We just returned to the Bay Area and are renting a great place in Piedmont until we decide what to…read morebuy; still we needed to furnish and decorate as none of our old stuff fit the scale. We found Robineve thru a neighbor and she understood how to work with our needs, i.e. not make mistakes with purchases that we wouldn't be able to use in our next home. Sooo grateful we chose to go with her. She found really fun multi-functional, flexible pieces--kind of modern, kind of timeless. My partner can't picture things as easily as I can (techie!), so she had her design assistant do a cool schematic 3D presentation with the new selections. We were so happy with the results, and she hit our budget parameters. Will definitely be coming back to her when we move into a house of our own. - Lee L.

Robineve is wonderful to work with! She helped me a bit at my old house but when I moved, she was…read morethe first person I called to come out and see the new house because I knew I wanted her help to decorate it. Because she has learned my style, she is able to provide me with a few excellent options for each piece in my rooms. For the new house she actually did the whole floorplan for all rooms except my husband's man-cave. I love her work and the pieces she helped me select. People who come to our house are always complementing us on our beautiful livingroom. I actually just worked with her again on a small project to add a reclaimed wood mantle to our fireplace. Love her and highly recommend her!!!!

So happy I decided to have Tamara out to help pick an interior color for our house. I had narrowed…read moreit down to a couple but because it was such a big project I wanted help from a professional. She came out and not only confirmed the color that I was leaning towards but also helped to make design decisions I would not have thought about otherwise. For example I have a bluish marble fireplace that did not look fantastic with the main warm color we chose so she suggested to tweak it a bit. Not only does that wall now look great even with the fireplace but it matches all the other walls perfectly. Thank you Tamara for helping us to update our home from yellow to a more neutral color all the while keeping it warm & bright. We are so happy with the results!

Tamara is great to work with and very responsive. We redesigned the front of our house with ledger…read morestone and hardy siding. That was the easy part. The hard part was picking paint colors to accentuate my husband's hard work. We struggled picking colors and found ourselves being "safe" with varying shades of beige. We decided to call Tamara and she helped us get the stand out look we were going for. After visiting our home and taking into consideration the landscaping around our house, the style of the other homes on our Cul-de-sac and even the back drop of Mt Diablo in the far distance behind our house, she selected a pallet of 5 colors for the different trim, doors, eaves, fascia boards, and main color. It looks amazing and we get so many compliments. Tamara helped us find our boldness and bravery in the color selection and we love it! I highly recommend Tamara and look forward to working with her again on other home projects.

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 Absolutely Love My New Window Coverings!…read more Working with Jeffrey Design Studio was such a wonderful experience! From the very first meeting, they really took the time to understand my style and what I was hoping to achieve. Andrea and Jen helped me choose fabrics and designs that fit perfectly with my home, and the end result is just beautiful. The whole process was smooth and enjoyable -- no stress at all. They handled every detail, kept me updated along the way, and made sure everything was installed perfectly. You can tell they truly care about their clients and takes pride in their work. My home feels so much warmer and more finished now. I highly recommend Jeffrey Design Studio to anyone wanting to update their space -- you'll be thrilled with the results!

A Design Studio Worth Their Weight in Gold!…read more Hiring Andrea from Jeffery Design Studio was hands down the best decision we made for our home renovation (Full Kitchen, Fireplace/Nook, Downstairs flooring, New Staircase). At first, I hesitated because their services seemed expensive (this was our first time using a designer so had sticker shock at first..lol), but let me tell you, they are worth every single penny--and then some. From start to finish, they were the epitome of professionalism: meticulous, incredibly organized, and an absolute lifesaver when (inevitably) things didn't go as planned. With their years of experience, they anticipated issues before they arose and had solutions ready at a moment's notice. They created a detailed binder for our contractor that included every tiny detail, ensuring the process ran as smoothly as possible. And somehow, they knew exactly what we would like--even when we couldn't articulate it ourselves. We wanted a home that was comfortable yet polished, something inviting and warm but not overly casual. They delivered beyond our wildest expectations. Now, we love our house so much that I don't want to leave it! It feels like us --not stuffy, not sterile, but also not like a college apartment. It's perfection. If you're on the fence about hiring Andrea, don't be. Not only will they magically understand what you want/need, they do an incredible job in the day to day process and are an investment in your sanity, your style, and your happiness. I couldn't recommend them more highly! (i can't post too many pictures for privacy reasons, but if anyone wants to know more details, please reach out. Andrea and her team deserve every opportunity to make YOUR dreams come true too!)

Merav is a consummate professional with a killer eye for design. I really enjoyed working with her…read more She decorated my entire home within a few months. I felt stressed because we needed to quickly furnish our new home and was pleasantly surprised that it turned out to be a very pleasant and fun experience! I learned a lot from her and enjoyed her warm personality. She is a taste maker without pretension. Her global background was a major draw when I decided to go with Merav over the many others I interviewed. She didn't always suggest sourcing furniture from the same stores others did. She also didn't only rely on high end brands to create a look or make a room appear elegant. She has a great mix of high-low approach which in my eyes, reveals her true talent to achieve elegance without always spending top dollar. She researched and was diligent to find interesting pieces. For me, it was important that the house really reflect our personalities and not feel cookie cutter all while having a design look that is also kid friendly. That is not an easy feat and she did an amazing job! She is very organized and strikes the right balance of having conviction on her design recommendations all while listening to me and incorporating my aesthetic which skews towards whimsical and colorful. Our home turned out to be elegant, timeless while incorporating beautiful colorful accent walls and unique artwork that Merav found from around the globe. I also appreciate her timeliness. She is never too busy for you even though I know she is in demand. I know this because my friends and even the previous owner of my house have asked her for number as they love how my house turned out. I would not hesitate to recommend her. She is a rare gem, both profesionally and personally.

Working with Merav was such a wonderful and professional experience. From our initial appointment…read moreto the final reveal, she made the entire process so easy. I could not be happier with the stunning outcomes I have received. Merav was thorough, thoughtful, responsible, and transparent. She truly gets to know you and your preferences to understand your likes and dislikes. She always gave us her honest opinion without being pushy and held our hand each step of the way. Our home is new construction, and we had a lot of work to cover. We are beyond thrilled with how everything turned out. We are constantly complimented on our home's designs, and I continue to feel that investing in hiring a designer to help pull together our home made a huge positive impact on my entire family's happiness and well-being. I highly recommend working with Merav - she is an easy-going professional who will make you enjoy the process and be obsessed with your home!

BEWARE of this business. We are currently taking legal action against Jennifer Bell after she…read morecollected thousands in procurement fees for our full home remodel and then quit the project before completion. We also discovered that flooring we specifically instructed to keep was demolished. When questioned, she claimed it was never in the scope. However, the edit history in our shared Google document showed the item had been removed from the scope after the fact. We also suspect she charged procurement fees beyond the percentage allowed in the contract, which has since been seen by our contractor in regards to our custom cabinets. Unfortunately, this has been a very disappointing experience. I strongly recommend doing thorough due diligence before hiring.

We met with Jennifer from Evotive and as soon as she left both my husband and I knew she would be…read morethe one we would hire to design our new kitchen. At one of our first meetings Jennifer listened to us and was able to understand our vision to transform our 2001 orange oak builder grade kitchen into our dream kitchen. Jennifer was creative with her design and was able to incorporate our wish list into a perfect design. Jennifer was very easy to work with. Throughout the design process she gave us many options to work into our budget. She also helped us transform our entire downstairs including our outdated family room fireplace, staircase and powder bath just to name a few items. Our home is just gorgeous, we love coming home and would have never been able to achieve this transformation without the help of Enotive and Jennifer Bell. We can't wait to have her help us again with future projects.

We worked with Jackie Alonzo of Kitchens of Diablo twice - first time was to remodel our Kitchen in…read more2013 and in 2015, she helped us remodel our three Bathrooms. She was a pleasure to work with, gave us many options to choose from, steered us away from making poor decisions, respected our budget, valued our time, and was always a pleasure to talk with. We felt that Jackie took the time to offer advice throughout the project - and really showed an interest in how the final project would end up - we were able to send her pictures of ideas throughout, ask questions, and ask for advice. When we would mention we were looking for design or decorating ideas, Jackie would send us suggestions. The Kitchens of Diablo showroom is relatively small, but has an amazing number of ideas and samples in a very small space. And, it is always improving. It now has more products and design ideas than it even had two years ago. We felt that we could almost make all of our decisions from right in the showroom - cabinets, counters, hardware, etc. We also felt that when you hire Kitchens of Diablo, you not only work with your designer, you work with the entire design staff. Often times, we learned that Jackie would consult with her peers on various ideas - so you have the benefit of all of their experiences. You also have the benefit of being able to work with a firm that has a lot of experience in the Tri-Valley, where so many of the homes are similar. Jackie shared pictures of similar projects that she thought captured ideas we were thinking about. Sometimes seeing your concept really does help. Jackie worked very closely throughout the project with our Contractor to ensure that the ideas we discussed turned out as well as they did. We happened to work with Shawn Lober Construction - married to the owner of Kitchens of Diablo - a huge plus, however Jackie shared that she works with lots of General Contractors. This is another benefit of working with the professionals of Kitchens of Diablo. We think that the team of Jackie Alonzo, Kitchens of Diablo, and Shawn Lober Construction were the reason that our first major remodel project (our Kitchen) went so well and gave us the confidence to take on our three bathrooms. We can recommend this team without any concern whatsoever.

Stepped in a few weeks ago to take a look around, as we may be looking at a kitchen remodel in the…read morenext few months. Not one person looked up or even greeted me. I took a quick, awkward look around then left. I understand people are busy and perhaps it's by appointment only, but I didn't appreciate being completely ignored by at least three employees. I'll take my business elsewhere.

Kathy Bate is a gifted designer. She was able to help us make the best decisions for our home…read morerenovation including the most important details for the kitchen and bath. She was able to work quickly and followed up with digital plans showing our options. The project is off to a great start with our budget in tact. Kathy Bate knows how to help you get the best quality working with the funds available. Already we have saved money on the project by having Kathy 's helpful guidance. She is a warm hearted person who knows when to take charge. My husband and I enjoyed working with Kathy Bate Designs.

Kathy is an amazing and talented designer; smart, savvy, and experienced, very much in tune with…read morethe clients needs. She did a great job designing our kitchen.