Reviews of Upscale Downsizing (Interior Designer)

Catherine Robertson

While it seemed like an exciting project to triple the size of our office and completely decorate our space from the ground up, I knew that I needed the wise leadership and creative expertise that Marilee and Upscale Downsizing would provide. Marilee directed the plethora of decisions that had to be made and she creatively guided the entire project. She respected our budget parameters and cleverly found ways to create an atmosphere that is perfect for our needs. Marilee saw the big picture and carefully guided us through the details. I would highly recommend Upscale Downsizing to anyone who wants to have a project managed with grace and taste! You will love her creative eye! Marilee is professional and communicative; kind and conscientious. I will forever be grateful that she designed our space – it is a wonderful place to work each day.

Amy Dewaele

Marilee has done a range of services for my clients from staging consultations to full stage projects and has also coordinated a full remodel of a clients new home. Marilee will listen to what is important to you and your clients and make sure that is the focus. She has an incredible eye for design and has a trusted team of contractors and trades people ready to help and get the job done. I highly recommend Marilee and the Upscale Downsizing team for your next project, big or small.

David Smith Homes

As a real estate professional I've had the opportunity to work with Marilee on a number of occasions. She has a unique ability to see and bring out beauty in a home. She is creative in how she achieves her results, always taking the client's needs into account. I can't speak highly enough of Marilee at Upscale Downsizing and I will continue to refer my clients to her.

Lynn C

As a renovation company, I asked the owner, Jon, for renovating my house without design since I was studying the interior design (the owner tried to sale his wife's work at the beginning, he mentioned his wife is good at design). The company promised the initial payment will be credit from the processed project. After I paid almost $500, the owner came and looked at my house and disappeared for two weeks, no calls, no emails, until I emailed the owner, he said there is nothing to do except just buy some furniture. I do believe it is definitely a trap or fraud, to get 'initial payment' from customers without doing any work. I will definitely go though the legal process to protect my right and protect other customers from this fraud. I would like to provide all the evidence here since Jon says I do not present all facts. let's see the true face of Jon.

Margot Brown

Marilee and Jon were such a find, so I am ever grateful I threw the question, "Can you recommend a contractor?" at Trevor of Delta Carpets as he headed out the door. Marilee, a thoughtful and creative designer, listened to my wants and perused my photos before presenting me with possibilities. She also indulged my vacillating and questioning until I was confident with our choices. Jon, a patient and detail-oriented person, brought all my wishes to fruition perfectly. I love how my cabinets and countertop function, and I love how he improved little things like long cords, curtain pullers, door knobs. My project will continue in 2022 when the soft furnishings arrive, but at present I am relishing my home with its new flooring, wall colours, lighting fixtures and ... kitchen. Marilee and Jon truly were a find...and I will miss them when my project is over because they feel like friends, good friends.

Art Congo

Marilee has helped us several times to refresh different rooms in our home that have gotten "tired". She has an amazing way of bringing color, design, and finishing touches to a room and the end product has always surpassed our expectations. She is enthusiastic, efficient, organized, and super passionate about beautiful transformations!

Eldon McBride

Without question, Jon and Marilee are the best designer/contractor team around. I hired them for two major renovation projects and would do so again without a moment's hesitation. Marilee is a master designer who will start with your ideas and then lift them to creative heights that will surprise and amaze you, while keeping everything strictly within a reasonable budget. Jon and his team will bring the ideas to life with precision and excellence. They will always be sensitive to your needs, and will ensure that your project is done to the highest of standards. Above all, they do their work with a passion that is infectious, and they are a joy to be around. Highly recommended in every way!

Rose Mary Ekren

This is the third time we have moved and used the services of Jon and Marilee. This last time we moved from a 4300 sq. ft. home to a 2400 sq. ft. space. Jon treated our home as if it were his own. He offered great and practical suggestions to maximize functionality especially since we were downsizing. Marilee's careful attention to detail and her trained eye for colour and decor ensured a cohesive, stylish look throughout our home.

Michelle Merry

I could not be happier. Marilee is a superb designer and Jon an outstanding contractor. They took care of EVERYTHING for my renovation and their suggestions were always fabulous. I am extremely happy with the beautiful home they have created for me. I would not hesitate to use them again (and probably will!)

Melissa Ducklow

I hired Marilee to stage my home for sale. She directed us with paint colors and crafted a tranquil space using 90% of what we already owned, keeping costs down. We were amazed with her creativity. We sold in 5 days with multiple offers and well over asking with her help. Our realtor shared that our home staging created an experience for people that drove their desire for it.

Leatha Dudra

Marilee along with her husband Jon Congo transformed my 27 year old townhouse into a modern and beautiful place. She was conscious of budget restraints and my priorities and worked within those guidelines keeping me well informed along the way. Everything was done on time and the results are spectacular.

David Howie

Jon and Marilee are an amazing team who recently helped us downsize from a 4400 square foot house into our present 1600 square foot Rancher. From start to finish they were professional, well organized and a delight to work with. The end result was excellent craftsmanship and great design. Jon is very patient and thorough and Marilee is very gifted in design and decor! We highly recommend their services to anyone who wishes to renovate or downsize! D and L Howie

Sam Law

Even though the company is called Upscale Downsizing, Jon and Marilee actually helped me and my family with an upscale upsize to a 3600 sq ft house. We hired a few different companies to handle different elements of our massive renovation project, but Upscale Downsizing was by far the most professional company we dealt with. Marilee has an excellent eye for design and really fights for design elements she believes in. When we first started working with Marilee, we were a bit hesitant with some of her recommendations, but the design choices she was adamant about became some of the items that we appreciated the most as we progressed with the renos. Jon is a no nonsense, hard-working, detail oriented problem solver, which is precisely what you want in a contractor. Throughout the renovation process, we ran into problem after problem with the house not cooperating with the changes we wanted to make, but Jon would always clearly communicate the problem he was running into, and would provide a few different suggestions on how to fix the problem. Jon’s ability to problem solve and execute helped to put us at ease throughout the renovation process. We could not be happier with all of their work, and our main regret was not having Jon handle our flooring as well!

Brian Stewart

Marilee was amazing to work with. She helped us tremendously move into our new condo. The suggestions she offered made a huge difference. She was so easy to work with and she always respected our opinions.

Leanne de Souza

Jon and Marilee are incredible. I have recommended them to 3 different clients that could not say enough great things about them. Marilee's design sense is amazing. She is so artistic and has the ability to look at what is important to her clients and pull that out of them to create just what they are looking for whether they can articulate or not. Jon - with his attention to detail can customize whatever is needed to compliment Marilee. If I could pick anyone to do my house completely over, Jon and Marilee would be the first people I call. Leanne de Souza Realtor