Testimonials

If you are a past or current customer, feel free to tell us what you think of our services. Your testimonials are a great motivator and a reminder to us why we continue to strive for nothing less than to provide a superior construction service. If you would like to submit a testimonial, please get in touch with us through our contact page and we’ll get it posted here.

    Jane and Dick McEvoy
It gives us great pleasure to write this testimonial on behalf of Calvin Blackwell, architect/builder extraordinaire!

We purchased our home on Taunton Lake back in 2003 and it was a small cottage needing much work. We hired Calvin, on a recommendation from a friend, as our architect to help us design our dream home. Early on we lost our builder and Calvin offered to do both. We had no idea at the time what a huge stroke of fortune that was…but we know now!!!

He listened well and then creatively incorporated our goals and wishes into a beautiful home design. This was easier said than done as we often had different opinions on what we wanted. Calvin continually came up with creative solutions that we were both pleased with. We couldn’t be happier with the final results and we are forever grateful to him.

Hire Calvin Blackwell and you will be patting yourself on the back for years to come. In short, the man is a genius in his field. Not only that but he’s one of the most remarkably nice people on the planet. We do so appreciate the opportunity to speak on his behalf.
     
    Candy and Donald
We've had several opportunities to work with Calvin/Suma Designs, the largest project being a kitchen remodel. We were extremely pleased with the outcome. The suggestions Calvin made, based on his knowledge/understanding of the industry and products, enhanced our original plans and were cost effective. The Suma project team was very conscientious, responsive to any concerns and the work was high quality. We have recommended Suma Designs to friends.
     
    Ken and Barbara Hostetler
In 2002 we asked Calvin if he would help us with adding a second story bathroom, office and closet to our 1940 expanded Cape Cod style home. At the time, he was working primarily with new construction, so this was a relatively small project for him. We were pleased with Calvin's conscientious efforts of designing the addition to stay in keeping with the older style of our house. We did not want to have something which immediately looked like an addition, but we wanted a style which appeared to have been there from the beginning. He not only accomplished that task but we were very pleased with all of the workmen who came to our house. Each step was completed in an orderly manner until the certificate of occupancy was given by the town. It was very refreshing not to have a need to keep checking in on what the next step would be as we were continually apprised of when the next step would begin. Calvin made sure that the addition would not compromise the integrity of the existing foundation and he also inquired with the town to make sure that the addition would not be too close to an existing chimney. In the summer, we often like to sit in our backyard and look at the back of the house and marvel at how good the addition still looks. Overall, we were extremely pleased with Calvin!
     
    Brent and Shanyelle Young - South Windsor, CT
Awesome work by Suma Designs. We had them remodel our kitchen, and add a master bedroom suite over our garage, replace our roof and replace our front door area among other things. We could not have been happier with their dependability, professionalism and integrity of work. Thank you!
     
    Dody & Herb Flynn
Suma Designs made building our home seamless from beginning to end. Calvin took great care in listening to what we wanted our home to be. We understood every aspect of the build and our project was completed without any delays.
     
    Kinga Walsh
Calvin Blackwell (Suma Designs) is a professional, trustworthy, hardworking, intelligent, compassionate, organized man who has a work-ethic that is hard to match. His attention to detail is impressive as well as his ability to manage costs while completely and clearly outlining any additions/changes if needed or requested by the homeowner. We have done several jobs with Calvin, and each time he has offered recommendations to not only improve the outcome but also to ensure on or below budget spending. The people that work with Calvin are also professional, respectful and neat. Throughout the 9 years that we have worked on and off with Calvin, we have recommended him to friends who have also had very positive experiences. Once a job is finished, Calvin takes the time to follow-up to ensure you are happy not only on the finish day but long afterwards as well. He is a true professional and a man of character. Any job he would do for you would be managed and completed to a top level of quality.
     
    Kevin and Beth Koschel
Here we are almost ten years later and we are still in awe of our addition. We have completely enjoyed the extra space (especially the two additional bathrooms!) From the very beginning of the process, dealing with you was a pleasure. You took the time to listen to our thoughts and concerns. Using your expertise and intuition you came up with the perfect interior floor plan and to our delight you were able to duplicate the charming exterior we wanted based upon a photo that we provided you with. Whenever someone visits our home for the first time they always comment on how lovely and welcoming it is.

While going through the renovation process we came in contact with others who were going through or had in the past gone through renovations themselves. Hearing of their experiences, or should we say nightmares we knew how lucky we were to have you as our designer/contractor. You were always attentive, even returning calls when we hadn’t left messages (the wonder of caller identification) and were ever present on site making sure that progress was being made as expected. Your pricing was fair and on target.

We are happy to recommend you to friends, family and others as a dependable, experienced contractor who really understands the meaning of customer service. In fact in our eyes you will always be more than the contractor who designed and built our addition but the one of a kind professional who truly made our house into the home we dreamt of.
     
  Mark and Jane Ohayon - Newtown, CT
My husband and I have the highest praise for Calvin Blackwell and SumaDesigns. We have firsthand experience working with Calvin, as he was the general contractor and architect for the construction of our house in 1998. Calvin's creativity and personal integrity, use of only the highest quality materials and craftsmanship, attention to detail and customer responsiveness all set him far out in front of his peers.

Calvin Blackwell and SumaDesigns were responsible for making our house "our home", the center of our lives and a focal point for gatherings with family and friends. We look forward to our next project!