greg treleaven carpenters

I hired Greg on three occasions: the first was in 2011 to build a built-in corner book shelf in our living room. We own a house built in 1875 so it was important that it fit in with the rest of the home. I'm very particular and Greg was very patient as I went back and forth on shelf height, fixed v. adjustable, etc. It was designed off-site at their shop and installed in just a day and a half. Solid construction. Filled with books and pictures, to this day we receive compliments on how "it looks like it was always there". The second time was in 2012 to install a new front door and wooden storm door -- while greg was capable of building a custom door I opted to purchase it, have it stained to match existing woodwork and have his crew hang it and instal a custom screen door I had fabricated. Again, their attention to detail was second to none and we had no issues, only compliments from family and friends. The third time was an emergency, also in 2012, to repair to an old bay window that was rotting (unknowingly to us) and the thick pane glass actually fell outside (with a little help from some little feet). Thankfully nobody hurt but Greg and his team responded the next day to secure things while they built a custom window pane to replace it as well as repair the rot in the sill, etc. They went further to help identify the water issue that was causing the problem. All three projects on-time and on budget. I would recommend and hire Greg agin for future work.

In 2003, I hired Greg to design and build an extremely complicated set of built-in cabinets covering an entire wall of a large living room, from floor to ceiling. The design (which Greg also conceived) was complex, modernist, multi-colored, and multi-textured. Greg and his team did an absolutely superb job in the consultation, design, and execution phase. We have been extremely proud to have these cabinets in our home, and love seeing them every day. in 2010, I hired Greg again to build some built-in cabinets in my study. Again, the project was very complicated (involving finding 150 year old wood to match some 400 year-old chinese doors, and integrating the doors and the cabinets into a coherent functional design). Once again, Greg and his team delivered superb results -- on time and on budget. Greg is extremely easy to deal with, straightforward, high integrity, and as honest as the day is long. Greg not only gets the big picture right, but sweats the details and small stuff too. During the project phases of the work he completed for us, Greg was always open to our questions and suggestions, and made adjustments along the way where they seemed appropriate. With anything handmade and hand-built, the hand and mind of the craftsman is always evident (that's the whole point, right?). Greg Treleavan has the hands and mind not only of a master craftsman and builder, but of an artist as well. If you considering a piece of work that requires high-quality and superb execution and design, you can't do better than Greg Treleaven.

We recently converted our 2 family home into single family, which involved opening walls between the two units and renovating a kitchen and bathroom. The work was carried out in phases between 2012 and 2013. Greg helped in designing modifications that were sensitive to the historic character of our home, as well as the functionality and style we were looking for. He also helped to identify ways that we could minimize cost (getting more of what we wanted out of our budget), and guided us in finding appropriate contractors and materials for different aspects of the work that were required. His communication has been excellent. We are very pleased with the new cabinetry that his team built and installed to fit the small and odd-sized dimensions of our space. Greg helped us to retain or replicate original trim throughout the kitchen and other areas, and to incorporate reclaimed antique fixtures and materials that we selected. We will not hesitate to contact Greg again in the future when we require further work on our house, and would recommend him to friends.

Our relationship with Mr. Treleaven started with a renovation project in a Back Bay, Boston restaurant in 1987. He was hired for his skills as a carpenter. His design and mechanical abilities which we learned of while working with him led us to a continuing thirty year relationship. Our projects have included design and building of a large wrap around deck and two level storage shed, kitchen update and total bath renovation in our Boston home. We worked together on kitchen and bath updates in a Newton condominium. We were so pleased with his design skills that when we needed work on a weekend house in the Sunapee, NH, area that we asked if he would travel to our area to help us. Here his work again entailed redoing of a large deck as well as renovation of the kitchen and baths. His ability to rework a poorly designed space and provide custom cabinetry for this home was superb. I look forward to working with him when a next project comes along.

I have worked with Greg several times over the last 35 years and have had him do major renovations to a pair of Victorian Bowfront Townhouses in the South End and a Large Victorian Home in Brookline. Since the original renovation I have had him work on several custom projects replacing and building "original like" doors and windows, install energy efficient custom windows, and replace porches with new decks, including restoration of the original 1901 porch in the front which had been replaced with a concrete and wrought iron rail, that was not in keeping the the style of the house. I continued to work with him over this time for the simple reason that in most instances he did not need an architect to make the plans, but with his artistic eye was able to make suitable drawings himself, the work was done promptly and has lasted for decades in some cases (in others decades have not yet passed, but when they do I am sure it will be the same story). I would and have recommended him to others with my highest recommendation.

We have had Greg in our home for three different projects. Project # 1 was to do crown molding in our living room and one of our bedrooms. We live in a home that was built in 1860 so it is not an easy job because ceilings slant throughout the years. It was a perfect result: a real pro that not only does quality works, but has great taste and consulted with us on what he thought would look good - nothing but praise.Project # 2 we had an existing kitchen counter that had cabinets built in that we wanted removed and have a breakfast bar area installed...another great job!Project # 3 we had an old built in desk removed and had greg install some custom cabinets that he built that would fit around our newly bought wine fridge. Looks absolutely amazing!

Context: In late 2011, I hired Mr Treleaven to build a dining room cabinet. He and his team rocked it. It's almost perfect, they built it rapidly, and we are proud to have it in our home. In late 2013, I hired Mr Treleaven again to build a large living room bookcase designed by my architect with the goal of matching what Mr Treleaven did in the dining room and future cabinetry work in the house. What I got looks good at a distance (across the room), but up close (1-3 ft away; not microscopic issues), it's sloppy junk. Apparently Mr Treleaven is working with a different crew now. Mr Treleaven is a nice guy and pleasant, but if you're the sort to sweat the details, buy from someone else.