We believe the biggest compliment our clients can give us is to refer us on to other people. Most of our clients come to us by word-of-mouth and many of our clients come back to us again for more work.
Some clients put pen to paper or fingers to the keyboard – and some of these notes and comments are included below:
We purchased our house about two years ago.
It had an old small basic white melamine kitchen with lovely angled windows that caught the natural light. The cupboards included corner cupboards, you know, the ones that waste space at the back.
We needed a new kitchen!
We contacted Select Custom Joinery for a quotation, we wanted something different.
Gino Monteleone visited, measured and discussed what we would like in a kitchen and how we use it. He suggested a curved design.
The final design was a curve and fabrication began.
Almost all the drawerss are curved including the built-in dishwasher’s front panel. Finger joints in the drawerss create a lovely contrast to the ends of plywood panels of the cabinets. The simplicity of the contoured cut outs for the drawer pulls provides a very pleasant tactile finish when opening them. The main benchtop is a curved lamination of red coloured recycled hard wood that incorporates the sink. The new pantry is a singularly beautiful piece of furniture with frosted glass doors providing ample storage and thoughtful separation of the kitchen and the living room.
Our kitchen is a beautiful piece of very functional furniture. It is built to an extraordinary high standard using sustainable materials including the plywood for the cabinets and full-length draws, that are lined with Marmoleum and benchtops made from laminated recycled hardwood and plywood.
Many small touches add to the pleasing aesthetic such as the simple curved shelves of the rangehood covering, a small set of wall-mounted decorative cabinets to the right of the sink and the curve reflected in tiles on the approach to the kitchen that completes the space.
It is a joy to prepare and cook meals in this kitchen and the “wow factor” when we have visitors brings us great pride.
Our new kitchen is a credit to Gino, his design and making skills and all his staff who assisted, Tom, Griffin and Robyn. I would also like to thank the additional trades people, the tilers, electricians and plumbers who, coordinated by Gino, assisted to finish our kitchen in a very timely manner.
Thank you all we are exceptionally happy with our extraordinary, bespoke kitchen.
Bernadette and Peter – ACT
February 12, 2021.
The wonderful team at Select Custom Joinery designed and built a large shelving unit made from recycled brush box. The quality of the work is outstanding and Gino, Robyn and the team have been excellent throughout the process. Highly recommended! (Review may also be found under Google Reviews).
Rebecca Valentine (ACT)
June 2021.
The kitchen was beautifully made (plywood with bamboo fronts) with high quality fastenings and bolts, and fitted together exactly as planned. It took a little while to get used to the Pezzo system, but Gino always made himself available to assist and answer our questions. It now looks fabulous and its solid construction means it will last decades. Thanks Gino and Robyn! (Review can be found on Google Reviews)
Thank you very much Gino and Robyn for your beautiful work.
Whilst you may sometimes find my requests excessive, I just want you to know that I find your work beautiful and it soothes my soul!
Have a lovely week and talk soon.
Cheers Paul (Barnett, Architect – Paul Barnett & Associates)
July 24, 2014.
Dear Gino and Robyn
Rob and I would like to thank you both very much for our wonderful new kitchen! It gives us so much joy to see and use the practical, durable and beautifully constructed materials every day. When we first spoke to you we wanted our kitchen to be constructed of simple, sustainable and raw materials; plywood, concrete and stainless steel, but with an element of white. We were very happy with how you used your knowledge of design and construction to come up with practical solutions for our ideas and fine-tune the final design in cooperation with us. This included creating samples of the concrete benchtop and drawer fronts to ensure that we were happy with the planned final product.
Your level of craftsmanship in constructing the joinery is what has impressed us most of all. In particular the detail around the plywood joinery in the drawers and the cut-out handles that reveal the layers of plywood is something that we appreciate every time we use the kitchen.
When the kitchen was installed there was a great deal of care taken to ensure everything was fitted to an extremely high specification. The associated subcontracting team that you coordinated worked seamlessly around your team and the work site was always left clean and orderly at the end of the day.
Thank you once again.
Allison J.
June 18, 2014.
Gino and Robyn were so welcoming when we first met, so that we could quickly and easily develop a shared understanding of the design for the kitchen. Gino was passionate and principled about the materials used in the kitchen and their sustainability – from the recycled blackbutt, the hoop pine cabinets and concrete benchtops. It was fantastic to have open discussions and clarity on options. This was vital to me, as having had the design and aesthetic in my head for the last few years – it was important that it could be respected but also be improved upon. Gino’s ideas on the materials gave a natural expression to the design and the arched handles are a work of three dimensional art. Gino and his team brought the kitchen to life with amazing skill, quality and craftsmanship. It forms the centrepiece of the house! Thank you so much.
Stephane V. and Chris B.
March 12, 2013.
Gino has recently built and installed a kitchen for us in our new house, and has built vanities for the bathrooms.
We are delighted with the results: the quality of craftsmanship is a pleasure to see every day, and the kitchen is very functional and easy to work in. The bamboo Gino uses, and the way he makes use of the different grains and stains, has a sensual beauty that is very pleasing.
During the design process, Gino was helpful and welcomed our input. He took the time needed to resolve design issues to mutual satisfaction. Robyn provided good administrative support.
The installation was very impressive! Gino and his team arrived with everything they needed, and put the kitchen together in a very short time, resolving any practical issues as they went.
We are very happy with Select Custom Joinery and have no hesitation in recommending them. We will enjoy living with their work for many years to come.
Mog B. and John W. (Central Tilba)
March 13, 2013.
Gino and family,
Our experience of kitchen building is usually one of giving the budget price to the kitchen producers and get as much as possible stuffed into a specific place.
This house needed a smarter, environmentally conscious design.The kitchen complements the house and is the centre finishing piece. We contacted Gino about the possibility of building a kitchen and he invited us in to talk about the design. He showed us the workshop and all the materials we potentially could use.
End grain of bamboo was my favourite immediately. We were so impressed by all his pieces, and the materials involved.
The result is a walk in pantry with a beautiful glass door, finished perfectly.Bamboo shelves and wire baskets complement the darker bamboo bench tops.
As I see no need for protruding handles the smarter use of cut out handles were offered. Concealed hinges and magnetic openers on the island bench glass doors, showcase the beautiful wine rack around it.This was Gino’s idea and now it is something I absolutely love.
The drawings provided for us were great, we changed very little from the original as he seemed to understand precisely what we wanted. Each visit to his workplace showed the staff working well, and the installation went without a hitch, professionally done to a standard as if it was their own home they were building.Their polite manner and high standard impressed the principal builder.
Every step of the process has been easy and enjoyable, with our carbon footprint being considered important, and function plus beauty still uncompromised.
This family is a delight to have employed I would certainly recommend them to anyone, especially if your intention is to touch the earth lightly.
Yours sincerely, Anthony V. and Carol M. (Falls Creek, NSW)
April 9, 2012.
The table is truly a work of art that we, the architects, the client, and all who visit this wonderful High Commission regard (it) as a notable piece of work.
Colin Irwin – I Architecture (formerly BHI Architects) – Solomon Islands High Commission Board Room Table
February 10, 2012.
My only question is why anyone would get their kitchen from anyone else?
David M. Curtin.
May 18, 2011.
Gino Monteleone is an artist and his work is exceptional, both in quality and design.
Inspired by American eco-architect Sarah Susankah’s book “The Not So Big House’’, I’d decided to demolish several interior walls and an outdated kitchen in my Queanbeyan house to create a loft-style living space with an open kitchen. I wanted elegant eco-simplicity, and I wanted wood.
It took one email to track down a builder to demolish walls, but it would take almost a year to track down a skilled top-order craftsman who could design and build a genuine environmentally friendly kitchen.
Kitchen companies thought I was crazy to want a kitchen made without environmentally toxic glues and high gloss finishes. I also wanted recycled Australian timbers, or timber harvested from a certified sustainable source, but was told repeatedly this was impossible or impractical. As a journalist who writes about environmental issues, I was amazed (and often amused!) by the misinformation peddled by companies about so-called sustainable “green’’ products. I was also told wood would warp, stain and fade. As for recycled timbers, ‘’you don’t know where it’s been,’’ was one excuse offered. So it was a very happy day when I discovered Gino and Robyn Monteleone’s company, Select Custom Joinery.
Gino has an artist’s eye for wood and finishes, and I believe the kitchen he designed for me speaks volumes about the creative benefits of giving a skilled designer free rein to use their imagination and specialist knowledge. He also designs and makes a good-looking door. Yes, it will cost you more than one made by a factory franchise, but it will be a beautiful work of art that brings great joy to the soul. And isn’t that what you want?
Rosslyn B.
Queanbeyan March 2011.
To whom it may concern,
We are delighted with the work of Select Custom Joinery. Gino’s craftsmanship is obvious to us and guests to our home. He has an eye for design and finishings, and a passion for the materials he uses.
We first spoke to Gino and Robyn Monteleone about our vision for a new kitchen and family room and renovated bathroom and laundry in late 2008 after a recommendation from our architect, Robbie Gibson of Green House Architects. We wanted a modern yet classic kitchen that would stand the test of time.
Within weeks Gino showed us some possibilities at his workshop and discussed with us the idea of using bamboo and recycled timbers to make it sustainable as well.
We find the end product visually stunning, natural and practical.
Gino delivered and assembled the work on schedule. He and Robyn have always been friendly, helpful and professional in their dealings with us.
Sincerely,
Toni H. and Peter M.
Hackett March 2010.
In 2009 we decided to renovate the kitchen in our 50 year old Canberra home.
Preferring a solid timber kitchen over the vinyl wrap-around kitchen units on offer from most kitchen manufacturers, we contacted Gino Monteleone of Select Custom Joinery, having seen his company’s display at the MBA exhibit centre in Canberra.
We had definite ideas about what we wanted. Gino was prepared to listen and very quickly demonstrated his understanding of and empathy with what we wanted to achieve in our new kitchen.
We knew we would be paying a little more than we would have with a conventional supplier, but Gino’s accuracy and honesty in explaining and estimating the costs of the project gave us confidence.
As we continued to work with him in the design stage, we came to learn about the very high standards of joinery and craftsmanship that Gino was committed to. We were also attracted to his philosophy of producing environmentally sustainable products by using recycled timbers where feasible, timbers from re-growth forests and glues and other materials with non-toxic and ecologically friendly characteristics.
Supported by his wife Robyn in the office, Gino produced for us a kitchen with the retro look we were seeking, while offering every modern element, including drawers which effortlessly glide shut, and optimum efficiency in the use of space. Our kitchen is a unique expression of his artistry and skill.
We were also impressed by the team of associated tradespeople Gino employs for his projects (plumbers, electricians and tilers etc). They were punctual and efficient and worked to very high standards, always overseen by Gino.
Linda and Robert N.
Canberra
March 2010
Dear Gino and Robyn,
I wanted to write to thank you both for my new kitchen. As you both know I spent a very long searching for the right people to undertake the work and I am so very glad we agreed to work together. I’m the first to admit the design brief wasn’t simple. I asked for an environmentally sensitive kitchen in solid recycled timber and wanted to use a Rennie Mackintosh motif in tiles and door design. The kitchen also had to work with the fact that I am increasingly subject to arthritis. The response of most kitchen designers was to either refuse or simply offer me what they already had. In other words I was supposed to adjust my ideas to what was available.
That would have resulted in a mélange of melamine and MDF with cupboard doors which would have been constructed rather like packing cases. Instead you researched Rennie Mackintosh and worked with me to meet every aspect of my design and physical requirements. Will we ever forget the “Saga of the Granite”?
Apart from the fact that you were willing to do what a number of other kitchen placed told me was impossible, the fact that you were willing to work with me, made the journey so much more interesting and pleasurable. The results are harmonious and wonderful looking, but what is really impressive is the underlying excellence of the work.
I love the used of ash and purple heart timbers, the horizontal grain of the Blackbutt across the drawers and the fact that no endangered timber is used, the environmental awareness of the construction materials, and the fact that the kitchen not only looks great, it’s a very functional space which works within my brief of being suitable, now and into the future, for an arthritic old lady. Also, there is so much space, even above the microwave and under the kitchen sink are easily useable.
The practicalities are also great. You were always on time, kept me informed of progress, kept within budget, gave me time to make decisions and worked with me even on last minute solutions, and I love the utility rails and hooks. Your tradesmen were also punctual and very easy to deal with. Last, but definitely not least, Phil is a delight and I am very grateful he persevered with the door motif, but mostly I enjoyed his good humour, talent and professionalism. Gino and Phil make a great team.
It was an absolute pleasure to work with Select Custom Joinery and I would highly recommend that anyone looking for a unique, personal and highly creative solution to furniture making or fitouts also enjoy the privilege of working with this highly professional team. I’ll certainly be back in the future, and that’s the best compliment a very happy customer can deliver.
Barbara Phi.
25/11/2008.
…………… The ability to carry through the big picture idea of a project right through to the finest of detail can often be marred by the limitations of standardised production, especially when it comes to the joinery.
Gino Monteleone can be entrusted with a design, listens to clients needs; yet understands the dichotomy that joinery is both functional and sculptural. Dedication to age old traditions in woodwork combined with the innovative use of materials through honour to detail resulted in cabinetry that is crafted with integrity. It is a demanding task that is often overlooked and regarded as being too time consuming, too expensive or just too hard by most.
It has been a pleasure to work with Select Custom Joinery on two projects now; both of which have resulted in a product that I am very happy with.
Brett Lowe Architect
19/12/2008.
Thanks Gino…..I’m loving my beautiful home, every lucky minute in it!
“Happy Client” Turner ACT.
(Complete joinery fitout installed in a new house, in accordance with architectural plans).
Dear Gino and Robyn,
Thanks for the work on the bathroom – it looks great.
Cheers, John. John U. Lyneham ACT.
(Bathroom completed after kitchen facelift completed for John)
Hi Gino and Robyn,
Thanks again for a gorgeous kitchen.
Regards, Ann S. Sutton NSW.
Dear Gino,
Thank you very much for all your work on our beautiful new (big) kitchen! We love the space and colours! Thanks also for being willing to do it and travel so far to install it.
Hopefully we won’t call on you again for another one for a while.
Hey! That kitchen is great….again!!!
Kind regards, Fiona and Paul. Fiona and Paul S. Bathurst NSW.
(2nd kitchen manufactured and installed for Paul and Fiona by Select Custom Joinery.)
Dear Gino and Robyn,
We just love our new wardrobes and have been showing them off to anyone who walks into our home. Thank you once again.
Regards, Chris and Wendy. Chris and Wendy R. Flynn ACT.