“Going through a renovation is never an easy process. We couldn’t be happier with Highmont Home and are now recommending them to all our friends. They integrate design and execution in a way that is respectful to the client’s taste but at the same time brings creativity and a real state point of view. The integration of design and real state helped us to prioritize and make intelligent choices. They helped us to find the sweet spot between our expectations for our house as well as market demands. The team is so committed and accountable that we can say that it was a pleasure to work with them. We hired them due to their commitment. From the start, they were always respectful of time, never late for meetings, delivering proposals, costs, etc. Throughout the process, they were always available to talk, ask questions and stop by if necessary. We felt very supported.

We worked with them in all stages of our project. Since the ideas stage to the final execution, Krista is very creative and has amazing taste. In the design stage, she brought great ideas, in different prices ranges, that were taking into consideration our family’s style, and at the same time, adding value to the house. When starting the actual renovation, Krista and Graham kept their high commitment. They have great planning skills to manage buying supplies, licenses and the team. They would invite us to weekly update meetings, in which we could have visibility of the process, and give inputs.

As far as quality standards go, I can say that they were very demanding. Any imperfection or detail was noticed and corrected by the team before we could even notice it. They really took ownership for the process and its results. We are extremely happy with the results from our home improvement. We feel like it reflects our style and at the same time, adds value to the house. If it wasn’t from them, the solutions we found would not have been so creative, and the process would not have been so smooth.

—Carolina & Rogerio P., Verona, NJ

Home Renovation Consultation

“It was a pleasure working with Krista! We sought out help from Highmont Home to consult on some renovations we were considering. We found communication to be easy and very responsive, as we set up a consult within the same week as our first outreach. Krista's consultation was more than thorough, we spent a lot of time walking through the entire house, front and back yards. She was able to give ideas for renovation, smaller things we could manage, as well as give us peace of mind for things that we didn't need to be concerned about. She produced a document we can use to execute the plans. I felt like we got a very good value for the time spent would not hesitate to work with HH again.”

—C.K., Nutley, NJ

"After 10 years in our Bloomfield home, we weren't sure whether we were going to love it or list it. We didn't know where to start and we were overwhelmed by the process and all of the choices. I'm so grateful we were introduced to Krista and Highmont Home. She saw potential in our house that we couldn't envision ourselves. Her knowledge of the local real estate market and an analysis of our home's strengths (charm!) and weaknesses (poor lighting! lack of closet space!) led to a plan that made the most of our investment. Krista's vision and budget savvy left us with a like-new home that we can enjoy while we're here and then get top dollar when we put it on the market.

I'm completely in awe of Krista's creative vision, we did a new kitchen, office, mudroom, laundry room, primary walk-in closet, full bath and a half bath. Krista's knack for flow and useful storage spaces means that now it takes a fraction of the time and energy to keep the house organized.

I am eternally grateful for Krista's project management, attention to detail and communication with the contractor and vendors throughout the process. She saved us from getting overwhelmed and lost in the details. I'm also thankful for Graham's real estate expertise. We were concerned that the cost of the renovations might be disproportionate to the potential selling price. Krista and Graham were attentive to our budget needs and helped us understand the market, what sells and why it made financial sense to make certain choices for the project.

Two things stand out in my mind as we've settled back into the house. First, left to my own devices I would have Frankensteined this house! Krista's design sense and kind way of guiding me towards aesthetically sensible choices was invaluable. Second, when we returned home from our first trip away from the house since the renovation it hit me that this was the first time in 10 years that walking back into my own home brought me joy and calm. I'm not sure when we'll be ready to move, it could be a few months or a couple of years, but when the time comes I know we'll be in great hands with Highmont Home."

— Ariana & Derek, Bloomfield, NJ

Renovation for Resale

"I am so glad that we hired Krista to help us get our Montclair home ready for sale. Our house needed to be updated and refreshed. Krista made a great, organized design plan with an emphasis on improvements that would increase the value. She took into account the style/age of the house and came up with a cohesive design that was updated and appropriate for the house. We were amazed by the results when completed. It looked as if we had spent much more than we had. The house looked modern, inviting, bright, and perfect for pictures and showings. She went above and beyond with the details and it made a huge difference. Our realtor set the listing price for higher than we thought possible and it sold very quickly and easily. The amount of value that Krista added was tremendous, making her fee completely worth it. In addition to the added value, I would recommend Krista as a way to make your house sale easy and efficient. She was so easy to communicate with and super-organized. Since she took care of the design and communication with the contractors, I was able to go away with my family for a couple of weeks, and come back to a house that was ready for sale. She thought of everything so that I didn't have to."

— Emily & Chris D., Montclair, NJ

Kitchen Renovation

"We are so glad we hired Krista to help with our gut kitchen renovation. Her design plan was perfect and she is very well-organized, which took away so much stress we would have had to deal with. She helped us find economical solutions to getting the custom look we wanted and worked with us when we wanted to use harder-to-source materials. She gave great advice to find a good medium between our modern tastes and the Victorian style of the rest of the house. We are very busy and it was such a relief to know she would be directing the contractor on every tiny detail for the finish work to make sure no mistakes were made and that everything looked perfect. She even went through our wood cabinet panels to make sure the workers mounted them with the more beautiful side of the wood visible. She left the workers clearly-printed directions for everything from tile patterns to cabinet assembly and she did great troubleshooting for several issues that came up. We highly recommend her for an easier renovation with beautiful results."

— Meaghan & Johnny, Montclair, NJ

“I can't say enough about my experience working with Krista. She is a pleasure to deal with and has added tremendous value to my real estate portfolio. Krista is smart, honest, professional and truly understands my business in ways that others have fallen short. She is hard working and has always delivered. I have used her for both design and staging on several projects and I don't think my homes would have sold or rented as fast and for as much $ if I had not hired her. She understands the project goals and inserts herself from the earliest stages including working with your architect to get the drawings just right before permit applications. Krista understands which improvements add the most value and she can source finishes for a fraction of what you would pay elsewhere. This creates a very high end look for less money. She always knows how much to order and works directly with your contractor to ensure it's delivered right on time. I never hesitate to recommend her including to friends and family in any stage of a home improvement because she always comes through."

— Josh L., South Orange, NJ

Home Renovation Consultation

“We are SO happy we collaborated with Krista before hiring labor and scoping the project. Her experience was apparent from the beginning, providing super helpful suggestions to improve functionality of our current spaces and providing suggestions on who to use, where to buy, and how to source (all super helpful since I wasn't using an interior designer!) I'm the type of person that researches a ton, pinteresting and wanting everything to be perfect. In just 2 hours of her time, she completely opened my mind to a new concept, inspired us to move our outdated, terribly located bathroom to a better, more functional location in the home - taking over a closet! We were then able to take over that bathroom space with an open concept mudroom/cubby room, making our flow so much more seamless. Her suggestions were spot on, saved me costly rework, and she was a pleasure to work with. Her services completely improved our home's flow, day to day, and all for the fraction of the cost that an architect or interior designer would charge. I would totally recommend Krista before starting your next project - she will definitely make a positive impact!”

—Amanda S., Montclair, NJ

Home Renovation Consultation

“Our in home consultation with Krista was worth every penny and we could not have asked for a better experience. She was thorough, thoughtful, honest and creative and opened our eyes to possibilities for our home that we had not uncovered through extensive conversations with other experts in the field. We hope to work with her on a larger scale in the future. Highly recommend.”

—M.G., Montclair, NJ

Home Refresh

"My husband and I have lived in our Glen Ridge, NJ home for eight years, and though we were happy with our house, we never felt like we loved our home…until we worked with Krista. She listened to our frustrations with our first floor living room and kitchen and encouraged us to re-imagine how we could make our current home our dream home without doing major renovations and spending tens of thousands of dollars. She put together a detailed project plan – taking into consideration the value of our home and market comparables to help us to determine what projects were worth it and to eliminate those that weren’t. She seamlessly managed a complete first floor renovation which included refreshing our kitchen, creating a mudroom solution, new paint throughout, lighting and decoration—all for less than the cost of a big renovation. Krista helped us save time, money and stress by managing the buying process, bringing in her trusted contractors and overseeing a successful installation. We love our new space! Every time we walk in the front door, we feel happy and appreciate the work that she did. It’s brighter, and somehow looks much larger than it was before, and finally matches our taste. We would highly recommend her…in fact, she’s already gone on to do projects in several of our friends’ homes!”

— Nicole & Greg F., Glen Ridge, NJ

I hired Krista for my kitchen renovation layout and and I am so glad I did.  She became my Kitchen Wizard. My kitchen is an odd layout and it was challenging to figure out how to best utilize the space.  Krista designed everything from the removal of a doorway and window to adding a sliding glass door for optimal light, space and esthetic value - all within my budget.  All measurements, fixtures and appliances were clearly outlined and communicated.  She also ordered our cabinets and counters.  The delivery was seamless and she was right there to check the inventory.  My contractor was easily able to follow her plans, placements and measurements.  Krista is quick, sharp, knowledgeable and personable - she's a real pro. The renovations look fabulous from appliances and fixtures to sink and cabinet accessories. I know my house is worth a lot more now.  5 Star + rating all the way!  I felt like I was in really good hands and I know you will be too.

— Gail Z., West Orange, NJ

Whole House Renovation

"We hired Krista to help renovate a home we had just purchased in Bloomfield. We needed someone that could help make it beautiful and not break the bank. Also, we had never renovated a home and needed someone to help guide us through the process. On first meeting with Krista we knew that she was the perfect fit. She worked within our budget and gave us wonderful ideas on how to make our visions come true without going over the top and spending a ton of money. She also has a wealth of knowledge in home renovation and a large arsenal of contractors and subcontractors she works with that give her great deals. She is the whole package: a designer, buyer, and project manager all in one. She recommended we “refresh” some spaces, which keeps costs low. For instance, Krista noticed our bathroom didn’t need a total overhaul and she utilized original tile and fixtures while giving it an updated look. However, we really wanted to totally change the kitchen and chose to remodel it instead. We originally thought of doing a peninsula but Krista found a way to incorporate an island instead - totally genius! Having an island has provided so much better flow and walking space than a peninsula. Overall, Krista’s services drastically improved the value of our home. I know that whatever money we put into the home we would get back and then some, but our home is so beautiful now I can never imagine selling it! On top of all this, Krista was incredibly organized, detail oriented, very responsive, and just an overall joy to work with. I cannot recommend Krista enough! She is the BEST!"

— Wai & Jon, Bloomfield, NJ

Renovation for Resale

"We had always imagined renovating our kitchen and baths in our home but did not have an 'eye' for what would work well or suit our taste. We were fortunate to find Krista who took the time to understand the flow of our home, our sense of style and other elements of the home that would be complemented by changes to the kitchen and bathrooms. We were very impressed by Krista's ability to think about each facet of the renovation: she maximized the space, she thought about the overall flow of the home and provided excellent guidance for ensuring that we maximized our investment. When the project was done, we were astounded how much more we loved living in our home and our friends and family were equally impressed with the changes. Later on, we decided to sell our home and naturally thought to use Krista. She was instrumental in staging our home to accentuate the aspects of our home that would be important to prospective buyers. The result: in our first weekend on the market, we had a lot of interest in the home and multiple offers. We couldn't have asked for more! We'd highly recommend using Krista for renovations or staging!"

— Anthony & Suzi, Berkeley Heights, NJ