, Faucet locations, flooring directions, lighting plans, paint color … all the things that we know made the end result gel together and helped in eliminating any miscommunication and made the process flawless and in a timely fashion. My wife and I were so pleased that Performance Kitchens level of creativity that took our kitchen from ordinary to extraordinary; that we are now in the design stages of our 2nd floor remodel they are re-inventing the spaces for our master bath, bed room, closets and den. Working with Performance Kitchens and Home adds enjoyment and value to our home!
Response from Performance Kitchens & Home
"We are excited about the future 2nd Floor renovation, 2 Bedrooms, Closets and Master bath will add enjoyment and value to your home! Thank you for the kind words! It was a pleasure working with you and transforming your Kitchen!"
Mary W.
Jan 2011
Our kitchen and dining room project was finished in seven weeks but they really had nothing to do with that. It was through the hard work of the contractor and his crew. I ended our relationship with Performance part way through the project because Brian Forman had the audicity to come into my home (with the intent of "solving a problem" ) and proceeded to mock me and call me a liar. I have since heard through others (an extremely reliable source) that almost all their clients have major issues with them and end things on bad terms. I can't for the life of me understand how they have been in business for so long. I wonder if they get any repeat business?
Response from Performance Kitchens & Home
"Kitchen Remodeling can be stressful as it deals with change, expense & a home being under construction. We find that some people, as much as we try our best cannot be satisfied and have a lot of trouble dealing with the many factors of their project. The reason this job did complete in a very good turn around time was because we provided step by step plans for the contractor, Electrical, tile, cabinetry hardware placement and more. It is unfortunate that this client choose not recognize the value of what we provided."
Joseph W.
Aug 2009
unknown
Response from Performance Kitchens & Home
"Thank you!!!"
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FAQ
Performance Kitchens & Home is currently rated 4.1 overall out of 5.
Performance Kitchens & Home accepts the following forms of payment: CreditCard
Yes, Performance Kitchens & Home offers free project estimates.
No, Performance Kitchens & Home does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, Performance Kitchens & Home does not offer a senior discount.
No, Performance Kitchens & Home does not offer emergency services.
No, Performance Kitchens & Home does not offer warranties.