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.

Working with Ingrid was a dream experience! My family and I live in a 100 yr old home in Oakland…read morethat had a bathroom that desperately needed upgrading. Ingrid has an artistic eye that clicked perfectly with our design wishes. She listened to our ideas and compiled 3D drawings to help us visualise what our bathroom would look like. Once we decided on a few key features and a design template, our project design came together very quickly. We chose tiles, a custom built vanity and marble top, flooring and bathroom hardware with Ingrid's input over a few weeks and then building work started with a general contractor, Adam Arrington Construction, suggested by Ingrid. We had Ingrid as an invaluable link whilst the works were carried out. All in all, the project was thorough and executed with great skill and a keen eye for detail. Our new bathroom has all of the hallmarks of what can be built by skilled craftspeople when great design is guiding a project. We are so grateful to have found Ingrid and to have her and Adam's expert work adorn our home.

Ingrid and Emilie were a delight to work with. Highly highly recommend their work and level of…read moreservice, care and style. We needed to overhaul or family room and had no idea where to start or how to tackle some oddities in our old home. Ingrid provided ideas and expertise on both he decor but also some structural needs like removing an old window seat, and making sure all the door casings and trim matched and fit faithfully in our Victorian. She did an amazing job of marrying my style with my husband's and created a gorgeous room for us. We took a few calculated risks on paint colors and furniture we wouldn't have ordinarily chosen, and they turned out fabulous. Exactly why we chose a designer!

Wow, just WOW! Melissa helped me chose the most amazing, sophisticated paint colors and rug for my…read morecondo. It's the first time I've been a homeowner, and she really helped me feel confident in bringing a more updated palate to my place. It's so so gorgeous, and I can't recommend her highly enough!

Melissa was recommended to me as I was nearing the end of my renovation and needed help with paint…read morecolors.  Paint is impossibly hard and if you think you can do it yourself, you can't. Melissa worked with me to do full interior and exterior paint colors. She chose a beautiful combination of colors that make my little house really amazing (warm and cool, neutral and bold). I absolutely LOVE each of the colors and admire the paint colors daily - though wish my kids would keep their hands off of the walls.  Bringing Melissa in towards the end of the project ended up being perfect.  Hiring her was one of my best decisions with the whole project. As we discussed paint, Melissa also gave me guidance on many of the last minute decisions that you have with a project - things I didn't even know I needed to decide (so many little decisions to make). I was thankful that she knew what she was doing and would just make some of these decisions. She really tied the everything together. And my house is so beautiful because of her.  Melissa really made my house really beautiful. Not only is she extremely talented, she is patient, responsive and really lovely to work with. She was a great partner and I miss not hanging out (and learning) from her.  Also, she is ridiculously cool. :)

Worked with Megan to refresh our kitchen and dining area, and I'm really impressed with her…read moreapproach. The design feels bright, thoughtful, and functional -- everything flows well and looks stylish. She listened carefully to our preferences and suggested solutions that genuinely work in everyday life. Now it's just a matter of finding the right contractor to bring the design to life, but the concept itself already inspires confidence. I really appreciate her attention to detail and professionalism -- it's a pleasure to work with her.

From the owner: We are a small boutique residential interior design firm focusing on medium-high end residential…read moreprojects all over the Bay Area. Let's get your project started! Please send us an email to start the conversation at hello@meganwarrendesign.com

Obie is a first-rate woodworker and cabinetmaker. Also plays a mean Spanish guitar…read more We bought a new home that needed bookshelves. A LOT of bookshelves (I married a professor). In one case, this meant covering an office closet with a bookshelf and enlarging the MBR closet, which sat behind the office. We also wanted a hutch built in to match the look of our dining room. Altogether about four projects. Obie uses software to design and spec his jobs. It gave us confidence in the final look and feel and gave him confidence in his bid. He communicated frequently and well. We had been introduced by a mutual friend who runs a painting business, so he handled the painting, which was a big job. We would not hesitate to give Obie a call again.

I hired Obie of Butterworth Designs to build two built-in pieces which I designed- a cubby wall…read moreunit for our guest room and a corner bench seat with pull out drawers for the master. His estimate was 10% higher than I was budgeting for, but his level of communication and email response time was awesome and I liked his demeanor and professionalism more than the other builders that I got quotes from- so that sealed the deal. Obie built everything faster than expected with no compromise to quality. Our house was built in 1915 and many of the walls aren't plumb which makes installing builtins a bit tricky. Obie worked tirelessly on the install and came back an additional day to make sure it was done right. Very happy with how it all turned out!

I initially asked Samantha Moss to help with one room. She was SO good that I'm incredibly grateful…read moreshe organically guided the paint colors for our entire house! The project is still in progress, but with three major rooms complete, we're convinced working with Samantha was one of the best decisions we've made during our home refresh. First, even though we've been home owners for a while and thought we knew what we were doing, Sam completely changed the way my wife and I think about paint. She asked thoughtful questions to understand how we wanted each room to feel, not just how we wanted it to look. The results have been remarkable. Our once-dark home office is now calm, bright, and inspiring to work in every day. She gently steered our preteen daughter away from indecision to a color that feels sophisticated, warm, and a perfect green that can flex with her changing moods. And our bathroom? She suggested colors that I never would have chosen myself, yet it's become a room visitors compliment all the time. Beyond paint, Samantha also gave us spot-on recommendations for our bedroom's curtains and lighting direction, helping us create a vision for the whole home instead of just choosing colors. She is thoughtful, collaborative, incredibly knowledgeable, and a genuine pleasure to work with. We can't wait to see the remaining rooms come together and recommend Samantha Moss without hesitation.

I am so happy to write this review about Samantha. I love when I experience great skill, talent,…read morecommunication, service, and rapport with people I work with. I appreciate Samantha so much for those reasons. She has been spot on in choosing colors for our home, both interior and exterior. She has also given us valuable interior design suggestions. The cherry on top is that she has been an absolute joy to work with. I am looking forward to having her back to consult on other rooms of our house. I rave about her (whether solicited or not!) to anyone I know who is having their house painted or is choosing paint colors. For any of you who are hesitant, my recommendation is to just say yes! :-)

I had the opportunity to work with Kanika Design as their contractor. I have a wonderful experience…read morewith them. I love the way they work. They are super clean and dedicated so much time at the job side. I recommended them 100%. You cannot go wrong with them.

I'll be honest-we were pretty overwhelmed at the thought of doing a full makeover for our home. We…read moreknew we wanted a total makeover for our place, but trying to find a team that actually handles the 'boots on the ground' construction side and the high-end design is way harder than it looks. After talking to a few different firms, Kanika Design just felt like the right fit. Kanika really listened to what we wanted. I've always been a bit nervous about using bold colors, but she pushed us (in a good way!) for a deeper color palette in the main living areas. It looks incredible. Kanika found us so many unique, high-quality furniture pieces that you just won't find at a big-box store. The biggest thing for us was logistics. Once the design process completed, their team handled everything - architectural, permit headache, and construction. Anyone who has done a remodel knows things never go 100% perfectly, but whenever an issue popped up, they were on top of it immediately. They kept the contractors moving and kept us updated on the budget and what was happening next. It's a relief to finally be done after 2 years and have a home that feels like us but way better. I can't recommend Kanika and her team enough. We're still obsessed with how everything turned out.

Working with Emily was a great experience during our year-long remodel and addition. Emily's…read morebiggest value was in helping navigate the execution side of the remodel process -- coordinating timelines, advising on ordering, connecting us with trusted vendors, and helping facilitate communication throughout the project. She was also an excellent sounding board when I needed to validate decisions or talk through options. Having someone experienced to pulse-check ideas, help with all the little details (like selecting grout colors) and support in managing all the moving parts made the process feel much smoother and less stressful.Highly recommend!

I recently worked with Emily and her team, and I cannot recommend EJ Design enough! She has an…read moreincredible eye for detail and a natural talent for transforming a space. She took my vision and elevated it in ways I never could have imagined. The textures, lighting, and layout have completely changed the energy of my home. Her team was highly organized and thorough. My space finally feels curated and sophisticated. Exactly what I was looking for. 5 stars!