Sustainable Design Services in Naval Anacost Annex, DC

“Carnemark designed and implemented two major renovations for our home. We had used other contractors in the past, but they are the first ones we ever hired back for a second project. We are already thinking about our third with Carnemark! The first project was primarily outdoor work which was a combination of modernizing our look and fixing some water problems -- stuccoed the exterior, installed a metal roof, installed a glass and metal front door entrance and garage door, buried electric and cable wires, replaced cement driveway, installed slate and stainless steel rails at front entrance, installed new outdoor house and yard lighting and fixed a leaky basement wall. We were so pleased with this work, that we rehired them 2 years later for an interior overhaul -- new modern kitchen, reconfigured floor plan, updated bathroom, installed stainless steel railings and steps, new lighting, new air-conditioning duct work and radiators, and new large format tile flooring throughout.”

“My wife and I selected Michael Nash from among five separate bids for a considerable renovation and expansion of our home. Michael Nash was the second lowest bidder, but our confidence in Sonny Nazemin’s eye for design and considerable number of award-winning designs was crucial in our initial selection. We have a grand house in Reston built in the late 1960s. It has solid bones but really needed a whole house renovation. We also needed more space to house our extended family. Our project consisted of a new two-car garage, siding, roofing and a totally new floor consisting of a master suite and bathroom. From the start of the project I was impressed with the one price upfront to complete the project. Sonny navigated our plans through the difficult process of approval by our local Design Review Board. His personal attention and negotiation with the board led to the rapid approval of our project. Follow on work for our front porch and driveway was reasonably priced. When we requested a re-design of the ceilings for the master suite, Sonny spared no expense hiring several architects to arrive at the design we desired. His vision throughout the project ensured its success. ******************* EXTRA FOLLOW-ON WORK COMPLETED jANUARY 25, 2014 *********************** We gave Michael Nash extra follow-on work with our kitchen because we were so pleased with how our Master Suite and other work turned out. We told Sonny that we had a limited budget but wanted to get as much of the kitchen done as possible. He suggested that we keep our old cabinets and redo everything else. Sonny has a great eye for design and suggested that we take out some cabinets to open up the room. He helped us with color choices that made the kitchen modern and bright. They replaced the oven, the hood, the induction cooktop, the counter, the floor, the sink, repaired and replaced doors, painted the room and put in a new lighting system with ten canned lights. Michael Nash kept to a timetable except for the hood at the end, which was really unavoidable. We are thrilled with our new kitchen and recommend Michael Nash to our neighbors and friends.”

“Landis is simply, the cream of the crop, I'm qualified to say it. I know it because I've had Landis come three times now, since 2007, have seen the quality of the work they do, but just as importantly, the excellence they show by bringing the client/s into the process, every step of the way. When you work with a design build firm, you have the benefit of working with those who understand today's current costs. Unlike architects who have seasoned understanding, a design build firm knows what wallboard costs this week. With computer assisted design, you can get under the hood with designers and try something here, or move something there. Great fun, they 'let you drive' sometime, you're part of an evolutionary decision process. No need for 'change orders' if you were there at the planning. With each of three projects, Landis had to go through the county historic board. Much of it is prior experience with them, telephone contact, but Landis actually showed up to the evening board hearing...I did not. Shows their level of excellence. It's pathfinding for Landis and for Historic itself, dealing with top drawer professionalism. With this current project, Landis designed the deck that translated perfectly from what I stated, I.e., good design and sturdy. Rather than worry that 'this fella who works from the back of the truck' is doing it right, Landis has given methodical attention and has had inspections as the permitting requires. The stairs have three stringers, the previous deck staircase had but two, and the stairs wobbled in a short time. Landis is an asset to the DC Metro area. On the 2007 project, I learned from the electricians and plumber....they want to work with Landis. As for why, I guessed right....Landis is above board, keeps tight timelines, streamlines so nobody shows up only to have to wait around. Plus, they're just fun to work with, knowledge aside. Told them, it's like having brothers-in-law in the trades and not having to buy the beer.”

“Ed Rasavage, Operations Manager and Talon Construction are exceptionally professional with superb knowledge, skills, and abilities. The craftsmanship on my project was exacting and superbly constructed. I have recommended Talon to my friends and colleagues new have engaged them to do additional projects”

“Greg from Hammer Contractors was one of the best I've worked with. We have not actually started the work yet, but he gave great information and outlined the steps involved in getting it done. He was punctual, and always followed up with an email to check the status of my talks with the bank. He was always respectful and actually listened to us. We will definitely be working with him again.”

“Working with Nehemiah Construction was an amazing experience. The owner was professional, active throughout the whole project and easy to communicate with. He was especially helpful in helping me choose a hardwood floor. The way he helped me understand what was best was an art form. He wasn’t pushy, just knowledgeable. I get so many complements on my hardwood floors to this day.”

“Lizzie is a talented designer with loads of good ideas, but just as important, she is fun to work with! She’s relaxed and happy and will help you relax into your design happy-place. She was enthusiastic about my project (complicated renovation of a 1920s master bath) and made herself available when I needed her. I was very, very glad I had her help!”

“I had the pleasure of hiring Finecraft for a project recently that called for the addition of an outdoor living area to my home. The level of detail and commitment to quality was unsurpassed. These are Craftsmen, not contractors. It shows in every project they create. JF Homeowner”

“Spectrum has done a full bathroom and basement renovation for us, in addition to several smaller projects including replacing all the exterior doors to the house and refinishing our front porch. The quality of the work is excellent. Communicating for the purpose of planning and providing feedback is easy due to their rapid response and liberal use of email and cell contact. They responded well to feedback regarding the work site when we had complaints about dust and so forth. The quality of their work holds up; our bathroom completed in 2008 continues to be in terrific condition. They were described by the person who referred them, an architect, very accurately. "They're not the cheapest, but they're the best." I highly recommend them.”

“Synergy's attention to detail has been outstanding throughout the planning phase of our renovation. Synergy's design team exceeded our expectations and as demolition has now begun we eagerly await the construction phase. We have every confidence that Synergy's team will once again wow us. Update: Our Kitchen/Great Room renovation is complete and Synergy's design and construction teams absolutely blew us away with their attention to detail and customer service. To be fair, it is not possible to completely convey our level of satisfaction in a short review. When is the last time you worked with a team of professionals whose standards for excellence exceed your own? Without fail, when we would raise a potential issue with Synergy we would find out they had already noticed it and created a plan to address it. Think about that for a moment, not push back, not an attempt to avoid extra work by saying there is no issue. Instead, reassurance that they are holding themselves to a standard that is higher than your own. Simply put, that never happens. Yet with Synergy it is just the way they work. When their level of craftsmanship (which is nothing short of uniformly excellent) is married with Synergy's ability to design and deliver breathtaking spaces, the result redefines what renovating can and should be. We could not be more satisfied and impressed with our new Kitchen/Great Room. Synergy gets our highest possible recommendation on all facets of design and construction.”