CK in Kanata

I purchased a large beige area rug here for my family room. Very basic, beige berber and an underpad. The service was ok considering we showed up only a few minutes before closing. I was not very impressed with their selection of area rugs though perhaps that's why it's called End of the Roll? In fact, they had many, but very few that were plain or at all modern (without being fussy). I got an area rug that I didn't hate and it wasn't exorbitantly priced so I guess I am a satisfied customer! There just wasn't anything to impress me beyond that.

We rented from National Furniture Rental when staging our home for sale. The furniture selection was quite good and we were able to get most of the pieces we required. However, the delivery was not great - they were late after not showing up at all the first time due to some "mis-communication".

We decided to go with Astro because it was a one-stop-shop for beautiful fixtures, tiles, etc... No need to run all over town looking for things. We met there with a wonderful designer who created a very detailed design for us - exactly to our taste and specifications and fitting the old and awkward space perfectly. We ordered all of the materials through them. I only wish we had hired them for the installation as well since the designer would have overseen the project and ensured our specifications were met. They were not. Lesson learned! I wouldn't hesitate to go with them again.

After moving into a new (to us) home previously occupied by several animals (as well as a Do-It-Yourself animal of a different sort...) we decided we needed to find the best possible place to clean our ducts - especially since we have a baby. Advanced Air Quality had been recommended to us by our real estate agent and later by The House Doc as the best duct cleaning company in town. Apparently hospitals use them. Their set-up was decidedly different than the average company - you should check out their website to see what I mean. While the technician was a couple minutes later than our appointment time, we had received a call advising us of his delay well in advance of his arrival - so no harm done. The technician was quick, friendly and efficient. He even provided us with additional tips on maintaining the furnace and the humidifier to the point where it was really above and beyond. He was even a great hit with our cats. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them. We're breathing clear and won't hesitate for a second to turn on the furnace at last! Plus their prices are comparable to a run-of-the-mill cleaning. Considering it only needs to be done every 3-5 years, why not invest in the best?

Love, love, love Homesense. Where else can you find nearly perfect Le Creuset seconds, a perfect carpet, ceiling light fixture, cutlery and a set of designer towels and not walk out of the store broke and penniless? It's a bit of a treasure hunt each visit as not everything they have is necessarily my style or quite the same quality, but if you don't mind picking through things, then it's definitely worthwhile. The service is usually fairly quick, depending on the location. They're also great about putting items on hold for the day while you rush out to measure/check the colour etc... Their return policy is short - 10 days - so make sure you try out appliances, lighting, etc... quickly and make sure they work in your space. That said, if you do need to make a return, it's quick and painless. It's a bit of a pain to have to keep going out to check their stock (well, I guess I don't HAVE to keep going in but I do!) but it just means there are some fun new surprises there on a regular basis.

We stumbled into Simply Wood after searching many stores for a nice dining room table. I just wanted something simple - no curlicues, no fussy stuff, just a regular table with plain legs and a buffet/sideboard to match. Simply Wood carries the Dinec furniture line which is nice Canadian furniture, custom made to your specifications based on a whole lot of options. It was perfect. We were able to basically "make" our table entirely customized to our needs and wants and same fo the buffet. A beautiful, high-quality and simple table that should hopefully stand the test of time! It has so far... Service was great; the table and sideboard were delivered on time as promised and in perfect condition.

I would absolutely recommend this company to my mother and to everyone else! And I do regularly. We worked with Karyn at CKY design and she helped us stage our condo for sale. I thought our condo had looked pretty good before she arrived but her eye for colour, detail and space transformed our condo into a space beyond our dreams! We had to wonder if we had ever lived there! She helped us turn our modern condo into a very inviting space by suggesting paint colours, placement of furniture, furniture rentals, etc... She coordinated the painting and staging, rented the furniture, gave us all kinds of great tips, and more. I'm positive the staging is what helped us sell our place within days and over asking price (the highest price in the building at the time). Of course, once our condo was staged, we wondered why we hadn't called her BEFORE we needed to move so we could enjoy it ourselves! This time, now that we have our new home, we called in Karyn to provide us with a design concept - a plan to help us grow into our new place and gradually update it and furnish it in a way that will best suit the space. Again, we're thrilled to have done so. The colour suggestions alone have helped enormously and her suggestions and sourcing of light fixtures (reasonably priced, too!) and recommendations for upgrades and updates have transformed the place at minimal cost so far. Plus we have a great plan from her that can help us as we purchase furniture in the future. I'd describe her style as beautiful-chic-modern. Definitely not a cold, stark modern. Though I know that she can adapt to the needs and wants of her clients very easily. If you're like me and you like beautiful spaces but you can't quite seem to pull it all together, then I would absolutely recommend her services. She is great at working within your budget to provide you with options for making your house a fantastic, beautiful home.

A nice alternative to Ikea! You'll still be assembling your furniture, but the design is different and slightly more modern. We purchased bar stools (hydraulic) and a nice glass television stand from them. All in all, the prices are a little high, given the quality, but certain items are worth it. I've never known them to have any real sales though they'll often clear out products that are discontinued, etc... Picking up the items was a bit of a pain given that it's the market and hard to stop, but otherwise it was pretty painless experience. Now they have more locations so it's more convenient!

After looking all over the city for modern (but not ugly or cheap-looking) light fixtures, we happened upon Zone Maison on Sussex during one of their lighting events. We knew what we wanted and the salespeople were absent (though I think it's because they could see we were ok on our own). After browsing and deciding on a few models, we decided to buy. It took a little while to get them from their storage, but when they returned, they carefully inspected the lighting fixtures for defects and allowed us to do the same, before we paid. They now have a lot of their items on their website, which is quite convenient if you're further afield and want to browse. I'll definitely be going back. Not only do they have great lighting but they also have tons of great home accessories. We've purchased lots of great gifts there in the past.

Over the summer (in the heat of summer), we were purchasing a home with a pool and desperately required a pool inspection. Obviously, the timing was terrible as everyone was having their pools maintained/opened/etc... We called Brady's and while it isn't a service they provide, they were able to refer us to people who could help us. They went out of their way to look into this for us and get back to us at the peak of their busy season. Impressive. We ended up purchasing the house with the pool and were told by everyone to just bring in water samples to Brady's and they'd help us out. So we did. And wow - did they ever. The moment we'd set foot with our water sample, a little team would analyze it while helping us & asking us or answering questions we had about the pool - absolutely free. Yes, their products are definitely more expensive than shopping at Costco or Canadian Tire, but the personalized and friendly service make it worthwhile. Especially for new and inexperienced pool owners like us. And even more when we went away for a couple weeks and our housesitter forgot to maintain the pool... aaak! Algae! Thankfully with their advice and guidance, the problem was quickly resolved. We appreciated that they didn't push us to buy anything during our visits but were so very helpful. I'd definitely recommend Brady's!

After scouring the city for original artwork, we received a recommendation to visit the Ottawa Art Gallery. Boy am I glad we did! They had a great selection of pieces in every price range, lots of different styles and they were very willing to help us find our perfect pieces. I would not hesitate to go again - and as soon as the budget permits, I'll be heading back there again. You have to be a member to rent art, but the fee is quite low. There is no membership requirement for purchases - or at least there wasn't any when I purchased my piece. Can't wait to go back!

First, I should say that while I purchased a few products from Stay Organized, I never did get my custom closet from them. I also got waaaay fewer products than I would have liked because their customer service was lacking (and also they never called me when products I requested arrived). Overall, I found their products very useful but also quite overpriced, especially in relation to Solutions, for example. Given that it is a small (and I believe independent) store, I was willing to overlook the price differential as one often receives better service for the increased price in such cases. Sadly, this was not the case here. After a few too many "missed connections" and less than impressive assistance from staff (new, perhaps?) we decided to take our business elsewhere.

We visited Brault & Martineau out of desperation for comfortable, yet stylish and modern dining room chairs. We had very low expectations. When we found dining room chairs that fit that exact requirement we were surprised, yet quite happy! Attempting to pay for said chairs was quite another matter. No, we did not want financing. Yes, we were sure. Yes, absolutely sure. And the waiting and waiting for a sales person. Did they not want to sell them to us without financing? Who knows? Eventually, after a nearly 30 minute wait/process we exited the store having purchased the chairs. Given the service on payment, we didn't hold out much hope for delivery. Thankfully, we shouldn't have worried. They arrived, as promised, on time and in perfect condition. Phew!

we decided to go with Corbeil because they stocked not only the Miele dishwasher I wanted but also a Miele hoodfan I had been drooling over for a couple of years. We were building our dream kitchen and were happy to be investing in some nice quality pieces. We also ordered a Miele gas cooktop and a Miele wall mounted oven. When the deal fell through (never do business with family!) and we were left holding a bill for items that were special order/non-refundable. We were rather devastated. No dream home. No dream kitchen, but appliances that probably wouldn't fit our new home - wherever it was. When we explained our predicament to Corbeil - who were holding the appliances for us - they bent the rules and actually refunded us the special order items. We were blown away. We did keep the dishwasher, but sadly, the rest of the appliances were simply returned. The dishwasher installation was great. The after sales service was great. They may have lost a little bit on our sale, but they've got customers for life and we tell everyone we know about how they helped us out!

My husband and I were looking for smaller scale furnishings to decorate our 1000 square foot condo and were quite taken with the modern and efficient designs on display at Blueprint home. We purchased a storage bed (with hydraulic lift system), night stands, bedding (inexpensive and beautiful!), a love seat, a Noguchi table knock-off, leather occasional chairs, and more... The sales service was always attentive and quite personalized. The after sales service was more challenging. Getting updates on our orders was an ordeal. When we complained about some bumps on our leather chairs, someone eventually came to inspect them, but we never had any follow up. Honestly, we were willing to just give up and live with them rather than navigate the phone menu for the 100000th time. That said, despite the less than stellar after the fact service, the prices were quite reasonable for products of that quality so I would go back in the future. I just hope their after sales service improves. (And that they get a decent website! It would be great to browse from home as it's now further away).