We had the pleasure of working with Jill Finn of TANGERINEdesign LLC when our longtime designer was…read moreunavailable -- so she walked into a situation where we were already feeling a bit off balance. But from day one, Jill exceeded our expectations. The project involved tearing down an old, dilapidated screened-in porch that had never really worked for us -- too cold in the winter, too hot in the summer -- and transforming it into a usable interior room. We wanted to keep the light and airy feel of a porch while gaining insulation, comfort, and year-round usability. We also wanted ideas for built-ins: maybe a window seat, maybe bookshelves -- we weren't quite sure. Other contractors over the years had taken one look at the porch and declined to get involved due to its age and condition. Not Jill. She had ideas right away. Jill brings so much energy, creativity, and practical knowledge to the table. Even while juggling big personal commitments (like her son's graduation across the country), she delivered several strong design ideas within a few weeks -- and they were fresh, inspiring, and budget-conscious. She collaborated easily with our civil engineer, adjusting her drawings quickly to meet his needs. She also understands our local codes and regulations really well, and met directly with our contractors to make sure her designs were realistic and executable before we got too far into the process. On top of all that, Jill has a fantastic personality. She made the experience fun and engaging, and she brought a sense of momentum and confidence that really helped us move forward. I can't recommend Jill highly enough -- her creativity, responsiveness, and enthusiasm make her a true gem. If you're considering working with TANGERINEdesign LLC, you're in excellent hands. Karen & Greg Marriner 6/22/25

My fiancee and I met with Jill to explore building an ADU in our backyard from the ground up along…read morewith a home expansion. We were glad that we chose Jill; she brings with her a wealth of knowledge in all facets of the construction phase, and she was very friendly and easy to talk to also! Most of the time we would ask her a question, then just let her talk, as she was very detailed with all of her answers and did a great job teaching. We also appreciated that Jill also has no problem telling you if your idea is a bad idea, but will provide the context and reasoning why. Lastly, we loved tapping her creative mind; she has the ability to look at a space and give you plenty of ideas for it that you might not have even thought of! We would definitely recommend her and would work with her again.

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.

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!

Hired Jen to complete the design and plans for our kitchen remodel and home extension. Jen was a…read morepleasure to work with from the start. Extremely professional, easy to work with and best of all, she is ON IT. She was nice enough to go to the City of San Ramon to drop of our revised plans after the city had some changes that needed to be made. She also worked closely with the current contractor we hired. Side note: I'm currently 6 months pregnant and Jen (being a mother herself), understood the level of urgency behind the work and how quickly I needed to get things done. It doesn't hurt that she also bought me a small gift for my baby :) I would hire Jen again in a heartbeat! Oh and if you're looking for an engineer she can refer you to Julio who was also great.

We have been extremely pleased with the work of JB Drafting and Design. We added about 320 sf to…read moreour home for a master bath, walk-in closet, and in-suite bath in another bedroom. I found the work of JB Drafting and Design to be exceptional. They also went above and beyond by helping me choose finishes for the bathrooms, and the bathrooms have turned out beautifully! We couldn't be more pleased! Would highly recommend JB Drafting and Design.

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!

Ethan and his team at Drafting Cafe have a great design sense and deep knowledge of construction…read moreand permitting. They helped me convert my basement into my home office and to build a deck from my side yard in Alameda. Ethan coordinated with a construction crew he works with regularly to be sure I got a quality build in the end and at a fair price. Communication was great throughout the process, and they were fast! I'd definitely recommend them.

The folks at Drafting Cafe have been incredibly helpful as we've been considering a small addition…read moreon our home. Ethan, Lindsey, Michael, and Lauren have been incredibly responsive and on top of things. Whenever we've spoken with anyone on the team, it's clear that they've reviewed our file/request and know exactly what we're hoping to build. The team has been very engaged and answered our many questions even while we were not yet 100% committed to the project. We ended up needing to take a pause before proceeding as we figure out budget on our end. But if we decide to move forward, we would feel great about working with DCA.

Golden State Design Build is a family business, with Peter as the lead, his brother Paul as site…read moremanager, and their dad Pedro as advisor/problem solver/all-around craftsman. We used them for a garage conversion and the build-out of a utility closet into a laundry room, and are very, very happy with the results. We appreciated that they did everything start to finish -- we weren't needing to go back and forth between designer, architect and builder. More important, I can't emphasize enough how professional, friendly, respectful, tidy and helpful their crew is. When you have people at your house five days a week for several months, it really makes a difference when they are good quality people who are nice to be around. I actually missed them when they were finished! They also do almost zero sub-contracting, so you aren't dealing with a rotating group of strangers. One highlight is drywall/interior painting, they are SO meticulous and the results are flawless. Same goes for stucco and exterior painting. They did a bunch of crack repairs, inside and out, and they matched the texture and paint perfectly. They tend to start early and finish by 4pm. Peter and Paul communicate what they are going to do and when, so you can be prepared. They are also both very responsive to texts and calls. Overall, a professional and positive experience!

I think they are great company and do not compromise quality…read more It was very easy working with them as they understood our request and accommodated ll out needs

Working with Sunny - studio G+S Architects was a fantastic experience. I like to highlight their…read morecreativity, professionalism, communication and their ability to meet budget/ needs. Looking forward to collaborating with you for my next project .

I interviewed six architects or building designers for conversion of a studio to an accessory…read moredwelling unit. Ed Soos, architect, was tied with one other architect at the top ranking. He made good suggestions during a preliminary tour of the property. I appreciated his kindness and creativity.