We engaged Peter Beeman from Smith & Sons Ryde to renovate our en-suite bathroom two years ago after he was recommended to us by two sets of friends. From the outset Pete’s communication was a standout: he clearly understands that the client has a mix of ideas, some of which will work and some won’t, and that either way the client deserves the respect of being listened to. We had some very specific ideas on innovations we wanted to bring to the bathroom: for some of them Pete showed us clearly and patiently why they worked better on Internet websites than in reality, but most importantly, even for some of the crazy ideas Pete listened and worked with us to find practical solutions. From showers without taps to motion-sensor lighting and invisible drains to a heated towel rail right outside the shower, Pete found a way of making it work AND being within the compliance standards of Australia – he wasn’t budging on compliance and would not accept shortcuts. We had to change suppliers and products where necessary to fit inside Australian laws, but the process came together beautifully and we have an end result that we are extremely pleased with. Pete was onsite most mornings at the crack of dawn, ready for the day’s discussion about progress, tradespeople, innovation, design, materials, options and more – this was a real highlight of working together and gave us a feeling of being part of the final product. It’s now been two years and we haven’t had a single reason to complain, and haven’t had to call Pete back for anything. Would I recommend Pete? Would I use him again? Absolutely – in fact, we already have recommended him to friends down the road (he started a few weeks ago) and he’s going to be doing far more significant renovations for us once our council approvals have come in! I highly recommend Pete’s work, ethics, standards and communications to anyone considering doing building work.