Dovetails and Stitches

Richard was wonderful to work with. He listened to my wishes and came through shining. The project looks perfect and exactly what I was looking for. He allowed me to finish the project myself and also sent me a bonus with a beautiful gift. I will definitely contact Customemade again for future projects.

BF

Barbara Fetty

For Walnut Nightstand

5.0

Jun 15, 2024

I ended up with a nightstand far more beautiful than the one in the photo. Richard is a true artist and we collaborated on what turned out to be a work of art. Richard chose the perfect cherry and we designed a one-of-a-kind piece that is not only functional but stunning. The communication was perfect. I am an artist and showed Richard the piece that will be hanging next to this nightstand. It inspired him to make a suggestion that we add a brass inlay and that turned out to be genius. It took it to a completely new level. I wish there was a way for me to attach a photo to this review because the finished product is amazing.

Looks fantastic and will really bring warmth and functionality to my front hall. Worth every nickel (we don't have pennies anymore LOL). Thank you very much for your care and attention. I would recommend you to anyone. Craig

All very positive Fixture is still in crate, but what I can see, looks great

SB

Stephen Bonikowsky

For Stephen's Mantel

4.8

May 5, 2024

My wife and I had a very specific design and style in mind for our fireplace mantle and surround. After a lot of hunting around and receiving we found Richard with Dovetails and Stitches, from the very beginning I knew he was different than everyone else that reached out to me. After a couple conversations and a little looking into Dovetail and Stitches I decided to move forward, I've done a little finish carpentry work, enough to know that Richard knew what he was talking about and was asking me all the right questions. My wife and I are extremely pleased with the outcome, considering that I live many states away and Richard had to do everything based on my measurements I am really impressed, I wish I could upload some pictures to go with the review. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars across the board was for one minor adjustment I had to make. Very glad I went with Richard and Dovetails and Stitches and highly recommend them.

Richard is probably one of the best communicators and flexible project managers I have ever worked with. He seems to truly enjoy his work and is passionate about providing the best outcome. Dynamic in approach. Highly recommend

This is a difficult review. I contacted several people thru CustomMade regarding building a cabinet for under our TV that would hold all the related electronic equipment. I chose Richard Louis with Dovetail and Stiches. The good: Richard was easy to work with, helped with the design, and was quick to answer any questions. The finished product was beautifully crafted and well made. The bad: The stained finish is not quite what I wanted and does not match the example photos I sent to Richard. The colors in the photos he sent me of the finished product before shipping don’t really match the unit in person. This is not necessarily Richard’s fault, just disappointing. Chaulk it up to the camera or the computer monitor. This is the problem with having something built where you can’t check on the product as it is being made. I will probably try to sand the unit down and re-stain or paint it. The ugly: After it was complete, Richard sent photos of the finished product. Two sections of the wood framing the doors were significantly darker than all other parts of the doors and of the main cabinet, which looked terrible. Richard said that was just the nature of wood, but for an additional $330, he could change it! His claim of 100% customer satisfaction came at a cost. Additionally, when it arrived there was a small stain on the top that did not seem to come from the crate the unit was shipped in and was not shown in any photos. Bottom line, I could have bought a similar piece in a retail store for half the cost, and considering the extra charge to address what should have been done right to begin with, I would not recommend Dovetail and Stiches.

Really enjoyed working with Richard, he ensured product was produced according to specification, offered ideas for improving design. He provided frequent updates and pictures throughout the process. The finish of the wood was exactly like I had envisioned. The product was carefully packaged to ensure no dents or scratches during shipment. Great craftmanship -- would definitely work with Dovetail and Stiches again!

Happy in every way I will put more projects to Richard

Richard (and his wife) were amazing with this project. The product he created is true craftsmanship, which is hard to find these days. He was wonderful about communicating and providing pictures every step of the way, asking for my feedback, making sure things were going the way I'd hoped, etc., etc. This is truly a beautiful table, incredibly well-made, and a piece of art in addition to function. And it was shipped so securely it could have been run over and still been fine! It was a true pleasure to work with him, and his ability to create beauty is astounding. I'm so grateful to have connected with him on this project and cannot recommend him more highly!

Richard was extremely professional. You could tell he wanted to make exactly what we wished and he had so many suggestions that made us feel so confident in his skill. His experienced craftsmanship was quite evident in the finished product. it was such a pleasure to work with him.

Our experience with Richard was topic notch right from the very first email. He clearly made this very easy every step of the way. It's not always easy to communicate what you want not really understanding the logic of what your asking for. Watching so many different steps of our table being built through photos kept us engaged and excited. Richard's patience and great communications with us made this a great experience. Our banquette table for our bench seating is truly a piece of art. It matches the bench seating as if they were built together. We couldn't be happier with our table and the professionalism of Richard and all the workers who were apart of this project. The shipping crew were also very professional and a pleasure to welcome into our home to deliver our table. Cheers to all of you!!!

Fantastic end to end experience. Richard at Dovetails and Stitches truly did an outstanding job with “Old Friends”- our bench for our kids. Richard was prompt in communicating and explained the process well. We are exceptionally happy with the finished project. Hope to have something else for them to work on soon!

Richard was great to work with and the quality of his work is top-notch. I have no hesitation in recommending him.