Testimonial

Working with Sally to remodel and design our coastal home was a dream.  Sally worked with my husband and me to do a complete remodel of our 2,700 square foot home in Santa Cruz. Sally began with assessing our style and our desires to improve our home which included completely moving walls and creating new spaces. After getting to know our goals and aesthetic, she went to work and showed us possibilities that we would not have imagined on our own. She took us every step of the way throughout the entire project, from creating the new and improved spaces to designing them with tile, flooring, fixtures, lighting, cabinets, closets and new windows to working with the construction team to implement the designs.  

Sally is an artist and has an eye for creating beautiful homes that flow well and capture the vision of the homeowner.  She was very easy to work with and communicated well with us, the construction teams, the contractors, and installers. She listened to us and what we hoped to achieve. She would seemingly step out of herself and her preferences, and step into our essence for the project.  Sally seems to thoroughly enjoy her work and puts this energy into her creations.  We often went back and forth with her renderings until the room was just right.   We could not have seen our vision without these renderings.  We were in awe when the rooms were complete and they were identical to the realistic renderings she'd made.  The renderings had come to life!

Throughout our three year project challenges presented themselves as happens with a remodel.  For example we wanted a more inviting entrance to our home.  We sent Sally ideas of what we hoped it could be from examples I'd found online.  She worked creatively to give us the entrance we wanted without picking up any additional square footage; which would not have been allowed per building code. She made a new entrance that included a built-in bench and new coat closet that led to additional storage under the stairs. She also designed a gorgeous portico and larger porch to make our home more welcoming.  Additionally she helped design built-in cabinets to enclose our televisions in two rooms. In our living room, we wanted a TV over the fireplace that could drop down to eye level for watching.  There are details about mantels and fireplace heat, and dimensions for fireboxes that still make my head spin.  Yet Sally figured it all out, and we have exactly what we hoped for. In other areas, she dropped windows so we could better enjoy our view and suggested sitting areas where we could best enjoy these improved views. 

The personalized experience that Sally gives is rare in the design world, almost unheard of.  Her renderings are far better than any I've seen. Again she is an artist.  She puts a touch on her work that is unique in creation and not typical in the design world.  It's improved and more dynamic.

Together we created stunningly beautiful and serene spaces; jaw dropping spaces.  When we have guests, they are in awe of the work done in our remodel and notice the new efficiency of how our home functions and flows. Folks say our home could be in Architectural Digest.  I feel very relaxed, peaceful, and content in our home.  It is everything we ever hoped it could be and so much more.  I love being home, and as a homebody, I am surrounded by simple, elegant, yet understated luxury, which was our goal.  

Endless gratitude to you, Sally.

— Valmarie and David L.