While the Loman McNamara firm is newer, the two Principals - Jill & Rich have decades of commercial…read moreand residential experience, and we were lucky enough to have some time with them. When we bought our first home they offered a great initial consultation with already some ideas that resonated with us. Then they came for a visit where they helped us with measurements and gave us valuable input as they dreamt up possibilities to serve our current and future needs. Together they offer different perspectives which felt like getting 1st and 2nd opinions from one firm which helped us understand the opportunities and feel more confident about our decisions. Once we agreed on the renovation ideas, they quickly turned around with sketches to help us work with contractors to better estimate construction costs and phasing of the project. We're excited to continue working with them!

After several successful collaborations, with Jill Loman near the end of my 40 year career as a…read moregeneral contractor, I couldn't have hit a better note to end on. Pure joy to work with. Intelligent, perceptive, conscientious and grounded. That's Jill Loman.

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.

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!

I've worked with Cari on a deck repair project for a multifamily property in Oakland and have had…read morean excellent experience. Throughout the entire process, she was knowledgeable, responsive, and easy to work with. As a property owner, I appreciated the professionalism, attention to detail, and commitment to keeping the project moving forward. I would not hesitate to work with Cari again and would gladly recommend her to anyone needing architectural services and managing the challenging environment with the city.

Stay away if you respect your finances and don't enjoy lighting money on fire. Cari will not…read morerespect your investment. She quoted us $19k for a project we've paid more than $52,000 for, including for an egregious error on her part that cost us $10,000 and a 6 month delay. Cari originally quoted us $19k a 600sf kitchen/bath/bedroom addition. She let us talk ourselves into a 1200sf 2 story remodel, which we submitted to the city, only to have our neighbors object. Ok, not her fault, but by this point we'd already spent $25k, well over budget for the original project and still no approved plans. We then brought her exactly what we wanted on a napkin, based on the original 600sf footprint. She had designed a custom butterfly roof over the addition. Here is the unforgivable error: Cari's recommended contractor suggested we do some "value engineering" to make a simpler roof. Cari and the cotnractor said we should replace the entire roof (old house and new) with a redesigned new roof, and that this would be cheaper construction than the butterfly roof (trusses vs hand cut beams) and save us money. This was all "value engineering" after all, and they were the experts! Turns out when you remove and change the roof design over a structure, that structure has to be to code, meaning our entire foundation would need to be updated. Something Cari and her team absolutely should know. Instead, we paid Cari and the engineer for new plans and waited 6 MONTHS while they went back and forth with the city, before admiting to their mistake. $10,000 later, we'd scrapped the "value engineering" idea and went back to the butterfly. Did we have struggles that weren't her fault yes. But over a nearly 2 year process working with her I can tell you that a) she was ALWAYS happy to charge us for work rather than talk us out of bad ideas and b) she is not willing to take ownership of for the value engineering catastrophe. So, we have paid for the 1st design we couldn't use, and the 2nd design we literally handed to her on a napkin, and for a design that was never feasable. A total of $52k to this point. Even though she the original plans were with the city and we'd done all the work twice with them now, Cari still found another $4k worth of charges I'm now being forced to pay an under threat of a mechanics lien. Do not make my mistake and STAY AWAY!

Wow. Just wow. Rebecca Amato and her team are amazing! I never needed an architect before and…read moreneeded one to design an ADU and an addition to my house in Oakland. Rebecca and her team have come through with flying colors! They know the building codes and Title 24 requirements so well. The plans they sent to the city were approved in an expeditious manner because they did not make any mistakes. Going back and fourth with any city because your architect doesn't know the rules and regulations wastes your time and money. Rebecca and her team get the job done! They also truly understood my individual needs regarding my ADU, my addition, and my budget and worked with me to create exactly what I wanted! If you are considering Amato Architecture for your project got for it! You will not be disappointed!!

Rebecca is AMAZING! We wanted to update our kitchen and add an office to our home. We only had a…read morevague idea of the design with a few things that were a must have for each room. But Rebecca was able to turn those ideas into a design that not only looked stunning but also had such a natural and easy flow to it. As with any construction project there will be times when plans have to change for any number of reasons. Rebecca was like a seasoned quarterback making sure all the pieces worked together to get the job done right.

Rachelle is absolutely fabulous! She has an eye for picking vibrant…read morecolors that are warm and inviting. Her talent is something that can't be learned or taught. Spare yourself the frustration of accidentally creating an overpriced DIY mess. Rachelle will create a space for you that is fluid, beautiful, and makes your life better in every way. She isn't some designer who reads a few magazines and thinks she knows all about color and design. She is a trained, educated, and experienced professional full of creative talents. She looks at your space and design choices from a global perspective and selects colors that seamlessly tie your areas together, to balance your cabinets or floors or tile or throw pillows or drawer hardware, etc. She truly takes all of your interior elements into consideration so that the design becomes a flawless backdrop for your life. It's funny, you don't notice the actual elements when it's done, you just see how lovely the "space" is, because her colors and layout choices will enhance and accent your interiors or exteriors so fluidly. Rachelle has an endless cache of design ideas and offers consulting as well. Just being around her will have you racing for a pen to capture the creative ideas that spill out of her so fast. So be ready and have a writing instrument and paper at all times! If you are looking for consultation for any type of project, from the exterior of your house, to interior rooms, to furnishings, fixtures, etc., working with Rachelle is the best investment you can make.

We connected with Rachelle through a referral from our architect, as we were embarking on a fast…read morepaced renovation and expansion of our home. I honestly do not know how we would have made it through without her help. There are 1000 decisions to make from tile to cabinets and paint, along with all of the finishes. Rachelle had excellent recommendations for high quality options that stayed within our budget. She helped us meet our contractor's deadlines, so we stayed on track to finish the project within 4 months. Everything came out so beautiful! She really listened and paid attention to what each of us liked to help us find our shared style. We are so grateful for her expertise and vast rolodex of resources and hidden gems.

Jan was a delight to work with! I felt comfortable expressing my design goal for our home remodel…read moreand she gave me beautiful options and thoughtful feedback as we worked together to create a truly personalized home.

Bonnie My husband and I had the good fortune of meeting Jan…read morein 2021. We immediately new she would be the person who could assist us in navigating three bathrooms and master bedroom remodel. WOW! That's an understatement! Jan has tremendous vision, years of experience, established relationships with trusted professionals, easy to work with, and possess the aptitude to accomplish a multifaceted project seamlessly. From floor to ceiling no detail was missed. This included paint, flooring design, shower design, fixtures, fabrics, wall hangings, lights, etc. The results far exceeded our hopes or expectations. We would not be more grateful. Definitely call her. Many many thanks for making our home so beautiful.

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!