Testimonials

My wife and I have used Arete for four different projects in our high rise condominium home consisting of painting, tile and wood flooring installation, and bathroom and kitchen renovations. In every case we were impressed with the project management, the workmanship, and the overall quality of the final product. We would recommend Arete to anyone who is looking for a dependable contractor and superior results.

Areté did a phenomenal job with our kitchen, working patiently to make our vision a reality. Not only was the team very hard-working, it also tried to keep us updated on a daily basis and checked back with us on anything team members thought didn’t sit well after installation. They were very creative fixing multiple elements that didn’t go as planned, and always had an eye on making sure everything was visually appealing. As our daughter noted, we now have a kitchen that is the most modern part of our home! Thank you Team Areté.

Arete just completed a major kitchen overhaul for us and we could not be happier with the result. We were quite particular with many details and constant changes to our original project. Arete was there with suggestions, better alternatives and always accommodated our requests in the end. The work was done during the pandemic and lockdown, but they always managed to keeping the progress moving forward. Beyond the kitchen, Arete also put in new flooring and carpeting, new baseboards, new lighting and ceiling fans, painting and modern electrical throughout. They also put in a laundry closet that met strict HOA requirements of our Streeterville condo association. We expect to have them back soon to remodel a bath or two.

I liked their attention to detail, and the pricing was fair. Sasa did a great job. The supervisors came to lay out the scope of work and returned afterward to make sure it was done right. The work they did was minor — move bathroom mirrors, light fixtures, and towel racks and install new toilet ring. I wouldn’t hesitate to use them for bigger jobs in the future.

Arete remodeled my kitchen, and I love it! Ivan was the perfect project manager — very responsive, organized, and ensured quality work. I felt comfortable with his team in my home while I worked, and I appreciated the expertise and attention to detail each of them brought to the project.

We hired an interior designer to help with a basement refresh. She bid the job out to 3 contractors. Ivan’s bid came right in the middle and they were the most responsive to come and see the job site. We opened up a doorway and redid a bathroom sink, toilet, tile, and a brand-new mini kitchen with dishwasher, sink, and microwave.

I would highly recommend Ivan and Arete.

I’m an interior designer – and it is a struggle to find a solid contractor that is competent, reasonable, and easy to work with. Arete hits all those adjectives and takes it to the next level. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a job go so smoothly and communication works so well. (Thank you, Ivan!) The work was also exactly as presented, timely, and done thoughtfully (thank you Dan!) I am beyond happy with their work and very excited to work with them again.

I tend to put off my home renovation projects just because of how difficult and stressful it is, to work with contractors. Working with Arete for my bathroom renovation, was a refreshing change and a delightful experience. From start to finish, everything was delivered and executed as promised and in fact, ahead of schedule in some cases. Ivana provided excellent guidance for material selection and overall design. Marina, Luis, and crew were excellent and worked really hard to finish the construction part on time. Overall, Arete will be my “Go to” company for any future renovation project.

And, lastly, my dog loves their crew 🙂

I wanted to take a moment to send you a note of Thanks.

Thank you for the partnership in working thru these difficult times to remodel our two bathrooms at 345 Fullerton. The daily communication, the quality of work and the overall design has exceeded our expectations. Thank you for this.

We would be more than willing to serve as a reference going forward to any other homeowners in the 345 Fullerton building who may be considering your services.

A special thanks to Neal for his reference of Arete Renovations to us.

Whether you are looking for a remodel in a single family home or a unit in a high rise, ARETÉ renovators is a fit for you. With a high level of expertise, ethics, experience, quality of work, creativity, sense of urgency, ability to negotiate and interact with condo management & building engineers, scheduling, you will be provided with “1 stop shopping”.

What I mean is that you can choose design options and materials from their showroom or provide details yourself of desired items. Proposals are clear and pricing is fair. The adage of “code=safety” is followed to the letter. No shortcuts will be taken and there will be no shoddy work whatsoever.

Until work commences, communication is with a team. They suggested ideas and translated our desires into a plan. Detailed measurements and design renderings are completed.

Once work commences the communication is with the project manager. In our case Ivan provided such a high level of responsiveness and ongoing communication with photos of work competed that day. The attention to detail and application of all our wishes was extraordinary. Always problems arise, whether it being we: the clients, forgetting a needed inclusion, or whether specific lighting needed a different source, or a structural impediment emerging in demolition.

Always the approach from ARETÉ was the same as Marshall Field : “give the lady what she wants” or “It’s doable”. Problem solving resulted in creative input from various team members as well as ourselves, but especially by Ivan. The coordination of all elements of plumbing, appliance installation, electrical work, painting, audio visual installation, and sequencing of the work was the responsibility of the project manager, and all arrangements were so very smooth. We have been in our condo 3 months now and we couldn’t be more pleased to live in this beautiful, functional condo with everything we had dreamed of. We cannot recommend ARETÉ more highly.

Do yourselves a favor and get a quote!

My name is Dan from Allied Plumbing Supply in Chicago. We have been supplying material successfully to Arete The Art of Design for several years now. Davor and Igor have built a beautiful showroom to complement their design and build platform of business. They have a friendly and competent sales team that is always thorough when specifying products to their customers. They’re good people and a pleasure to do business with; I wish I had more customers like them.

Arete delivered exceptional service from our first meeting until completion of a total unit renovation in a high rise. Thoughtful and on-trend design choices from Ivana the Design Manager. Superb high-quality installation. Incredibly efficient Arete team led by Project Manager Marina was outstanding providing daily detailed updates of the work including photos. Highly recommend Arete for any size renovation or remodeling. I will definitely use them again!

I could write a book about my experience with Arete Renovators but I will try to keep it short. My husband and I met with Davor to discuss a complete home renovation in September. He was professional, detailed and extremely helpful with all of our questions. As many of you have seen on reality tv, everything doesn’t go as planned, turns out we actually had to move in the house ( with kids mind you) as soon as we closed. Igor took over the project and worked with us EVERY step of the way to accommodate our family. Manuel and Louis started work immediately and we knew from the first day we had made the best choice worn ARETe. I designed my home and they trusted me completely and put up with my madness and can we say a million change orders? Everyone that came into work at our home was extremely professional and did an amazing job. Joe is a master of all traits! They were patient, punctual and actual we felt that they were family. Renovating your home is stressful and expensive but these guys made it smooth every step of the way!!! I highly recommend them and will be using them in the future!

I recommend Arete highly and would work with them again. Excellent craftsmanship. Outcomes delivered as promised. Very happy with Daniel’s designs for my kitchen renovation. Violet helped me make good choices of materials. And great working with project manager Branko, who paid attention to every detail. I was out of town during most of the project, and he kept me up to date about its progress and attended promptly to my requests.

Everyone at Arete is amazing. Had to get our wood floors done quickly so we could move in to our house, and the kind people at Arete worked with me to find the wood and install it within our time frame. Creative thinkers, empathetic, thoughtful, and extremely thorough, the people at Arete (from their accounting to their project managers) are the best people in the industry I’ve worked with. The work was done with high attention to detail and our floors look amazing. Will definitely be coming back to them for our future remodeling needs. 10/10 recommend!

OUTSTANDING kitchen remodel work done by Arete team! It’s not often that I remodeled a place, but the Arete team exceeded expectations and the experience was absolutely painless! It’s very easy to take for granted how much work goes into flooring, electrical, plumbing, etc. because all we get to see is the finished product. The team’s great attention to detail and overall attentiveness made this effort a huge success. I will gladly call upon Arete again.

Arete delivered exceptional service from our first meeting until completion of a total unit renovation in a high rise. Thoughtful and on trend design choices from Ivana the Design Manager. Superb high quality installation. Incredibly efficient Arete team led by Project Manager Marina was outstanding providing daily detailed updates of the work including photos. Highly recommend Arete for any size renovation or remodeling. I will definitely use them again!

I can’t say enough about working with Arete Renovators. They just completed a two bedroom, two bath condo remodel total gut job for me.

From the initial planning and design of the unit, they took our ideas and made very helpful suggestions but never tried to press their opinions on us. Their designers were very helpful and a pleasure to work with.

From the initial demo to the final completion, the workers were always friendly and explained what they were doing and always willing to answer questions. I also received numerous compliments from the building’s property manager as to what a pleasure it was working with them. They were very professional and you can tell it wasn’t their first rodeo!!!

Almost daily, we received communication and pictures of the work that had been completed that day and a schedule of what was to be done over the next few days and week ahead. I’ve never had a contractor that was so helpful and communicative and so prompt in replying to questions.

Other than a few unforeseen change orders that were no fault of theirs, they’re charges were competitive and reasonable and they stuck to their initial estimate and quote.

Besides all of that, the workmanship was beyond excellent. Upon our final walk through at completion, there were zero items on the punch list to be completed. Really???

I can’t say enough and I highly recommend Arete Renovators and will definitely use them again on my next renovation.

Working with Arete was an amazing experience! We have had bad contractors and OK contractors in the past. We were a bit anxious about living in the house with small children during a first-floor renovation, but working with Arete was so much better than we had imagined.

From Ivan, our project manager, to every worker who came into our home, the team was hardworking, professional, kind, and maintained excellent communication with us. They did a great job at balancing the work that needed to be done with our budget and design preferences. They offered suggestions on finishes based on our priorities (i.e. not using marble tile for the bathroom floor). The work space was cleaned up at the end of every work day.

The workmanship was excellent and they were so responsive to come back quickly for anything that we needed addressed after the project was done. I still cannot believe how beautiful and functional my first floor is – it’s just stunning. I highly recommend Arete and look forward to partnering with them again when we are ready to tackle our second floor issues.

I cannot say enough good things about my experience. They remodeled our bathroom and they provide really over the top service in terms of design consultation, project management and material selection. They were very flexible on all decisions and never felt like they were trying to push me to do anything I didn’t request. The price was competitive and the results we were ecstatic with. Strongly recommend considering them.

It was a pleasure to work with the team from Arete Renovators, Inc. My project was a bit different because while Arete provides design services, I had already used another designer before hiring Arete for the construction of my master bathroom. The work was meticulous. Louis was wonderful and completely focused on detail. While there were a few minor glitches (project manager left a couple weeks into the project) Igor, president of the company took over.

Communication was good (this aspect was very important to me) I would highly recommend Arete Renovators and would use them again if I have another project.

Wow! I do not even know where to start with what an amazing experience we had. Arete Renovators were complete professionals from start to finish. This was the first major renovation my husband and I completed at our new home. Being new home owners doing a renovation was very nerve wrecking. Our apprehensions on completely renovating a master bathroom and adding a new guest bathroom quickly disappeared.

Sandro came out to take a look at the project and was very honest about what Arete Renovators could provide us. We quickly met our project coordinator Marina who was absolutely fabulous! Having a house that was built in 1895 presented some challenges, but Marina brought in many professionals with years of experience and even the owner came by the day he was leaving for his wedding to ensure the project was a success. In many situations renovations and construction can present many costly changes, but Arete always did what they could to keep our budget in mind.

Luis and Miguel were the main laborers on our house. These gentlemen were very respectful, diligent workers who did such a fantastic job.

If you are looking for a trustworthy, hard working and customer focused company, look no further. Renovations can be a very painful process, but Arete Renovators made this renovation as smooth as possible. We could not be happier and will definitely use them in the future.

Thank you Arete Renovators for the best experience!

Arete Renovators is truly one of the kind. Their family owned and operated, so you know you are getting the attention locally you deserve on your remodeling project. I would recommend them for any project whether your kitchen, bathroom, high rise apartment and everything else.

Was referred to Davor at Arete from our realtor friend and they helped us within our requested short time frame to move into our new home. Very professional and knowledgeable from the beginning and Marina, our project manager kept us updated throughout the process on daily progress. Really pleased with the work which included installation of real wood flooring/staining, crown/baseboards, back splash, powder room installation and various other smaller items all within a tight time frame. Highly recommend and would definitely work with Arete again.

We have used Arete Renovators for two major projects at two different homes in the past 5 years. The major reason we are a repeat customer is the quality of the final product. Most recently, we renovated our kitchen (including knocking down walls, installing an island with a prep sink, etc), 3 bathrooms, refinished our floors throughout, as well as a house full of painting. They continue to provide the highest quality of craftsmanship with fair pricing. As with any project, unexpected circumstances occur and the honesty, transparency, and fairness of dealing with those has meant a lot to us. We will always consider them for future projects.

This is the 2nd and far more complicated project that we hired Arete to do for us. This was a renovation of our kitchen, floors, recarpeting and painting of entire unit. The quality of the work was excellent and for us, having a responsive and ‘customer savvy’ project manager was essential. Ivan was incredible as he was professional, patient, responsive and helped us through what was for us a major disruption to our home and lives.

We will definitely use Arete again and would highly recommend them. Our job came out on time with no major surprises. All hick ups and corrections were dealt with swiftly and with cooperation and an attitude of wanting to make us happy.

Arete Renovators completed three separate projects at our home, and all went as planned. They were courteous, prompt and detailed. They took the time to walk us through each project’s steps and costs. Looking forward to using them on future projects. We would recommend them to anyone looking to make home renovations.

Arete Renovators does solid work. Communication was excellent. They worked hard to stay on track and meet my timeline needs. When I had a problem, they were very receptive and worked to address it.

Arete Renovators team was a pleasure to work with. I was working very close with Ivan and Ivana and they were great walking me through every detail and kept my budget in mind. I am from Indianapolis, IN which is about 3hrs out from Chicago. I came out to Chicago few times met up Ivan and Ivana told them what I wanted far as remodeling my unit and they absolutely delivered over and beyond my expectations. Me and Ivana were going back and forth by emails as to where we are in the process or if I needed to select anything which I was at ease knowing everything was on time. There work is high quality work, Ivan will not cut corners and took his time as if he was working on his own property, very rare to find someone like that now days. Always answered my calls/text right away. If I was to do another remodel I would use Arete Renovators all over again and again. Thank you all!!!

Arête Renovators completely remodeled two bathrooms as well as replacing carpet, baseboards, and kitchen countertops and doing other work throughout my two-bedroom condominium unit. They communicated well with me to answer my questions and keep me updated from the beginning of the process to the end, as well as working seamlessly with building management as needed. They made a complex process hassle-free for me, and I could not be more delighted with the quality of their workmanship.

Arete did a complete rehab of our kitchen. We were impressed with their operation from beginning to end including the design process. Their estimate was accurate with their products and services reasonably priced. Twice before construction five company reps visited our home to prepare and finalize plans. It all paid off in a smooth and professional execution of the project. We would recommend them highly and actually already have.

They came highly recommended by our building association, so we decided to contact them when our original contractor became unavailable. To our surprise, they were 5 time easier to work with than our original contractor, and really put in effort to understand our vision. They did an amazing job in a very short amount of time. Our medium sized condo required a lot of outside the box thinking and our design style definitely didn’t make things easy. But the finished product was absolutely beautiful. Also, they’re great with doing work on a time crunch. We first met with them to discuss design ideas and they were in our place working away in two short weeks. They additionally did an exceptional job on our wood floors. I highly recommend Arete Renovators!

Highly recommend Arete Renovators. We had put off doing some kitchen & bathroom renovations in our high-rise condo, partly because I dreaded dealing with contractors… there are so many bad ones out there. Arete, who had been recommended by some of our neighbors, proved to be an exception. From the initial consultation through to final completion, Milos & his crew provided a seamless, worry-free design and construction process, especially vital to us since we were away in Europe much of the time (I should mention here that they provided us with daily e-mail updates with fotos of the work in progress). Also… important in a high-rise condo building… they were familiar with the building and how to deal with our building management. Arete did excellent quality work and completed everything as discussed during our initial design consultations. Again, we highly recommend Arete Renovators along with their partner firm, Renovators’ Outlet, who provided most of the materials.

We recently purchased a condo back “home” in Chicago and Arete was recommended by the building association. We are located out of state and wanted someone that we could trust that would be able to work on our condo without our constant supervision. We found the partner in Arete. From the first day that we met, they worked to understand what we were thinking and offered ideas that we didn’t think of. We ended up completely renovating 2 bathrooms, flooring, painting, some major electrical and some minor “fix-ups”. They did a great job explaining the different options to us and once we got thru the approvals, they ran with everything from coordinating with the building for access, arranging other contractors, etc. When we ran into some “issues”, they called and explained what was happening then worked with us to work around them to our satisfaction. Given we were in Omaha while this renovation was going on, we had to find someone that we could trust and we found that in the folks at Arete. We are very happy with the work they did and every happier with the communication flow between us. We will be hiring them again when we decide to make more renovations in the kitchen area! Thank you Arete for your quality work and your partnership.

We use Arete for our wall skim coating project at a condo in Lincoln Park. I got 10 quotes and they were the lowest quote but also provided quality work. I was happy with how quickly they did the job and the job they did itself. I like the professionalism of the project manager and the person that came to quote the project. The project manager had excellent communication. We noticed a little bit of waving and one wall a few weeks after the project was complete. We called project manager and she was out within days to redo the wall. I would recommend them to anyone.

Arete is the consummate renovation professionals. They are responsive, flexible, attentive to detail and produce great quality work. I used them for a to-the-studs bathroom remodel and found them exceptional in all aspects of the project. Their timeline, cost and expertise all met or exceeded my expectations. Most of all, they were able to adapt to plan modifications with little or no effort. I found them easy to work with and very helpful. I would highly recommend them for any project, large or small.

Arete was a pleasure to work with and I’d hire them again. They have great people, partners and they deliver quality work. We couldn’t be happier with our custom built-ins.

I purchased an old Victorian home last year and needed to significant amount of work; adding a new bathroom, renovating 3 additional bathrooms, refinishing the basement, fire sprinklers, removal/relocation of various internal walls, replace windows etc.

It was a challenging project especially as we aimed to preserve and/or match various original wood decorations/mouldings.

Arete did an excellent job of managing the project and were very responsive throughout and even after the completion.

Amazing work on renovating our bathroom and painting roof and wall after water damage from recent storm. Reliable, timely and fairly priced!

I had an excellent experience with Arete Renovators! I was very impressed with how professional my hardwood floor installation was handled. i love my new floors!

All personnel were helpful, friendly and punctual! They did all the work from scheduling, delivery of materials, and moving furniture! It was very important to them that I was satisfied!

Less than a year ago we moved to Chicago and purchased a 2 bed/2 bath condo that needed full renovation. After interviewing various contractors, we decided to go with Arete Renovators who was recommended by our realtor. Their experience and knowledge shone through, and though theirs was not the least expensive estimate we received, we knew we’d be getting quality work. There were a variety of pre-construction meetings, and after our condo board approved our project we were set to go. The actual work took 3 ½ months to complete which seemed appropriate for the scope of work involved. We also made quite a few change orders to have things done that were not initially planned on, so this added time and cost to our project as well. Arete handled these additions with professionalism and flexibility. They also took care of all the building requirements and city permits, and worked hard to meet all deadlines (building as well as personal).

The overall workmanship of the carpenters, electricians, designers, painters, tilers etc. was excellent, and if any mistakes were made, they were promptly corrected. Arete worked with us to re-mediate any problems and the overall level of responsiveness and communication was high. I was in constant direct contact with the project manager, who was also on-site doing much of the work (in addition to handling all the details of the project). For me, this was preferable to dealing with a third party or “middle-man” because I think communication is best when you can speak one with the workers themselves.

Our condo came out beautiful and is truly the “dream home” we had hoped it would be. It wasn’t an easy process, but now that we’ve come through to the other side we can finally say it was worth it. I definitely recommend Arete for whatever renovation you have in mind- just keep communication open and be explicit about what you want them to do.