Design Classics

I do not recommend working with Lennox House design. We had a terrible experience with lack of quality in terms of design, unreasonable service, and she did not return a portion of our retainer. Quality: design basics were not there. You hire a designer to be an expert and for attention to detail. That is not what happened. Over and over Jennifer recommended, and we purchased, furniture that did not fit the space. She simply didn't pay attention and take good measurements. The desk was too big, the office chair was too big, the dinning table was too big, the host chairs were too big. The designer we hired after Jennifer walked through and was baffled at how Jennifer could have thought the pieces fit the space. The new designer made the comments without us soliciting. Secondly the aesthetic choices were not on point. Our next designer was very surprised at the design choices Jennifer made given the feel we were going for. These were the types of comments she made: "These 2 bookcases don't work at all, they show the asymmetry in the space which you don't want to do," "the foyer table is a beautiful Ming but it's not at all what I'd pick for the feel you're going for of mountain home". Client Service - Jennifer throughout the project was very rushed. It was clear she was working on a lot of other projects and we were definitely not a priority. She would get frustrated if we we're doubtful about a piece. She would often try to gaslight us and assure us that it will all be beautiful when it's all delivered and that we just don't get how it will all come together. "trust me". In the end our concerns were founded as corroborated by the next designer. Jennifer did not do a good job of making sure to show us samples, it felt like she just purchased things from online without having seen them live. The dinning table was completely a different color then we expected and in the end it had been never actually communicated and we didn't think to ask assuming the color from the picture. As the professional in the area with experience, I would hope that she would make sure to cover key pieces of information like color and size. When we said something about it, she put it back on us as our problem and did not in any way try to help solve the problem, whether that would be to refinish, get a new table, etc. The biggest customer service disappointment is that my husband wanted a recliner and my husband is also 6'7" so he wasn't willing to buy something without sitting in it first. Jennifer took us to one location to try 3 chairs. When my husband said that none of them really worked Jennifer simply stopped working with us. It became an impasse. We couldn't finish designing the room without knowing what the recliner would be, but she was unwilling to spend any more time with us or even to give us a list of places to go try on our own. This was incredibly disappointing. In the end, it felt like we were trapped. We had signed a contract for a large bit of work. As the relationship got choppier we finally cut things off, both frustrated. in the final wrap up Jennifer decided to keep our entire retainer. The retainer is intended to be used if the designer spends design time and then the client doesn't purchase furniture. We ended up purchasing half of the scope (much of it we have to redo) but she was unwilling to return half the retainer. In summary, incredibly frustrating and disappointing experience with obvious misjudgments in design skills and lack of communication. Overall a lack of detail in both quality and service and to top it off, not returning a portion of the retainer. She seems to be more comfortable and do better with commercial interiors where there is more room for error. Maybe it was a rough time for her, maybe our project was challenging. There is always the other side of the story. But now working with another designer who is nailing it and so easy to work with I can now see that it wasn't about us. Just want to help others avoid what was a really rough and stressful experience.

I was hesitant to work with a designer, thinking I’d lose myself in someone else’s design aesthetic, but Che Bella has a comprehensive website showing a diverse representation of aesthetics and styles leaving openings for possibilities from my perspective. So I reached out to them and met with Designer Calie. We are so thankful for that! Calie allowed our design aesthetic to lead choices and discussions. It was helpful that she was able to name our overall style as Industrial Modern, helping us coordinate aesthetics throughout the home and the build. We appreciated that Calie didn’t just say yes to our choices she was able to kindly share a difference of opinion and where that came from, often sharing alternatives. However, she also didn’t just say no to our choices, creating a space she herself appreciates that was devoid of our character. In fact, we loved how she would describe where the focal points of rooms or spaces would be if we made a certain choice or a different choice. This allowed us to make our own choices under her guidance, which was extremely important to us. Our colorful streamlined space we imagined with Calie helped create a peaceful, beautiful forever home. Reaching out to Calie at Che Bella has been one of the best decisions we’ve made during the building process. She was able to craft a program tailored exactly to what we were looking for which included meetings at the storefront, our home, and specific shops. She was flexible with that program adding or changing things as necessary. She communicated well throughout the process, sharing hours that were left under the contract and where she thought we could best use those hours considering our end goals. She also took the lead in connecting us to and contacting furniture and flooring vendors when appropriate to take tasks from our plate. All of Che Bella’s organization throughout the entire process was extremely helpful and allowed us to step back and breathe when things were stressful. I would highly recommend Calie, and the rest of Che Bella’s staff, for any design project and would go back to them whenever I have the chance.

We’ve lived in our condo for about 5 years and had furnished it hodge-podge with whatever furnishings were on hand - and it looked like it! Colleen helped us assess our options and together we redesigned several spaces. We were very involved in every step, and with Colleen's assistance were able to plan and execute every piece of the project. The master shower was totally gutted and replaced with a beautiful glassed-in shower and all new tile that looks amazing and is so much more functional than our old shower. Other rooms were painted, new flooring was selected and new lighting and furnishings installed. Colleen is an excellent communicator and very resourceful, always coming up with options she was fantastic with follow-up. While we were out of town she stopped in to accept deliveries on our behalf and monitored the various contractors to make sure progress was on track. She developed a wonderful working relationship with our general contractor and was able to recommend subs as needed. Best of all is Colleen’s cheerful attitude and willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done; she is a pleasure to work with and we highly recommend her services.

We are so happy in our new home with thanks to Colleen, who adeptly walked us through the whole process of designing beautiful and useful spaces for us! Our new downtown condo has an open floor plan that made furnishing a challenge. Colleen helped us figure out how we might want to use the various spaces and then designed a plan that provided distinction (between the living room, dining room, cocktail lounge) and flow. We were also switching from an Arts & Crafts style house to a modern industrial loft, so we needed to find new furniture to complement the space. We had some antique rugs that were our "non-negotiables" that Colleen worked with. She found furniture and suggested just the right fabrics with colors and textures that worked with the rugs and pulled off our new look. Working with Colleen was a complete pleasure. She is talented, down to earth and upbeat. She helped us manage our expectations with all of the supply chain issues that delayed our deliveries. We give her an A+ and would recommend her to anyone who wants a refreshing interior design experience.

We first partnered with Jen back in 2015 when we built our custom home in Excelsior. We leaned on her for every decision from colors and lighting to plumbing and furniture. She pushed us gently and confidently to make decisions and choices we never in a million years would have thought of on our own. Fast forward nearly ten years, and we are still using the same quality furniture and I’m convinced our home could still be featured in a design magazine today. We love it so, so much! Last year when we decided to add on a golf simulator/theater/gym/porch, there was no question that Jen and Lenox House would be our first call. She made these new spaces blend seamlessly with the existing home and quarterbacked everything with the builder making the process so easy. Her design, layouts, furniture and wallpaper selections, and decor were perfect! Jen is a joy to work with and I look forward to our next Lenox House project!!