Old World Craftsmen LLC

Scott and his team are meticulous at every stage of the renovation process! From keeping the site impeccably clean, to crafting all aspects of the construction process to absolute precision. His scheduling of subcontractors and deliveries are well timed and thought out to keep the projects right on schedule. Old World Craftsmen approaches each project with great integrity and finishes with white glove service.

This is the second large-scale project we've undertaken with this contractor. We returned for the second project because Scott is personally engaged throughout the process. Whenever we had a question or needed a situation addressed - he made it happen. His team is hard working and polite. The work is stellar. If I had any critique it would simply be to pay closer attention in the clean up phase - since we've picked up many nails/screws from the lawn, discovered two forgotten lunches which had been placed on a shelf in our garage which had spent several months there until we could find the scent and the nail holes above eye-level were left as-is (not filled in.) This said, we recommend his company without reservation and will definitely come back if we have another project.

Scott was extremely patient with us as we were in touch with him for over a year before we began our kitchen renovation. He recommended all the players that we needed for our renovation and we used almost all of them: architect, kitchen cabinet retailer, counter-top fabricator, and a lumberyard for our deck. This was our first home renovation and Scott helped us through the process. He is professional, knows his business and goes above and beyond to address questions and concerns. He is meticulous which is exactly what you want in your contractor. He was flexible with us when we asked him to start our deck in December before the kitchen renovation. (I need a kitchen for the holidays). Flexibility is also a key trait in a contractor. During the renovation Scott came over almost every day and kept us informed on where we were with the project and what was coming next. The two guys on his team that worked on the carpentry, Freddie and Rudy, were expert craftsmen. They included me in the decision making when the plans were not crystal clear. They were friendly towards me and my small children and they always cleaned up the space at the end of the day and let me know when the space was not safe for the kids. Many of my friends have terrible renovation stories and I have nothing to add as ours was a pleasant experience from start to end. I do wish we had a 3-D version of our plans as that would have made things easier for the guys when installing some of the cabinets. Scott estimated that our new kitchen would be ready in 5-6 weeks. We started in January and even though we lost a day or two due to blizzards and added more days due to some new molding and trim he finished in 6 weeks. I wholeheartedly recommend Scott and his team.

We have known Scott for several years now and he has become our go to person for anything on our property. Old World Craftsman has completed several project for us, including a new driveway, a water-proofed basement snd crawl space, numerous smaller jobs, and most recently, a new stone patio deck that married two large by previously separate patios. Scott works with us from design through completion. He has a genuine interest in making things not only beautiful buy functional. We trust his advice. And we trust him to get the job done and at a fair cost. We have worked with do many contractors in the past. Since starting with Scott, we have not used anyone else. We highly recommend him.

Scott has worked on our house (built in 1927, so there's always something to update!) for years. His work is always professional. When we run into surprises (rarely -- he's very thorough in preparing his bid), he comes up with great solutions, and we trust him completely. From exterior facia work to bathroom renovation to heating system replacement, we've never been disappointed with Scott, and we will continue to use him.

My Interior Design company has worked with Scott of Old World Craftsmen on several projects to-date. Their skilled craftsmanship and attention to detail of a home renovation is always guided in a collaborative team effort to bring my interior home designs to life. Scott personally oversees the projects, organizes the flow with ease, and fine tunes the smallest of details - which separates them from other firms. There are a lot of people involved in a project. Scott's clear communications between the client, interior designer, and tradesmen is a talent that can be relied upon. The result - a beautifully finished project and clients who are thrilled with their new space(s)!

Completely remodeled kitchen and upstairs bath. Added insulation to attic. Also attended to several miscellaneous repairs/changes that we needed done - corrected misaligned doors, replaced door knobs, regrouting. Scott did a great job pricing the job and worked with great efficiency to get the job done correctly and on time. His oversight of subcontractors was excellent and I felt that the project was well coordinated. I was particularly glad that he also was willing to oversee the final painting - and return trips from the painter to finish certain corrections -- as I've found that dealing with painters at the end of a project can be trying. The project went very smoothly. Scott understood that we didn't want to start until all the items we needed were ordered. Once everything arrived and we started demolition, the work proceeded at a great pace. I particularly appreciated the input I received from him and subcontractors on certain questions that arose in the process (like what type of epoxy to use for the kitchen tile). I am also pleased with the level of service that we are currently receiving on certain items that need fine tuning (such as cabinet hinges that need adjusting, etc.). The crew was very respectful of our living space and diligent in keeping areas of the house clean and protected. We concluded that if we were to do another project, we’d use OWC again in the future. In fact, we did. We decided to redo our family room and got OWC on the job. Scott’s team was responsive to our desire to keep the disruption in our house to a minimum and to keep the project proceeding along the agreed upon timeline. Scott was also very helpful in sourcing reclaimed beams for use in our design. When we faced an issue with one of the subcontractors backing out of sanding and staining a wall full of wood bookshelves, Scott stepped up and had his team do the work rather than face a delay with a substitute provider. He also coordinated the addition of spray-in insulation and the stone work for our new fireplace. Once again, the renovation was a first rate job

We recommend Scott of Old World Craftsmen and his painter, Vito, without reservation! They were fantastic to work with - from the beginning of the project as we discussed various options for paint color/texture and our recessed niches (in other words, boxes recessed into the wall, with lighting and custom-stained wood shelves in each) to the finale - which we are now thoroughly enjoying! They installed crown molding and baseboard molding and patiently assisted us in choosing paint colors (we ended up choosing a color for the halls recommended by Scott and we love it!) and Scott worked closely with us to design the niches. Vito and his crew patched the walls expertly and painted around all of the nails and hooks we left in so that we didn't have to re-measure and re-hang our existing artwork and shelves (a fantastic idea, by the way). We left the house in their capable, trustworthy hands while we were at work and they cleaned up each night so well that, other than the obvious painting gear and moved furniture, no one would have known anyone had been working. They were timely (accommodating a later start-time in the morning to match our schedule) and professional and completed the job on-time and on-budget! When does that ever happen these days?! Scott is a real craftsman - definitely in the Old World Style as his company name says. We are grateful for their services and expertise and - best of all - we love the finished "product!!!"

Overall Grade: A Old World Craftsman has done significant work on our home, including a major remodel in 2008 where we redid the outside of the home and completely gutted and reconfigured the master bath. We were extremely satifisfied with OWC's work and recommend them highly. Old World Craftsman is led by Scott Simonsen, an extremely detail-oriented and organized contractor. Mr. Simonsen is a "cut above" the typical contractor, and holds an undergraduate degree in engineering, not something you see every day. We hired OWC to convert an outdoor built-in charcoal grill from the 1960's to an automated gas fireplace. Scott came initially to assess the job, and immediately had some excellent ideas on how to do the project, including use of materials, what the end product should look like, etc. He was very creative and thoughtful. He subsequently submitted detailed drawings for our approval. The job involved multiple trades, including masonry, plumbing, electrical, carpentry and trim work, as well as painting. While it was a relatively small job, you wouldn't think so based on the time and attention to the project devoted by Mr. Simonsen. The end product was far better than we even imagined it could be, and we are convinced that no one else was likely to have given the attention to detail that Scott delivered. We recommend OWC highly for all remodeling jobs, big or small, and can tell you that OWC does what they say they will do, on time, and at the quoted price. This is very unusual in this industry in our experience, and we have worked with several other contractors. OWC is honest, trustworthy, and will give you full transparency in a bid. Because architects do not specify materials in most drawings, it is very difficult to compare bids unless you have someone like OWC working with you. It is important to understand how the cost of materials drives a quote, and most people simply do not have the patience or tenacity to do so. It is a mistake. We are very pleased with OWC and give them our highest recommendation.

We had to have 2 major beams in the house replaced (both from the upstairs leading downstairs) due to water damage rotting away the wood. They had to replace the beams and sheet rock and determine if there were any other issues. We purchased an older home and had the interior painted. The painters uncovered moisture behind the walls. We found that there had been a very old leak in the roof which over many years caused the beams in the house to rot away. Scott and his crew came in and gave us a great estimate of what he would do and how long it would take. They were incredible! He actually quickly got his crew in (during the busy summer time) and got the problem resolved prior to us moving in which was a short time frame. His crew was fantastic. They were very good and cleaned up very well. The work they did turned out great. After, Scott even called the roofer we used to make sure he resolved the problem so we wouldn't have the same issue all over again. They were very professional and had a great attention to detail and seemed to be very much a perfectionist. He has a background in structural engineering which was just what I wanted.

Our master bathroom was completely gutted of its 1948 fixtures and appliances and restored with a luxury shower and modern appliances. The shower borrowed space from a hall linen closet to add square footage. The linen closet was changed in dimension but made to look as if it was always part of the existing hallway. This project also included separate work to the front of the house facade. The front over-hang had siding removed and then replaced with new siding and new light fixtures. The new siding will require less maintenance and the lighting adds to the security at night. The project took approximately 5 weeks from start to finish. Scott Simonsen and Old World Craftsmen were very detailed in their project plan. They arrived on appointed date and set to remove everything from the bathroom with the least disruption to the rest of the house and proceeded to restore to its complete new image. Each day the team would arrive and set up their tarps and room dividers so dust and debris would be limited to only the work area. The crew is professional, diligent, and curtious. Scott Simonsen was always on top of the needs of the project and communicated well to his work force as well as to us, the homeowner. All concerns were easily addressed and changes implemented if necessary. Scott's electrical engineering mind usually leaves no detail unexamined. The completed bathroom is wonderful and meets all of our expectations. I highly recommend this company!

We hired Scott Simonsen's Old World Craftsmen to restart a renovation that in an incredibly short time had turned into a financial and logistical nightmare. Scott surveyed the half demo'd place, asked what we wanted to spend overall, submitted a detailed bid that was lower than the other contractors also bidding and stayed with his original numbers throughout. Every time we wanted something extra from a new vendor, he recommended one he had successfully worked with, oversaw the bid and work, and we moved forward. Every time we wanted him to do something extra, he submitted paperwork with the new cost estimate to make sure we knew the numbers. Most of all, his craftsmanship was excellent (and we have experience with costlier and more famous crews), from supplying better materials during construction and paying attention to soundproofing where he thought a little extra was called for to making sure the soffits were neither too big or small for the space; from helping us choose all the materials --doorknobs, locks, doors, baseboard molding, stone for the bathrooms and more. He helped design the wainscot in one room that reiterated the door deign and then his crew expertly built it. He made design suggestions throughout the process that bettered the overall look. Working from architectural plans, which he often improved upon, Scott and his crew completely renovated a 3 bedroom, 2 bath condominium on a high floor of a Brutalist 1970's concrete building, a challenge by itself. Scott rebuilt every part of the apartment, installing new bathrooms, working out solutions for unmovable plumbing to make sure we got everything we wanted; that it all worked, including the high-end kitchen; that we didn't antagonize the neighbors or the building; and that in the end, it looked as though we spent twice as much as we did. Scott's attention to detail was excellent (that he’s an engineer was a bonus) and his professional and expert crew did superb work, never left a mess and were…really thoughtful and cordial. If we did it again (and we just might), he'd be the first one we would call!