“It’s always a matter of trust when one hires a contracting service but especially important when one’s holiday home is 3,500 miles away. We bought a lovely but neglected 200 year old flat and had the good fortune to hire Dovetail Renovations for the work. From ceiling rosettes to the original plank floors, nearly every inch needed attention. Working with our amazing design company, Jane Perfect Interiors, the flat was transformed with the perfect blend of respect for historic details and integration of modern conveniences.
Dovetail’s excellent communication with us made us comfortable with the progress. We received detailed budgets and a weekly update with photos. All work was done within the proposed timeframe and under budget if one counts the contingency budget wisely added for unexpected repairs. “Don’t you think you should fly over there and see how they’re coming along?” a friend asked. Our reply: “Absolutely not. They know what they’re doing.” The flat is now done and we could not be happier with the quality of the renovations. It has exceeded our expectations both in the actual work and in the experience itself.”
"We were very satisfied with the work done for us by the Dovetail Renovations team to decorate our new flat in Edinburgh.
James managed the project with a true “can-do” approach. Whenever a problem arose, he dealt with it calmly and efficiently. Additional requests were taken on board positively and were implemented quickly, and he never hesitated to roll up his own sleeves to get the job done.
Rarely have we worked with such a hard-working and pleasant painting and wallpapering team. The girls formed a real unit and demonstrated great team spirit. They respected our space and created a happy working environment in the flat throughout the project. Above all, we would like to thank them for the very high quality of their work which went beyond our expectations.
Chris oversaw proceedings in a very professional manner, providing much appreciated weekly reports to ensure that we were fully up to speed with developments. To our delight, the project came in on time and on budget, with minimal disruption to our everyday lives. We would not hesitate to work with Chris and his team again in the future."
"I couldn't be more impressed with the work carried out by the Dovetail team. They were friendly, professional and took great pride in their work. The quality of their work and attention to detail were exceptionally strong. From start to finish the whole process was managed exceptionally well. I was kept well informed throughout and there were no surprises.
I would have no hesitation in recommending them to anyone who is looking for decorators or DIY professionals who deliver first class work."
We are new to Scotland (came from the US) and were unsure about many aspects of Scottish building practices. We bought a flat on which we decided to do significant renovations before we moved in, and our decorator contracted with Dovetail. We worked with Dovetail for over 5 months and the renovations included:
• removing all carpeting, then sanding and refinishing the hardwood floors, • repainting the entire interior of the flat • totally replacing the kitchen, including retiling the floor • totally replacing the en suite and installing a larger shower • wallpapering two bedrooms • worked with one joiner to redo two bedroom closets and two hallway closets, and another to install a bespoke bookcase and a separate entertainment center • installed wood dado in two bedrooms • removed an outdated overhead water tank • replacing lighting fixtures throughout the flat • replaced all radiators in the flat • oversaw all plumbing and electrical work, including new outlets and light switches
Obviously, this was a large project. We could not be happier with both the process and the outcome. Our designer (Jane Perfect) liaised with Dovetail so the whole process was seamless, though we also felt we could contact Dovetail directly when we wanted to. Every Dovetail employee and subcontractor with whom we interacted was friendly, supportive, professional, and responsive. We received helpful weekly updates, including budget status and photographs of that week’s progress. When the team discovered unforeseen issues, such as a water pressure problem, the team worked with us in a timely and professional manner to solve the problem. The project came in on time and we were able to move in when we needed to. We have been delighted living in our beautiful home!
We got introduced to Chris and his team through our great designer Jane Perfect Interiors and we never looked back. Their level of attention to detail and carpentry skills was truly exceptional in today's pre made world. We were comfortable renovating an old Edinburgh apartment, which required numerous bespoke carpentry pieces and none were ever a problem. We were on the other side of the world during the whole project and they provided weekly written reports with photo's and so we were able to keep track of progress and see the actual quality of work. When additional issues were found we were asked for approval prior to the additional work being done and overall were very happy with the "value for money" of the project. They may not be the cheapest contractor out there but I can honestly say their one of the best. We will continue to use Chris and his team for any future work.
