Testimonials

To be recognised, featured and receive positive feedback is always an honour. And for small, independent businesses this can not only be life changing but it also boosts confidence in an art form where you're open to so much criticism and opinions.

I am forever grateful for those who've given time to share their kind words and chosen to give new homes to my pieces...sincerely thank you 💛

Done Up North

To be recognised by Nicky Cash, of Done Up North gave me so much confidence. As well as using techniques I'd learnt from one of Nicky's course's, I got to see the beauty and potential in my pieces. You always question your work, your style and for others to comment as Nicky did was something.

"Today am celebrating one of my talented Creative Club members Hema Kasi-Patel of Alma Nova Porto - Porto as that is where she is based - who is our FB group banner winner for September!

She took our taping workshop and credits it with giving her more confidence to create which I am delighted about because you want to see the lovely stuff she has created - I had seriously happy eyes scrolling her feed!

Check out this beauty

All the things that Done up North loves most of all ... sexy stripped wood, cool, new & original design to accentuate & elevate but that works in harmony with the style & lets the original piece totally breathe!

Just how cool?"

Ideal Home

Being featured by one of the UK's leading home magazine's was so honouring. It still leaves me lost for words even now, especially as the magazine's been providing great ideas to readers for more than 100 years.

DIY On A Budget Official

I found this trolley dumped and in a disgusting state. Most people wouldn't have even give it a second glance, but I'm not most people!! Of course I saw potential and so did Toni Trevillion of DIY on A Budget. My transformed piece got featured in her published DIY On A Budget book by Penguin Random House.

"Thank you too for your beautiful work. I am really happy with how it got. It has the perfect colors for this spot :)"

- Danielle Ferrari

"Bom dia, eu fui a feliz contemplada com este peça maravilhosa 😍. Parabéns pelo seu trabalho! Estou muito satisfeita com esta peça muito bem restaurada.

Parabéns pelo seu trabalho"

("Good morning, I was the lucky recipient of this wonderful piece 😍 . I am very pleased with this very well restored piece. Congratulations on your work!")

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- Patricia Ribeiro

"Obrigada eu, amei o resultado 😍👏. Excelente profissional, com muita arte transforma tudo em peças únicas e maravilhosas!"

("Thank you, I loved the result. Excellent professional, with a lot of art, transforms everything into unique and wonderful pieces!")

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- Filipa Marinho

"Já comprei um móvel e adoro a criatividade e a beleza sem igual dos seus trabalhos.

Recomendo vivamente"

("I've already bought a piece of furniture and I love the creativity and unparalleled beauty of your work.

I highly recommend")

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- Porto com Salsa

"Um trabalho feito com dedicação e amor em cada peça, uma alma nova. Foto das mesinhas do meu quarto. Recomendo."

("A work done with dedication and love in each piece, a new soul. Photo of the tables in my room. I recommend.")

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- Elisabete Sampaio

"A qualidade da pessoa e da artista, a seriedade com que encara o seu trabalho e cuidado na relação com o cliente.

Mas a relação qualidade/preço é ajustada, face a excelência do produto final.

Ganhei ter conhecido uma pessoa muito talentosa e de alma aberta, criativa e com muito sentido estético."

("The quality of the person and the artist, the seriousness with which they take their work and care in their relationship with the client.

But the quality/price ratio is adjusted, given the excellence of the final product.

I gained from meeting a very talented person with an open, creative soul and a lot of aesthetic sense.")

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- Maria Pia Barroso

"Buying furniture in Portugal has been challenging. Quality pieces are extremely expensive. Everything else is disappointing. It’s almost ‘disposable’, which is disconcerting. I’ve been in my apt 1.5 yrs and it is only now beginning to feel like home. Inadequate - quality, craftsmanship, uniqueness. Working with designers (expensive and unhelpful), custom pieces (resulting in poor quality).

Alma Nova Porto - I absolutely adore the pieces I’ve purchased. They make me giddy. Hema’s generosity in sharing her sources has provided additional options to further transform my apt into a home.

Unique one-of-a-kind pieces. Natural materials. Amazing service. Affordability. All while doing good for our world.

You will be interacting with one of the most genuine, kind, lovely, creative people in Porto. That’s truly the bonus. And you get unique, fun recycled/vintage additions for your home.

Interacting with Hema. Her passion and kindness and genuineness make you want to support her.

Just do it! It will bring you JOY. I can personally attest to that!"

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- Freda King

"A great experience as a workshop. The furniture pieces that I saw are unique and do customizable."

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- Julie Pokorny

"We bought furniture through a designer in Matosinhos. We knew the pieces were temporary; we didn't know we would dislike them as much as we do! We're going to redo all of our living space furniture over time.

Alma Nova Porto - We bought two pieces for our home. A desk that is in my partner's office. It extends his workspace and brightens the room. He loves it. We bought a refurbished trunk, and for now, it's holding our TV and sound bar. In the future, it will serve in a different way. We live in a rental, and we're beginning to replace our original pieces, acquired in a bit of a hurry, with pieces that represent who we are. These two pieces speak to our aesthetic, and we're really happy with them.

But the two pieces are perfect for our needs now, and will have a more glorious, prominent role in our permanent home. "

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- Jill Leigh

"Recebi ontem as mesinhas de cabeceira. São muito bonitas! Muito obrigada por tudo e até uma próxima oportunidade."

("Yesterday I received the bedside tables. They are beautiful! Thank you so much for everything and until the next opportunity")

- Cláudia Ferreira

"Os artigos são incríveis. Parabéns!!

("The articles are incredible. Congratulations!!")

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- Bruno BDoiz

"A Hema é muito empática, com umas mãos milagrosas que dão vida a peças que por algum motivo estavam encostadas. Recomendo.

Parabéns pelo seu trabalho"

("Hema is very empathetic, with miraculous hands that bring life to pieces that for some reason were touching. I recommend")

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- Alice Henriques

"Hema’s passion for repurposing items into usable works of art is truly inspiring! She not only found the perfect functional pieces to fit our space, she transformed them into beautiful additions to our home. Her attention to detail is unmatched. Before buying new, certainly look into what Hema can help you achieve for personalized, one of a kind furniture or decor."

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- Tina Ross