CANDACE JOHNSTON INTERIOR DESIGN

I found Candace on Angie?s List and she had good ratings, so? I called Candace in the middle of my kitchen remodeling project because I didn't have the time to manage contractors etc. I was really looking for a designer with project management skills. At the time she was brought on (early March) my kitchen was completely demolished. This was an insurance claim, which she was aware of upfront. Candace wanted to be paid her entire fee upfront $2k. No way I could do that, so we agreed on a timeline of payment which I thought would sync with my project. Well it didn't. We were still at step one and she was sending ?gentle? reminders for payment. Zero work had been done and very little of the work she was contracted for was complete. I decided to pay her in good faith. Well, at about the same time I was releasing payment I received an email from Candace which was intended for her friend, the kitchen designer, bad mouthing me about trying to "control the budget by not paying her." She had other unpleasant things to say, such as that I was ?all over the map? and had designer taste etc. The latter is true I do have designer taste, but?it?s my home ? shouldn?t I? The truth is I was *very clear headed* about what I liked and because my criteria didn't match the inventory of her friend's cabinet selection at the price point I needed, she tried to blame me. Instead she should have said, let's go to another place to order cabinets because there is no selection that you like here in your price point. She wanted me to settle ? no way! On a humbug, I went to Home Depot to look at their selection of cabinets and wouldn?t you know I found MANY options I liked even more than what her friend offered. I got a quote from HD - they came in over 4K less than the her friend (designer/cabinet vendor). Seems strange, right? In any case, she is also passive aggressive about the things that she likes. Like slab drawers and stainless steel faucets etc. Luckily, I know what I like so that didn?t matter too much. So, after I received Candace's back-biting email, I sent it back saying, I don't think this was intended for me. Three hours later she responded "Sorry". That's it! I couldn't believe her lack of professionalism in this regard. I was willing to continue working with her, but her lack of humility and poor handling of the situation sealed her fate. I still paid her $1500 (the total contract was for $2000) and really all I got was...a reference for a kitchen designer/cabinet vendor (he was good). I did order from him because he was willing to fight for my business and frankly, I thought he deserved it -- after all, he did all the work. I actually waited for weeks after she received my payment to see if she had the integrity to send a partial refund or to even *call* to say, "I know I screwed this up, but..." Instead she sent an email excusing her poor manners, "standing by her email." Are you kidding me?

I contacted Candace within one month of the fire. She has been absolutely the resource I need to help me thru the critical months until I can move back into my house. She works her ideas to fit my tastes and my budget. She works extremely well with the restoration contractors. And most of all, she is very, very personable. So far I've used her services for approximately 3 months; the project will complete in approximately 5 months. I will update this report again when I move back in. I fully intend to use Candace's services to complete any projects that don't fit within my financial constraints.

CANDACE IS A WARM, FRIENDLY, APPROACHABLE PERSON WITH IMPECCABLE TASTE AND THE ABILITY TO THINK OUT OF THE BOX. WE ENJOYED WORKING WITH HER: SHE IS VERY DOWN TO EARTH AND UNPRETENTIOUS, AND CAN WORK WITHIN A MODEST BUDGET. HER DESIGN CHOICES HELPED PULL TOGETHER OUR EXISTING PIECES TO CREATE AN INTERESTING, PUT-TOGETHER LOOK THAT FITS OUR LIFESTYLE. WHILE HER PORTFOLIO IS FULL OF VERY ELEGANT, EXPENSIVE, HIGH END PROJECTS THAT LOOK LIKE THEY COULD BE IN MAGAZINES, SHE WAS ABLE TO WORK WITH OUR MODEST BUDGET AND CAME UP WITH SOME CREATIVE IDEAS TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE WE SPENT A LOT MORE THAN WE DID.