A&E Fine Woodworking Review

Joe and his team are truly the best. Their work is impeccable and has become the centerpiece of my home! It is stunning!

Great quality products, amazing customer service - even post purchase. It will most certainly be my default for all custom wood needs!

Very fine workmanship. Delivered in the time frame promised. Beautiful finish, works perfectly in our remodeled kitchen. So glad we ordered from Armani! Packed very well to avoid damage in shipment.

Jim Vavra
Tucson

Love, love, love our Brazilian Cherry 8 foot long table top - it is gorgeous! We visited the shop where Joe showed us different wood options and answered our questions. Our top was built exactly as requested and was ready sooner than expected. Couldn't be happier with our table top and with our Armani experience - a rare pleasure indeed.

First off I want to say that Joe the owner of Armani Woodworking is a very nice man, he answered all my questions and was helpful. We received our Walnut Butcher Block for our Island on time and packed perfectly. Ours was quite large at More

Joe made a rustic walnut counter top for our kitchen and it turned out fantastic. Armani was easy to work with, had great communication, and took great care in the shipping of the final product. I would definitely do business with them again! Great experience and beautiful final product.

Outstanding quality, beauty, workmanship, service. Proud to have Armani tabletops in my home!

Amazing craftsmanship and speedy service all at a fantastic price. I can't recommend enough.

I bought a bar that was missing a top. I considered granite, tile and wood for a new top and when I found Armani's I knew this was it. I asked a few questions and they were very responsive. I ordered a Walnut plank table top with special instructions for the edging. The top came on time and was packaged great so no damage was assured. I installed the top and all I can say is it is gorgeous, exactly what I was looking for. Anyone who sees it thinks it's amazing. I would highly recommend them for high quality products.

Thank you to the fine craftsmen that put our tops together. Enjoyed collaborating on the specifications and the tops came out perfectly! Highly recommend Joe and his team - they were kind, patient, responsive and accountable. Thank you!

Joe,

The piece is home and in its place. You guys did a great job, we love it. Also, I really appreciated the way you communicated with me throughout the process.

Thank you for a job well done!

Mark Lundahl, President
Viking Concrete Construction, Inc

I have saved up money to order a countertop for my kitchen island, it s a large purchase for me.
I ve sent three emails with a question and I ve gotten no response. When I contact them by phone, I felt like I had inconvenience them by calling.

Six months after installing our Armani countertop, I can't do justice to how great it still is. In planing the remodel of our kitchen, my wife and I we're uncertain about our central island. We knew we wanted a wooden countertop but had lots of questions about the type of wood and finish. Joe was extremely patient with us. He gave us various samples to look over and took time answering our interminable questions. We finally chose to go with hickory (which he gets northern Michigan) and the Monocoat finish. It all came out so beautifully. It's vibrant, like it's still alive, which is different from a lot of countertops out there. Still no scratches or dents, maybe because the hickory is very hard, but also because the Monocoat holds up so well. The piece really makes our kitchen.

Amazing! I purchased the Walnut counter top and I love it! The wood is beautiful and far surpassed all of my expectations! Armani fine woodworking did a great job making this table and I wouldnt certainly recommend! Thank you!!!

Excellent customer service, incredible craftsmanship.

Armani custom-made an end grain walnut butcher block countertop for us. Fantastic workmanship and great service (made to our precise specs with online ordering). Delivery was timely and follow-up was superb. I highly recommend Armani Fine Woodworking.

I contracted Joe to make a maple island butcher block for me about a year ago.
It was quite large 7ft X 5ft. It was $2,000. I went to his garage workshop and discussed my options. As he was supposedly the "expert" I explained to him that I needed it to be bomb proof in my kitchen and needed advise on how to seal it properly. Very important as I wanting to put a farmhouse sink in it. He alluded that sealing it with a food grade but heavy duty sealer was an option but made it clear that it was really personal preference and that both ways would be fine if we were careful to wipe off water from around the faucet but that it would be ok. He was cutting the faucet and sink holes so he knew exactly what would be there. It was very beautiful when we received it. Our contractor installed it and we used Joe's sealer everyday for quite some time. After only 10 days of having it in use it was clear that around the faucet it was rotting and becoming a significant problem. I called him and sent photos. He immediately became defensive and said it was because I chose the natural finish. I reminded him that I completely took his advise and chose what he said was completely fine to choose. Joe would not budge. I asked him to come in person and see the issue. He did and then blamed my contractor for screwing down the butcher block too much. That was absolutely not true. I asked several other contractors to come over and consult with the issue. These are multi million dollar house builders, they all said that it was a mistake to have used a butcher block with a farmhouse sink. I have continued to research this fact and it is the hands down professional advise. I called Boos, easily the most respected and renewed butcher block companies, and they will not give any warrenty if you put a farmhouse sink in theirs. the actually said, "you can not do that". I told this to Joe and he didn;t bat an eye and stuck to his story of blame. In my opinion Joe was inexperienced and poorly advised and then rather than admit it he tried to blame someone else.
That was the infuriating part. I am guessing that he learned a lesson and currently does not allow clients to put a farmhouse sink in his butcher blocks. I have lived with his mistake for over a year while saving up to replace the entire thing with another surface. We will use soapstone next. But 2 grand is 2 grand and he left us with his ill advise. I can not recommend Joe mainly because of his ego attitude and horrible customer service.

Exceptional work and a pleasure to deal with. Joe delivered my red oak desktops a full week earlier than promised, and they are absolutely gorgeous. Beautiful, high-quality wood, and amazing craftsmanship. Exceeded my expectations!

We ordered a custom island countertop and it turned out amazing! The customer service is excellent, their website is easy to navigate and all FAQ s are answered very succinctly. Their prices were great and we are very happy!

Excellent experience ordering from Joe and his team, all the way from the east coast. Beyond great communication and meeting the schedule he outlined, Joe and his team built a gorgeous hard maple end grain top for our island, the center piece of our kitchen renovation. Highest recommendation.

Joe was fantastic to work with. Great communication. Stellar craftsmanship and delivered on time. My mahagony bar is the piece de resistance in my kitchen.

From the very first contact with Armani Fine woodworking, I was met with the best customer service possible.

I had all of my many questions answered quickly (less than a day) over e-mail by the owner, Joe Armani, personally. I also stopped by the shop to take a look at the different wood samples because I was torn between three different ones.

When we arrived, the owner, Joe, had stepped out to get lunch for his crew, so they were all just working. The moment I walked up, Josh stopped working immediately and asked if he could help me. I told him we were interested in seeing samples and he gladly pulled out samples. He even oiled them so I could see what they would look like once oiled. Additionally, he answered all of my questions and even offered to cut us a small sample of the two we were deciding between to take with us, which we graciously accepted and used to choose our other kitchen items. Tanner and John were equally as pleasant and helpful while we were there, taking care to pause any loud equipment usage so we could talk with Josh. It was absolutely stellar customer service.

Once we decided on our wood, I contacted Joe again with questions about overhang and layout. He patiently answered all of them, even taking a look at a diagram I had drawn. He recommended specific thickness and lengths, based on countertop durability without trying to upsell anything that wasn't necessary. We ordered the countertop and it was slated to be ready 2-3 weeks later.(Walnut - @ 1.5" thick x 27" wide x 108" long) Since they were exceptionally busy (Pre-Holiday season, October 2015), it was supposed to be ready at 3 weeks. I had asked if it was possible to be ready at 2.5 weeks since we had family coming in town. Joe said that they would certainly try their best.

Not only was it ready BEFORE my requested deadline, but Joe stayed after 5pm so we could come pick it up. Additionally, he helped us load it after carefully wrapping it in thick bubble wrap. He also helped us secure it once it was in the vehicle to be sure no damage or undue stress on it would occur on our travels home. Now, let me talk about the quality...

I have seen a lot of butcher block countertops in my lifetime and this one simply outdid them all. It is absolutely GORGEOUS!! It turned out beautifully. Joe, the owner, was the one that actually crafted my countertop. He was very proud about how it turned out (as he should be) and was certain to point out the details, like the bookmatching and things that he was able to achieve. It is stunning and certainly the center piece for my kitchen. Not a single person has ever entered my house without complementing it. I absolutely love it.

He carefully reviewed the installation and care instructions with me and it has been in my kitchen now for over 3 months and is amazing. I have used their mineral oil + beeswax foodsafe product to maintain the butcherblock and it is still as gorgeous as the day it was installed and we use it every day.

I would recommend this company a million times over. I have worked with so many different contractors and companies that I have lost count. Armani Fine Woodworking is truly amazing. They are a local shop that produces a high quality product in a very reasonable turnaround time. Joe and his team were a pleasure to work with and are incredibly talented. I will certainly recommend them to anyone that is ever looking for a butcherblock countertop and will definitely use them for any more butcherblock that I ever need, as well.

Thank you for providing such a great product for my beautiful kitchen!

Joe made a custom maple butcher block top for my center island. It is beautiful. Joe was very easy to work with and timely answered all my questions. The product was delivered when promised. I don't write many reviews but I highly recommend Armani Fine Woodworking.

I could not be more pleased with Joe & his talented woodworkers @ Armani Fine Woodworking! I ordered two countertop pieces for our kitchen about 2 1/2 years ago. They turned out so beautifully and I was delighted with the excellent customer care that I received from the owner, Joe. The craftsmanship is TOP NOTCH. Recently, I became a repeat customer and ordered another piece for our living room. We wanted to match the stain from the original pieces. Our countertop was delivered yesterday and it's simply stunning!! The stain matches perfectly and it's simply a gorgeous top. Again - I worked directly with Joe and he is great to work with and cares about his customers! I highly recommend Armani Fine Woodworking - they are the BEST!

We had Armani Fine Woodworking make us a Walnut butcher block for our island. It's beautiful, we couldn't be happier!

Ordered a custom butcherblock countertop for our kitchen island. Maple with a walnut inset. It is absolutely gorgeous, arrived on-time, and communication was superb. We would use Armani again.

Joe's work is beautiful. I ordered a custom sized cutting board in hard maple and the color and grain is perfect. Quick turnaround as well.

I'm lucky enough to be a local and stopped by the shop. The counter tops that were being built and finished were beautiful. It's amazing to see the process and it's obvious that Joe is a good, honest guy who knows his craft. Highly recommended if you're looking for butcher block in your kitchen or even just a high quality cutting board.

My experience was good until it wasn t. I emailed them on June 6th and was responded to promptly by Casey on June 7th. After some discussing the following Monday (8th) about possible extreme cost we said we would still like to do a quote. I sent her all of the information that evening and we went back and forth over measurements multiple times. She got back to me the following evening on the 9th and asked me for another measurement, i asked for clarification. It took two days for a response (11th) to which I responded promptly with the measurement. That was the last time I heard anything, that was 9 days ago. I sent a follow-up asking about any progress on June 16th and received no reply. I sent another follow-up yesterday (19th) to no reply. I even tried to call the shop but nobody picks up the phones. At this point I just have to assume they ve decided they don t want my business. Which is very annoying as I m trying to finish my kitchen and I have now wasted 2 weeks dealing with this company and I can t even get a response.

What a great job. I had two walnut wood table tops made to replace the formica counter tops in an Airstream. Best price, very communicative and best yet Joe exceeded all exceptions with the finished product.

We ordred a large butcher block (red oak, 8 feet by 3 feet by 2 inches). The experience from beginning to end was great and the quality of the butcher block is off the charts. Really can't say enough about how great we feel about this whole process.

A couple of highlights:

1. Joe and the team at Armani were fantastic to work with. We ended making a size change a couple of days after ordering and they were very accommodating (they hadn't made any critical cuts yet, so we were still in the clear).

2. Can't say enough about how beautiful the wood is. There are butcher blocks and then there are these! We just completed a very large remodel and with all kinds of great upgrades, but the butcher block is the piece that gets everyone's attention. We're very proud of it!

We shopped around on price and Armani is very competitive (even a little cheaper in most cases) and I can't imagine anyone beating the quality or the experience. I wouldn't hesitate to work with these guys again (in fact, I'm about to place a second order).

Five stars is simply not enough. Joe made me a Black Walnut Edge Grain top to be used as my Island top. I was a little nervous about spending that kind of $$ on something like this without seeing it in person. What I can say without hesitation is that the top I got exceeded every expectation I had.

In addition to the counter top, I had Joe to do a Maple inlay of a design that i provided a template of. It costed a little more $$, as it should, and again the end product was a tremendous value.

I am so impressed with the quality and beauty, I find myself spending time in the kitchen just to look at it. I can only imagine how nutty this sounds. I hope you all get the opportunity to see one in person. There is not a picture i have seen that does it justice.

Let's talk about delivery. If you dont have 4 grown men ready to off load the crate, you better pay for the lift gate delivery. Joe ships thes things in a very robust crate, it easily weighed a hundred pounds. The crate and Block together weighed 325 pounds. Not something you want to try to pull off a trailer alone. I think the quality they used in the crating is indicitive of the effort they put into the entire process.

Thanks again Joe!

Matt

I have used Armani Fine Woodworking for a number of my custom installations.

Joe Armani has been an absolute pleasure to work with over, and over again. In my business, I always "hope for the best, and plan for the worst". With Joe and Armani Fine Woodworking, I can reliably rest easy

In the case of Armani Fine Woodworking in general, and Joe Armani's attention to detail and professional acumen in particular, there are NONE better. Materials, craftsmanship, customer before and after care, are excellent.

I say this as a craftsman myself, with over 25 years in the trades. My own talents not withstanding, NOBODY approaches his craft as passionately and professionally as Joe Armani. The guy (and his crew) just loves what he does and it shows.

Customer service is head and shoulders above anything or any other shop I have ever delt with. This guy "get's it" when it comes to taking care of his customers.

My interior designer wife also feels this way. She too, no stranger to the vicissitudes of remodel construction and the potential for drama, will ONLY use Joe and Armani Fine Woodworking for any job that specifies custom butcher block or endgrain laminations. Period.

Simply put, there is no better place to secure laminated butcher block or end grain countertops/tabletops anywhere that I have found.

As a professional who virtually never writes reviews, or ventures much on to the "net", the reader should pay heed to the fact that I am doing so here. I can say without reservation that Armani Fine Woodworking is the only place I will use for my woodworking needs. If I can't do it myself, it goes to Joe. Full stop. No need to look elsewhere.

NEED WOOD COUNTER TOPS? Referrals are such a reflection on us that I make them with caution and try to base on first hand experience. I will tell you on a 1 out of 10, Armani Fine Woodworking gets a 10+!!! My counter tops came in today and they look better than the website, which was very impressive. The prices (including the shipping) are less than the big box competitors, and I can't imagine a higher quality product. BEYOND PLEASED & IMPRESSED with this company! Communication from the start to the finish was excellent, with the owner himself: Joe Armani. Thank you, Armani Fine Woodworking ~ you guys are amazing!!

We ordered two pieces for our island and the finished walnut countertops were stunning. The workmanship is flawless and you can see the care attention to detail taken when building them. Top quality wood combined with flawless execution. Plus, they were delivered early and the prices cannot be beat. Highly recommend.

This team made me a beautiful walnut butcher block, stuck to their exact timeline, and communicated promptly. Couldn't have asked for a more straightforward service from a nicer team, and we LOVE the final product. The fellas even met me right at opening time and helped me load this beauty up!

Joe Armani and his crew are truly artists. The island/countertop/table is just beautiful--we're almost afraid to use it!
Joe is great to work with and his staff is very nice and polite. From beginning to end, the entire experience was the most wonderful in our remodeling projects. I cannot say enough good things about the workmanship and the company. You guys are terrific--thank you so much!

I installed my new 40 x 93 edge grain black walnut island countertop from Armani Fine Woodworking a few weeks ago (June 2015) and couldn t be more pleased. The finished product exceeded all expectations. It is stunning! It s warm and inviting and is the statement piece in my traditional kitchen. The quality of the wood grain and finish is excellent. It contrasts nicely with the white cabinets and marble countertops.

I am local, so was privileged to visit Joe s workshop before making any final decisions on granite vs. wood. Seeing the beautiful works in progress, well-appointed shop, and skilled craftsman in action, the decision was easily made right then and there. Joe took the time to answer all questions, and even routed a small wood sample with different edge profiles for me to take home to help in deciding which one would look best in my kitchen. Excellent customer service!

I highly recommend this outfit. Thank you Joe!