Neil Kelly Design / Build Remodeling

We recently finished a first-floor remodel using Neil Kelly--living and dining room and two bedrooms, one of which we converted into a library/office. The work was beautiful. They completely transformed one bedroom with built-in bookshelves and a built-in desk, and did significant work elsewhere and it all looks great.

But what may have impressed us more was the service. After we first met with them and paid the designer fee, the designer, Karen Richmond, produced three sets of plans for us to consider. We chose one, and it was never a problem making whatever changes we wanted, and there were several, along the way.

In addition, Karen had extensive knowledge of older craftsman homes (we have a 1924 craftsman) and worked extensively with us in helping us choose items--meeting us at stores to help us choose fixtures and hardware, working endlessly on producing color samples as we changed our minds on colors a few times, and many other little items. Whenever we had a question or wanted to explore something different, we'd e-mail and hear back right away. We sensed no limit to the amount of her services we could call upon.

The project manager was Eric Landen, who was extremely meticulous. He made sure to keep on top of each aspect of the job; after the drywall was done, he saw two or three small indentations I hadn't even seen, and had the drywall folks come back to smooth them out. In another example, one of our bedroom doors wouldn't close--it was like that when we bought the house--and he took it off and worked on it and straightened it out and now it closes--it was not part of the job and there was no additional charge for it Yet it did take a certain amount of time and is one of those little things that really makes life in the house easier.

We were thrilled with the results and perhaps more so by the professionalism of all involved and the knowledge that they were prepared to work with us to get everything right and exactly as we wanted it. All that made what a fairly laborious undertaking much easier to bear.

Pros: Great work, detail-oriented, extremely responsive

Posted 09/26/09

Really is a team effort. They want to make your wishes come true while giving you ideas and watching for any structural problems that could be a problem later. Overall quality people doing quality work. Designer Therese Dubravac and Project manager John Finn are there for you!

Pros: feel like you are in good hands

Cons: Good jobs take time

Posted 08/29/09

Beautiful showroom!

Posted 08/10/09

We bought a condo in the Pearl that had Neil Kelly cabinets. When we wanted to add a kitchen island and built-in bookcase we thought it would be best to have them do it since they were already familiar with the site and materials. We had the great good fortune of working with Therese DuBravac and, because of her design ability and follow through (with every little detail), we will most definitely hire Neil Kelly again. Nothing was overlooked, from our overall concept to dust protection. While they aren't the least expensive they are, without a doubt, worth every penny. We were heard, respected and catered to as if we were a multi-million dollar client and when you're just getting a kitchen island, such treatment makes a big impression. We are extremely happy with the end product and have had zero problems since. Thank you Therese and Neil Kelly.

Pros: Professional, reliable, excellent service

Cons: a bit pricey

Posted 08/04/09

We had our den fireplace refaced, a cupboard installed between kitchen and den, remodeled powder bathroom and replaced a dry bar with custom cabinet. Neil Kelly's team of Janel Campbell, Dan Moore and Mike Kliewer were complete professionals from beginning to end. The design process was painless, enjoyable and flexible; the project was managed so we had someone working every day and we knew exactly what to expect; the work was done flawlessly with the mess cleaned up every day. We are very satisfied. They did an excellent job for a fair price.

Pros: Very organized, thorough and professional

Cons: Can't think of any

Posted 08/04/09

We cannot say enough about Neil Kelly and our expert designer, Joel Fraley, who designed the historic remodel of our attic space in our 1910 Craftsman bungalow. We had an unfinished attic that we wanted to convert to a Master bedroom and possibly add a new bathroom, and needed a new furnace and water heater, but didn't know where to begin. When we first met Joel, we felt we were in good hands. We felt a sense of trust, respect, and the feeling that we weren't being pushed to do or pay for anything extra. Joel took the time to listen to our ideas, answer our questions, and provide us with ideas that we hadn't considered throughout the design process that were perfect for our old home. The new space is energy efficient and feels like it was always a bedroom space, while the bathroom is modern, but has the historic details of our home. We always felt like our ideas and suggestions for the remodel were taken into consideration. The designing and remodeling project could have been so stressful, but Joel and the Neil Kelly team made it flow smoothly by being available to us during the months of work: answering questions, limiting disruptions, and handling contractors. Minor mishaps (that happen during any remodel) were handled quickly and efficiently, and Joel was persistent in making sure they were solved. We regularly receive complements on the quality of the work and the great design.

Pros: Professional, knowledgeable, amazing craftsmanship

Posted 07/08/09

Many thanks to the Neil Kelly Company and designer Janel Campbell. Janel is an outstanding kitchen and bathroom designer and now our home reflects that. Our kitchen is the masterpiece of the home. We would most certainlly use Janel and the Neil Kelly Company for any future remodel jobs.

Pros: Attention to detail, outstanding craftsmanship

Cons: None

Posted 06/29/09

I have known Neil Kelly Remodelers and Martha Kerr for many years and have seen her design many, many jobs to rave reviews. Neil Kelly has a following of repeat customers because of the attention they pay to every detail and the care they deliver to their customers. And as a custom recycled glass products manufacturer I can say Neil Kelly is progressive in bringing new green products to home design and remodeling. Way to go Martha!

Pros: Attention to Detail

Cons: Not the least expensive, but the highest value

Posted 06/28/09

I cannot say enough good things about Neil Kelly and the angel who helped design my kitchen, Robin Fisher. We ripped out a very large kitchen and started from scratch. We even moved a wall. Robin listened to what I liked about my old kitchen and what I hated about it. She asked many questions about how we cooked, our entertaining style, how we wanted our new kitchen to function, and what we wanted it to look like. Her initial design was very close to perfect. We spent the next few months refining details, looking at appliances, counter top materials/colors, etc. Robin was with us every step of the way. Everything she suggested was right on. And she knows how to properly light a kitchen! Robin and Neil Kelly made this stressful process so much easier than it could have been. They were always there for us, answering questions, minimizing the disruption to our lives, handling the contractors, and making sure things got done on time. I could not be happier with my new kitchen and the way the job got done. If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't go to anyone else.

Pros: These people know what they are doing.

Cons: A little more expensive, but well worth it.

Posted 06/24/09

In the spirit of transparency, let me say that my husband started working at Neil Kelly a bit more than a year ago, so naturally when we decided to remodel our kitchen Neil Kelly was going to be our first choice.

Nonetheless, I wouldn?t be writing this review if I wasn?t completely happy and able to recommend Neil Kelly without reservations.

Martha Kerr has been designing remodeling projects for over 40 years and she really knows her stuff. When we first met with her, we told her we were only interested in resurfacing our kitchen cabinets and counters. Thank goodness she didn?t limit herself to our thoughts!

Martha submitted a proposal for what we asked for, but she also drew up plans for a few alternatives. It was exciting to see how she had looked at our kitchen and saw possibilities we never imagined. It takes a sharp designer to come into your home, ask a lot of questions about your lifestyle and the way you use your space, and then start creating ideas for reconfiguring things that would never occur to me in a hundred years.

Neil Kelly is a big company, but it's organized into small teams. That means we had our own Project Manager who oversaw the entire project once we got started on the demolition and construction. Paul Louis is the Project Manager who works with Martha Kerr's team, and he's great. He had a tight schedule and really kept to it. I could anticipate what was going to happen each day, because I had a copy of the schedule too. He also stopped by to check on progress nearly every day. The Neil Kelly team has two carpenters who always work together on a project, which made it nice for me. Within the first day I felt I had an extended family re-creating my home. I knew their faces, I knew all about their families, I knew how they liked their coffee. And they are very, very picky about the work they do. Every evening my husband and I would wander through the work zone, expecting to find little mistakes or overlooked details. We never did. Within a couple of days we gave up trying and just enjoyed the feeling of confidence that comes when you have experts working for you.

The final result is incredible. We had a limited budget, and between Martha Kerr and Paul Louis and the carpenters, they squeezed every bit of value they could from it. The materials are beautiful and earth-friendly (an important feature for us), the overall design looks like it came out of a magazine, and Martha's ideas to take out part of a wall and rearrange the counter placement has resulted in a big kitchen fitting into the same space where our previous small kitchen used to be! I know that sounds impossible, but it's true.

Because Neil Kelly contracts a 'guaranteed price' the project came in exactly on budget. We even got a few little extras we hadn't expected along the way. The dust protection kept the rest of our house almost dust-free (some sneaks through the zippers in the plastic walls), the place was clean and tidy at the end of every day, and the Neil Kelly guarantee lets me know if something comes up in the year ahead they?ll be back to take care of it.

Some people say that the Neil Kelly bid is often higher than the other guy's. The question to ask when you hear that is, "Yea, but what was the final price of the other guy's project?" We never had to worry about cost overruns because our price was guaranteed.

We know we added immensely to the value of our property, but more importantly we simply love our home more now than we did before. Our 18-year-old kitchen was a sea of white tile and stained grout and the space was cramped. All that has changed, and now I love walking into my new kitchen every morning and starting my day.

I would highly, highly recommend Neil Kelly for anybody who is considering remodeling any part of their house. They've been in business for more than 60 years and their reputation for quality and integrity has certainly been proven true in my new kitchen!

Pros: Friendly professionals

Cons: None

Posted 06/18/09

Neil Kelly just "completed a renovation" for me. I would NEVER recommend them to anyone. They are suppossed to be the best in Oregon and charge prices accordingly. However, their work is average at best. Not timely, NO attention to small details, and left a mess in my house. They charge a 60% markup, for that I expect at least some attention to details. They are not worth the mark-up!!!!!!!!!!

Pros: The designer was excellent

Cons: project managers were awful, no attention to details, way over priced for the service and quality of work.

Posted 04/11/07

We arrived at the Neil Kelly showroom last Sunday, hoping to get some inspiration for remodeling my home. We were the only ones in the showroom and the attendant/designer started off nicely enough. She asked what sort of projects I wanted to do and I mentioned my goals in terms of time, dollars, etc. She replied flatly that remodeling a standard bathroom was $20K, a master bath was $30K-50K, and redoing a kitchen would take on average $60K-80K.

"And," she said, "those are AVERAGES -- some people spend much more!"

After that we walked through the showroom, looking at a bathroom that had a nice but fairly standard-looking Corian counter and sink. In an attempt to connect with this lame-o saleswoman, I asked her how the counter and sink were fused and she said, "Oh, that's all CUSTOM work."

C'mon, does it take a Nobel prize winner to glue two pieces of overpriced plastic together?

We went on to look at the shower -- also done with Corian. In fact, it was done in panels over a standard-size shower pan, obviously so it could be easily assembed in a remodeling job (as opposed to big, single-piece molded showers that are too big to be put into new construction). When I asked about it, she said, "Oh, yes, this was all done as a *custom* job."

By now, we concluded that this woman's definition of "custom" was so broad that it could encompass anything appearing in a Bed, Bath and Beyond catalog.

I pointed out to her that the shower pan was standard, and she admitted that yes, they came in standard sizes and rattled the various sizes off. So it's obvious that she's trying to overstate this whole custom thing now and we roll our eyes.

Then she unceremoniously ditches us and returns to her perch in front of the door. I asked if there was a kitchen to look at and she sort of grunts and points us toward it.We looked & took off. She probably muttered as we left, "Don't let the door h it ya where the good Lord split ya."

Hasta la vista, Neil Kelly.

Pros: Very nice work for those with the money, ample parking, close to Trader Joes

Cons: Attilla the Hun is in charge of business development for these guys

Posted 12/01/06