Christine Donner Kitchen Design Inc.

We hired Chris to help oversee a complete renovation of our kitchen and are so pleased with the results. Chris had complete expertise in every phase of the project, and her attention to detail really stood out in the initial planning phase. Without expanding the size of the kitchen, Chris was able to achieve a more functional space with a better layout, more storage, and classic styling. We were so glad to have Chris by our side throughout the renovation and cannot recommend her more highly!

We had the privilege of working with Christine on a total gut renovation of a kitchen. We were referred through another kitchen designer who was too busy to take our job. We met Christine and instantly were impressed with her questions and genuine interest in how we live our lives. Are we serious cooks? Casual entertainers? She was looking to deliver a plan that was tailored to our lifestyle which was in stark contrast to others we had met who only wanted to do a glamorous kitchen for their portfolio. We checked all of Christine’s references and were truly blown away. We’ve interviewed many professionals through the years and have never heard such glowing reviews. So we signed on with confidence. Christine was always well prepared with options/samples and an eagerness to research if she didn’t have an immediate answer though her depth of knowledge and resources was very extensive. Throughout the process, it was a pleasure as we knew we were in the hands of a consummate professional. Christine’s addition to detail was beyond anything we have ever experienced. Our contractor who has worked with many kitchen designers was repeatedly singing her praises at every turn. We challenged her by wanting a pop up tv in the middle of a marble island coupled with an intricate cremone bolt detail. Christine enjoyed building her knowledge and skill set and delivered on all. She accompanied us to appliance showrooms, choosing countertops and had great patience with our indecision at times. Her emails were thorough and helpful. She kept us on track pushing us to prioritize what decisions needed our attention at each juncture. In the end, we are beyond thrilled with all of the details and the experience. If she promised something would be there on a certain date, it was there. It was very apparent that all of her resources had tremendous respect for her and always knew they would be well supported by her communication and professionalism. We could go on and on…. If you are looking to find someone with great talent who you can trust and depend on 150% hire her without hesitation !!!! Jill & Tom Gottlieb

We hired Chris Donner to redo our kitchen and dining area. If we could give Chris 10 stars we would! We had moved into our home about 10 years ago, but never felt that the kitchen was right. We had a large space, but everything was clustered around the island and cooking area. Most of the kitchen was dead wasted pace. Our dining room, was used on Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, and otherwise was a storage area for papers and junk. We had talked for years about trying to fix it, had a few contractors come over, give their opinions, etc., but nothing convinced us to pull the trigger. We decided to call Chris, after doing some research online. We initially had a zoom meeting--since it was in the early beginning of Covid. She spend about an hour with us talking, getting to know what we were looking for, and from there gave us some preliminary drawings within a week. It was the first time we could actually see the space how we wanted it. She came up with the idea of having a pass thru pantry area that would hide away counter-top items, the oven and the large bulky pantry. She gave us a large island, eliminated the dining room, and fit our large dining room table into the open space of the kitchen. We had a few hand made furniture pieces that we did not want to part with--and Chris found spaces for them to be worked into the kitchen. For example, we turned a server into our bar in front of the dining room table, and we placed our hutch into the pantry to house some plates, bowls and lesser used items. Chris also took parts of the island and made drawers and storage workable for the dining room table on one end, and the kitchen area in the other. She also helped us to pick out colors, tiles, and counter-tops. Chris was also so very helpful in getting us to different shops for materials, and selections. She also put us in touch with Pelham Homes, in Ridgefield, CT, who served as the General Contractor for the job. Joe Fossi and his team were amazing, just like Chris. Well organized, always quick to respond, and did great work. When the cabinets arrived, Chris was there to see the layout. She immediately noticed a small error on one cabinet, and had it fixed by the next day so their wasn't any delay whatsoever. For a complete renovation, the entire process went smooth and well. Chris knew what she was doing, and had plenty of contacts to get us good materials and the right contractors. We love the new kitchen! We would highly recommend Chris for any kitchen renovation.

Just completed our 2d kitchen renovation with Chris Donner and are, once again, thrilled with the results. Chris is fluent in all current trends and has an exceptional aesthetic. She has an eye for timelessness and quality and has consistently provided sage advice and guidance. Do yourselves a favor and go with Chris...quite honestly, you will be so glad you did!

Christine took a large tricky space in our old colonial home and designed a beautiful, high functioning kitchen with plenty of storage. She is detail oriented, very responsive, and collaborates well. It’s so easy to be confused by the myriad of choices and price ranges available in cabinetry, hardware, countertops, etc. and she made the selection process much easier by narrowing the choices based on quality, dealer reliability, and cost.

Christine was wonderful to work with on our kitchen island! We were searching for a kitchen designer to help with the island and work within the existing space of our open floor plan home. Christine's work on houzz.com caught my eye and she came right out after our initial phone conversation. She took us from wishlist through to final installation with expert guidance and style. Her recommendation of soapstone for the top and the exact stone yard where we found the black color we desired was so helpful. She is a pleasure to work with and cares more about a satisfied client than her fee. She knows her details. Every aspect of our project is fantastic and it changed the whole makeup of our downstairs and how we eat as a family...as she said it would. I highly recommend Christine!

When my husband and I were designing our new house, we brought in Christine to design our kitchen. She has a great eye and talent for understanding and capturing her client's vision and turning that into great kitchen design and functionality. Our house, based on a period Victorian but with all the conveniences for modern-day living needed a kitchen that was functional while maintaining the overall time period character we were trying to convey. I had a clip book of ideas, and Chris went to work on everyone (improving on many of them with her great ideas - including a vertical cutlery drawer). She worked extremely well alongside our builder and followed up on every detail. We have been so pleased with her work and highly recommend her.

We were shopping for a kitchen designer when we met Chris. She impressed us by being more interested in the design challenge of our new house than in the retainer check. She came through with a good design and very fair pricing for excellent custom cabinetry. Her concern for getting the look just right, for the scale of our space, led her to blue tape the outline of our hood and cabinets on the wall, so that we could all stand back and study it. It worked. (And we have 20’ ceilings.) She often says, I don’t like surprises, and that is why she takes such care to get every detail right, and keep her clients in the loop. She worked extensively with us to create an unusual custom hood, and helped us shop for countertop materials. Chris also worked well with our builder and showed up every time we had a question. We are more than pleased with the process and the result.

Christine is a very professional designer of kitchens and baths . My contractor was very impressed with her accuracy. She is a pleasure to work with . My bathroom and kitchen was designed perfectly. We are very pleased with both rooms . She truly cares

Chris did a beautiful job on our kitchen and home office project. She has a wonderful eye for detail and a practical approach as well. She communicated effectively with our architect and builder and supervised the installation of each aspect of the project. She is a pleasure to work with and I am very pleased with the results.

Chris is smart, practical, honest, efficient and has great taste. Plus she’s fun to work with. She came up with a great solution for a tricky space and we love it!

Chris pushed us to really think about every aspect of how we live in and use our kitchen on a daily basis---it is because of that process that we do not feel we “missed” any detail. From the cabinetry, to the hardware, to the stone selection, to the appliances, and sourcing the perfect hood, we were so grateful for Chris's attention to detail and desire to make our kitchen look and function beautifully. We also appreciated her patience and professionalism with the many challenges encountered by working with multiple collaborators and as changes were made. All in all, Chris gave us the kitchen of our dreams and we could not be more grateful or pleased with the end result.

From a field of at least a dozen kitchen designers we chose Christine Donner Kitchen Design Inc. and we are very glad we did. Christine skillfully re-designed our existing floor plan to create a more open, airy, functional space that incorporates all the functionality we had hoped for. During the initial design phase she asked all the right questions (lots of them) and really listened to our answers until she knew who we were and what our vision was. Her attention to detail is extraordinary and throughout the process she called on a wealth of knowledge and experience to make suggestions, offer solutions and point us toward helpful resources. What looked great on paper works perfectly in practice. The final design is equally well suited to the huge Thanksgiving dinner (two weeks after completion) and simple week night meal prep. We have been “living” and entertaining in our kitchen for four months and would change nothing!

Working with Christine was a great experience resulting in an amazing master bathroom. Christine's exceptional communication skills meant that everyone involved with the project was always on the same page. She started by listening to our ideas and collaborating to develop a detailed design plan. This plan was constantly updated as the project progressed. She has a strong knowledge of building fundamentals and terminology and understands how to translate the design aspects to contractors, craftsmen, and vendors. Her focus on communication avoided missteps and fostered great team dynamics. Christine was always very responsive to phone calls and emails. She walked us through every step of the project and was a great advisor throughout. Christine has a great knowledge of design and an amazing sense of color and space with an emphasis on functionality...there wasn't an inch of space that wasn't utilized. She is highly creative and extremely organized. All of these qualities created a "no drama" approach and an ability to be flexible. Christine was a pleasure to work with.

Christine's straightforward detailed approach made the renovation process seamless from start to finish. Christine has a great knack for understanding your taste and goals quickly and making it a beautiful reality.

I used Christine Donner to completely redo a very tired 1970's kitchen. She did an absolutely superb job. She was a delight to work with. I would recommend her to anyone. She was professional, came in under budget and did everything in a very timely fashion. Chris is very up on the latest trends but is very good at helping to keep costs down. The completed project is just wonderful. I give her an A+.

Christine is a talented, patient, detail-oriented kitchen and bath designer and we are thrilled with the quality of the work she provided and the gorgeous kitchen and master bathroom we now have thanks to her. We recently purchased our home and the kitchen and master bath were in need of updating. I had done kitchen and bath renovations in the past and knew what I was getting into-- I was very apprehensive about starting this project. From the moment Christine arrived at our home for our initial meeting she put my husband and me at ease. She listened to our description of how we use our space, what our needs were and what our goals were. She opened every cupboard and took copious notes and measurements. Her design suggestions were creative and improved the functionality of the kitchen and bath. I worry over each little decision; I probably asked Christine 1,000 questions during the months we worked together. She always patiently answered my questions and responded to my emails and phone calls almost immediately. Christine is very organized and hard working. In addition, she has a wide range of fabulous resources to recommend. She provided meticulous plans for the contractors to use and she worked well with the contractors and the subcontractors. The result was an easy installation that was completed within the time frame we expected. Christine was a pleasure to work with and spend time with. My husband and I love our new kitchen and bath. I would highly recommend Christine to anyone who is considering any kitchen or bath design work.

This woman is a very unique specimen — she is not merely a kitchen designer but a true master of design. Christine has an in depth knowledge of all styles and a distinct ability to mix design elements to create functional and inviting spaces that serve as centerpieces of the home. Her attention to detail is unparalleled and her vast knowledge of all things from appliances and mechanics to lighting, tops, pulls, tile and grout will guide you down to the tiniest detail. She is thoughtful, current and precise. She puts her unique spin on each project and she nails it every single time. I am thrilled to be working with her on kitchen number two. Christine is a pleasure to deal with and I cannot recommend her highly enough.

Over the last few years, 6 kitchens and counting with Chris. As a General Contractor, no single person involved in a kitchen renovation will appreciate the 'mechanics' of design more than the GC. All those intricate 'specifications' that go into a kitchen design; in my experience, no one has a better understanding of those details than Chris. She is fluent in 'general contracting' terms. As far as design, all you need to do is look through her project photos. Those photos speak to a high level of creativity and imagination, as well as the quality of cabinetry. So much so that I've displayed photos of our 'partnership' kitchens on my project page. So if you are looking for a kitchen designer, Waverly Construction would give high recommendations to Chris Donner. She will design you a beautiful kitchen that makes sense, and your contractor will really appreciate it. Russ Schif

Kitchen renovations can be exciting, challenging, exhausting, frustrating, & time consuming. So I knew I wanted to hire a professional Kitchen Designer to help me through the process. I am thrilled to have found Christine Donner. She has an eye for beautiful and elegant finishes. She is a talented designer that understands how to make a kitchen space a well functioning room. Chris has at her fingertips an army of professional vendors that trust and admire her, and that work with her clients to help produce a beautiful end product. She has a strong knowledge of cabinetry, as well as, how appliances operate, and their quality. When using a designer, you spend much time together brainstorming, planning, shopping, installing, etc. Christine has a collaborative approach to her work. She knows what will work and what won't. She will never impose her will on you, but will gently steer you away from any big mistakes. This is something I appreciated greatly!

Chris Donner had a challenge - our home is 250 years old. We needed a very new, very high-tech kitchen (I am a food writer and cookbook author) and yet it needed to blend in with the old floorboards, beamed ceilings and beehive oven in the fireplace. The result is a seamless transformation of old into new. And she did it on-time, on-budget, and always listening to our needs and our hopes for our "very old house". We would use Chris again for sure, and have recommended her to many others.

Chris designed our last kitchen (about 12 years ago) and it has been wonderful. She was great to work with at every step of the project, had great ideas, and created a very useful as well as beautiful kitchen for us. We can't think of anything we would have done differently. Now we find ourselves needing to put the house up for sale and are building a new house. Without hesitation, we asked Chris to design the kitchen in the new house, and have no doubt that it will be great. Chris knows materials, appliances, and most importantly, she knows how people use kitchens and how they cook. She's also a pretty good cook herself.

Christine just helped up design and complete our dream kitchen. From the beginning to the end Christine was such a pleasure to work with and very detail oriented. She went above and beyond on so many aspects of the job and helped us navigate everything from designing the best space possible, to selecting the best products for us, to helping manage the construction and cabinet installation. When we had a knob backorder situation Christine was out pounding the pavement looking for a solution. I really can't say enough positive things about working with her. If you select Christine for your kitchen renovation you will not be disappointed.

I have worked with Chris Donner for the better part of 15 years. She has a great knack for blending the desire of the client and how it relates to the home's future kitchen lay out. Her work is always exceptional from a design perspective. She has a tremendous attention to details regarding the technical aspects of the project. Christine is always looking to do the right thing when putting a kitchen design together. She thinks of the client's wishes as well as the requirements for all the trades to do a proper installation which facilitates easier follow up service. I never hesitate to recommend Christine. I only wish she would write a handbook for all future kitchen designers.

I highly recommend Christine Donner. I remolded a kitchen and 3 bathrooms and could not have done it without Christine. Her designs were beautiful and very personal. Her attention to detail and functionality is exceptional. She understood my vision and style and very patiently led me through every aspect of the projects. She helped me pick out cabinets, appliances, the stones , the bath fixtures and accessories. My contractor and his crew enjoyed working with her and admired her knowledge. She was always available to answer any question they had or help solve any issue that came up. I would not change anything! Christine was delightful to work with and would hire her again without reservation.

We fully renovated our kitchen . Christine helped us from start to finish With this project .She is incredibly easy to work with and she listens to your ideas and thoughts and incorporates them into her design. She is responsive and present throughout the project and there whenever you need her. Her exceptional knowledge in kitchen design helped us to clarify our own ideas. We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our new kitchen and couldn't be happier with Christine 's amazing work and expertise! We highly reccommend her!!

Working with Christine was honestly the most refreshing piece of my 2.5 yr construction project. She was beyond professional, very creative, so thoughtful and downright awesome to have in my life. She offered countless great ideas for our space and just made my life that much easier as she took on one of the most important rooms of our home. She most certainly understood my personality and my desires for the space and executed a lovely plan to incorporate all that we threw at her. We have only fantastic things to say about our time spent working with Chris and with our amazing kitchen. It is most certainly the most thoughtfully designed space in my entire house and I have Chris to thank for it! I give her my highest recommendation!

Christine Donner is a very knowledgeable and talented kitchen and bathroom designer. She is wonderful to work with and has an experienced and creative eye for design and detail. She takes her time to get to know her clients needs and life-style and will design a space that works best for them. My husband and I found Chris to be a pleasure to work with. She is thorough, organized and talented. We highly recommend her.

Chris Donner was incredibly organized, knowledgeable and professional at all times, ever mindful of timetables and worked beautifully with contractor. She took us through each step of a complete kitchen renovation including appliance purchasing and every detail of the kitchen renovation.

Christine is a wonderful designer. We were impressed with her from the first meeting where she came to our house, listened to what I wanted and got a sense of our style by also looking at other spaces within the home. Her initial free hand designs based on that initial conversation needed only a few minor tweaks to build the kitchen of my dreams. A kitchen that many years later I still love to enter every morning. Her attention to detail is superb. She goes above and beyond by ensuring that the project gets executed to her high standards. Would highly reccommend her.

Chris Donner's work is impeccable. She designed our kitchen about 10 years ago and I can honestly say that it still takes my breathe away-We love our kitchen! Chris was professional, honest, accessible and timely. We really couldn't recommend her more highly!

I did a total renovation of my 3000sq. ft. house to a 5000 sq. ft. in 2011-2012. Christine' assignments in included design and decoration of a new kitchen, 3 new bathrooms and a redesign of living space including shelving and a fireplace. The results are all outstanding. She spent a lot of time understanding our visions and our needs. I could not have done such an extensive project without her help and support. Christine's participation went beyond her projects and included color choices and design ideas for the entire house. Her understanding of appliances, plumbing and electrical details were a big help for me. I can highly recommend Christine with confidence. All aspects of our project went without a hitch including budgets and deadlines.

I have know and worked with Christine over the years on two kitchen and bathroom remodeling projects. Her attention to detail is unbelievable. You will never find a designer that will give you exactly what you want with the end result within the financial guidelines. I wouldn't do any remodeling project without Christine's advice.

We hired Christine Donner to design and then manage the installation of a new kitchen in our home. She had been recommended to us by a contractor. We couldn't have been more pleased with the whole process. From the design, to the implementation and then thru the final odds and ends, Christine's attention to detail was second to none. We have since used her to design and implement the renovation of a Master Bathroom, Master Closet Suite and a Kids Bathroom. We couldn't be happier with the results.

I have had the privilege of working with Christine over the last decade on many projects. It is honestly refreshing to work with a true professional that is efficient in every way possible and is cutting edge on what style her clients' are looking for.

Christine designed my kitchen a number of years ago. Being an excellent cook herself, she really understands that a kitchen must not only look good but be highly functional. She mentioned things to me that I hadn't thought of previously. She was great at taking light and color into consideration. She stayed involved throughout the project and was there during all of the construction and made sure everyone did a great job. I would hire her again in a heartbeat!!

Over the years I have seen many Christine Donner kitchens on the New Canaan Cares Kitchen tour and loved them. They are so well planned and beautiful. When I decided to remodel my master bath I used her. Her product knowledge, customer service and follow through is fantastic.