Tiffany Jayne Ruberto
2/5
We had our kitchen remodelled starting 2021. We had the initial consult that summer and had our kitchen mostly complete by the end of December.
The experience was not great. Two years later we are still have problems.
I’ll just list what we feel are the worst parts of the experience here, otherwise I could go on forever:
1. The initial design work had multiple flaws. We had to ask them to move the location of the fridge so that we would be able to open the fridge doors.
2. We were offered zero upgrades or recommendations. I have seen plenty of other kitchen Reno’s done where glass fronts were offered, cupboard gadgets, etc.
3. We have a large blank wall with nothin on it. We asked a little ways into the process if we could get some floating shelves, but again this was never offered or suggested. It felt very much like we had to come up with all the ideas. Doesn’t this defeat the purpose of hiring a kitchen designer?
4. Our countertops were part of the quote but were supplied by the place next door to Irwin. We had to wait forever for the quartz countertops. We asked Irwin for a temporary solution as we needed somewhere we could use to make meals. Reluctantly and with resistance Irwin did supply a partial melamine top to get us through.
5. Our countertops came in and are lovely and white. We were assured that the quartz would be safe to use as a backsplash also, including behind our gas stove. We now have yellow staining behind our gas stove from the heat. Irwin sent me a manufacturer’s care guide to clean the stain and when that didn’t work they painted us off to Nobes (who then dropped off a bottle of Vim and said “try that”).
6. Last summer (I believe) the panel around our fridge was water damaged and needed to be replaced along with a few other pieces of cabinetry. Irwin charged an exorbitant amount of money and the. Did a shoddy job installing the replacement pieces. They have put the fridge panel up crooked more than five times now. The last time it seemed to look ok but once the silicone dried along the floor (which was holding the panel straight) it came loose and once again we are left with a crooked panel that moves around freely.
7. To top it all off friendliness is not their forte. We often felt that we were putting them out in one way or another when we called and I finally resorted to emailing. I do most of my dealings now with Bobbi-Lee. I must say, she is friendly and efficient.
8. My one positive experience was with Irwin’s owner. There was some confusion with cabinet depth after an inept plumber told us he couldn’t properly install our dishwasher because the counters weren’t deep enough. He’d drilled a bunch of holes incorrectly into the cabinets and we were getting no where. Needless to say, the owner came to our rescue and actually put the dishwasher in properly and put our minds at rest. This one act is the only reason Irwin gets two stars from us. Otherwise it would be one.
9. In addition to our kitchen, we had Irwin replace the vanities and medicine cabinets in two bathrooms, including counter tops. One year after install, the medicine cabinet starting to warp from water damage. When I called Irwin, Trish agreed to replace the warped panel as a one time courtesy but said we “shouldn’t have long showers, should make sure then fan is on, and wipe down the cabinets after showers and baths”. Another year later and the second medicine cabinet is doing the same thing. I haven’t called Irwin, I feel like I am constantly asking them to fix something. I don’t understand why they didn’t install a different product in the bathrooms. It makes no sense.
I know this is a lengthy review, but I think it’s important to share our experience so others can shop elsewhere.
I definitely do not recommend this company. I have no idea who I will have come into fix their mistakes, but I certainly regret my choice when we decided to spend an astronomical amount of money upgrading our home.
