I had a great experience working with Arleen for the planning phase of our downstairs remodel. She…read moreprovided valuable consultation on floor spacing, layout options, and overall flow of the space, helping us maximize both functionality and aesthetics. The detailed 3D renderings were especially helpful, allowing me to visualize different design possibilities before making any major decisions. Seeing the space come to life made the remodeling process much less overwhelming and gave me confidence in my choices. Her expertise, creativity, and attention to detail helped us see the full potential of my home. I highly recommend her services to anyone considering a remodel or redesign project.

Renovating my childhood home was exciting but daunting, and I had no idea where to start. Arleen…read moreguided us through every step of the way. She reviewed the architect's plans and our contractor's contract, provided 3D renderings, and helped us choose everything from floor brands and colors to paint and furniture. Her attention to detail stood out, especially when it came to deciding where to place lights and windows based on our furniture layout. She helped us select pieces that fit our budget while also making sense for our lifestyle. With three kids, she understood that storage was essential, and she came up with solutions that looked great and worked logically for our family. Arleen also helped us weigh the cost of buying new cabinets versus repurposing our existing ones, and she pointed us toward resources for budget-friendly DIY projects, like turning our bookshelves into pieces that now look like custom built-ins. She reached out to vendors, helped us think through natural lighting, and when we inherited furniture along the way, she stayed flexible with the design and layout of the room. She also balanced my ideas with my husband's, and in the end we both felt heard and valued. We absolutely love how our home has transformed into a modern space we're proud of. I highly recommend Arleen to anyone looking to bring their vision to life.

Design Alchemy is an amazing interior design solution. I had the pleasure of working with Danny and…read morehe is so talented in his recommendations- things I would have never thought of- if you want a space that wows- look no further!!!

I had an amazing experience working with Danny. From the very beginning, he really listened to my…read moreideas and turned them into a space that is both beautiful and functional. His attention to detail, creativity, and budget made the process smooth and enjoyable from start to finish.

We worked with Douglah Designs on a major renovation of our home and are very happy with the final…read moreresult. The craftsmanship and quality of the work are fantastic, and the finished spaces look beautiful. It's clear they care deeply about design details and the overall outcome of the project. Like many large renovations, we did experience a few missteps along the way related to coordination and timing. However, what stood out to us was that the team remained engaged and focused on making sure we were ultimately happy with the result. They were willing to have open conversations with us and worked with us to find solutions so we could close the project out in a positive way. Renovations can be stressful, but we're very glad we chose Douglah Designs and love how our home turned out.

Douglah review After…read moreliving in our house for over 25 years, we decided to redo our kitchen - appliances, cabinets, floors, countertops, lighting, etc. We also wanted to update our laundry room and hallway bathroom. We were looking for a business that would handle everything from design to installation. We met with Leila Douglah and her staff in their showroom in Lafayette. Fast forward 2 years, and we now have a wonderful kitchen, laundry room and bathroom, and except for the purchase of the major appliances (refrigerator, ovens and cooktop), we never had to work with anyone else. We are very happy with the results, and while there were some snags in the construction process (that may or may not have been partly Douglah's fault), the entire process went professionally and smoothly. Douglah Designs is an all-in-one design/construction service. As you might expect, the total cost of the kitchen remodel was probably higher than if we did more of the legwork ourselves and used multiple vendors. But there are certainly advantages to offset the increased expense. The project was seamless and professional. Many of the craftsmen that Douglah Design uses are employees, not contracted. There is no finger pointing between designers and contractors; they all work together to use make things work. To us, the extra expense was definitely worth it. My wife and I are pretty picky when it comes to design, and Leila and her staff were very patient with us. We did have a similar esthetic, so we were usually on the same page from the start. Leila and Rachel Steely had a level of experience and industry knowledge that was a great advantage. Watching them work on the design and materials selection was very impressive and gave us high confidence that they REALLY knew what they were doing. As we realized, designing a kitchen is actually quite a complicated process, with thousands of details that we would not have even known about, let alone been able to address. But the designs and plans handled every detail and issue beautifully. Douglah recommended vendors and products with which they had experience and confidence, which saved us the trouble of having to vet each product, and which gave us confidence in the products. One limitation of working with Douglah Designs is that you are somewhat limited to products and vendors with which they are familiar and confident, so that may constrain your choices (and which may increase the cost of the project). But we felt that limited choices and extra cost were outweighed by the dependability and quality of the products that Douglah recommended. Overall, we were very happy working with Douglah Designs. They are not for everyone - if you have a different esthetic, or a different budget, or want more control over the process, you probably would be happier elsewhere. But if you want a top notch design and installation and have the budget, we highly recommend Douglah Designs.

I am *really* fussy about hiring contractors. So many of them conduct their business sloppily and…read moreunprofessionally I can't believe they stay in business at all. So I do my research and am VERY selective in who I hire when our house needs work. My wife and I hired Andy Fernandes and Adval and they proved to be the real deal. Andy was *always* prompt - every time he or anyone from his company was scheduled to arrive they arrived early. Andy and his crew were communicative, clearly very knowledgeable, and straightforward, which is to say that they told me *and showed me* what was really happening and not what they wanted to promise or what they thought we wanted to hear. And they followed through exactly as they said they would. The quality of their work was outstanding. We had a few kitchen cabinets that had gotten damaged by the 2014 Napa quake and were looking like they were going to fall off the wall. Andy sent over a master carpenter (he spent years building stuff for moneyed people on Martha's Vineyard, who can be quite demanding) who didn't "upsell" us by telling us one of the cabinets needed to be rebuilt (the build cabinet in their own shop), he showed us in detail exactly what the problem was and convinced skeptical me that a new cabinet built from real plywood instead of the particle board of the cabinets the flipper who sold us the house had installed was the way to go. They reused the facing from the old cabinets, so the match was immaculate. Price-wise, yeah, they weren't the cheapest I could have found, but they were most definitely not close to the high end, they were right in the ballpark, and I figure if I demand quality I have to be wiling to pay for it. And we most decidedly got what we paid for. I repeat again that I am VERY picky about contractors, but I unhesitatingly give Adval Construction my highest recommendation. Our job was pretty small, but I would hire them for a big job in a heartbeat. This is the way construction contracting is supposed to work.

We hired Adval construction to repaint our kitchen, bathroom, and hallway linen cabinets. Our old…read morecabinets were dark and gloomy, and we wanted a refreshed look. While we are overall happy with the final product, there were some pros and cons along the way Pros: - Hiring Adval was a pretty seamless process. We requested a quote and within a week, Camila the consultant/designer came for an inspection of our area, measurement, and go over samples for a free quote - Since my husband and I didn't want to be around paint fumes, it took us a few months to schedule the project in tandem with a trip out of town. Adval respected that and didn't push; they simply had us let Debbie know when we were ready - While we were out of town, the painters Ana and Jeff were very respectful of our place. We had cameras setup for security, and they always cleaned up after themselves, turned off our lights, and ensured our doors were locked each day they were on site. They even helped bring in our trash bins after trash day! Cons: - Adval wasn't the most affordable in comparison to other quotes we received. However, we chose them anyway because their process and communication seemed the most thorough (in the beginning) - Since we had the work done while we were out of town, scheduling with the GC Pedro for repairs and touchups was a bit of a struggle as they were already busy with other projects - It was not made clear how EASILY new paint on the cabinets could get scratched and damaged. We had pre-existing rollout drawers in our bottom cabinets and they scratched the doors so quickly. In addition, some areas (drawer/cabinet edges and corners) have already chipped. We wish Camila elucidated this information to us when we were debating painting vs refacing and that Ana/Jeff/Pedro gave us care instructions for the new paint when they initially finished the project - There were a few doors that were clearly damaged prior to painting (corners were broken off/chipped but then the door was still painted over); Pedro ended up picking up these doors and they repaired them at their warhouse - It took about 2 months from the time we returned from our trip/initial paint completion to the final completion of the project (between scheduling, Pedro taking the damaged doors back to the warehouse to have repainted/repaired, and Ana/Jeff returning for reinstallation and final touch ups; the final reinstall was rescheduled on their end 3 times which was slightly annoying) - We changed our mind after initial completion from financing to paying the remaining balance in full. However, something must not have been communicated because the Synchrony account was activated and we didn't know until they charged us a late fee due to missing the first payment. We were able to get the late fee waived and ended up just paying off the balance through Synchrony. Again, annoying. Overall, even with the roller coaster of our simple project, the entire team at Adval was always respectful. They were quick to respond to my texts/calls and showed professionalism in their work. I appreciated that they were responsive and accountable. We are just disappointed in how fragile the final product is and we weren't properly informed.

Contacted Shawn after reading reviews here on Yelp and after seeing photos of his work on Houzz. I…read morewanted to update my kitchen to make it brighter and fit in with the style of the rest of the house but needed help with what to do. Shawn took a look around, listened to what I had in mind, and thankfully told me what would or wouldn't work. He picked a beautiful quartz counter top, gave me options to choose from for the paint, faucet and hardware. He has a great team working for him. They were respectful and trustworthy. The refinished cabinets look like new. They do high quality work. He made his best effort to get things done within the time frame discussed but, as with any renovation, there were some unexpected issues that led to minor delays and affected cost. I really appreciated how his main concern was that I was happy with the end result. Before and in process photos attached (forgot to take a picture of the final product and don't want to clean the kitchen right now).

4.5 stars We did a…read morefull kitchen remodel soon after moving into our new home (before we got too settled). Due to unusual circumstances, we had a very tight timeline (see below for more details) so they were able to finish in 2 1/2 months. Overall, we are very happy with the end result and love our new, open layout! TL:DR version: - GREAT construction team/vendors and Fadil is the BEST project manager. Also the flooring contractor, Izec, is amazing. - Loved the design recommendations made by Shawn, like the floating shelves and bench by the window. - Pricing is competitive. Quality of work is fantastic. Designs are beautiful. - Area of improvement: better communication throughout the project. I had to be proactive and ask a lot of questions and follow up often. They offer both design and construction services, all under the same owner. This was convenient in that I only had to deal with one company and they took care of everything. Our project was unusual in that I was 6 months pregnant when we started the project. Typically, they don't start on construction until all materials are in stock but we needed to get things moving and completed quickly, so we ordered mostly standard sized and in-stock materials. The owner, Shawn, kept his promise on adhering to our timeline to the best of his ability, even as we ran into challenges with plumbing, structural, and electrical. His team worked tirelessly--even on weekends--to meet our deadline, without sacrificing quality or details. With any major construction, nothing is flawless. The one challenge I had, which may be unique to my circumstance, was getting proactive updates and just overall communication. At times, the construction team didn't even know what they were working on. Some of the designs didn't match the materials ordered. There was some miscommunication on which materials we were responsible for vs. what they would get for us. These were minor issues that eventually got resolved but it did cause me some stress and unrest. Highly recommend being proactive, with any big construction project, and staying close to the details... At the end of the day, despite some bumps, we now have our dream kitchen! And it was completed in record time! Last but not least, if you're told that any materials are "stuck" at the Oakland port, GET SOMETHING ELSE that's in stock. There is no ETA on when things will get unloaded at the dock...could be weeks or even months.

I worked with Itay on a complete renovation of my San Francisco condo -- new bathroom, kitchen,…read morefloors, lighting, electrical, and everything else in between. Renovations are never simple, and unexpected things will always come up. What's important is having a contractor that you can trust. I appreciate that Itay does things by the book and is committed to keeping his clients happy. Whenever an issue came up, I knew I could always talk to Itay to figure something out. That made the process much more manageable. I am very happy that I chose Itay and his team to partner with on my project. They did a very high quality job, and I'm very happy with the work they did. Thanks Itay!

I cannot recommend TRD enough! We recently hired them to remodel our kitchen and dining room, which…read moreinvolved knocking down walls to create an open-concept space. From start to finish, the experience was fantastic. What really set them apart was how they handled the "unexpected." As with any major remodel, a few hurdles popped up once the walls came down. Instead of delaying the project or overcharging, Itay and the team came to us with creative, out-of-the-box solutions that actually ended up improving the final design. We are so happy with our new space!

I have been working with Lucile for over 2 years on my extensive home remodel project in Palo Alto…read more I can honestly say that I would not have made it through this process without her! She is equal parts great designer and project manager and helped me (and my contractor!) stay on schedule during the height of the pandemic. She listens and learned my style (and budget!) so well that it often feels like she is reading my mind. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her for any project.

What a pleasure it was to work with Lucile. My Eichler remodel was far more detailed than I had…read moreever imagined. Lucile and her partner Eve came up with some very creative ideas how to achieve everything that I wanted, while also being mindful of cost and maintaining the integrity of the home. They were extremely responsive and gave my job all the time and attention it needed, no matter how busy they were. As well as the actual deign of my home, Lucile had many great ideas on fittings and fixtures. She helped to keep me within a budget as well as being able to achieve the look I was after. I now have a home that not only looks beautiful but is excellent quality as well. Lucile's eye for detail and creativity turned my house into an amazing home. Thank you Lucile!

I called Meghan four days before my kitchen remodel was supposed to start. Although I'd already…read moreworked with a well-known (and expensive) color consultant, I just wasn't fully comfortable with her suggestions. It was the best decision I ever made. Meghan showed up and, with stunning swiftness, channeled the aesthetic of the house, my taste, and my inarticulate vision for the kitchen. In one hour, we changed not only the colors, but also many of the key material and design decisions. Working with her was like watching a picture come into focus; all of a sudden, it all clicked. I think she's a genius. And she's nice, reasonably priced, and quirky - who else has 1/4, 1/2, and 1 inch measurements tattooed onto her fingers to increase the speed of measuring?

Meghan helped us pick a tile store and tile colors for a bathroom remodel. We ended up replacing…read morean old fiberglass tub/surround with a shower and it turned out fantastic. The colors look amazing and we couldn't be happier! Highly recommended!