Newlywed Home Renovation

Customer reference for Form Concepts as told to pickapro by Deirdre O'Toole from Ranelagh on 22-Apr-2009

When was the work done?
The work was done in September, 2008.

What was involved?
It was an old house that required extensive redecorating and some structural work carried out. The structural work involved the removal of a wall and putting in a beam in what was to be the new kitchen. The rest of the house needed to be redecorated. The walls needed to be stripped and redone and wooden floors were put down. The house was refurnished, light fixtures installed and a whole new kitchen was designed, fitted and furnished. It was quite a lot of work.

How did you choose Form Concepts?
It was through word of mouth. Both my husbands brothers and sisters had used Yvonne before and had been very happy with the results.

Had you definite ideas in mind before you talked to Yvonne?
I had a few ideas regarding colours and the fact that it's an old house and I wanted to keep the old fixtures and fittings traditional. I wanted the the new interior to accentuate the traditional fittings and the high ceilings. I just didn't have the time to do the project myself.

Did Yvonne introduce new ideas?
With the exception of the colour scheme and my ideas about staying traditional, Yvonne pretty much had free reign on the design herself. There was an old fireplace upstairs that Yvonne brought downstairs and put into the dining room. I had wanted to bring the fireplace and the doors back to their original wood, but when we did so, only the door came out looking good. The fireplace did not. Yvonne suggested repainting both and they turned out fabulous. There were things like that where I would have gone the other way and I'm glad I didn't.

How did the project run?
Exceptionally well. We had a template of our ideas and gave it to Yvonne as we would be gone during a long period of the project. The template worked out perfect and Yvonne's team worked days and evenings toward the end to have the house ready for us when we got back from our trip.

What was the biggest benefit to you of using Form Concepts?
Yvonnes project management. It was a very busy time for us and I didn't have time to visit shops and do the work myself. We bought the house in August, were getting married in September and planning on a three week honeymoon while the project was underway. The job took a total of seven weeks and she managed everything. Yvonne has very good contacts and was able to get pieces that I wouldn't have been able to afford without the discounts she was able to get. In particular I was able to get draperies of a very good material at wholesale prices that I wouldn't have been able to get on my own. Yvonne also attended auctions with me and was able to advise me on various purchases. I really got great value for money.

What's your favourite part now?
I like what Yvonne has done to the kitchen, because it was basically rubble. It had been an old kitchen with a stove in the middle of it and Yvonne just transformed it. I had been considering a more traditional wooden kitchen whereas yvonne suggested a design that would refract and reflect the light to make the room brighter. During the day the light just bounces off the surfaces. It's great! The kitchen was a huge project that Yvonne did outstandingly well.

Would you recommend Form Concepts to others?
I would, absolutely. The value for money and what you get for it is very good.

Any tips for other people?
Be decisive. Make your decisions about what you want early and stick with them. Try not to hem and haw. Be very precise and draw up a checklist about what you want to get out of the project. Buy magazines to get ideas about what you like and do a mood board.