what clients are saying about Dan and John Life …
Dan and John are absolutely AMAZING. We were in the middle of construction and really needed someone to give us some advice to make our renovation more personal and add some really cool features. THEY DELIVERED. OVER AND ABOVE WHAT I HAD EXPECTED!!!
Karen — Cresskill, NJ
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Dan and John within minutes solved the vexing issue of “what goes where” in arranging furniture and art in my house after a remodel. I was really amazed and next time they will be my first call instead of my last. Their own personal home and garden renovation is stunningly beautiful and creative. Talented duo and “real nice guys” to boot.
Ruth — Leonia, NJ
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Dan and John are amazing problem solvers. They came up with a fabulous solution and provided easy and clearly marked drawings. I couldn’t have been happier. Professional, smart, talented and great communicators. I would recommend them — for big or small jobs.
Ellen — Leonia, NJ
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Count on Dan and John to deliver something even more wonderful than you can imagine. The work is top quality and the bonus is that they are two of the nicest people you will ever meet.
Stephanie — Nyack, NY
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I loved working with these two designers. Their energy is wonderful and their creative eye for problem solving is fantastic. They helped us solve many issues — everything from what sofa would work best for our space, wall colors, furniture and accessory ideas for specific areas in the apt and redesigning a closet for optimal use. They are great listeners and help you define what it is you want. Their solutions are well thought through and they communicate in a straight forward way. I would recommend them HIGHLY!
Kristina — Manhattan, NY
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After years of contemplating dozens of back splash ideas I knew I needed some advice to help me narrow the field of choices and get the result I wanted. A quick design consultation with Dan and John helped to establish the scope of the project and type/color of tile to use. With new found confidence I went with Ann Sacks Elements Earthenware Field Tile in Cotton Matte. I feel like I have a new kitchen and love it.
Steve — Boston, MA
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Dan and John helped me get “unstuck” when I moved to London. My new flat had an open floor plan, but I wasn’t sure how to lay out the space. They sat with me, listened to my concerns and gave me the direction I needed. I had the opportunity to visit their home, which they had recently renovated. Besides being lovely — there were so many creative touches, which I would never have thought of doing. I would highly recommend them.
Samantha — London, England
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I hired Dan and John to design a large porch addition and outdoor living space. They were professional, punctual and receptive to ideas, questions and concerns. They communicate very well with the client! I believe their most striking quality is their ability to REALLY listen to your needs, evaluate your specific circumstance and develop a creative (but also practical), comprehensive plan. Our final design is a reflection of my family’s desires, needs and taste. It was quite a fun, creative process. I plan to hire them again for our next indoor remodeling project!
Ginny — Windsor, CT
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We hired Dan and John Life to help us think through room layout and design in our home renovation. Dan and John are our neighbors, and we knew of the high quality of their work on their own home. We too live in a quirky, century-old house with many small rooms, and we knew they could help us rethink it through a modern lens. Dan and John listened carefully to our plans, assessed our needs, and helped us break through some particularly vexing bugaboos—in particular, the layout of a master bedroom addition. This is a trait of theirs we especially admire: their ability to see beyond overly complicated ideas and offer a clean, simple solution. Their work style is calm, efficient and decisive, and their price points extremely reasonable. We plan to hire them again.
Chris and Lisa — Leonia, NJ
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Dan and John set a high bar as consultants. They know how to build relationships as well as provide high-quality architectural design consultations. Dan and John provided critical insights on what might have been a stressful home renovation project: gutting and redesigning a kitchen. They thoughtfully scoped out the space; thoughtfully reviewed our aesthetic; made astute observations about practical and cosmetic aspects of the project; projected longer term about how the space might evolve; and did a lot of listening. We were very pleased with the final design, as much with the physical build-out as with the choice of paint colors; the new design integrated smoothly with the rest of our home. Overall, Dan and John are knowledgeable and disarming; their prices are reasonable for the quality of work; and they delivered specs often ahead of schedule, with vivid examples that exceeded our expectations.
Brent — Rhinebeck, NY
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Dan and John went above and beyond on our kitchen renovation! We have an old Colonial home, and had worked with them previously on our living room design. The kitchen was completely gutted, and the new aesthetic honors the history of the home while adding an urban farmhouse aesthetic. They provided extensive amounts of research, creative design concepts, and thoughtful, unique ideas for our kitchen. I am not a shopper, and therefore relied on their expertise and vision. Before designing, they got to know our personal wants and desires, and honored them throughout the process. They were available on a moment’s notice, and guided me through many a shopping nightmare! They also were on site when needed and instrumental in guiding our team throughout the construction process. We, truly, are indebted to them, and LOVE our new kitchen!
Michele — South Orange, NJ
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I have hired Dan and John twice – once for my home and once for my office. As an architect and an interior designer, they bring a very different perspective than other interior design companies I have worked with. Just after their initial visit, we made significant changes to our house alteration plans that we are still thanking them for every day. They were able to solve design problems that all others involved (we the home owners, our architect and our builder) were simply stumped with. Sometimes the simplicity of their ideas was incredible. We also loved the fact that they clearly understood our budget and fully worked within the budget to not only meet our needs, but to supersede them. The experience was so good that I decided to hire them once again to work on designing a new office for my company.
Craig — Cresskill, NJ
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After a ceiling leaked in our aging kitchen, previously refurbished in 2002, it was time to do a complete remodel! I was referred by a friend to Dan and John Life.
What a fortunate recommendation! They not only helped me with hiring a contractor, but drove me to showrooms for cabinets, flooring, appliances, etc, places I did not know about and probably would not access on my own. Their advice and great sense of style and color made the final product — a brand new kitchen — a joy with a minimum of inconvenience or worry. Their very best advice resulted in a room that is a pleasure to see, be in, and use.
Diane — Leonia, NJ
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Dan and John Life have been such a pleasure to work with in the renovation of the basement in my house. This basement hasn’t been touched since 1968 when the last remodel happened. It is long overdue for an overhaul but after thinking about it for a few years I couldn’t seem to get the project off the ground. I had seen them in action at a friend’s home and decided to contact Dan and John about my basement. They are the complete professionals in getting to know their client. After asking some questions about my thinking of the project they came up with wonderful ideas and drew a plan so I could visualize the completed space down to sourcing all the materials needed for the renovation. Dan and John are completely budget conscious and are a wealth of knowledge about all the sources out there for fixtures, furniture, window treatments, flooring, you name it. Will put up ‘before and after’ pictures once the work is complete. LOVE Dan and John Life!!!
Lisa — Englewood, NJ
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Dan and John are a wonderful team — a refreshing amalgam of talent, insight, professionalism and warmth. I called them for a Design Session after years of feeling overwhelmed and confused about how to transform an outdated house that still mirrored the tastes of the previous owners. I had seen some of their work, ranging from revamping small apartment spaces to designing a spectacular addition for an existing house; all were equally impressive in different ways and I felt assured that they would be able to help. Following our meeting, they delivered a written overview of suggestions that have since served as a foundation and guide as we slowly make changes to our house. I especially appreciate that they respected our budget, listened attentively and anticipated our needs quickly. Thanks to them, we have been able to add much needed clarity to our ideas and are living happily in a home that now reflects more of our needs and sensibilities.
Cecelia — Teaneck, NJ
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Dan and John have just finished the renovation of our bedroom and I cannot stop smiling.
In late fall my husband and I decided we needed a major overhaul of our bedroom after too many unfortunate design choices on our part. Dan and John were recommended through a friend so we decided to charge ahead. I was a bit nervous because we live in Boston and Dan and John are based in New Jersey but it turned out that distance was no problem at all. Dan and John came up for an initial site visit to photograph and measure our space. Two weeks later we had a beautiful proposal with “before” photographs and sketches of what the new space could be. From there a full-blown personalized catalog was created with shopping options for each of the pieces we would need in our room.
For three months we worked via email and scheduled phone calls. My husband and I selected our pieces, arranged for the painting and carpeting and the room gradually evolved into a beautiful and restful space. Along the way Dan and John were always available for questions, worries or other ideas. All was complete except for some needed artwork. When Dan and John came for a final visit they matted and reframed some favorite photographs and the results are just wonderful. We were able to use old pieces in new ways, while bringing in a very fresh, new look that was very reflective of who we are.
My only regret in the project is that it is over and I won’t have Dan and John to email each week.Lynn — Needham, MA
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Last year, I hired Dan and John to help me fix up my dining room and office, and I am STILL reaping the rewards. Hiring them for a life design consultation is one of the best things I’ve ever done to improve my home life. When you live in a home for a long time, it becomes very difficult to imagine how much better spaces could be. You get stuck in a rut.
After taking Dan and John on a tour of my house, they made EXCELLENT suggestions of moving select pieces of furniture into my office to make it 100% more functional (I moved two neglected bookshelves from a guest room into my office and was able to put away ALL of my office supplies and books). They also suggested how to rearrange the layout of my office to make it a more productive workplace (Bye, bye sofa. Hello clean, uncluttered desk and calming view of garden). My new office has had a profound effect on my career! If I’d known it would have made such a big difference, I would have done this years ago.
For the dining room, Dan and John turned a room that was rarely used into an inviting, comfortable space where my family can easily entertain AND do crafts.
I’m telling you, they are WIZARDS! They get YOU — your style, the way you live and want use your space. From now on, I will always call them before I renovate a room.
Jen — Leonia, NJ
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Dan and John have been inspiring us with their amazing taste, eye for design, and understanding of how to use spaces to be beautiful and useful for a long time.
We asked them to help us with the layout in our sitting room. We’d struggled to get a coherent arrangement of furniture and artwork in this awkward-shaped room for a while. Dan and John looked at the space (via Skype), asked lots of questions, weren’t afraid to point out the obvious and came up with a brilliant solution. I’d planned a more radical rearrangement which they helped me see wouldn’t work at all.
In the end we only needed some small adjustments to the room to create an elegant space that works for the children and for us. It feels bigger, more cohesive and there’s lots more storage. We absolutely love it. Thank you.
I couldn’t recommend them more highly.
Rebecca and Jared — Ramsgate, England
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My husband and I worked with Dan and John Life in May 2013. We love art and collect contemporary glass sculpture, and had recently purchased several new pieces that we had no idea where or how to display. The downstairs of our house – foyer, living room and dining room – was already crowded with objects but we wanted to make room for the new work. We considered many scenarios but after more than one year of struggling with it, we realized we were stuck. I had met Dan and John through some neighbors and remembered their backgrounds, and thought they could help move us forward.
We started collaborating with them with the objective of idea generation. We had several meetings to flesh out what we wanted where they took meticulous measurements and photographs. We brainstormed ideas, and they proved to be great listeners and partners, always putting our needs, ideas and preferences first.
Within a reasonable period of time, they presented a very professional portfolio of ideas (via PowerPoint) for us to consider. The scenarios were creative, well illustrated and all “worked.” We met a few more times to refine the ideas until we came up with a final plan that we could execute. (It was our preference to execute the plan though Dan and John would have done so had we wanted them to.)
Once we had the shelving unit built, rearranged and edited what pieces would be displayed and installed the new acquisitions – all according to the plan – we were, and still are, totally delighted with the outcome. It’s clean, professional and shows off our collection. It is also flexible so we can rearrange and alternate pieces as the spirit moves us.
Thanks to Dan and John, we’re now able to enjoy our art collection. They got us “unstuck” with great, creative ideas. They are delightful to work with — professional, creative, patient and a lot of fun to be around. I would definitely work with them again and refer them to a friend.
Bonnie — Leonia, NJ
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I called Dan and John Life after witnessing the transformation they gave to one my closest friend’s apartments.
My circumstances: I remained in a house after a divorce. What was a lovely home for “we” was now just a house for me. I felt completely “stuck” . . . unable to make decisions about colors or decorating or anything by myself. After years of inertia, I finally reached out to them for help.
What transpired was incredibly helpful to me. Dan and John are lovely guys …smart … definitely functioning as a team, bouncing stuff off of each other, etc. They carefully assessed my space. Room by room. They listened to me intently … Who I was, what I liked, what I did for a living, where I was having trouble, etc, etc. And then they proceeded to do some magic.
When it came time to recap, they provided me a pdf of detailed, comprehensive suggestions for each space of my house. Each thing I’ve had the good sense to implement was an immediate, noticeable improvement to my house. One not so small example …
They parked themselves in my living room/den space for a good long time. Two adjoining rooms which are almost one room, separated only by a single step down. No wall between them. And though the rooms are separate in function (the den for sitting, the living room for tv & fireplace), they coexist in one large space. So the rooms needed to “relate” to each other. And they didn’t.
After slow and focused deliberation, Dan and John reimagined that space in a way that completely eluded me (and my ex) for a full 10 years. Using only the existing furniture, they shifted 3 out of 4 chairs, repositioned the sofa, and moved a cabinet from the den to the living room. By the time they were done, it was a completely new space. It all made sense, room to room. It was pretty amazing.
I’m a fan. They don’t know it yet, but they’re coming back to help me with Chapter 2 very soon.
Clint — Upper Nyack, NY