Melissa Cooley, CKBR/ Case Design/Remodeling Inc.

When I decided to work with Case Design/Remodeling, I was expecting quality service and design. What I could not have predicted was how much fun I had working with Melissa Cooley and Mary Englert, the team assigned to work with me. Melissa and Mary listened carefully to what I wanted, and surprised and delighted me with their designs. Melissa, especially, challenged me to move a bit out of my comfort zone. At first I resisted and she patiently worked with me to explore many design options. We had fun field trips to tile stores and many meetings at their offices in Bethesda. My final decision was pretty much one of the first designs that had been presented to me! I felt comfortable making my own suggestions and I enjoyed hearing their considered reactions. (Some of my ideas made it into the final product!) Melissa and Mary were a delight to work with, and I was sorry to see the project come to an end, but I have been enjoying the results for a little more than two years. Everyone from Case was professional. The project moved along exactly according to the original timeline. I could not have been more pleased with the results.

Melissa was a pleasure to work with throughout all phases of our renovation. We renovated our kitchen, master bathroom and three additional bathrooms. In the planning stages Melissa listen carefully to our needs and gave us exciting options. When we chose the layouts, she worked with us to choose the materials and fixtures. After the selection of the fixtures she visited the site to make sure the installation and the final results were perfect. We loved working with her and her responsiveness when we had questions or ideas. I would definitely work with Melissa again and so appreciate her attention to detail, communication and style.

Melissa was recently the Case designer on our total kitchen renovation and she brought style and spark to every interaction, clearly relishing each challenge. She partnered with our project director, Mary Englert, in a seamless and fun way, and I was surprised to learn they'd only just begun working together, which speaks to their professionalism. Our 25-year old kitchen was worn down from raising a family, loving to cook and entertain, and hosting a constant stream of houseguests, and the space had no architectural flexibility. I'd already developed a concept to make the most out of the footprint, and Melissa was willing to run with it. I thought I was forward-thinking with 2 cabinet colors and 2 distinct countertops, but she encouraged me to go even bigger by adding a third cabinet color-- that inspiration distinguishes the entire look of our space! She then brought impressive focus and attention to every component of the extremely complex cabinet order that resulted from such a variety of finishes and dimensions. I marvel at all the details Melissa kept front and center of her own process, preserving symmetry here and allowing for rhythm there. Every time I look at our new kitchen, I'm thankful for her fresh views and salute how she layered more jazz onto my initial vision. When you go to Case's showroom, Melissa has The Best vignette in their front window, where you can see how much punch she can pack into the smallest space. Beautiful job, Melissa, thank you!