Outerlands Design helped us with a complete remodel of our master suite, living room, an interior…read morestaircase, facade, exterior staircase, and roofdeck. We were thoroughly pleased with the entire process, from the first visit to the last handshake. There are four key qualities of this outstanding group worth highlighting: (1) Flexibility: We wanted to renovate our whole 3-story house, but in two stages, so that we could continue to live here. The first stage was going to be the top 1.5 floors, and the architect was nearing final designs for that ... when this happened: We had a flood on our lower floor, due to a blocked sewer, about 2 months before the work was going to begin. This couldn't wait to get fixed. Their team quickly pivoted, shelved plans for the top 1.5 floors, and put all their energy behind quickly creating and finalizing plans for the bottom 1.5 floors. And then this happened: Part way through the renovation, the crew discovered extensive dry rot damage in the frame of our house, due to leaks between the wood planks of our siding (and maybe the roof). What had been an interior-only project, quickly became a massive interior/exterior job, as the only logical fix was to remove the problematic siding, repair/replace the rotting wood frame, put on a new roof, and place all-new stucco. And then this happened: Faced with a bigger project than originally envisioned, we started to imagine all the little (or not so little) things that it might make sense to do while the team had various parts of our home ripped up ... and so we kept asking for more and more things (the dreaded "change order"!). Brad and his team were as gracious as saints, and remained open-minded and loyal partners in an open-ended design process, even as we were the ones causing the project to drag on further than they had anticipated. (2) Communication: Brad, the project manager, is phenomenal. As the single point of contact, he is super-efficient in his responsiveness to emails, phone calls, or texts, and he consistently follows through on questions and requests. I can't tell you how valuable it is to have a single point of contact, when your home is invaded by carpenters, electricians, plumbers, tilers, floorers, stucco guys, roofers, dry wall experts, painters, and people whose job I never even totally fathomed. Brad was not one of these people -- and he had no other job but to conduct the orchestra and respond to our needs. Priceless. Brad is not the only highlight: Jared (Brad's son and the founder/owner), the plumber, the electrician, and other key folks also had excellent communication skills and were comfortable interacting with us directly. (3) Efficiency: There was someone on our site doing work every single day. I've heard stories from friends -- and witnessed other renovations on my own block -- where projects seem to drag on with no worker on site for days or sometimes weeks at a time. We never saw a slow-down in momentum with this group. Brad had a big role in ensuring that things moved forward. (4) Aesthetic: Last but certainly not least is the design sense that Outerlands offers. As illustrated on their web site, they are fluent in the modern Bay Area aesthetic and steeped in higher-end finishes. But they do not blindly go after the most expensive options, or forget the history or overall context of a home. In our case, they transformed a dated 1980s home into a modern masterpiece, achieving holistic oneness through a renovation (as opposed to a complete rebuild, where this is easier). We're thrilled.

We used Outerlands to do a full renovation of the interior and exterior of our house and loved the…read moreresults! They were professional, timely, and thorough. I would recommend them highly for any project, big or small.

It's now been over ten years since Modern Spaces remodeled my loft downstairs - kitchen, living and…read moredining area, office area, etc. The quality of the ip20 built-ins they put in has been outstanding. Easy to clean, still looks as great as it did day one, and functionally, what Richard designed has been fantastic. I still get comments on the look and functionality, and given it was all custom made for my strangely shaped loft, the price was quite excellent. Over the last couple of years, every time something small broke, whether it was a light bulb I had trouble finding a match for or the electrical transformer, they've been extremely helpful in diagnosing the issue, referring me to the original installer (hey, they work with the same electricians, plumbers, builders for years, that's got to say something good!) or just offering advice - all for free. They keep all their records so they were able to look up exactly what part I needed when something did need to be replaced. In my experience, they will 100% stand by their work and do as much as they possibly can to make a client happy. A few years ago I decided to add a cabinet at the end to match what I had and they made sure both the design and installation looked seamless!

Well, I have to say that going into my experience with Modern Spaces I was excited and hopeful. It…read morewas an expensive endeavor, but their product looked beautiful and Richard, the consultant/owner who came to look at our bedroom space, helped us lay out a plan for beautiful custom cabinets, made in Europe and assembled here, that we would have installed and be using in 12 weeks time. Seemingly well worth the money, especially when trying to work out something efficient in a difficult space. Unfortunately, it was the beginning of 8 months of utter frustration, disappointment and chaos. Our experience with them consisted of the following: ~Unreturned phone calls when we needed measurements ~Missing pieces in the order, extending the finish date several weeks. ~No explanation on what exactly "installation" would entail, which would have been nice to know *before* they carved into our walls and hacked out the baseboards. ~Installation done incorrectly... more than once. ~More missing pieces. ~Wrong handles and knobs installed, needing to be reordered and re-installed. ~Problems with the measurements being incorrect, requiring another re-order. ~Extra visits (read, extra time taken out of MY day) to correct the placement of grommet holes, paint touch ups etc. There were SO many things that went wrong with the ordering and instillation that it would be impossible to lay it all out here. But the worst part of all the problems was the poor (sometimes non-existent) communication we got. No one bothered to let us know parts were missing and there would be further delay's. No one called back with an actual answer when we needed simple measurements. The installer didn't explain to us exactly what needed to be done, or when things were missing and he didn't follow our instructions on certain specifications. And the company clearly didn't communicate to him or vice versa every time we made a phone call with another problem. It was chaotic at best, to the point where we could only laugh at the absurdity, lest we have the urge to go injure someone. I am disgusted at the frequency with which I, the customer, had to take the initiative to call them to find out what was going on, and at the lack of answers I got in return. For the price I was paying, I expected a certain level of customer service, and what I got was a 3-Ring-Circus. And the Big-Top just continued on, even after we wrote a letter half-way through the debacle expressing our frustration. They did make an attempt to be concerned about all the problems, but unfortunately the problems just continued...all the way to the bitter end. And you want to know the clincher? Toward the end, after "3 months" turned into EIGHT, when we were still experiencing problems with them getting it installed right, they had the nerve to ask us, more than once, to pay the balance due! The balance that was due AFTER completion, not in the midst of ongoing problems. Talk about insult to injury. At the end of the day, yes.. the cabinets look nice and are efficiently functional. But there is no question that there are other custom companies who run a more professional show out there, and in this case, the END did NOT justify the means. The one star is ONLY for the actual product.

If you are looking for designer who can work magic, Lesley Ray is an exceptional interior designer…read moreand space planner. We have a limited budget to remodel our home office. Lesley listened to our needs, and we were impressed with how perceptive and resourceful she is. Her attention to details and creative suggestions gave us the roadmap to transform our cluttered room into an organized, functional, welcoming home office. I was amazed that Lesley also has a good sense for Feng Shui. Lesley has a keen eye for design and she is professionalism yet personable. I highly recommend Lesley for your next project.

I worked with Lesley Ray on my family's multiplex rental renovation consisting of 4 separate units…read more I loved working with Lesley! She was thorough, organized, and responsive and did a great job of incorporating my specific requirements, budget, and timeline into the design. She was a great communicator and made sure I understood the unique needs of rental units. She was proactive and always anticipated potential issues. In addition to being knowledgeable about the construction process and the rental market, she was excited to embark on this process of listening to my needs and working together to design a space that our tenants would enjoy. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking to renovate their home or a rental property.

I was referred to Kevin Short at Tiny Monster by my previous architect, Scott Ellsworth, who was…read moreretiring. As much as I liked working with Scott, I'm so glad that I met Kevin. He is, without a doubt, the best architect I've ever worked with (or had any sort of dealing with, for that matter). I'm an owner-builder and not a full time contractor. For someone in my position, having a good architect is absolutely critical because they are the person that I count on to help me deal with complexities in both the permitting and construction process. Kevin knows his way around the building department and various codes as well as anyone I've ever met. That, combined with his experience working in the field actually getting projects built, gives him a breadth of knowledge and skills that are unequaled in my experience. Additionally, his willingness to be a real partner on the project makes working with him a joy. My current job is a complicated remodel and upgrade of a 1902 building. It has included all new electrical service for the building, construction of an ADA accessible restroom in the ground floor retail space, and a complete rebuild of the front of the building (which is a class A historical structure with all the complications that involves). At every turn Kevin has be ready to give me the resources I needed; wether that was a floor plan to suit PG&E, advice on ADA requirements, strategies for navigating planning department requirements, details on specific construction techniques, or just a sanity check about sub-contractor prices. Finally, he brought a real and genuine enthusiasm for the job and my vision for the building. Through the process of talking over possible designs and ideas, he was fully engaged and always happy to give advice and suggestions. But, despite his excitement and exhaustive supply of ideas, he was always aware that his role was to be a sounding board and resource. I never felt like I had to defend my ideas or keep him on track in pursuing my goals. Truly, it has been a collaboration in the best and truest meaning of the word. I plan to continue to work with Kevin on upcoming projects of mine. In fact, perhaps the best testament to his quality is this; in the past, retaining an architect has been a undesirable necessity that I've always tried to avoid. If I had no choice, I would do it but the time and expense made it something I would skip whenever possible. Now, I'm looking forward to working with Kevin again. The time and stress that he has saved me was worth every penny of his fees and the process was so pleasant that I really can't imagine a reason that I wouldn't involve him in every project.

I hired Kevin Short and Tiny Monster based on a friend's recommendation to help fix up a Victorian…read morein Bernal Heights. Leafing through his modern portfolio left me a bit embarrassed by the mundanity of my job; to his credit, he's never made me feel second class, though surely battling the framing scars of a 70s porch enclosure isn't the interplay-of-light-and-shadow bringing-the-outdoors-inside sort of stuff they like to go on about in Architecture Digest. Kevin is technically savvy and suggested starting with an scan of the interior as a way of quickly getting accurate drawings of the status quo. His own drawings are clean and fast and well-labeled and done when he said they'd be done. If he doesn't have an answer to a question, he tells you when he will and follows through. He's at ease dealing with tradespeople and can explain obscure building code details or calm down overwhelmed owners. But his real superpower is his likability. People just like to make Kevin happy, and we are all fortunate that he's not chosen a life of crime but instead simply seeks a mere over-the-counter approval for this humble building permit. Kevin is still a relatively young architect. He has plenty of experience with residential and commercial remodels, but you're not yet paying for the name recognition and the imposing gilded statuary of downtown tiny monster HQ. So even if I had a range of equally professional, reliable, smart, San-Francisco-permit-whisperers at my disposal, hiring Kevin Short was surprisingly cheap and completely worth it.

I cannot recommend Cite Studio Architects and David enough for any architectural or renovation work…read moreyou need! We worked with David on a complete rebuild of our deck and not only did he provide exceptional architectural assistance, he helped identify and manage all of the engineers needed for the project. He also managed the permitting process - which was a life saver! David is thorough, detail-oriented, accessible, and extremely friendly and communicative. I did not know working with an architect could be such a positive experience and so strongly recommend their services! They are worth every penny for providing piece of mind and high quality work.

We worked with David on a full backyard redesign, and somehow he managed to turn our sloped,…read moreconfused mess of a yard into a beautiful, functional space--complete with a dream deck and plenty of room for our daughter to run wild. David was hands-on, patient, and never once made us feel bad for starting the project with nothing more than some vague ideas and a hilariously random Pinterest board. We were also on a pretty tight budget, and he was incredibly thoughtful about helping us stay within it--without making the design look like it. He gave us smart options along the way and made the whole process feel easy. Highly recommend Cite Studios if you want a creative, collaborative design partner who can bring your backyard dreams to life--and maybe even make you feel like you knew what you were doing all along.

Roxanna was great to work with. She took our general ideas and…read more wish-list and thoughtfully designed a kitchen that is exactly what we needed. Her thorough Plans and knowledge of building department requirements made the permit approval process go smoothly. She was available and responsive throughout the construction process, which was a great help. The result is a great kitchen that works very well for us. I would happily work with Roxanna again.

Roxanna Rivera helped us to realize our dream home, twice! We have a small one bedroom home where…read morespace is at a premium. Roxanna's architectural plans maximized our bathroom by removing an unwieldy closet in the bedroom next door to add space for a gorgeous large walk-in shower and she designed a wall of built-in cabinetry in the bedroom to replace the closet. A few years later we returned to her firm to update our tiny kitchen with a streamlined cabinet layout that is not only easier to work in, it feels larger despite no additional square footage. For both projects she was able to refer us to reasonably priced contractors and suppliers which really helped. Roxanna's input on products was especially valuable as these are not items we shop for normally. We happily recommend Rivera Architecture Studio based on her great work with us. Plus she's really nice.

I can't tell you how much I appreciate everyone at the Design…read more Milagros team. They are all so professional, personable and really, REALLY good at what they do! From the very first meet up with Lorraine's very efficient team, I was so impressed! I have project managed many jobs of my own properties. However, having to sell the home of someone very close to me who had passed was overwhelming. Seeing them work together the way they did and the follow up emails I received soon after, I quickly decided to just let them do what they do best and step aside! Even when some of the choices weren't what I might choose, when it all was completed in about a month.....wow! They are miracle workers!!!! My friend would have been amazed and proud of the way they made his beloved home ready for sale. So grateful for Design Milagros

Absolutely horrible. They stole 5 glass customized steps…read morefrom my luxury home listing (each worth more than $1500) and then didn't even have the decency to apologize.

Kimball helped me with a recent kitchen and laundry redesign project which was challenging due to…read moreexisting floor plan constraints. She listened thoughtfully to what I wanted, made clever and creative suggestions for maximizing space design and functionality, and was easy and enjoyable to work with throughout the process. I would highly recommend Kimball for your next home remodeling project!

Kimball is absolutely incredible--I had never hired an interior designer in my life, but then I was…read moreso overwhelmed by the task of furnishing a new house that I decided professional help was in order. Kimball got back to my initial inquiry right away, offered an informed and realistic quote, and outlined her process in an appealing and accessible way. Then I learned that not only is she an excellent communicator and business operator--she is a style genius. I gave her a deranged word salad of the aesthetic I was looking for and she outlined it into an action plan, developed a gorgeous color palette, taught me how to do simple home edits and fixes myself, offered a bunch of insider discounts, provided a range of price point choices for various items, helped me place orders, and made sure every single order was correct. At one point she even came to my house to personally install two lamps and a rug because I was out of town when they delivered. When another lamp arrived damaged, she got me a replacement for free. By the end of her process, I was living in the most gorgeously decorated house I've ever seen, and the total expenditures came out significantly UNDER her original estimate. I loved working with Kimball and would recommend her to anyone!