Creative Interiors — Local services in Hoboken

I made the mistake of hiring Creative Interiors to design and manage the renovation of a medium sized bathroom. The project ended up requiring over twice as much time and money as was stipulated in the contract. The extra time was due to their poor project management skills. The extra cost was due to their self-serving business model which was to maximize sales commissions by all possible means. They charged me 35% above the retail price for all materials even if they paid wholesale or less, and they did their best to hide these exorbitant commissions from me. They never mentioned them during the initial interview, they never disclosed them in the contract, and they never listed or itemized them on any of their numerous invoices or “accounting statements”. Commissions also drove their design strategy which was to buy the most expensive possible materials and fixtures, even if they were not the most suitable for the bathroom and surrounding space or they did not go well together.

These people lied to me on numerous occasions and were also rude, arrogant, condescending, and threw temper tantrums when questioned about any of their purchases or designs. For example, after half the bathroom was tiled, I realized that the entire shipment of marble tile was unacceptable and would have to be returned. I halted work and when Tony and Louis of Creative Interiors arrived, they staged an award winning scene exclaiming what poor taste I had and how beautiful the tile looked, as I and every member of the construction team stared at each other in disbelief. The subsequent cost of re-demolition and re-tiling was still another unnecessary expense. Then, to add insult to injury, they refused to refund their 35% sales commissions on the defective tile.

Hiring Creative Interiors was indeed a huge mistake. The renovated bathroom is acceptable in appearance, but it is very high maintenance, contains combinations of fixtures and tile that do not look well together, and was definitely not worth the time, money, and...

Buyer beware! I was fooled by a suspicious glowing review and made the huge mistake of hiring Tony and Louis (Creative Interiors) to design my bathroom. How did they screw me? Let me count the ways. (1) They chose a sink and tub that were absurdly narrow, difficult to use, and extremely high maintenance. I had provided them with photographs of the bathroom design I wanted, so all they had to do was modify it to fit the shape of my bathroom, a roomy 7’ x 12’. The sink and tub were the only two items that were left to their design discretion. One month after completion I find that I will be forced to replace the sink. The bathtub is impossible to change without major reconstruction, so every day I’ll have to keep struggling to climb over the high box surrounding it.

(2) They overcharged on every item they purchased, charging me the retail price plus 35% commission, regardless if they paid wholesale. Example: They nearly talked me into getting an acrylic vanity bench without quoting the price. When I saw it was $2000, I immediately canceled it and then found the identical bench on line for $385. Example: They ordered far too much wall tile and floor tile, purchasing 30% more tile than needed. I’m now stuck with the extra, which cannot be returned, wasting several thousand dollars.

(3) Double billing. They “accidentally” billed me twice for the floor tile by wording the second charge differently.

(4) High maintenance design and materials. Their impractical tub area design and materials demand time consuming mop-up every time I shower. This preventable stress is especially inappropriate for a woman in her 70’s. These guys are dishonest, greedy, and rude. I hope you learn...

Louis and Tony really came through for us under very unusual and demanding circumstances -- while also incorporating high-quality safety measures to insure that our home and their contractors stayed safe during this time of pandemic. The task was challenging: To accommodate my husband's sudden joint injury, I had to furnish a new two-bedroom condo from scratch in record time - and hubby had to test the comfort of chairs, sofas, and beds before I bought them. So I decided to deal with a furnishings showroom. (I settled on Room & Board.) I scouted the options on my own and settled on the basic pieces that suited our comfort needs. Then, a bit overwhelmed, I went to Creative Interiors & Designs with an outside-the-box request: Could they tweak my choices, help me pick fabrics and finishes from R&B's options, oversee the on-site furniture delivery, and arrange the pieces? Oh, and also take care of the more traditional decorating chores: painting choices, lighting fixtures, etc? Many design firms would not have considered this arrangement for a nanosecond. But Louis and Tony were eager to help in my crisis. They guided me to choices that were just right but that I'd have been too timid to make. The result is a comfortable, stylish mid-century modern apartment with a touch of "wow" that we just love! We were absolutely delighted...