Testimonials

"What a transformation and what an impact! Thanks Dan."

I really thought that a newly remodeled and pristine condominium in Framingham would sell itself. Four months after I put it on the market I still had no bites. I thought about pumping money into amenities to increase market appeal.

Instead, I hired Dan Houde of D&D Design Solutions to stage the condominium. It was the best investment I made. He worked his design magic and we had a showing that created a lot of buzz among realtors. Three weeks later, my realtor had an offer in hand that was $10,000 over the asking price. That might be hard to believe but, it's true.

Dan was easy to work with and his services reasonable. He is accommodating and professional. Most of all, his eye for design coupled with his knowledge of what creates the “WOW” when selling a home is invaluable. I can't imagine why anyone would try to sell a condo or home without Daniel Houde- he's a “must have” in the selling process.

—Christine Dipre, Marlborough

“Our house is gorgeous!”

I met Daniel Houde of D&D Design Solutions in 2005, and once I saw his work, I had to have him do my house. He redesigned our living room, dining room, family room, several bedrooms, front foyer and screened-in porch. I'd had other designers come before Dan, but I didn't click with them. Dan is fun, everything's on time, and he listened to me.

When Dan first came to us, he spent a long time just getting to know me and my husband. After that meeting, everything he did just nailed it for us. His colors and suggestions were perfectly in tune with our preferences. He developed a plan for us that we could take in stages. But then, his prices were so reasonable, we wound up being able to do a lot of it right away. He even walked through the whole house and helped me fine-tune each room.

We had always hated our living room, but loved the color. Dan redesigned the space with the furniture I had, so that I didn't have to spend a lot of money to have it look great. Our dining room now includes beautiful flower arrangements and other details I never would have thought of but love. The porch now looks and functions as a room. He even transformed an upstairs room into a music room with instruments and decorations we already had.

Dan sat down with both our kids and listened to their suggestions, so they felt involved in the design of their own rooms. I loved what he did with our ten-year-old's room. She wanted it to look "older." He made the room look fabulous with beautiful new items, and at first I was put out that it was probably too expensive. Then it turned out he'd spent less than $50! My daughter loved it.

Another plus is that everything he chose for us is easy to keep clean and safe for the kids. There wasn't a fabric that couldn't wash, and all the paint colors don't show handprints. He took our special family memory items out of their boxes and put them on the walls as decorations. For eight years, I'd been too afraid to put anything on the walls. Our house is gorgeous now, but not like a furniture store. It's personalized to us.

I've suggested D&D Design Solutions to as many people as I can.

—Amy Guilotti, Sudbury

“I will continue to recommend him!”

We decided to list our house in February 2007, right at the start of a very tough real estate market cycle. We asked the broker what we needed to do to sell, and she suggested working with Daniel Houde of D&D Design Solutions.

Daniel did more than just staging for us, he did home improvements also. He suggested a lot of adjustments and arranged for workers to come in and change the floors and do painting and window treatments. We could pretty much leave it all up to him. We couldn't believe how fast he completed all the projects. For some things, he actually put on the apron and did it himself. Within 5 6 weeks, he got everything done. The house went on market towards end of March, and it sold very quickly. We had tried listing it the prior year and got no results, so had taken it off market. This year, with the staging, the house sold. We are very happy with the price we received given the market. The staging absolutely helped with that.

Daniel did things with existing furniture and managed to arrange it ways I never would have considered. It was a very practical way to make the house more appealing. He has a real knack about decorating.

We've become friends since then. He's that kind of guy you just want to be friends with him. He's very patient, very helpful, very kindreally a nice guy, fun and so talented. He took colors that I never would have thought would fit and created a palette in my house. Everything just blended. He saved us a lot of money. He gave everything a feeling of being open and clean. He was very generous with his time.

I really respect Daniel's honesty. He could have easily suggested more work than I really needed, but his focus to his credit is working with what you already have, and keeping costs minimal. He knows that you're selling a house you don't want to pour any more money into it than you have to. I'd love to be a “Dan apprentice” to see how he does it.

I have and will continue to recommend him, and would certainly use him again. He would be the first person I'd call the next time I sell, even before the real estate broker.

--Sandy Granger, North Framingham

“I tell all my friends about Dan!"

Daniel Houde of D&D Design Solutions helped me primarily with the living room and also a nursery upstairs, to reconfigure it to a study / laundry room. We put the laundry in the closet of the former nurseryit's great!

Daniel took that former nursery and transformed it into a functional guest room / study / laundry room. He took a very small room and fit a pullout couch in it along with office furniture and made it look charming and comfortable. We went back and forth on ideasif things didn't quite work with me, he would absorb my comments and keep looking. One time I came home from work and he showed me some artwork he had found. It was amazing, he just totally hit what I was after.

I feel I've connected with Daniel in the sense that he now knows what I like and gives me the tools to communicate it to him. He helps me describe what I have in my head. Sometimes designers have their own vision that they want to force on you. Not Daniel. He listened to me and figured things out. If things didn't fit right, he didn't make a big deal about trying again. He invited feedback and encouraged me to be honest, saying, "You have to live with it, if it doesn't fit, let's change it!" But then also, a lot of things I wouldn't have thought of he would do in a certain spot and it would just work. He can really pull things together.

Daniel worked with a lot of our existing furniture, warming it up and making it more traditional. It was amazing how just a few touches made a tremendous difference in the whole feel of the room. Now, we keep doing other little things with Daniel. It always seems like there's some interaction going on with him for the six months that we've known him. He's just so easy to talk to.

Some of my friends who have bigger budgets than me get into another level of decorating. I feel Daniel understands where myself and my immediate friends are coming from. We may live in a wealthy community, but don't always want to spend at the level of some others. With Daniel, I found that I didn't have to spend a lot to get a room to look good.

I tell all my friends about D&D Design Solutions.

—Meg Sullivan, Sudbury

“A Joy To Work With”

We have had the wonderful pleasure of working with Daniel Houde of D&D Design Solutions twice within the last four months. Dan is extremely reliable, prompt, creative, and prides himself on attention to detail. He is a joy to work with and we look forward to using his services again in the near future. Dan uses his vision to create an environment that is suited to your taste without compromising his own expertise and copious knowledge of design and style.

—Scott and Julie Levenson

"Dan comes through in a pinch"

My house had been on the market for a few weeks when I received a call from my realtor telling me that she had selected my house to be the feature home of the week in the local newspaper. She would be coming to my house with a photographer the very next day! I wanted my house to look picture-perfect and that's where Dan Houde saved me. I called Dan immediately to ask his advice and he said he would be willing to come over, take a look and see what he could do. He rearranged, added some pieces and made my house inviting and ready to show. I had an offer two days later.

I cannot thank Dan enough for coming through at the last minute. He is so talented, creative, and so pleasant to work with! I'm moving to Florida and I can guarantee you that if Dan can travel to Florida (and I am willing to pay his round trip fair), I will be asking him to decorate my new home! Thank you so much for helping me out.

—Sharon Jarboe

"A Place to Reflect"

Dan volunteered to decorate the stage area in the conference room of our assisted living facility. When I walked and saw the holiday display he created, I was pleasantly surprised. Many of our residents said to us that they would sit in front of the display because it was a place they felt compelled to reflect. Some said after watching it a while it felt like there was an actual fire going in the fireplace. Dan gave of his time and his charity to many people who could use a little cheer during this time of year. Who knew you could touch so many hearts in such a short amount of time? Thank you, thank you, and thank you for your generosity. There are many people who will remember what you have done.

—W.P.

"Reliable and trustworthy"

I have had the opportunity and the pleasure of working with Dan on a few projects in my home. I found Dan to be extremely reliable and trustworthy. He was very willing to work around my schedule to accommodate my needs which I found very helpful.

Dan's work ethic is truly remarkable. His workmanship is outstanding, he is willing to make changes if needed without hesitation, and he always makes sure that I am happy with the job being done. I have always been 100% satisfied with his work and that is why I continue to hire Dan to do work in my home.

With Dan I can trust that I am getting quality work and know that he truly cares about what he is there to do. His work is impeccable, he always shows respect to my home, he is extremely neat and keeps his work space very tidy. I would recommend Dan's work to anybody because he follows through and really takes pride in the work he is doing.

—Christine Baker

"I would definitely hire Dan again!"

I had Dan re-paint my bathroom after a disastrous painting job from a different painter several months earlier left the room with awful white-painted woodwork and off-white walls that were streaking from steam in the room.

Dan suggested some paint colors and "fixes" that were more in tune to my taste and the rest of the house. He worked with me to fix the woodwork to my satisfaction, adding an antique-type texture at no additional cost to his original quote.

Dan is extremely neat, which meant the world to me, particularly since that bath has the only shower in the home and needed to be—and was!—functional each evening when I returned from work. If it were not for the different paint it would have been hard to tell he was ever there working. The overall experience was very positive. The finished room is beautiful and was done for exactly the price as quoted, even when Dan took extra time to assure the woodwork was to my satisfaction. I would definitely hire Dan again.

—Tammy Taylor

"Dan treated my house like it was his own."

I have had Dan work in my condo repainting the entire place. Dan's work ethic is one of the best I have ever seen. I was extremely impressed with his professionalism and how he always made time for me, which I appreciate very much. I am proud of all the compliments I receive on my house!

Dan treated my house like it was his own. He took great care of my property, and always made sure it was clean before he left. I would recommend Dan to anyone. He is a very talented designer and I feel I have gained a good friend.

—Mary Houston

"Detail, artistry, and synergy"

When first experiencing Dan Houde’s work, it was like walking into a vibrant, striking, two-story show room. As a photographer, I’m trained to soak in the experience before taking pictures, and I was overwhelmed with the flood of possibilities for showcase, magazine level photos.

From room to room, the detail, artistry and synergy between fixtures, paint, woodwork, fabric, placement, juxtaposition, weight distribution, light and flow, was like a story unfolding. Dan has unique signature and quality that creates living space into living experience. Stand back, and absorb the connection between all elements within the bigger picture he creates. Then go close-up, and enjoy the details he lovingly, and expertly infuses into every corner, nook and cranny.

Dan is professional on all counts as an artist and businessman. And he has a great sense of humor and insight. I highly recommend Dan Houde of D&D Design Solutions if you want your living space to be a living experience!

—Teja Arboleda

"Dan will turn your house into a home"

Writing a reference for Dan Houde is a pleasurable and very easy thing to do. I am a realtor and recently met Dan through another realtor. Dan was referred to me with the utmost confidence and assurance that his services would help me effectively market my properties. I decided to use Dan to stage one of my properties and immediately saw Dan's gift to quickly assess a property and its needs. Dan's commitment to excellence and service and his acute sensitivity to color, texture and space make him an artist. He will turn your house into a home very quickly—I assure you that Dan will make you and your home look GREAT!!!

—Denise Russo, Realtor

"Dan rescued us!"

Thanks to Daniel Houde, we finally sold our house. We thought we had priced our house to meet the market, but when the housing market started its decline and continued to fall, our house was still not sold after a year and a half. It was time for a change.

I had 10 days. We hired a new real estate agent. Equally important, we hired Dan Houde to “stage” our house. Dan had the challenge of staging our house with our furniture still in it so that sellers would see it as “their” home. Dan took on the challenge with determination and joy.

The difference after Dan finished was astonishing! Dan’s expertise and professionalism made this happen. His eye for detail is amazing. Because of Dan’s talent, expertise and ability to see a “home” instead of a “house”, our house sold in 2 months. Our entire house was a shining example of Dan’s talents and skills as a designer.

We were elated with what Dan was able to do in just five short days; we wish we'd hired him from the start. I would recommend Dan in all circumstances when it comes to transforming a house. We are extremely grateful for Dan Houde’s designer expertise and making things “happen” for us.

—Patricia Zahra

"With two rooms done, I want more!"

We are thrilled with the new rooms designed for us by D&D Designs. Daniel took care of everything. He did all the shopping and ordering for furniture, accessories, and flooring; supervised the installation, and painted from ceiling to floor. I didn't have to do a thing except approve the design. Daniel cleans up after himself immaculately. Aside from aroma of fresh paint, you wouldn't have known anyone had been there. His service was quick and efficient—my phone call to two completed rooms took only one week.

Daniel also absolutely understood my decorating taste. My husband and kids love the result, too—in fact, the kids are now better about picking up after themselves. The house is so beautiful, they don't want to mess it up! Daniel also made it practical for an active family like ours. He made it possible to live comfortably and still have an elegant appearance.

I'd recommend Daniel and D&D Designs to anybody. He transformed my home for a very moderate price. And, now with two rooms done, I want to do more! I'm looking forward to having his touch throughout our house.

—Maureen Tofani