Enchantment Cabinetry And Design, LLC Review
I. Quick review (more detailed review below):
We are very pleased with the work Enchantment Cabinetry and Design, LLC did for us. The work was meticulous and the price very reasonable. Sal and Lydia Lozano and their team were knowledgeable, dedicated, hard-working and easy to work with. We were inexperienced with the home renovation and remodeling process and tended to worry a lot. Sal often "talked us off the ledge" and offered solutions and reassurance to our concerns, while Lydia provided clever and aesthetic design options for our Nob Hill home. We highly recommend this company and plan to work with them again in the future.
II. Detailed review (quick review above):
We have a small, older house in Nob Hill that needed structural repair, utility upgrades and a complete bathroom and kitchen remodel. We wanted an experienced general contractor to oversee the entire project because there was so much work of different types to be done. Fortunately, we came across Enchantment Cabinetry and Design, LLC, in our search. The owners, Sal and Lydia Lozano, have been in this line of work for nearly a quarter of a century and had the qualifications and experience we were looking for (in fact, their alternate business name is Enchantment Design and Remodeling, LLC). Sal and Lydia were mindful of the uniqueness of the Nob Hill area and proposed design options complementary to our home. Our complicated project required considerable planning and design, beginning in May 2019, with demolition and renovations starting in late Fall and lasting through early March, 2020.
Sal efficiently coordinated all the subcontractor work needed for the electrical and plumbing upgrades as well as all the work his own team did. He handled all the design documents and permitting required by the City and dealt with the inspectors. Enchantment does everything to code, so managing the permitting process is an invaluable service. We were close at hand to help with any and all decisions but had confidence in Sal to guide the process and do the work.
Our house had some structural issues, apparently not surprising in these older houses around town. The support for one load bearing wall was eroding under the house. We also had joists that had been compromised during construction many years ago. Sal's team installed new concrete pillars in the crawl space beneath the house, reinforced the joists and stabilized everything. (Yea, the closet door closes again!) This was difficult work done in a tight space and even required the dismantling and removal of a decaying water heater left in the crawl space pit.
Sal replaced the original electrical service, upgrading it to 200 amp service sufficient for the needs of homes today, and installed circuits to bring the house up to City code and electrical safety. No longer do we have 75% of the power load on one circuit which was designed before microwaves and blow dryers. In addition, gas, water, and sewer services were all upgraded, eliminating maintenance and code issues under the house and a previously retrofitted utility room. Along the way, an aging conventional water heater was replaced with an energy efficient tankless version. We encountered a few unexpected obstacles in the process but Sal always had a solution (his motto: “Every problem has a solution”). Sal had warned us early on that unforeseen problems typically come up, that they are handled in approved change orders, and that he would do his best to keep any additional cost reasonable, which we think he did.
Our bathroom had water damage from a leaking flat roof (now replaced) and cracked tile from floor instability (mentioned above), so our remodel required taking the room down to the studs and installing new drywall for both walls and ceiling, floor joists reinforcement, and new subfloor and tile. We had the tub replaced with a tiled walk-in shower with glass panels and door. Sal uses the Schluter system and line of products for waterproofing shower walls, pans, and floors. Our bathroom is small and irregularly shaped. The conventional door made access a bit tight. Sal converted our standard door to a pocket door and opened up the space considerably. It was a great idea.
The kitchen was a complete remodel with new custom cabinets and under-lighting (with wireless dimming remote); electrical wiring, outlets, switches; ceiling lighting; granite countertops and country sink; appliances. The cabinets are custom-made with our layout and style design, wood and stain selection, and hardware selection. They are sturdy, spacious and absolutely lovely! Sal and Lydia devoted considerable time to the design process, with several iterations until we were completely satisfied. They referred us to their appliance vendors to choose a complementary appliance package and take advantage of his contractor discounts. After being back in the house for a month we are still awed when we walk into the kitchen and see the beautiful transformation.
Sal oversaw the construction aspects of the work while Lydia collaborated on design. We really needed her guidance since we were new to this process. Our rooms are small and we wanted to maximize the space. Lydia had great suggestions for this as well as selections of tile, granite, hardware and accessories we could choose from. Having her listen to our ideas, look at photos of designs and styles we thought we might like and then having her do some initial selections for us was incredibly helpful. There are so many choices out there that we would have been overwhelmed if left completely on our own.
One other thing of note, the workers all seemed hard-working, dedicated, efficient, and respectful of our home. They were always polite and took the time to answer our questions when we interrupted their work. We are very pleased with the final outcome and highly recommend this company.
