Testimonials

I’ve hired Arete for two renovation projects in our River North loft condo apartment: kitchen remodel and second bedroom loft enclosure. They did an amazing job. Their project management team is professional and organized. They listen to their clients and deliver the vision! Ned, our Project Manager, was very communicative throughout both projects. He was reliable, and easy to communicate with. Eddie was our main contractor. He was timely, professional, and a pleasure to work with. I highly recommend Arete for anyone searching for a full-service reno company. Thank you!

I recently had the pleasure of working with the Arete team during the gut renovation of my 120-year-old Chicago two-flat, and I couldn’t be happier with the results! From start to finish, the team was truly exceptional. Vasi was able to listen to my likes and dislikes and create an aesthetic that truly reflects who I am! Patty’s attention to detail, dedication to the project, and ability to pivot to ensure the project stayed on schedule despite supply chain issues was like none other, and Derek’s industry knowledge, and ability to be a mediator, project manager, and therapist, allowed me to have an enjoyable home building experience. Bottom line, if I had to do it again (which I hope to do) I would use the Arete team! The finished renovation exceeded my expectations, and I am grateful to have found such a talented and reliable team. I highly recommend their services to anyone interested in turning a house into a home!

Arete did a great job on my basement remodel. The estimation process was smooth and professional. The work itself was done well and completed in a timely way. Communication was great throughout.

We hired Arete to do a dormer addition on our house. We bid the job out to 3-4 different contractors and they far and away offered the most when comparing others. With their full design team, the process was pretty seamless for us. Timing was really imperative for our team as we wanted to have the project done by EOY and also making sure we stayed on budget. Ivan, our project manager, and the team fully delivered on both items. From helping us design and select materials for our bathroom within the 1st month of the project to keeping us well-informed throughout the process and even being patient with this first-time renovator as we lived through the project as well, I cannot say enough good things about Arete. They finished the work ahead of schedule just before the holidays and we were able to spend Christmas in our newly remodeled primary suite. The renovation turned out stunning and we could not be happier with the outcome. If we ever need to do more work on our house, we will be sure to hire them again! Thanks to Davor, Ivan, Ivana, Vasi & Patty for all your hardwork!

We had a really positive experience with Arete and will absolutely engage them again for our next project. We hired Arete to both design and reconstruct our kitchen. My husband and I are first time homeowners and this was our first big project. Ben Wilson, our designer, took a mish mosh of our ideas and inspirations and created a cohesive and beautiful design. Our PM was Derek Gilroy, and he and his team were great. This being our first big home remodel we were both very nervous, but Derek was very transparent and communicated with us often on what was scheduled to be done and when. Everyone showed up when expected and completed their tasks on time. We had one hiccup with the design, we discovered a gas line that could not be moved after the demo phase. Ben quickly offered several design alternatives for us to choose from and it did not affect the schedule. Not having access to a kitchen is challenging for any length of time, but the team at Arete made the process feel smooth and we always felt day by day we were making progress. We highly recommend Arete for both design and construction, and would recommend you ask for Ben and Derek by name.

We hired Arete to do a full renovation of our first floor this year. Having completed several renovation projects in the past, we were careful to look for a professional and cost-effective contractor with a reputation for quality work. Arete delivered on these metrics. Our team led by Ivan and Damian, along with Ivana on materials selections, was professional, transparent, honest and accessible. They did a great work bringing our design concept into reality while staying on budget and working in a timely manner. We were very pleased with the final product and would recommend considering Arete for your project.

I purchased a 1 bedroom and studio apartment combined unit condo in River North and wanted to make the studio apartment bathroom a true master-bath. Areté helped me to design a great layout working within the parameters that I had due to condo constraints with plumbing, vents etc. I had a vision and they helped me with the layout, design, and materials. It is an all inclusive process from the ‘vision board’ down to choosing the materials that best suited my color/design scheme. They gave me design choices in the high, mid, and low range to meet my needs and budget. After all was decided, the project was turned over to Marina who organized the people for the labor and gave a detailed grant chart outlining the project specifics and timeline. Everything is organized through a system call Construct. There is an app available or you can access it online. It makes it super easy to review messages, pay bills, and communicate with specific individuals. Marnia communicated with me everyday and sent realtime pictures which was important as I travel a great deal for my job. She let me know everyday what had been done, what would happen the following day, and answered any questions that I had. We had a few things arise that were not anticipated as working in a condo seems to always have extra surprises within the walls. We were able to troubleshoot quickly and regroup on a workaround with the crew. The project finished on time and is everything I could have anticipated and more. I want to give a huge thanks to Marina for her consistency, communication, and patience as I asked a thousand questions about understanding the workings of a complex project, the entire team at Areté including Davork who immediately let me know what was possible with the condo limitations, Ivana and Patty from the design team who helped me with materials and my vision, Luis who was in my apartment working tirelessly everyday and Janet Tebbenkamp who Areté recommended as my architect that thought of everything. I have a beautiful new bathroom to enjoy!

We hired Areté to add a new second floor comprised of 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a laundry room, a mechanical room to our bungalow. Areté also expanded and remodeled our kitchen, added a mudroom, renovated the powder room, added a storage room in the basement, installed new hardwood floors throughout the house and built a deck. We were impressed with Davor and Ivan, our project manager, from day one. They assessed our house and our needs and we were all able to quickly negotiate and implement a contract. Ivan is an amazing project manager! He always promptly responds to email, texts and calls. He ensured that our project stayed on schedule as we moved back home in less than 10 months. He offered creative options and improvements throughout the project, which we almost always implemented. Ivan is very knowledgeable about construction and anticipated downstream challenges, especially those related to remodeling in Chicago. Most importantly, Ivan is honest and hard working. We really can’t say enough good things about him. Throughout our project we received just about daily updates and photos of our project and as well as weekly summaries. The workmanship of all the carpenters, electricians, plumbers, painters and tilers was excellent. Any mistakes were quickly corrected. Patty’s construction and design expertise was so helpful. She guided us through each stage of our project, offering suggestions to make our space more beautiful and functional. Ivana and Vasilka asked us for gave us lots of material and design options and walked us through the process. Benjamin designed our mudroom and beautiful kitchen, with a built-in banquette, two pantries and floor to ceiling cabinets. He incorporated our needs and his creative accents. His 3-D design images brought our new kitchen to life and helped us make last minute tweaks to the plan. I have already recommended Areté to friends and would choose them again for a future project.

Went with Arete to remodel our upstairs, and the process was awesome. They laid out what to expect and how their process works, as well as their expectations. They listened to our thoughts and desires and did a walkthrough of our home, helping to workshop what exactly we wanted, which wasn't very firmly defined to begin. They took detailed measurements and came up with a design, basing it on a sampling of photos we selected as well as descriptions of what we liked in the photos. When we headed into purchasing and the construction portion of the process, their website showed us the same progress reports that they see from contractors, so we will be as informed as we want to be, to the same degree that they are. Throughout construction they were communicative, and changes that needed to be done (as happens on all construction projects) were given to us clearly and with options, as well as reasoning for those changes. We are extremely happy with our home now, where before we were just living with things as they were because the projects seemed too big. Thanks Arete! We will be using you again for our future projects down the line!

We had a really positive experience with Arete and will absolutely engage them again for our next project. We hired Arete to both design and reconstruct our kitchen. My husband and I are first time homeowners and this was our first big project. Ben Wilson, our designer, took a mish mosh of our ideas and inspirations and created a cohesive and beautiful design. Our PM was Derek Gilroy, and he and his team were great. This being our first big home remodel we were both very nervous, but Derek was very transparent and communicated with us often on what was scheduled to be done and when. Everyone showed up when expected and completed their tasks on time. We had one hiccup with the design, we discovered a gas line that could not be moved after the demo phase. Ben quickly offered several design alternatives for us to choose from and it did not affect the schedule. Not having access to a kitchen is challenging for any length of time, but the team at Arete made the process feel smooth and we always felt day by day we were making progress. We highly recommend Arete for both design and construction, and would recommend you ask for Ben and Derek by name.

Areté is a gem. We hired Areté to design & build a 1-story addition + basement + deck to the back of our house. This was not our first renovation, but was by far the largest we've ever done. We are THRILLED with the result. We got exactly what we wanted -- more usable outdoor space, great entertaining space, a dedicated family room, and more storage. Davor patiently explained the construction process, answered our numerous questions and walked through the options available within the design. His communication was always clear & prompt. The interior wasn't much -- only 1 room -- but Ivana & Dulio took all the time needed through several revisions to get the interior design exactly the way we wanted. The construction took approximately 5 months, during which time we came to trust Ivan completely to handle anything that came up. He kept us informed every step of the way. And everything Areté built was built well. The punch list at the end was pretty small and quickly resolved. We would happily recommend Areté to others and would use them again for any future renovations.

Ivan, Ivana and team at Arete did a wonderful job helping me design a remodel and then act as the general contractor to remodel my investment property (very vertically integrated model, which is unique). I live far from the property, so the coordination among designer and contractor was critical for me, as was their usage of a software tool to help manage the dollars spent, communication, and project progress (all approvals and payment for project and change orders as well as picture updates are housed within the same software solution). It was all professionally managed / executed, and they kept me well informed. I’d recommend Arete to anyone; very differentiated all-in-one solution in the market coupled with strong execution. Thanks Arete team!

My house is one hundred twenty-eight years old – two stories, wooden frame with a brick foundation. Over the 48 years I’ve lived in it, some updating and improvements had been made, but time had taken its toll. Structural issues had developed, along with the need for updating of electrical and plumbing, and oh so many decorating needs throughout (including a bedroom with wood paneling from the 70’s). The structural issues in the basement and sinking floors on the first and second stories made this a complex renovation project, and Arete was up to the task. Once the work started, it never stopped. Steady progress was made nearly every day on some aspect of the project – from demolition to replacing the basement floor, support beams and posts, plumbing, electrical, opening up wooden floors, replacement of fixtures and decorating, and too many details to list. And throughout the project I knew exactly what was going on via daily messages and photos of the work being done. Communication was amazing. Igor was always available to answer questions, and consulted with me about options along the way. It was important to me to retain the character of the vintage of my house, and Igor and company respected that and together we made decisions about what could be salvaged and what should be updated. And now I am moving back into a beautifully renovated, comfortable and safe century-old house where the kids and grandkids can continue to gather. (Even the damp dirty dungeon of a basement has become a space that we can enjoy.) I can’t say enough about the quality of the workmanship of the Arete crew – from cement work and structural repairs, to the skillful tiling of the bathrooms, to the repair and beautiful refinishing of the oak floors throughout, to the installation of new windows and the carpentry work on trims and baseboards, and the painting of walls and multiple types of surfaces in the basement. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Arete for home renovations. They succeeded in coordinating all the complexities of this project to bring about delightful results.

Our project involved combining two adjacent apartments in a Chicago high rise building, which involved opening walls between the 2 apartments, and creating a new hallway for access. In addition, one of the units (which had been untouched since the building was built in 1968) had to be completely renovated- including new electrical, plumbing, drop ceilings, lighting, drywall, and brand new bathrooms and closets. In addition, new flooring was laid in the entire combined unit, and both existing bathrooms were upgraded. We interviewed 6 contractors. Davor was the Arete representative with whom we first met, and we also met with Chief Designer Ivana Stojanovska and her team. We chose Arete for many reasons - they were responsive, professional, and clearly knowledgeable about and comfortable with all aspects of our proposed project. They were also very experienced working in high rise condo buildings, which poses a unique set of challenges. And it appeared that they'd work well with both the architects we'd hired to design the project, and the folks at the City of Chicago involved with the complex process of getting city permits and inspections. Most importantly, though, we felt that we would be able to communicate well with them, and that we could TRUST them. And that has been the case throughout the 10 months we worked with them. Our project manager, Ivan Koconda, was absolutely phenomenal in every way. He communicated quickly and thoroughly at every stage of the process - we'd never done anything like this before, and we had millions of questions and concerns along the way - and Ivan was calm, patient and kind throughout. He/Arete took immediate responsibility and accountability for the inevitable glitches that occurred, and always made things right. His assistant, Damian Sagan, was also a pleasure to work with. I also got to know their subcontractors Igor, Danny and Stefan, who were equally easy to work with. Everyone involved in our project was professional and KIND- a rare commodity these days. We recommend Arete without reservation.

We recently completed a full gut bathroom remodel in our Gold Coast high-rise condo, and choosing Arete Renovators and their partner company Arete Art of Design, was the best decision we could have made! From start to finish, the entire experience was nothing short of exceptional. Being out of state, we were initially concerned about managing a renovation remotely, especially given our high expectations for quality workmanship and attention to detail. After meeting with seven different contractors, we chose Arete, and they exceeded every one of our expectations. Ivana and Marija were amazing to work with during the design phase, truly listening to our vision and respecting our budget. Their professionalism and creativity made the entire process smooth, even though we were communicating from afar. Once the design was finalized, Ned took over as the project manager. His responsiveness, transparency, and proactive communication were outstanding. He kept us updated with regular photos and was quick to address any issues that arose due to the age of the building. What really impressed us was his problem-solving approach—he always had a solution ready before bringing an issue to our attention, which kept everything stress-free. The project stayed on schedule and within budget, even with a few change orders. When we flew in for the final walk-through, we were blown away seeing the finishes Marija helped us pick out and the quality of the workmanship. As perfectionists, we were prepared to have a list of touch-ups or concerns, but there were none—everything was flawless. In every aspect, from design to execution, Arete Renovators and Arete Art of Design delivered top-notch service. We’re thrilled with the results and will undoubtedly turn to Arete for any future projects. Highly recommend!

Arete construction recently renovated our medical office suite and created a new patient experience for our company. Rooms were created, divided, and removed to optimize our space. Ivan, Damian, Dejan and the entire crew were very clean, courteous, and helpful throughout the entire project. They always made sure to answer any questions, take suggestions and provide feedback. Thank you guys -looking forward to the next project with you.

We hired Arete to do a full renovation of our first floor this year. Having completed several renovation projects in the past, we were careful to look for a professional and cost-effective contractor with a reputation for quality work. Arete delivered on these metrics. Our team led by Ivan and Damian, along with Ivana on materials selections, was professional, transparent, honest and accessible. They did a great work bringing our design concept into reality while staying on budget and working in a timely manner. We were very pleased with the final product and would recommend considering Arete for your project.

I worked with Ned and the Arete team on a full bathroom remodel. Overall, this was a great team to work with and I was very happy with the work they did. Ned was a great project manager, always a quick communicator and made sure everything progressed on schedule. The construction team was very clean, professional, and overall did great work. I live in an older building and for that reason we ran into some issues with old pipes, etc. and Ned was very quick to recommend options and ultimately get those fixed, the attention to detail was very much appreciated. Overall I had a great experience working with the Arete team and would highly recommend.

Arete Renovators has completed three projects for us over ten years, the latest one gut-renovating a 2300 sq ft apartment in a 1970s high rise building. Their team does excellent quality work, and they stand behind it. Marina, our project manager, is a true professional. She successfully shepherded our project through many difficulties and complications, including several unexpected delays due to required building infrastructure repairs and many changes to the scope of work. Arete really knows their way around the complexities of high rise renovation projects, and I highly recommend them if you are planning a similar project. We love our gorgeous new apartment!

We worked with Arete on a bathroom and closet remodel and were very happy with the results. They made everything very easy from design to finish. Ivana was great getting the project started and Vasilka took the inspiration photos we shared and came up with a design that truly exceeded our expectations. Marina managed our project and she’s kept everything running smoothly from start to finish. She made sure the schedule was on time and that we knew exactly when each subcontractor would be at our house working on the project.

We had a great experience with the team. They are very professional. From design to build, and service after, Ivana and Shannon are always there for us. These two ladies will definitely the person to call for my next project.

5 stars for general construction and remodeling (Arete Renovators). 3 stars for design services (Arete Art of Design). The good: the actual construction and remodeling work was great. Eric, the project manager who did the coordinating with the sub-contractors and checked in most days on the job was a pleasure to work with and always responsive and available. The subs were always professional, timely and courteous with their work. And the labor was competitively priced. The finished project looks amazing and we're happy with the end-result. The not-so-good: the design-side of things started out well. The actual "design" ideas the team (Ben and Ivana) came up with were very nice and captured the "vision" we had for our basement. If it had ended there, things would've been great. We paid an hourly rate up front for their ideas and concepts - the issues started after that. Our biggest complaint involved their initial materials estimate. We gave the design team our overall budget parameters, and they came back with a materials and labor proposal over the budget we had discussed. That forced us to do a lot of the subsequent research, pricing, etc ourselves to find ways to trim costs. This ultimately caused delays in the start of the project as we went back and forth with them for over a month trying to figure out ways to save money and cut costs. Ultimately, we ended up eliminating a couple aspects of their proposal that we found to be over-priced. Specifically, we removed their custom wood cabinetry from the proposal and went with our own woodworkers instead (shout out to 57th Street Street Bookcase & Cabinetry) and saved about 33% percent in comparison to what Arete was charging. Same thing with carpeting. We eliminated their carpet proposal and went with our own carpet company (shout out to Mr. Carpet) and saved over 50%. Material mark-ups were another concern. We understand that mark-ups are part of the business - but the amount(s) Arete was charging (at least in some areas) were pretty excessive in our opinion. For example, part of the design called for a double barn door install for the new room we were creating in the basement. The design team showed us a great-looking door and wanted to charge $2065 for it. We researched online and found the EXACT SAME DOOR for $1300. That's a 33% mark up. Arete also had in their materials proposal "frameless" vents. They were charging over $256 each. We found the EXACT SAME product online for $125.99. That's over a 100% mark-up. And keep in mind, these weren't mark-ups involving obscure, hard-to-find or custom materials. That was their mark-up for regular materials anyone could've purchased online. Finally, one of the selling points Arete promotes is that communication between the design side and the labor side will be easy and problem-free since they operate under one roof, which results (theoretically) in a smoother and more cost-effective project in the end because "one hand knows what the other is doing" so to speak. We found that not to be the case in our experience. From the beginning, it was evident that none of the subs, nor Eric the project manager for that matter, had really laid eyes on the "plans" from the design team. During the initial walkthrough, one of the subs was actually looking at the specs the design team created and started claiming that what was drawn up couldn't be done! Moreover, throughout the project, many of the subs were literally asking ME what they were supposed to be doing as it was either unclear to them or they were operating with older, outdated plans. Fortunately, I mostly work from home so I was around to address those issues, and as I mentioned earlier in the review, Eric the project matter went above and beyond in smoothing things out and handling issues as they arose. Also, the subs were all extremely professional in their areas of expertise and were able to figure things out as well, so everything ended up fine. It just wasn't a "seamless" transition from design to labor as promised.

We had a really positive experience with Arete and will absolutely engage them again for our next project. We hired Arete to both design and reconstruct our kitchen. My husband and I are first time homeowners and this was our first big project. Ben Wilson, our designer, took a mish mosh of our ideas and inspirations and created a cohesive and beautiful design. Our PM was Derek Gilroy, and he and his team were great. This being our first big home remodel we were both very nervous, but Derek was very transparent and communicated with us often on what was scheduled to be done and when. Everyone showed up when expected and completed their tasks on time. We had one hiccup with the design, we discovered a gas line that could not be moved after the demo phase. Ben quickly offered several design alternatives for us to choose from and it did not affect the schedule. Not having access to a kitchen is challenging for any length of time, but the team at Arete made the process feel smooth and we always felt day by day we were making progress. We highly recommend Arete for both design and construction, and would recommend you ask for Ben and Derek by name.

Arete did an outstanding job transforming our old condo into a fresh modern space. Derek's communication was clear and consistent throughout the project, the quality of their work was top notch, and everything was completed on schedule. We couldn't be happier with the results and highly recommend them!

We recently hired Areté for some interior finishing and lighting installation in a River North condo in Chicago. Project Manager Eric Robbins was extremely professional and attentive to detail. He impressed us with his frequent responsive communication, as well as his ability to schedule and coordinate high-rise work in a timely fashion resulting in an on-time, on-budget project. The entire team produced very high quality work and top quality finishing. We will be hiring them again.