TS Kitchen

We contracted TS Kitchen Projects in late January (sorry for the delay in getting around to the review) to do a complete retrofit of our kitchen. The project involved tearing out the existing kitchen (all appliances, cabinet, plumbing) and installing new IKEA kitchen cabinets, plus all new appliances, electrical, plumbing, and a re-design.

We used TS Kitchen Projects' services for their design work (a $400 fee) that we think was entirely worth the cost. The reason was such that, as part of the design fee, the company's owner (Traian) takes responsibility for any problems that arise during design and layout and will re-adjust the design on-the-fly, which we ended up having to do a few times during the project.
Traian also takes responsibility for exchanging IKEA kitchen parts if a re-design is required, which is worth the time that would otherwise have to be invested in doing this oneself.

We also used three of Traian's sub-contractors for 1) demolition of the existing kitchen, 2) insulation (required because the demolition removed some insulation from inside the walls), drywall (required to repair areas where backsplash tile removal required removal of drywall/plumbing (hook-up of a new dishwasher, drain line, kitchen faucet, and kitchen sink), tile work (installation of a new tile backsplash), 3) electrical work (moving several outlets, installing a new circuit, and hook-up for some of the appliances.

Each of the sub-contractors did their work well, and we would also consider using them separately. Payments for sub-contractors was either handled directly or via proxy through TS Kitchen Projects.

Positive Notes: TS Kitchen Projects work is exceptional, particularly with the attention to detail and finishing. The completed appearance has all tolerances aligned and less than 1mm off our agreed upon designs. Cabinet doors and handles are installed straight and fitted to accommodate an off-square room and an irregular ceiling bulkhead. TS Kitchen Projects also made accommodations for integrating our appliances into the design, hiding LED light wiring within the cabinets, and recommending the most efficient drawer layout. TS Kitchen Projects also did some customizations for us, notably cutting down cabinets on one wall to accommodate non-standard dimensions (i.e., reduced depth) and installing custom hidden toe kick drawers that we'd seen in some online design magazines.

Negative Notes: We have little to say here. TS Kitchen Projects is generally professional and was accommodating to all of our requests. Some people may find themselves put out by his higher-than-average prices, but the finished workmanship justifies the price. We do have one note on responsiveness to e-mail -- (N.B. contact by phone or text message works far better) -- and this seems to be largely because TS Kitchen Projects is a victim of its own success. Because Traian is so well-reviewed on Homestars, he receives a *LOT* of contacts/inquiries and is sometimes difficult to get a hold of. That being said, when you do make contact, he is patient and responds to all of our questions.

Work was completed in mid-March, so approximately a month and a half elapsed between cold call contact via phone and through to final completion of the project, which is pretty good speed for a complete kitchen renovation.

TL;DR: TS Kitchen Projects does excellent work. They cost a little more, but their work justifies the price.