Seeking kitchen showroom and advice

Can anyone recommend a full-service kitchen showroom with good help and good products (East Bay)? We are doing a fairly-simple kitchen remodel and have a plan, but need help selecting cabinets, fixtures, finishes, etc as well as figuring out everything needed so we don't make mistakes and incur later costs. An independent kitchen designer might also work. Thank you. Ellen

Capstone Cabinetry and Design

I came across this web site mentioning Capstone when I was going to show my friend some information about kitchen designers. We remodeled our kitchen about a year ago, and we were extremely happy with Capstone. I was surprised at what I read, as that was not my experience at all. All dealings we had were very professional. Our contractor commented on how easy it was to work with the accurate drawings and specs. Some of our special needs called for very tight space criteria that worked out well. We wanted many custom touches, and the design was put together to incorporate them very tastefully. Our contract was a printed form, and specifically excluded drawings for permits. Our designer, who was the owner, helped us to make sure we knew when, and what steps were needed. We were quite frankly thrilled with both the quality and the service we received. Henry

Has anyone out there had any experience (good or bad) with Capstone Cabinetry and Design (on Telegraph Avenue)? sheryl (June 2002)

More recommendations

We had a wonderful experience working with Gary Goddard. After remodeling on our 1908 Craftsman home for 4 years, we met with Gary to handle the big job -- the kitchen. We learned about him here at BPN (http://parents.berkeley.edu/recommend/home/kitchcabinets.html)

Although we had very specific ideas already in place, he evaluated our storage, how we worked in the kitchen, where we ate, etc. and came back with two ideas. One set of design drawings with what WE thought we wanted... and another set of drawings with what HE thought we wanted. Each came complete with an estimate. His vision was way better than ours and we went with his idea. We loved the way it turned out -- every inch of our kitchen space is maximized and it is consistent with the design of our home.

After the kitchen was completed, he built us an 11 ft long mohogany built-in desk - specifically designed for all our home-office needs. And then helped us with our master bath, creating a vanity and built in closet. We're still trying to find more things for him to do because everything ends up looking so nice!

Oh - and as a true professional, he was responsive, punctual and detail-oriented (more than us - and we're pretty anal). He managed our expectations through the entire process.

He's based in Oakland and works throughout the Bay Area. 510-390-6232 www.goddardandriley.com Audrey

I highly recommend Catherine and Dan at Custom Spaces, who recently remodeled our kitchen. Catherinems kitchen design is not only gorgeous, but improves the look and flow of our entire home. The design includes an architectural element in the form of a built-in china cabinet over an open pass-through to the dining room, where before a wall separated the kitchen from the rest of the house. Our remodeled kitchen also has a new and improved walk-in pantry, and new hardwood flooring that makes a seamless transition to the existing hardwood floors in the house. Catherine excels at integrating a clientms personal aesthetic with a homems period detail, and because shems a cook, she wonmt compromise functionality. Catherine helped us choose appliances and beautiful new custom cabinetry to fit our needs. She also spent considerable time assisting us with a myriad of details, including hardware selection and placement, and ambient lighting selection in both our kitchen and dining room. In addition, Catherine has a great eye for color. Both Catherine and Dan are detail-oriented and meticulous, and made sure we got everything just right. Wemve received countless compliments on our remodeled kitchen, and would highly recommend their services to anyone. happy client

I would like to recommend Carlene Anderson Kitchen Design 510 339 2530, she is wonderful, has been in business 25 years, works from Oakland. she helped me to redo my kitchen and I know a number of people in Piedmont/Oakland/SF/Lafayette who are very happy. She is into function, custom efficient storage, custom cooking needs, originality etc. elena

Re: Good design/build firm for kitchen remodel?
I absolutely loved my kitchen designer. I used her 9 years ago. Everybody flipped over our kitchen and now that we've moved I miss it terribly. A well designed kitchen makes all the difference. Her name is Chula. You can reach her at Chula Productions, 2325 3rd St # 430, San Francisco, CA, (415) 621-0166. Linda