Kitchen Remodeler reviews in Fairfax, Virginia

Even washing dishes is a pleasure now in our new F/A Design Build kitchen! Their expert design, flooring and construction team brought our original 1968 kitchen - and our 1980's bathroom - into the 21st century with overhauls.

Melissa Fielding is a talented designer who ferreted out the "Why" behind the renovation. She then translated our sometimes vague meanderings into crisp, functional and beautiful living spaces.

Special shout out to Project Manager Barry who regularly inspected progress, kept the team ahead of schedule, and apprised us of the inevitable changes and tweaks in a project of this size and scope. No detail escaped his eagle eye. When we got to the punch list, Barry didn't rest until the work was perfect. A second shout out to "Marvelous Marvin" who quietly built a large portion of the kitchen and bathroom - going so far as to carry the new dishwasher up the stairs from the basement single handedly. And owner Rob Menfee checked in to make sure the project progressed smoothly.

We hit a little snag with an engineering issue that involved re-routing the main drain pipe from the upstairs bathroom so we could remove the soffits in the kitchen that concealed it to make way for 42" cabinets. Once demolition began, we realized the complexity of the situation and the answer was, "Well.... I don't know if this will work." We worried that the team wouldn't be able to make this happen, which meant ordering new cabinets that would set the project back months. Consultations with senior management ensued, designs were revised and they devised a creative solution that cleared the way for the cabinets.

I am a realtor and have referred F/A Design to several clients, friends and neighbors for everything from kitchens to bathrooms to a full basement gut and renovation. Their work is always professional, stellar and I highly recommend F/A Design Build for any renovation project!

This is a discount carpet company (“Value Carpet Center”) masquerading as a high end design company. You would expect design, build, and integrity – but none of that is delivered. Design – they can’t retain designers. Four were assigned to my project because they kept leaving. The design elements were frequently not executable in the field (the hood fan didn’t fit in the hood cabinet, crown moulding too tall, etc). Build – they do not act as general contractor and bring in experts in each trade. They outsource the entire job to one guy. If that guy runs into trouble, there is no construction expertise in the company to solve problems. Things like an off-center cooktop, backsplash installed in a random pattern rather than 50% offset are things that “just can’t be fixed”. Integrity – permit fees were identified as and extra cost in the contract. Okay, but they tried to charge $1400 for less than $200 in fees. That is not cool. After 3 tries at final inspection, the project completed in September 2022. This "six-week" kitchen remodel project began in February 2022 after contracting in July 2021.

The kitchen flooring that was removed and replaced by flooring America was a very good experience. The people who worked on our project was very pleasant and highly skilled. The floor looks great and the service was excellent.
We would recommend Flooring America for any floor needs. The experience from measurement, proposal, sales and the installation was a good experience. What I liked most was that there was no short cutting of anything. They took the time to do it right.
Thanks

Our remodeled master bathroom was IMHO done in good taste with a lot
of comforts such as the ceiling unit that houses an exhaust fan, light and
heater all-in-one. The toilet has a very fast flush using a small amount of
water, and the seat lowers slowly by itself. The shower curtain with a display of fish is matched by the display of fish on the borders of 3 walls
where they meet with the ceiling. The flooring does not feel cold when
you walk on it barefoot. We are very pleased with the job done by FAD.

We renovated two bathrooms and replaced flooring in the living area of our house.It was a collaborative effort to redesign these spaces and the construction crew carried out the plan with great attention to all the details. While any project has snafus, FA Design Build met all the problems with great patience and the expectation of fulfilling our wishes. We are very happy with the results.

After looking around for frameless hickory kitchen cabinetry, we finally found F/A DesignBuild. Being a picky engineer, I had already created drawings of my dream kitchen (I've redone two other kitchens before now) and had even picked out my countertops. However, we weren't just re-doing a kitchen, we were converting our existing kitchen area into a laundry room and re-oriented kitchen. F/A DesignBuild helped us take my concept and design to a new level. They provided the on-site contractor that was superior to others I have used in the past; they worked strictly to code and showed care in everything they did. Their philosophy was the project isn't done until the customer has their dream kitchen. That point was put to the test in several aspects of our project as nothing ever goes completely to plan, especially in a 70-year old house. But having a dedicated client advocate who visited the project regularly and was available as needed via phone, worked wonders. Options on how to proceed and figuring out the compromise that fit the situation got us to a kitchen I am truly in love with, that doesn't look out of place in our 1950's home and where my favorite feature wasn't even in the original design--heated floors!

We have had FA Design Build of Fairfax do two flooring jobs in our home and are completely satisfied with both jobs. The basement flooring job was straightforward, while the kitchen job was much more involved. It required removal of old flooring and, due to uneven floors, new subflooring that also involved leveling required for installation of Cambria countertops. Throughout the projects, the showroom staff had excellent advice and oversight and the work crews were thoroughly professional and displayed excellent workmanship. I am glad we went with FA Design Build and highly recommend them.

Overall, I was very pleased with the final result of the kitchen and master bath remodel in my townhouse. There were problems along the way, as I expect happens with any remodeling project.

The good: Melissa Fielding, the design consultant, was terrific and a delight to work with. She showed the patience of a saint throughout. Since both the kitchen and bathroom are small, we didn’t knock down walls or change the “footprint” in either room, but Melissa gamely spent many hours designing and reviewing possibilities with me. She alerted me to FADB’s multi-project discount and to a looming price increase on the kitchen cabinets, allowing me to “beat” the increase and save money. Melissa helped design banquette seating with storage below and suggested roll-out trays for the pantry, two features I love. Other FADB personnel, inc. Robbie Wickline and Tom Dyer, were also responsive to my concerns, even if I didn’t always like the answers given.

Jamie, the project lead, was also great to work with (and fun to talk to). He did most of the hands-on work, from initial demolition to installing the cabinetry, appliances and overhead lighting. Jamie made useful suggestions for minor changes and was precise in ensuring everything was properly aligned. (He was a little less precise as the project dragged on, no doubt frustrated—as was I—by delays not of his making.)

Subcontractors, some hired by FADB and some by Jamie, generally did a fine job, esp. the man who installed the herringbone-pattern kitchen backsplash. I was surprised that a company named Flooring America used a subcontractor tor my luxury vinyl plank flooring; there were some problems, but with a little nagging on my part, FADB corrected them.

Two nice surprises: a gift card to a local steak house and a near-end-of-project visit by a cleaning crew (a welcome gesture somewhat lessened by the crew not arriving on the scheduled day, then going to the wrong house, and then destroying a venetian blind in a bedroom – which FADB replaced at no cost).

The not-so-good: I signed a “fixed-price” contract, so I was assured of no surprise billing (other than the usual provision for “change orders”). But I was unaware of FADB’s “allowances” for individual items going into the remodel. (Another firm I consulted was clearer: pay more for anything “over” the allowance, get money back if “under.”) FADB is legitimately entitled to a middle-man’s mark-up, but there were price quotes I couldn’t swallow: $800 for a short water line to the new refrigerator (no thanks, not when the refrigerator itself cost just over twice that); $600 for installing two owner-purchased overhead lights in the front bedroom—a job the project lead described as “easy-peasy” as the ceiling was already being re-done at a change-order cost to me of nearly $3300 (again, no thanks); a $2100 bill for “electrical permits” (halved when I questioned Melissa; I saw nothing to document either charge, though one reviewer alleged FADB charged five times more than it should.)

Another issue to be careful of: warranties. When I tried to register certain products for warranty purposes, I could not provide the requested date and cost of purchase as FADB was the buyer, not me.

The project also took much longer than expected. I signed a contract in November, 2021 and demolition began in mid-March, 2022. The anticipated completion date was end April, but we finished only in late September. To be fair, many problems were out of FADB’s control, like the kitchen cabinets coming in damaged and having to be replaced multiple times or bathroom vanities I selected online in the morning being “out of stock” when FADB ordered the same afternoon. Delays, delays, delays and extra costs.

Would I use FADB again? Yes, absolutely. I love the changes, but I’d ask more questions earlier on

We had our bathroom renovated back in December 2018. Although we were happy with the renovation at the end and the people at FA Design were friendly and helpful we were not happy with how they handled one particular issue. That was the fact that we had brown water coming from our faucet which was never a problem before the renovation. After meeting with the project managers regarding this matter they insisted it was not because of the work they did. I had an independent plumber come to assess the problem and within one minute he told me it was because there was a black nipple on the pipe and that was causing the water to be brown. It was a simple fix but one that I felt FA Design should have been knowledgeable of and taken responsibility for. Other than that I enjoyed working with Melissa, the designer, and we love the bathroom.

We hired FA Design Build because they are a local, privately owned small business that provided exactly what we were looking for in a one-stop shopping renovation package. Over the last 18 months, FA Design Build renovated three (3) bathrooms, our kitchen and also refinished our entire hardwood flooring on the ground floor. Owner, Rob Menefee and his entire staff are "top to bottom professionals", who provide a wealth of knowledge, experience and guidance in the entire process from initial design to a turn key quality finish. More importantly, the entire staff are just as personal and family oriented as they are professionals. We consider their business as a personal relationship that is as lasting as their product. We are extremely proud and excited about our entire renovation project and highly recommend FA Design and their affordable quality services.

We had 2 bathroom remodeled at the same time. With any remodeling project there are problems that come up but over all these were address quickly & to our satisfaction. Follow up 9 months later after the project to address settling cracks in drywall was quick. It was finished on time & we are very happy with the bathrooms.

My wife and I had our condo kitchen and master bath totally renovated by FA Design. This is the fourth dwelling that we have had renovated over the past 35 years. This was by far the best experience.
We also had them build two floor to ceiling cabinets to increase our storage while adding to the decor. Both were home runs!
Jessica Cannon was absolutely outstanding as the designer and our primary point of contact The team of professionals that worked with her matched her professionalism. They showed great flexibility and adjusted to our special needs and unforeseen issues. It was a great job and done in a timely manner. We recommend them highly.

This was my first renovation experience. We had to renovate one existing bathroom and add a new smaller bathroom in our townhouse. This job required the contractor to add rough in for new bath, move pipes for fire sprinklers, move wall, new walls, new doors framing, tiles, new ducts etc.

Despite some initial delays Flooring America did a phenomenal job.
- We got quotes from 4 other Angie's list A rated contractors. FA was by far the best value.
- Briton, Jessica and Carlos were the project managers, designer and contractor respectively. They were very professional and nice to work with.
- The workers were very profession, they padded the floors, used dust screens/tarps to cordon off the construction ares.
- We specified in the contract that we would be buying the accessories, tiles, faucets, vanities etc. All communication was done via email, FA would confirm every purchase before I put in the order.
- We are very happy with our new bathroom and will work in FA again!

Our project involved a significant expansion of our 44 year old home's kitchen and dining room. FA Design Build's design team, including structural and interior design expertise, was outstanding. The result is an exterior appearance which is nicely integrated and has pleasing lines. The team's recommendations on cabinets, countertops, backsplash, flooring, lighting, location of appliances, windows and fixtures were superb. Plumbing, electrical and heating/AC ductwork challenges were dealt with successfully. Issues arose which disrupted progress. However, FA's project manager worked diligently with us to resolve all issues and negotiate necessary adjustments. The final product is excellent quality and better than what we envisioned when we began discussing possibilities with FA's team. We are thoroughly enjoying the openness between the kitchen and dining room, increased counter space, the new island, and increased storage capacity. The combination of quality and value certainly validates our decision to contract with FA.

So relieved to use FADesign, a professional design firm, to put this project together. It was a referral from a good friend. Melissa was the designer and literally chose our appliances and lighting after listening to what we wanted. Barry, the Project Manager, was on-call and had alot of communication. He was a great problem solver too. The workers were very efficient and we were impressed with how professional they were, especially cleaning up in a tidy way after each day. The appliances took longer citing worldwide distribution. We love our Kitchen Refresh! Highly Recommend FADesign!

After looking at several contractors, we elected to go with FA Design Build. Everyone we interacted with was professional and responsive. We love our master bathroom renovation. The quality and craftsmanship is outstanding. Special thanks and shout out to FA Design Team members including Melissa, Tom, Barry, Jamie and Demi.

I had been thinking of renovating my master bathroom for a couple of years, and decided to move forward in 2023. Not having done a full renovation before, I attended seminars, and met with several companies before making a final decision. After considering all relevant factors I selected FA Design Build.
I was very impressed with their showroom, the wide range of materials they had available, and the professionalism of the staff.

I worked with Melissa Fielding, the designer for my project, and she listened carefully to what I had in mind, as well as what I did not want. Based on the information we exchanged she came up with drawings, and suggested materials that could work. The concepts she came up with were exactly what I wanted, and any minor modifications I suggested were taken into account. A member of the staff delivered samples and documents to my door

After signing the contract, a scheduled start date was set for the end of November. I was frankly apprehensive about it because there is limited space in my condo, and the thought of a lot of construction material in the middle of my living room was a bit scary. I thought I would have to live in a messy space for a few weeks. In reality the process was much better than I had anticipated. The installation crew (Rocky, Brandon, and Edward) were very skilled, hard working, and respectful. Most importantly, they cleaned up everything after each working day. The project managers (Robbie and Tom) stopped by every day to check on the progress. I realized that my first impression of this firm was correct. The original anxiety of the disruption I had anticipated evaporated when I knew for sure I was working with skilled professionals I could trust.

The project was completed a few days ago. It was done on schedule, on budget, and it was exactly what I had in mind, if not more.

I’m very grateful to the entire team: Melissa, Rocky, Brandon, Edward, Jack, Robbie, Tom, and the support staff in accounting. Thanks to their input, effort, and hard work my dream bathroom became a reality.

We LOVED FA Design Build from start to finish. They were so personable from the very beginning and made it clear that our happiness with the final product was their priority. Truly they put us first in a way that I know other companies would not have done. Every step from the initial design in their showroom to the actual builders working in our kitchen was done with a high level of professionalism and courtesy. We would recommend FA Design to anyone who wants to design or change their kitchen.

FA Design were great for us. We attended one of their free workshops which are well worth the time. There was no pressure to buy anything. We had almost an entire condo upgrade, with new kitchen cabinets, backsplash and countertops. New lighting, new flooring and paint throughout. Melissa helped us pick out all the kitchen cabinets and hardware because we had no idea what we were doing. Barry oversaw the project and was always very responsive. He always picked up the phone when we called, or he texted us if he was busy to say he would call right back when he was free and he always did. We really liked having someone who was that responsive. The end product was fantastic. The condo is a rental. We rented within a few days of FA Design being finished and the tenant has told us that several friends had been over and commented on how beautiful the kitchen is, which is the first thing you see when you walk in. Overall, we would highly recommend FA Design. As previously mentioned, we didn't know where to start with this project and didn't want to try to manage it ourselves. Having Melissa guide us through the process and Barry overseeing the project, we felt comfortable that our money was being well spent. Our tenant also told us that while she hasn't seen the other units in the building, she kind of feels like she's got the best one. It was great to hear that and she loves living in the unit.

I love my kitchen remodel! Melissa and team handle it all. Melissa has a wealth of design ideas and works tirelessly with you to ensure you're totally pleased with your choices. They're very professional and go out of their way to make sure everything is just right and to your satisfaction. The crew handling each phase of the remodel were experts in their fields. I was very impressed by it all. This being an older house, there were a few surprises that presented but they were handled to our satisfaction. All visitors who stop to see the remodel are so impressed with it and how much larger the kitchen appears. I will certainly contact FADesign Build in the future for any home projects. Carolyn Barone

Used FA Design Build to replace our basement flooring and update our basement bath (floors, vanity, toilet, and shower). Had a great experience from beginning to end. Knew that things were going to work out well when I contacted them - got a quick response and was asked to email pictures of what I liked / the look I was going for. When I arrived at my first appointment Stacey had already pulled out samples along the lines of what I was looking for. Work was scheduled around my Covid concerns. Dylan was a great project manager and frequently checked in. Jose and his crew did an awesome job and were concerned with getting every last detail right for me. Thanks again FA Design Build team!!