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A while ago,
I asked a visitor to my site .... "how can I
improve my site?"
He thought for a minute and then said that I should
add some testimonials from my clients.
My clients have become my friends ..... sooo .....
here are some notes from my
friends.
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Brian,..........
I only briefly glimpsed our door before it was
secured in a safe place until hanging. It it even
more exquisite in person!! I hope our house is
worthy of your fine craftsmanship!!
Warmest Regards,
Jennifer ~ Nor Cal
"Mr.
Lee,
Well my door project is finally done. It has been a
very interesting job.
1. the time it took to make it
2. then getting it delivered to Modoc County
3. then getting it from Alturas to my house
4. then getting it installed
Had to put up with people who had to hunt Antelope
in Wyoming ...... a snow storm here ..... But,
after all that it is most definitely worth it. My
wife and I are very please with the whole project.
The door fit the opening exactly, it looks Great,
Thank you so much."
MG ~ Northern California
Wow.
Brian,
"It is exquisite! I'm so excited. I realized
recently, when I grew up in impoverished South
Philly, all the Spanish American war era brick row
houses, all looked the same, stuffed 56 houses on
an alley. All the old Italians put all their
aesthetics into the individualized uniqueness of
their doors! No two were the same. The only aspect
of their whole houses that were different from
their neighbors. Even though I am 40 years away
from there, my imprinted instincts have come
through to seek out a majestic one of a kind door
that will have every who enters ooohh and aaahh at
the unique beauty!
What a gift you give to the entire world! Your
choice of woods are fantastic, and you treat them
with the respect, care, and the dialogue they
deserve! A wonderful blend of man and nature! "
Warmly, Ron ~ Nor Cal
Hi
Brian
Just
wanted to let you know we both LOVE the door. It's
gorgeous--the wood is more beautiful than we
envisioned. We have both been walking around with
smiles on our faces for the last couple of days.
Thank you for your fine work.
We are both very happy to have the door in our
possession but kind of sad the process is drawing
to a close. I will send photo of it installed
when that happens.
Best wishes to you,
K. and J. Nor Cal
Brian
I was
amazed by your website, by the variety and beauty
of your doors. But after I visited your shop, I
realized that the website doesn't do your doors
justice. It's hard to believe that the doors are
truly twice as gorgeous as your website portrays.
.... thank you for the time.
S.F. Nor Cal
No.......
Thank You SF, for your kind
words
Thanks
Brian, that is fine!
The
install went well actually, just a little slow as
we figured out issues more with the old wall and
floor. It is in and in the process of trim work. I
need to get home before I upload the install and
finish work photo series, but here is one exterior.
Everyone who has seen the door has flipped over the
look and wood work. We love it and how the extra
sidelight has opened up the dark hallway as Cindy
wanted.
S. G.
Nor Cal
Hi
Brian,
Attached
please find pictures of completed door. Thank you
so much. It is the most gorgeous door I or anyone
else that has seen it has ever seen! I stand in awe
of the fine craftsmanship that is required to
create such a beauty. The contractor who installed
it said it is the finest door he has ever hung in
25 years of working construction (and he flew in
from Michigan to do my project)! His crew agreed.
Thank you so much for proving that a door doesn't
have to be "just a door"; it can be a work of art.
T.H.
Hawaii
"Brian
It's awesome!
We couldn't have hoped for a door this nice.
Our deepest admiration for you and Joanne's
craftsmanship --Thanks again--"
then he
wrote.....
"Brian, we
received the door on Friday. Looks spectacular!
Words don't describe it's beauty! It was a pleasure
working with you..... Thanks so much! "
R.C.
Laguna
Hills, CA
"Dear Brian,
We saw The Liberty for the first time on Saturday.
Well it took my breath away. Really beautiful
craftsmanship! The men who are going to install it
were so impressed with the burl and the detail-the
way the inserts match and compliment each other, We
are very happy with the copper and delighted with
the door. Bravo. I can well imagine you missing it.
We will send you .........
Thank you again for creating the door I hadn't
imagined and will love looking at it from both
sides for the rest of my life. Our friends expect
us to throw a party around it but I can assure you
no one gets to smash a champagne bottle over
it---it's already been christened.
THE
LIBERTY"
T.M.
Northern
Cal
Brian
Oh my!! I love the raised molding! I love the whole
thing! The door is a metaphor for my whole house
experience. When I look at each part as it comes
together, I think, yeah that looks good, but when
the whole thing comes together, it is completely
amazing and better than I could have hoped. I am
envious of your occupation, which allows both
Progress and Perfection.
Via con dios.
S. M.
Northern Cal
Then her
husband wrote
Hi
Brian,
Wow. That is one amazing piece of work. I can not
wait to see it in person. Thank you so much Brian.
You have created a truly unique piece of our new
home that I know could never have been created
anywhere else. Sorry I won't get a chance to meet
you in person. Maybe you will find yourself in our
neck of the woods sometime and can come see your
masterpiece - The Redding - installed. You are
always welcome. And never fear, we will shower you
with lots of pictures until then -- probably more
than you want.
Take good care,
P. M.
Northern Cal
Hi,
Well, the masterpiece is IN! We worked all day
yesterday to get it in and it looks beautiful... we
took nearly 100 pictures! We will send you
the best of the installation/installed pics. We
have a little more trim work today.
We are so pleased with the door. The carpenter just
could not say enough about the quality of the
construction and the beauty of the door. He kept
muttering ... "what a craftsman, what a
craftsman"!!
More with pics later.
then they
wrote
You may call
it the door, we refer to it as a work of art! It
looks so awesome! I'll send you a CD with the all
the pictures! We have before, during and after
pictures ... including the trim. You'll get 'em
all! I'll mail that CD out this week!
The comments on the door were incredible. Everyone
is admiring it ... we even had a truck come to a
screeching halt in front of our house to look at
it!
I cannot tell you how pleased we are with the whole
experience ... you are a
GEM!
E and L of Cape Cod, MA
Hi Brian,
We're sorry to not have been in touch with you. The
last push to finish this house has taken all our
time. ............. We finally moved in to the
house two weeks ago and the first thing done was to
uncover and clean the doors and jams which had been
protected by cardboard and plywood .............
The doors look spectacular and everyone who comes
here remarks on their beauty. For us it's really
exciting now because we haven't really been able to
see the doors and the stained glass which were
covered until now .......... So we'll take some
photos tomorrow and send them to you later in the
week.
Then they
wrote in a note
June 10
Hi
Brian,
Here are some photos of the doors. We finally moved
in but not everything is finished. The doors are
beautiful! We will send more photos once they are
trimmed and finished on the inside. Thank you so
much for making these fantastic doors. We spent a
whole year protecting them and it was worth it. We
will send digital versions via email
.................
Hope you are doing well and enjoying the start of
summer.
Best regards
J. & A. H.
Hillbrook NY
"Dear Brian,
The photos of the processing and the quality of the
work are both wonderful. I have been like the lead
goose in a migration trying to run this job:) and
tonight, this 12 am, is the first opportunity I've
had to look at the pages you mentioned. Bravo and
thanks very much. I have forwarded this page to
several friends in construction and others. I truly
appreciate your time and dedication and look
forward, health permitting, to meeting you some
time, somewhere. As I've said from our first tele
meeting, you are always welcome out here should you
find yourself in the Northeast. All my best and
will give you a buzz first chance I get,
as always,"
Phil P. of upstate, NY
Brian,
Everyone loves the new door, especially me! I have
your tie-downs boxed up and will send them as soon
as I can.
Thank you,
Brenda M. of Patterson , CA
7/05
Dear Brian
........... "Seems like only yesterday we were
planning the design of this beautiful door!
You know Brian, I am going to miss our frequent
emails when this project is done. I will always
check your web site to see what is new and
interesting ... I hope we can keep in touch from
time to time. When I get to CA, I will be sure to
come visit your shop. I have a little wood shop in
my garage ... nothing fancy ... just able to make a
few bird houses and things like that. I admire
anyone with the talent and dedication to do what
you do ... everyone should do what they enjoy!"
(I
do!!)
E.L. of MA
1/31/05
I will try to take some pictures at different times
and different lighting. We love our door. It has
been a conversation piece. Many of our visitors
have commented that's what they noticed first.
Friends are building a new home at Smith Mountain
Lake, VA and have asked for your website.
It was so great to work with you, I will send the
photos soon.
Thanks
D. S. MD
Danville, VA
June 2005
Dear Brian
Here are the pictures I promised to send. I was
waiting to buy a new rug ......... Beautiful,
Beautiful, Beautiful. Jack and I looked at some new
homes ......... it was selling for 3 million +, not
to buy - just to look. The front door didn't come
close to mine. You are gifted.
Thank you always,
C. W. of Walnut Creek, CA
Hello Brian.
I had a privilege to install one of your 'art work'
entry doors about a month or two ago. Customer name
is C. H. - Walnut Creek CA.
The quality and craftsmanship were amazing. I am
proud to be the contractor to get that 'beauty' on
the wall and have the pictures part of my
installation catalog.
If you need to refer any installation work to a
customer here in the Bay Area I will be happy to
provide the service.
Hope I will have a chance to stop by one day and
visit your shop.
Best regards,
Sergio Duarte - VIEW & ACCESS windows and
doors
CSLB # 711408
Hi Brian,
Yes, we are getting your emails and are loving the
pictures(watching
their door being built
online) I'm
sorry I didn't respond,we have been busy with the
illness and .............. The progress on the door
is wonderful, please keep the pictures coming!
Thank you,
B. M. of Central CA
Hi Brian
Wow. It was November that we last communicated. I'm
sure you had decided I had blown off your request
for a picture of the fully installed door, as I had
promised. I am now happy to report that the door is
finally complete and I have attached a photo of the
fully-installed final product.
I am super pleased with the door, as I already told
you, and am greatly relieved to finally have the
glass installed. I have gotten lots of
compliments on the door, in spite of the weird
setting. As I told you, it is installed halfway
down the narrow 15-foot hallway entrance to my
house, so that I can have a separate side-door
entrance to my office space in the first half of
the hall. Not the best setting for your beautiful
door, but it totally brings to life what would
otherwise be a dark imposing barrier in my
hallway.
................. The transom was harder to design
and I am still trying to get used to it. In any
case, I hope you like the new glass almost as much
as the original.
Thanks again for your work and professionalism. If
it hadn't been for that small glitch on the hinge
placement, it would have been a perfect transaction
in acquiring and integrating a true work of art
into a preexisting setting. It was probably a good
reminder just how ambitious an activity this was,
especially since we were able to recover
completely. There are very few craftsman like
yourself left in this country who take on the
responsibility of building real things with no room
for error.
Again, my compliments.
Best regards,
J. S.
Boulder, CO
Mr. Lee,
Just a quick note about the door you sent to us. It
has been taken out of its box and hung in place and
immediately covered with large sheets of plywood to
protect it during the remainder of the
construction. There was just enough time for it to
be admired by all and to utterly astonish me. It is
exquisite! Luckily the rest of the house is being
refurbished to a high standard, otherwise the door
would put everything else to shame and oblige us to
start over. We'll send pix when all is done.
then he
wrote a few months
later ....
We have just (finally after nearly one year)
completed our project; literally today the final
payment cheque was handed to the builders .. We
love the way the door looks and everyone who sees
it is very impressed.
R.B. MA
Hello Brian,
The door is absolutely beautiful!!!!!!!!!!! It is
even more striking than imagined.
Thanks,
Doug
Brian,
I just saw the new pics of our door. It is more
beautiful than I ever imagined. You are a true
craftsman!
Thanks for all the hard work you put into it. I
can't wait to see it hung.
B. F., Chicago
Howdy Brian,
I also looked at some of your door work, and
continue to be impressed with the quality of your
work. One of the ongoing issues I have working out
in the regular world is the lack of craftsmanship
anywhere. The mainstream economy is all about time
equals money. It's all in the details and the sense
of pride of workmanship that is present in one
shop, and not in the other.
I really enjoyed the evening with the two of you. I
feel honored to know you both.
Cheers.
C. H. of LaJolla, CA (August '05)
Dear Brian,
Of course you may have pictures of the door. I have
taken many - some in the early spring and some just
a few weeks ago. I have a few that show "a sparkle"
but I can't get the rainbows. I'm still trying. I
will send you what I have for now and when others
show off the glass better I will send those. We are
enjoying every minute of it.
Thank you once again.
C. J.
Brian.
Absolutely beautiful. We are thrilled with your
extremely beautiful doors. They are remarkable. I'm
humbled by the craftsmanship. Thanx again. Please
stop by when you happen to be driving South on
1.
S.& C., Sea Ranch, CA
Hi Brian,
I should be completely finished this week with
installing the glass in the side panels. I will
take some pics and send them to you.
I have question about the oil
...................... or should I mix in some
varnish like you did on the door?
The door really looks beautiful on the house. We've
received compliments from several neighbors that we
don't even know. At a new year's party, I met some
neighbors for the first time and they said, "oh,
your the one with the new door."
Take care,
M. J., So. Cal
Then I received this email 11/06
Brian -
Thanks for the update (estimate). I wasn't
anticipating a crating charge - that leaves the
project a bit over budget.
Do you have any flexibility in your prices, or are
they firm?
Thanks,
John Doe ......... CLICK
HERE
to read my response .....
please
!!
"craftsmanship
above compromise"
Back
to Home
Page
Click
Here to see what I'm working on right now
!!
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My doors have been featured in
This
Old House,
American
Bungalow,
Log
Home Design
Ideas,
Old
House Interiors,
and Fine
Woodworking
magazines.
Click
Here to see How
I Work
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These doors
are solid wood (not
veneer)
and constructed with materials that will
endure.
....
and
click
here to watch me make a
door
Click
Here
To see how I select my
lumber
....
and if I can't do work that meets my own
standards
(not
to mention my discriminating
clients),
..... I just won't do it
!
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Brian Lee Designs
MendocinoDoors.com
14660
Mitchell Creek Dr.
Fort Bragg, CA 95437
707-964-0635
or
E-Mail
me @ bl@mendocinodoors.com
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