I have hired 1st Stage for multiple properties over the years. In the past, they generally did…read moregreat work and I was impressed with their staging style, professionalism, availability, and pricing. That said, my most recent experience was disappointing. I had them stage a modern townhouse in Costa Mesa near the beach. Unfortunately, the staging style they chose did not match the aesthetic of the property at all. I am not a designer, so I typically trust their vision and let them take the lead. This time, I reached out to their team and simply asked if we could swap out a few items to make the space feel more modern or beachy. I was told I would need to pay a restocking fee. That response was frustrating. I had referred them many jobs and clients in the past, and while the fee itself was not a large amount, it felt unnecessary and left a bad impression. They did eventually waive the fee, which I appreciated, but the situation already felt mishandled. Fast forward a bit. The property did not sell, and I requested that it be de-staged. Their team came out a few days later and removed the furniture. A few months after that, they emailed both me and my client, who was the actual party to the staging contract, claiming there was a prorated balance due for a few extra days the furniture remained in the home. The amount was under $400. The contract was between my client and 1st Stage, not me, so I was confused as to why I was included. Shortly after, Mark Sutton emailed me directly asking if I could take care of the payment by the next day. I found that extremely unprofessional. Agents are the ones who bring them business, and asking me to personally pay an invoice that had nothing to do with me showed a real lack of business judgment. I expressed my disappointment with their customer service, and the only response I received was a payment link. If you are looking for a stager who truly feels like a partner and values long-term relationships, I would think twice before using this company. In my experience, once an issue arises, you are treated like just another number, and preserving relationships does not seem to be a priority.

What an amazing experience we had with Janice and the entire team! Not only are they creative, hard…read moreworking, and professional, but they have the most beautiful and quality items! You can put your complete trust that they will stage your house to perfection so that it will look great for the photos and the tours!! Our home went into escrow 4 days after listing and we received $100,000 over asking price! The 1st stage service is a great value and will pay off tremendously in the end.

Angelica is truly amazing! She helped me with the overwhelming stressful project of designing my…read moreentire new house and made it feel like a home. She was patient and communicated well with me. Furnishing an entire home can be costly but she stayed within my budget and now my home looks like it has been featured in a magazine! I absolutely love it! So does everyone who comes over. Thank you Angelica for creating my dream home

I am beyond happy with Angelica's services, and would HIGHLY recommended her for your interior…read moredesign/decor needs! I have used her several times for different areas of my home. She is very sweet, yet professional. Hiring an interior designer can get expensive very fast. What I love about Angelica is that she offers other options to work with your budget. I went with a budget friendly option of solely having Angelica come up with the design/list of items and it was up to me to purchase and install the items... diy style. Very happy overall and cannot recommend Angelica enough!!

I'm so glad I found Ammie to work with on remodeling my first home! She responded so quickly when I…read morereached out for an inquiry and took the time to answer all my questions. She never pressured me while I was still considering whether to get an interior designer or not, and she was very upfront about her costs and services. She made the whole process really comfortable. When Ammie came to see the space, she had an eye for making the house a home. She immediately knew to recommend adding a kitchen island. This was something I was actually going back and forth on for a really long time, and I had so many people telling me not to do it and how it would look weird or there wouldn't be enough space in the kitchen, etc. After renovations, I'm so glad we got an island because it's functional and it really elevates the space, I love it. All her measurements and recommendations are spot on. Ammie took a lot of stress and weight off my shoulders because I knew whatever she recommended was in my best interest and aesthetic. I also asked so many questions and she was always prompt to answer. 10/10 recommend working with Ammie on your next design project. Thank you Ammie! :)

Ammie was absolutely the BEST to work with. She gave me so much insight to my design and gave…read morerecommendations that really helped bring my vision to life. She was also extremely accommodating in helping me with additional support throughout my construction process. I can't say enough that she was truly the perfect pick as an interior designer. Initially I wasn't even sure to hire one, but I am so glad I did. If I have the chance to work with her again I most definitely will!

Had such a wonderful experience from beginning to end. My consultant, Ana designed to perfectly…read moresuited closets for me. I had no clue where to begin and really no idea of what would work best for me. She was able to come in look at what I had, ask a lot of questions and come up with two perfectly designed closets. The installation was fast and pleasant. The two guys that came out were a delight to work with! Asking me questions along the way to make sure I liked everything they were doing. I am beyond happy with my new closets!

I reached out to Closet Factory through Yelp and scheduled an in home consultation for that…read moreSaturday at 11:00 AM with Anahita. When no one arrived, I texted at 11:15 AM to see if she was on her way. She responded, first saying she assumed I wasn't able to meet. Later, she explained she had a severe migraine and had gone to urgent care. I completely understand that medical emergencies happen. What I don't understand is why I wasn't notified before the appointment. We already had a scheduled appointment, so I was disappointed that no one reached out to let me know she wouldn't be able to make it. Instead, I waited without any communication. I also reached out to the company at 11:15 AM, but four days later I still had not received any follow up. I was ready to move forward with designing three closets, but the lack of communication from both the designer and the company did not give me confidence to trust the process

Kathy has done two bathrooms and a kitchen in my home. I highly recommend her. She is prompt and…read moreprofessional. She takes all of your desires into consideration when coming up with a design plan if I had anything left to do in my house, I would use her again.Lol

We worked with Kathleen Ann Designs to renovate our guest bathroom in February 2023. It was an…read moreabsolute privilege and we couldn't be more happy with the end result, and how her vision came to life through the renovation. We wholeheartedly recommend Kathleen Ann Designs for anyone seeking an exceptional interior designer! From the outset, Kathy (owner and operator of Kathleen Ann Designs) displayed an extraordinary level of understanding and collaboration. She truly grasped our vision, goals, preferences, time constraints, and budget, and throughout the process, she delivered on every aspect with utmost dedication. Kathy's hands-on approach, combined with her innovative ideas and fresh perspective, resulted in a modern, tasteful, luxurious, and open design for our guest bathroom - a remarkable transformation from its previous state. Our small guest bathroom now stands as a fabulous and relaxing retreat for our guests, all accomplished within budget and directly aligned with our design aesthetics. We could not have dreamed the end result would come out as exceptional as it did, and that is thanks to Kathy's extraordinary vision and design ideas. When working with Kathy, you have a few different packages you can select from ranging from basic consultation to full design and even coordination with the contractor. Opting for the full package, which included project management and coordination with EDW Construction (a company that Kathy works with frequently on many of her projects), proved to be a very wise decision, and well worth the minor additional expense. Kathy skillfully managed the entire renovation, ensuring timely deliveries, meticulous inspections, and seamless coordination with the contractor, resulting in exceptional results within the agreed timeframe and budget. One thing that really distinguish Kathy from other companies we looked at is that she really listened, and she really cared. We weren't just another project for her. She was just as excited as we were as the transformation of our guest bathroom progressed. Kathy is an expert communicator listener, and brings fresh perspective and fabulous design and attention to detail. There is not one oversight under her watch in the end result is exceptional. We are thrilled with the overall experience of working with Kathleen Ann Designs and eagerly anticipate our next renovation where we can partner with Kathy again for another marvelous transformation. We would highly recommend Kathy/Kathleen Ann Designs to anyone interested in transforming their space through exceptional design. No

I went to King Barrel to purchase a simple wine/whiskey barrel for a christmas gift/project. I…read morehave previously done projects with barrels and said they were "one and dones" as they are definatley not easy to work with. After seeing an inspiration picture of a barrel pub table and chairs I got excited to take this on. Upon my arrival to King Barrel I was greeted by several helpful employees. They were incredibly kind and non judgmental of my desire to do a DIY project and didn't make me feel bad as the furniture they had on their show room floor was beautiful in workmanship and design. They offered me tips and even offered me for what I consider a nominal fee to do some of the tidious undesireable parts of my project which I gladly accepted and agreed. They sold me a table top which was great in itself as I had other less grand ideas and after seeing what they did to their display tables I opted to "upgrade" my project by having them do a few other things like filling in the table top holes and banding the table top with a steel band that matched the barrel perfectly. I also met the owner Moses who was quite kind and impressive in his desire to be helpful to this DIY girl....even telling me I could come down anytime for help or just for inspiration ideas, truly a wonderful neighborhood business worthy of support! I could go nuts in this store and fill my home with Whiskey decor and plan to go back soon for more!

I live this store fits my french country decor perfectly. The customer service is excellent…read more Everything is one of a king. I wish I could buy everything in the store!

Easy 5 stars from me…read more Hired Artoo Design to help with plans for a renovation project in my home. Because of the structural and electrical scope, I decided to build fully permitted and up to code. I hired Artoo twice. About 18 months ago I bought a one-time consultation. The consult fee is not cheap, but it's totally worth it. I got a full preview of everything that would be required for my project - sizing of structural members, ratings for materials, and what would (and wouldn't) fly with city inspectors. I also got a handful of solutions for things I didn't know how to handle. The meeting really streamlined my planning and thinking about design tradeoffs. The second time I hired Artoo (December) was to do the full construction plans. I met with Ramy to do an updated plan review and for him to take some measurements. I really felt like he was taking my input and we were working together on the final details. Then the quality of the drawings themselves are impeccable. In a previous life I did heavy AutoCAD drafting, so I'm very picky about drawings being accurate and complete. They were also turned around really fast. Much faster than I could have drawn in my prime. Next was probably the best part - Ramy said he would help with any notes from the city plan review process. I was worried how that would go. We had to do some revisions, but it was totally painless thanks to hiring the right company. I felt unstoppable with Ramy as a partner, and I got everything I wanted approved by the city. I'm writing this review today (August) because I had another small question about the plans, and Ramy basically answered my email immediately. Super tight customer service. I don't always have the budget or time to build things right. Artoo Design is one of those companies you should hire when quality and time is important. When you have a project that needs the best, this is the group to go to.

We had a great experience working with Ramy on our ADU project. From the very first interaction, he…read morewas extremely responsive and professional. When he came out to take measurements, he offered smart suggestions that made our project more cost-effective while also adding long-term value to our home. Ramy delivered the plans ahead of schedule and took the time to walk us through everything in person. The city of Claremont's permit requirements are very strict, and it was clear that Ramy knew what the city would require. When the city had requests we didn't agree with, he communicated directly with the city planner on our behalf and guided us through the process with confidence and clarity. You get what you pay for with Ramy--his work is high quality, detailed, and thoughtful. His expertise, responsiveness, and professionalism made a stressful process feel smooth and manageable. We highly recommend him for any home or ADU project. He is absolutely worth it.

Very very professional designer. The Quality of items…read morepurchased were on champagne budget but cheap wine budget.

Designs look really nice. From the first phone call I picked up on her being a little pushy but…read morethought maybe it's just me. The next day at the consult my wife felt the exact same way. She asked upon arrival that we wear a mask even after informing her we are vaccinated. She was even argumentative It's June 2021 and CDC guidance is clear on vaccinated folks. Consult price was on the expensive side for a discussion. Could be a one off.