AB & K Affordable Bath & Kitchen

The woman I talked to was good. She did call me right away, and did setup an appointment. However, her quote was pretty high.

Very disappointed in the project! The designer/Sales person did not pay attention to details at the start of the project which led to problems and cost over runs. We were promised a project manager to ensure the project was high quality. He only came to our project two times in four (4) months. He seemed to be only concerned with how soon the work could be done so he could move his one worker to the next project. Details of the rough lay out of the linen closet were not checked which forced us to end up with a less then visually acceptable bathroom, and AB&K asked us to pay extra for the labor and material to fix their poor attention to detail. At the start of the project, during the demolition and during the rough in, licenced professionals did the work, after the City inspected the project and approved the rough work, AB&K assigned one person to do all the work. All tile, finish carpentery, plumbing, electrical and dry wall work was done by the same person. We were told that we would have experts in all trades, not one jack of all trades. The dry wall work was very dissappointing!!! We did not discover how bad the work was untill our painter was done and numerous drywall flaws became extremely visiable. Follow up after the project was very unsatisfactory. Lights did not work and had to be wired correctly, the new toilet pluged and the line had to be power rodded, and the most disappointing was the spa shower control did not correctly temper the water. I was so frustrated with AB&K's performance I called in a reputable plumbing company to look at the problem. While the plumber I hired was checking the shower he showed me that the tile behind the shower handle was incorrectly installed and that it was almost impossible to complete a simple repair of a part that is guranteed by Kohler. He showed me Kohlers installation guide and it was clear no tile should have been placed over the body of the shower mixing valve. This again is AB&K not paying attention to detail and having one person do all the work.

We began to work with AB & K in February, 2012 on a complete remodeling of our kitchen: new cabinets, counters, tiled back-splash, sink, rolling island and floor. Jill, our designer, had a good sense of style and color coordination, making many suggestions that we ultimately used. The initial quoting process was a little rocky as I kept finding errors in the quote (e.g. wrong items listed, the same item included in the cost two and three times, incomplete references to material types, etc.). I spent a lot of time get these items corrected. They quoted the project at a little over $30,000 which we felt to be reasonable. When we came in to sign the contracts, we were informed that they had made a mistake and had forgotten to quote the cabinet doors (a pretty major oversight). They should have informed us of this as soon as they knew instead of waiting until we were seated at the office to sign contracts. The new quote was over $40,000, which did not even include appliances (an increase of $10,000 which is a pretty big oversight). By this time we had invested a lot of time and effort in settling on a design and were excited to get started. We decided to continue with the project anyway. Despite the feeling a ?bait and switch? had been pulled on the price, AB & K seemed to have a good reputation and was highly rated on Angie?s List (on which we relied heavily). However, I was now alerted to potential problems and began watching all the details even closer than before. This is something I had not expected would be so necessary when you hire professionals and pay that kind of money for a job. During the final negotiations, I raised questions about the type of casters that would be used for the rolling island. I was assured that they would be ?nice? casters and would be properly rated for the load. The island, made with solid wood sides and doors, with pull-out shelves and Corian top surface was to be used for storing large pans, etc. This would be a heavy item and the casters needed to be sized properly. I asked for details on exactly what would be used. When they provided this information, amid the standard ?trust us, we do this all the time?, I found out that they were not consistent with the requirements for the Mannington Adura floor that had been proposed and had to work even harder to get guarantees that the casters would meet those requirements (though the first ones proposed clearly did not). I was alarmed that AB & K was not aware of the proper requirements for casters used on this type of floor, but as I will recount later, there is a LOT about this floor that ultimately caused problems. The installation started on May 14, 2012 and was scheduled to be completed by about mid-June. The initial demolition phase went as planned and on schedule. The installation proceeded steadily, but very slowly. Only one person (Rich) was assigned to do the whole job, though he occasionally had a helper (Len?). The installation of the cabinets was very professionally done. Rich?s wood-working skills were exemplary. The first major problem came when the valance over the sink was installed. It was completely the wrong design ? not at all what had been proposed and sketched. Even worse, the cabinets abutting the valance on both sides were fabricated (edge rounding, etc.) to match the errant valance design, presenting a big problem to work around for any new design. While working this out, we discovered that the cabinet maker had provided AB & K with a very detailed set of designs for all the cabinets, including the valance. These plans were never shown to us. Had they been, we would have caught the problem before they fabricated / installed this piece. Jill should have made us aware that these drawings existed and gone over them with us before they were made! AB & K helped design a new valance to replace the first one. However, due to the flawed first design, the appearance of the second valance had to be compromised to cover for the design flaws and to hide the installation holes in the cabinets from the first design. In the end, the design was barely acceptable and we felt forced to make the compromise. Replacement of the valance added about 5 additional weeks to the project (mostly waiting for the replacement to arrive). The cabinets themselves are very nice. It was a shame this detail detracts from the look we were trying to achieve. Counter tops, sink, plumbing and electrical were all installed without a major hitch. Only two ?can? lights were originally planned for the ceiling for the whole kitchen. The electrical installer advised me that this was pretty inadequate for the space, which I had also questioned during the design phase. We decided to install an additional 3 ?cans?, and I am very glad I did. This was another flaw in the design that I had expected the designer to be more astute about. The floor that was chosen was from the Mannington Adura line. This is a vinyl product about 1/4 inch thick. The sample we were shown was mounted to a heavy board and it was not made clear that the ?backer board? was not part of the product that would be installed. I was very disappointed when I learned this later. Adura comes in two types: one that is installed by gluing it down and another called ?lock solid? that has locking tabs milled into all four edges to keep the panels locked together. We were not made aware of the choice. They initially installed the glued-down version, which was horribly botched. Almost immediately after installation, the panels separated along several parallel seams and the floor looked horrible. The installer (Rich) had admitted that he had never installed this type of floor before, but had ?watched the videos? (YouTube?) and it seemed easy enough. Obviously, not the right way to learn to install this type of floor! AB & K agreed that the whole floor needed to be replaced and this time the more expensive ?lock-solid? type would be used. By the time this was done, it was mid-August. Two days later I found a large wavy shoe-print embedded in the surface of a plank right in the middle of the floor. The shoe print was a manufacturing flaw and could not be washed off. AB & K sent a person to disassemble a portion of the floor to replace the panel. While doing so, he found two other flawed panels in the same area and replaced them. The flawed panel should have been a red flag. Another two days later I found another shoe print of the same type in another area of the floor. I then got a bright light and went over every panel in the floor, finding about 15 additional flawed panels, all over the floor. The installer was obviously not paying attention to the quality of the panels as he installed them. AB & K agreed to remove the sections of floor and replace them again, which they did in mid-September. However, the installer (Mark) hammered some of the panels in place, which we found out later damaged the panels. By mid-October, the ends of the panels that had been hammered had separated from the next panel leave 1/8 gaps all over the floor (about 25 places). Again, totally unacceptable for a new floor! They came out to re-install the floor, but had a flawed batch of material that left uneven gaps at the end of every panel and an annoying raised edge at that point. The attempt had to be aborted. I spent all of November in discussions with AB & K about the problems, culminating in a meeting at my home in late November with the installer, the owner of AB & K and the distributor of the Mannington product. It was determined that the entire floor would be replaced AGAIN. This was finally accomplished in mid-December. Looking back at this experience we wish we had considered the negative remarks made in other Angie?s List reports more carefully, but we chose to overlook them. Some contained warnings about an ?attitude? that AB & K projected, which we also experienced at times. Several times during the project I was told (paraphrased) ?we are the experts and we do this all the time?. However, if I had not watched the outcomes very closely, our project would not have turned to be what we expected and paid for. I do respect AB & K for having the integrity to not simply take our money and walk away with problems still existing. Although it took considerably longer and a lot more of our time and anguish than expected, they continued to work with us to correct the issues. I?m just hoping no further defects in the materials or installation become apparent in the future. I am looking forward to not having to deal with any further problems arising from this installation.

I can't say enough good things about Molly and the team from AB&K. They were absolutely fabulous to work with and got the job done quickly. We are still enjoying the minor upgrade to our kitchen and thinking about contracting with them again for more improvements. What we liked most was that the team was open and honest with us about ways to save costs if we were willing to do a little work, which we did. We thoroughly looked through the gallery on their website to see the other kitchen improvements they made, and we were highly impressed. They even offered to have us call some customers if we needed to. Very happy customers!

I purchased my first home about a year ago and for the most part there were very few items/rooms that need updating. However, the kitchen was one of the areas that I wanted to change. The flooring was linoleum that always looked "dirty" and had to go. The other major update were the counter tops. They were a grayish laminate with wood trim around the edges and simply looked old and out-dated. I relied heavily on Molly Madsen's expertise through out the project. She was able to work within my budget without any compromises. On major issue was trying to find a flooring that would compliment the unique color of cabinets and also stand up to my large dog. Her relentless searching found the perfect choice and I couldn't be happier with it. The granite counter tops have amazing depth and Molly was able to bring this out with tile back-splash. I'm so grateful to everyone at AB&K for their help in giving me a new kitchen I love to spend time in everyday! I would highly recommend them to anyone who is looking to renovate their kitchen. I already have plans to use AB&K to update the master bathroom too!

The project started on time and finished a few days early. All the workers showed up on time and really took pride in their work. When everything was finished their cleanup was amazing. My kitchen was in better shape than the whole rest of my house.

A positive experience from start to finish. Designer was extremely helpful, knowledgable and accommodating. Demolition and construction was done with minimal disruption and completed in a timely manner. Stayed on budget and deadline. Quality of work is outstanding. AB&K employees and sub-contractors are professional and polite. Highly recommend!

My overall experience with AB&K was very positive. I worked with Jill Ross who helped me update my kitchen and still stay within our budget. She came to my home and helped me pick out colors, which was so helpful for me. ( I can look at things and know whether I like it or not, but it is hard for me to put things together to get a total look....Jill was awesome!!) She looked at the other colors in my home and really did an awesome job pulling them all together. Once we signed the contract, we were told it would be about 3 weeks from the time they measured for the counter top to installation. In the meantime, AB&K came and cut down my counter top and and installed a new back panel. The were able to leave my kitchen sink in place so I was not without a functioning kitchen while I waited for my new countertops to come. Then they came and replaced my floor. Much to my great surprise, my countertop was ready in 2 weeks so we were ahead of schedule. The came 2 days after the countertop was installed and installed my back splash.Every single person I worked with, starting with Jill, the job manager Mark, the carpenters/plumbers Tom, Scott and Tom, everyone!!! was so polite, accommodating and neat. The guys were so good about cleaning up and almost leaving my home looking cleaner then when they arrived. Jill has a wonderful eye for color and reading me for what I liked and was comfortable with. There was not one single thing I can complain about with my kitchen remodel. AB&K finished ahead of schedule, thier employees are awesome and I ended up with a kitchen that is updated and I love. Thank you AB&K. When the time comes that I can remodel my bathroom, I will be calling AB&K and asking for Jill Ross!! I would strongly suggest to anyone that they hire AB&K for their remodeling project!!

I emailed them because of the positive reviews on Angie's List. I received a call from Jill, asking me to come their showroom, which is actually quite a drive from where I live. When I met with Jill, I expalined that I was looking to renovate my 5 x 9 bathroom. I wanted white subway tile with white grout, a new white tub, vanity and toilet and new floor in my tiny bathroom. She told me this would cost $20,000! I told her my budget was closer to $5,000 and she said she would see what she could do. So she showed me some pre-fab fiberglass tub/wall combinations and tried to show me some vinyl floors, but didn't have any samples in white. She told me she would "try" to put something together in my budget, and that if they came out to look my bathroom, there woud be a $250 charge, but that would be refunded once I accepted their offer. I've heard nothing. I have not gotten an estimate. I guess I'm not rich enough for their blood.

From start to finish it just seemed to be one problem after another. On the initial day of demo work on our full bath we came home and were informed that the designer didn't realize our ceiling was elevated and that her initial tile projection was off so we would need to sign a change order and pay for additional tile to cover the higher ceiling. The installer said based on our house and the fact that you could see the dormers and slanted roof from the outside the designer should have known. We also were informed that we would need to pay for new molding/woodwork around the windows and doors because the existing woodwork was all destroyed as part of the demo and could not be saved. As part of the reno we were moving the toilet from one wall to another. The new location of the toilet was to be located under an existing built in area carved into the wall. The designer again didn't take the cabinet into consideration when she designed her plan and when the toilet was installed we arrived home to see that it sat about 5 inches above the bottom of the cabinet. The installers didn't notice so when I pointed out that once they installed the custom cabinet that was part of the initial plan we would not be able to open the door it would hit the toilet. We were then told that the installer would have to design a new type of cabinet. Basically we lost space and the inteior of the cabinet was reduced to allow for the toilet. We still can not open the cabinet unless the toilet seat is down. On the outside they placed wood trim around the cabinet and it looks cheap and not custom at all. The vanity, sink and faucet went in and then the medicine cabinet which is above the sink. The day that was installed I came home to find that the cabinet hit the faucet when you opened the door. Again no one apparently tried to open it or check it. When I opened it into the faucet it scratched the new faucet. The cabitnet was ultimately raised and the faucet piece that was scratched was replaced. The other major issue with both bathrooms was that the drywall was done very poorly and when we painted we experienced a number of problems. I was told that the drywall was fine and basically they blamed our painting for the issues. We then requested a second look so they sent their professional painter out to view the bathrooms. He said the upstairs bathroom needed to be patched and redone in a number of areas and the powder room needed to be completely redone. The individual said it was an extremely poorly done job. There were areas where the screws were visible, areas where the walls and ceilings didn't meet correctly, you could see the dry wall tape in areas. Numerous issues. This then led to almost a month of back and forth with AB & K. They sent out a person named Ron who I believe was an Operations Manager. I checked the website to get his title but interestly he is no longer listed as part of the team. He came out on a Friday looked everything over, agreed that the walls looked bad and told me he would follow up with me the following Monday. A week went by and I never heard back. I called our designer and complained so she then came out with another person. They both agreed as well that the walls looked very bad. At that point we were led to believe that Caravella the group who sent the professional out to look at the walls would be the group to redo the drywall and paint. We were later informed that the AB&K original installer who had done the work would be returning to redo the walls. This was very disheartening since we had had issues with his work product throughout the project. He did eventually return but it was almost a month after our intial complaint. We then paid to have the bathroom professionally painted through AB&K which was basically a rip off since we had already spent our money priming and painting them the first time only to find out that the drywall was not properly done. In addition to the above issues we also had problems with the tile being chipped or damaged and had to request certain tiles be replaced. We are still waiting for them to replace a light/vent unit in the powder room. I had to complain about this fixture on three different occasions before they finally took it out of the ceiling and then acknowledged that it was deffective or not installed properly. It was missing the interior damper so it was letting the heat out and the cold external air in. I think its interesting that Molly Madsen writes all these apologies on Angie's List when I've had issue after issue on this project for over SIX MONTHS now and I've never had any feedback from her. Her husband did sent a short e-mail regarding the latest vent issue but no apologies for his employees and subcontractors poor work. I found this entire experience to be very stressful and found AB & K with the exception of the designer to be only interested in positive feedback. I completed a very indepth survey that the installer dropped off and put very specific comments but truthfully I have little to no faith they it was even read.

I got them on Angie’s List. I had a very good experience with them. In fact, I am planning to have my kitchen done by them this year. For one thing, it was very quick. It was over in 8 working days. They try to get things, so I could use them right away. It wasn’t like I was without a bathtub for 2 weeks or something like that. I spent $20000, but I could pick out. I gave them a price range and expanded on a lot of it like what particular appliances or whatever I picked out and all that. They would work within the budget, and they did. They did exactly what I wanted.

Other than a slight delay in the completion date, it went perfectly. My designer told me to expect the project to take 2 full weeks, and it actually took 3 weeks. However, the finished project was worth it. My designer did an excellent job of matching my taste to the sink, tub, countertops, cabinets, and tile. My designer (Jim Krysek) listened when I told him I wanted clean, simple lines in my bathroom. My contractor (Jay) was excellent. He was very clean and tidy, kept me updated on the process, and asked the right questions about how i wanted my bathroom to lookk (like towel bars, toilet paper holders, light fixtures etc.). AB & K even suggested I purchase my only light fixtures to save money. I painted the bathroom walls and ceiling to save money, and it worked out great.

We are truly thrilled with the work done by AB&K and our beautiful new kitchen. After meeting with a few other companies, we happened to call AB&K. From our first conversation with Jill, we could tell that they had a commitment to meeting clients' needs. We met with Jill in their Greenfield showroom, she came to our Shorewood home, and soon we were looking at plans that included all we had hoped for and features we had not even thought of. Jill adhered closely to our price range, and she was forthright when we asked if a particular upgrade would make a significant difference. We set a start date of September 6 and prepared ourselves to be without our kitchen for 3 to 6 weeks. On the appointed day Jill came to our home with Byron, the project manager -- and that's when a project that was promising became truly amazing. Workers were at our home every day, working steadily and leaving our home clean when they left. Although the project involved lots of tearing out and trash, it was removed every day so no dumpster was needed. When we called Jill with a question about one phase of the work, she was at our home within the hour, having already talked with the workers who could affect the situation. The project was scheduled so carefully that every step was able to proceed as planned. Exactly three weeks after the work began, our new kitchen was complete and ready to use. Since then Jill has contacted us twice to make sure we are fully satisfied with every detail. It is a pleasure to tell her how delighted we are with this change in our home. We have told friends about our wonderful experience, and we recommended AB&K to anyone looking for kitchen or bath remodeling.

I walked right into the AB&K showroom in Greenfield one day, and designer Linda Laabs has been with me every step of the way since then. The design process was a bit lengthier than I anticipated, but this was only because Linda was very thorough. She went out of the way to find specific products, even if they came from lesser-known vendors, to fit the design and price point as much as possible. She has made numerous follow-up calls, before and during the actual remodel, to make sure things kept moving along. Byron was the lead man on my project, occasionally assisted by Tom and Mike. Byron has been really great. He took a personal interest in my project, asking questions to ensure everything was done as I liked it. He was happy to answer my questions as well, regarding anything from anticipated work dates/times to supplemental design ideas. He custom built a new wall to replace the one that was knocked out, and finished it with an archway header. He also custom built and finished any cabinetry that wasn't available as a stock product. He even took care to minimize the noise levels during the early morning hours, as I sometimes work weird hours and have to sleep in later than most people. A very laid-back, nice guy, who does excellent work. It's also worth noting that I was doing some work of my own while the fellows were on site - painting, sanding, etc. - and they politely worked around me. I bought the appliances myself, at a dealer recommended by Linda, whose price came in lower than anywhere else I'd shopped. Subcontractors handled the plumbing, electrical, countertop, and flooring. They all did a good job. The electricians, headed up by Mark Debyl, are particularly notable. They made sure I was happy with the placement of the lights, etc. and even corrected some bad wiring on the ceiling fan in the adjacent room, no questions asked. In the end, the project is running a few days past schedule, but I don't think it's AB&K's fault. The crown molding was not shipped from the manufacturer in a timely fashion, and the tile backsplash was an option that I ended up choosing pretty late in the game, so it's understandable. I am definitely happy with the results. The new kitchen looks great and is very functional.

Overall the project went very well. We worked with Molly and Jennifer on the design and they had some great ideas. We asked a lot of questions and wanted to be involved in the process. Giving them our wish list of features and then working with them as we fine tuned the design really worked well. Molly and Jennifer were very nice and easy to work with. Their showroom is nearby and we visited often during the project and found all of the people there to be most helpful. Their work crew was very competent and friendly. They did a great job of cleaning up every day. We were home during the project and the crew was very good about keeping us informed of their schedule, answering our questions and taking our interruptions in stride. You could tell they took pride in doing a good job. Molly and or Jennifer dropped in several times during the work to see how things were going. The kitchen is done and we love it. No matter how tight the remodeling schedule you will be without a kitchen for some time. Be prepared with coupons and a list of restaurants you want to try.

They were great problem solvers. They were done on time and on budget. They were very easy to work with. I've worked with a lot of contractors and these guys were great. I would absolutely use them in the future.

After arriving at the store, I asked to speak with someone about obtaining an estimate for bathroom remodeling. The salesperson was unhelpful and unpleasant, and suggested that my ballpark budget of $15,000 was unreasonably low. I was left with the impression that my project was not worth their time or effort. After this, I was unwilling to invest any money in obtaining a formal work estimate, and found a different contractor to remodel my bathroom.

Overall experience not very good. Thought this company would provide digital drawings and be helpful with ideas (colors, selections, etc.) but got just the opposite. We wanted to go with them to do the tile back splash but the sales associate provided very little as far as recommendations and the price was way over what we expected. A tile shop down the road provided us with what we were looking for (ideas and a detailed drawing to help visualize). Got another estimate on the tile work from a reputable company which was 40% less in price and elected to go that route. Also, went with another contractor to do the plumbing due to price.

Their designer, Jill Ross, did a GREAT job in guiding us, suggesting options, and making our dream kitchen a reality. The work was started when scheduled and completed without delays. The job started March 29 and within two weeks all work was done except for the counter tops which could not be ordered until the cabinet work was done. The counter tops were installed to complete the job on April 27. Our crew included John, Tony, Mark, and Dan. Each was a very talented professional and a joy to have in our home. Their skills complimented each other to achieve a great final product. The few issues that came up during the remodeling were dealt with and resolved without causing problems. A great team effort that resulted in our great kitchen! Thanks to everyone !!!!!

I was very pleased with the way everything turned out. Minor plumbing problems were resolved quickly and would recommend A B & K for kitchen remodeling.

Our experience with Molly our designer was fantastic. She offered 3 different plans within 3 days of our initial meeting. She has a great eye for detail and we felt totally at ease with her choices. She listened to our concerns and designed the kitchen of our dreams.AB&K's installers started right on time. It took just a day for demolition, Byron and Dan our remodel lead guys were great! They made sure everything was cleaned up before they left each day. They made sure to let us know what was going to happen next so there were no surprises. AB&K's electrical contractor was also great-very professional and willing to change anything we needed. All of the workers were very very professional and were a joy to work with.Total job took about 4 weeks-would have been 3 but we had to wait for the granite to be installed( no fault to AB&K). Our designer kept in touch with us on almost a daily basis. There was a part of the cabinet that my husband didn't feel looked right- Molly and her crew bent over backwards to please him.The kitchen turned out to be even better than we expected- AB&K even won the top gold NARI award for the design transformation in NARI's annual remodel contest. We are using them again to redesign our family room in the spring. Dave and Molly Madsen should be very very proud of their company and their fantastic crew!

They didn't finished on time and it took them awhile to come back and finish up. They said that they wanted the same person to follow through with the whole job, that's why it was delayed, but when they did finish it was somebody else anyway.

Mike came out with Eric right on time on the scheduled day. Mike was polite, personable, and professional. He sought out our preferences on various aspects of the job and was very through in his work. The job went very smoothly without a problem. Mike is a good problem solver who works well and was very approachable when we had questions. The cabinet he installed was missing a part from the company, and he used his drill bit in a hinge for a piece that was missing. That allowed us to use the cabinet until the piece came in from the company. Mike also went the extra mile and did a few extra small jobs for us before he finished. He was a pleasure to work with, and I highly recommend him.

We went in there 2 weeks ago to order a corian kitchen counter, sink and a slate back splash. They were getting ready to close and we asked if it was ok to look around and the salesman was so degrading and did seem to like our selection, very critical of the selections. We inquired about the Angie's List discount that it sates to ask about on the list and he stated that this order was too small it would not be worth it to us to give you a discount. We left and went to another company that bent over backward to assist us.

Designer did nice design job. Scheduling was 2 months after payment of 50% of job required. Initial construction went well until last day installer found mismeasurment on height of countertop to slidein range. Made me feel like this was my mistake or I had abnormal cabinets (stock contractor cabinets). Had to demo part and redo. Showed up for repair/fix w/o any notice while gone. Came home to complete mess in house. Very poor communication, especially after problem. When they are good, they are good. When they are bad, they are very bad.