Home Remodeling Blog

Irene Designs, LLC Receives an Award from Connecticut Better Business Bureau

Irene Designs, LLC received Superior Customer Service honorable mention at Connecticut BBB’s Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet on November 10, 2016. The Superior Customer Service Award honors a business that demonstrates a daily[...]

How to choose the right Design/Build Company for your project

With so many businesses on the market, it is not an easy task to choose the right contractor for your renovation project. You can start looking online or asking around.[...]

Should I Hire a Professional Home Remodeler?

Do-it-yourself (DIY) projects have skyrocketed in popularity in recent years on the heels of popular home improvement shows and publications. And, for certain small projects, a DIY project can be[...]

Remodeling: reducing stress, costs and time

Tip # 1. Don’t rush into renovation Do your homework first! Take time to analyze your existing problems in order to outline your remodeling goals. Think of the details. Try[...]

Irene Designs, LLC of Manchester, CT Awarded Best of Houzz 2016

Irene Designs, LLC of Manchester, CT Awarded Best of Houzz 2016 Over 35 Million Monthly Unique Users Nominated Best Home Building,Remodeling and Design Professionals in North America and Around the[...]

Modern Trends in Bathroom Remodeling

Modern Trends in Bathroom Remodeling Today’s busy lifestyle craves for a bathroom that is your energy booster by day, and sanctuary by night. It is a place, where in the[...]

Kasia P.

16:44 11 Jul 25

We recently completed a full kitchen remodel, and I am beyond thrilled with the results! From the initial consultation with Irene Designs to the final touches, the whole process was smooth, and the outcome exceeded our expectations.

Our vision was to open up the space and create a more connected flow between the kitchen, living room, and dining area. Irene Designs did an outstanding job of taking down walls and creating the open-concept design we dreamed of. The transformation is incredible—our once old fashioned kitchen now feels like a spacious, inviting heart of the home.

What really stood out, though, was how wonderful the contractor was with our pets and kids. We have three young children and a couple of pets, and they made sure to keep everything safe and under control during the remodel.
ful new space. Highly recommend this contractor to anyone looking to make their kitchen dreams come true!

kathleen S.

20:55 07 Jan 25

When I first contacted Irene I was a little nervous as I had never hired a designer/contractor before. But upon meeting her I could tell right away that we were going to do well together. She saw the vision I had and put it all together. Irene came to the house to take measurements and to listen to what I had in mind. She came up with a plan to remodel my kitchen, living room, family room and half bath/laundry room. The 360 renderings she did were so helpful in visualizing what would be the finished project. The house is a 1968 colonial with very small rooms. We opened up the kitchen/ living room to make one big space. It made the kitchen much more efficient with tons more storage. We also decided to add on a deck off the family room. Irene designed that and Gene had his crew build it. I cannot say enough about the quality of work, professionalism of the crew and attention to detail that both Gene and Irene put forth. The crew cleaned up at the end of each day. I definitely recommend pre-construction space planning and the 360 renderings. Without those I would not have the beautiful space I have now.

Bill L.

15:42 30 Dec 24

Irene Designs went above and beyond our expectations. From the design work to construction it was amazing. Irene designed our kitchen with input from my wife and I. She did not force her ideas on us. She just suggested some things that we accepted most but turned down a few. Irene begins by meeting with us and getting our ideas. She then photographs and videotaped our existing kitchen. Irene then incorporates our ideas and makes suggestions with no pressure. She prepares drawings that actually appear to be the finished kitchen. Some suggestions for additional windows were incorporated into our project and they enhanced the entire project!
Irene actually accompanies you you to pick out countertops, cabinets, flooring, backsplash, etc. Again she suggests ideas that incorporate our ideas. There is no pressure to use any supplier or contractor. She explains what is going on and keeps you project within a proposed budget.
Construction was completed by a great group of sub-contractors and Gene supervises all of them. They are exceptional with their work. I would highly recommend the entire team to anyone wanting to remodel.

Donna W.

16:16 25 Jun 24

The Irene Designs team is wonderful! From a comprehensive and detailed design by Irene to the detail oriented and prideful execution by the team led by Gene, I couldn’t be happier with my master bath. Both Irene and Gene are good communicators and are very collaborative. I had a good idea of what I wanted and they both were instrumental in helping me develop my ideas to a plan. All of the team, Denys, Walter, Tim, David and Sal delivered quality work while being very respectful of our home. Thank you all!

Joe G.

13:09 06 Jun 24

Irene’s experience, knowledge, attention to detail and her ability to understand what we wanted combined to make our experience working with her an absolute pleasure. I would not hesitate to recommend her and if in the future we decide to remodel other parts of our home she will be out first call.

Additionally, Gene did a nice job managing the overall project so there was never a lag in workflow. Although it is a long process, the quality of the work, attention to detail and constant progress made the overall process as painless as possible.
The excellent results speak for themselves. If you’re considering a remodel you owe it to yourself to contact Irene Designs.

Just wanted to add - we had Walter back to build stairs off the deck and a railing on the back stairs. Walt’s experience, attention to detail, his willingness to always go the extra mile, strong work ethic and master level of craftsmanship combine to make the completed project the extremely high level you don’t often see. And, he was a pleasure to work with. Again, if we need more work done in the future, our first call will be Irene Designs.

L. W.

16:41 16 May 24

Desiring to live near water in our retirement, we purchased a home in a lovely spot on a lake. The first floor layout was really strange - big kitchen with no island, no dining room at all, and the first thing you encountered when entering the house was the laundry room. We had a vague idea of removing a wall, and moving the laundry into a closet, and got contractor quotes for that, but we were looking for other ideas to boost the usefulness of the space, and got no other ideas from anyone who looked at it.
Looking for a better plan, we found Irene and hired her to take a look and give us some ideas. We were blown away when we got to see her ideas in 3-D representations! She really opened up the space, and had ideas we hadn't thought of at all, including built ins to make the space comfortable and attractive. We received several iterations, and were able to combine the things we liked into a good final plan. It was amazing to be able to get a good idea of what the space would look like after the renovation.
Irene then produced all the plans needed to move on with the reno, and has followed up by meeting with us for consulting on choices for cabinets, flooring, countertops, connecting us with vendors for each thing.
While moving to Irene's plan meant an increase in the budget, we will end up with making an ordinary renovation into an awesome place to spend our retirement years! Irene is highly recommended!

Michelle G

17:37 27 Apr 24

Irene worked with me on a bathroom remodel project, suggesting ways to maximize storage in a small bathroom and use design techniques that would make the room appear open & comfortable. She also helped me to narrow down what materials and color palettes would work in my space. Great experience!

Deloris S.

12:39 06 Jun 23

Irene was very professional and knowledgeable in assisting us with a kitchen.

Jonna R.

19:01 30 Apr 23

Irene Designs is amazing! If you are looking for someone to help your vision in YOUR style, use Irene! I consider myself a mini Martha Stewart but I knew when to call in the professional for vision for my remodel. Irene used her intuitive method along with her technology magnifico and WOAH!

Gayle H.

21:37 07 Apr 23

We are so glad we hired Irene Designs to completely remodel our master bathroom and closet. We’re also congratulating ourselves on hiring Irene’s husband Gene as the contractor—more on that later. She is a skilled listener and communicator and has the technical wherewithal and artistic ability/creativity to translate your requirements into a strikingly beautiful and functional design. Our initial goal was to enlarge the shower by removing the dated Whirlpool jacuzzi. Naturally we wanted to keep the budget realistic while also creating a bathroom that would add to our home’s ultimate resale value. One of her many suggestions included creating a new entrance to the bathroom closet from the hallway to eliminate the current door-behind-a-door access. She also recommended that we move the toilet to enlarge the closet and move the shower into the area where the jacuzzi used to be. Throughout the design process she worked hand-in-glove with Gene to provide us with revised budgets and remodeling concepts via 3-D plans, dollhouse views and photos based on our input and their recommendations. Ultimately, we opted for a pocket door into the closet rather than a new entrance, to keep the reconstruction to a minimum. Word of advice: don’t skimp on the shopping spree with Irene! She quickly learned what attracted our attention during a visit to Universal Ceramic Tiles. She was quick to find an alternative tile for the shower floor to complement the shower’s accent wall when that manufacturer’s supply was out of stock. Always conscious of our budget, she referred us to Catskill Granite Countertops for the 72” vanity, since they offered a vast array of remnants. We appreciated Gene’s ability to coordinate the ordering/receipt of fixtures and material selections with the complex scheduling of his sub-contractors. And we were very fortunate with his well-chosen contractors: Sal the electrician; Walter the pocket door expert; and especially Ray who completed the demolition plus all the general carpentry, painting and tile work. In summary, we now enjoy a beautifully designed and renovated master bathroom and closet—and only wish we’d hired Irene and Gene much sooner.

Armida O.

01:33 16 Mar 23

Irene produce a detailed 3-D rendering and Plan. I strongly recommend the quality of her work. The project got approved.

Waynette B.

19:06 20 Feb 23

In need of bringing my 1990's kitchen to present day, I hired Irene Designs to handle my kitchen remodeling project, which included kitchen design, kitchen planning as well as kitchen construction. Two issues that I needed addressed were 1) Two half walls separating the kitchen and dining area and 2) I had no real prep area. I was impressed with the fact that within 5 minutes of entering my home, Irene mentioned these two issues before had the chance to. A 360 degree render, provided by Irene of our discussed kitchen layout was an amazing tool and gave a visual learner, like myself, a much easier time seeing how things would look. It was comforting having Irene during the shopping experience. Without her, I'm sure I would have chosen the wrong countertop. Gene was extremely pleasant to work with during the construction phase and his workers were not only prompt, it's obvious by their craftsmanship that they care about their work. Needless to say, I highly recommend Irene Designs for Interior Design and Kitchen remodeling. I have already discussed continuing to do business with them. Before & After photos attached

Waynette L. Bailey

Stephen H.

20:55 06 Jan 23

Irene came up with a great design! We hired Irene to help us with our kitchen design. Original floor plan of our home in Higganum, CT had the door to the garage right in the middle of the side wall confining the kitchen space to approximately one quarter of the main floor. We were considering taking down the wall between kitchen and formal dining room. We wanted our new kitchen to be bigger and we wanted a bigger island. With the existing set up we didn’t have enough wall space on the garage side to have a nice hood over the cooktop and we couldn’t make it a “statement” bump out.
Irene came up with several new kitchen designs (11 options) and we were able to see them all in her 3D renderings. We were going back and forth discussing our new options and making changes. The plan we settled for had our garage door moved a couple feet to extend the wall space for kitchen cabinets and to allow for a smooth traffic flow around bigger island. We got two walls taken down instead of one. Irene came up with an idea to get rid of the front hallway to add room to the main area. Our powder room and coat closet were relocated towards the garage wall, and it looks great.
Our kitchen remodel was performed by another contractor but having clear interior design concept along with architectural drawings laid a good foundation for the project and helped in the estimating process. Irene also assisted us in the selection of cabinetry and finishing materials.
We are very happy with the project outcome, and we will reach out to Irene Designs again when we get to our master bathroom design next year.

Virginia A.

21:12 17 Aug 22

We could not be happier with Irene Designs and our bathroom remodel. This is a very small bathroom and I could not comprehend how Irene could fit in a larger shower and retain enough space for a nice vanity but she did it and did it beautifully! Irene, a capable, knowledgeable interior designer and, Gene, a skillful and competent remodeling contractor are an amazing team who have the vision and skills to pull off any work you wish. In addition, Denys (tile) and Walter (carpentry) were very congenial and beyond meticulous in their work. They all explained their work every step of the way and kept us informed so we could make decisions as unexpected situations arose. They found a false wall, previous work that was not up to code and a plumbing mishap to fix. They gave us advice and remedied each situation perfectly. Yes, we will hire them again as we can’t recommend Irene Designs highly enough for your bathroom design and remodel. They will not disappoint.

John D.

02:11 23 Dec 18

Irene was able to show us how to use our space to it's greatest advantage. She listened to our ideas and incorporated them into her design. We could never have selected the tile design for our bathroom without her experience and knowledge. The communication was excellent and I learned a lot from the process. This was our first experience with getting help from a professional and I would highly recommend her services.