New Showroom Experience

Houzz Ideabook with Metro Lighting Traffic Light Pendant

With the onset of COVID-19 and shelter in place policies for the San Francisco Bay Area counties, showrooms and designers are making changes to assist our clients virtually.

Irma and Alisa have been meeting with homeowners via Zoom calls to review material selections online. We use Houzz to collect a variety of ideas that we review together. We are still asking questions as we go through each item to be sure that the faucet is just right, and to narrow options down. Ordering samples for tile, countertops and cabinetry helps us to get important colors in their hands so they can make these important decisions.

Recently, local showrooms have also been working hard behind the scenes. Many have taking this opportunity to start remodeling and cleaning up. One of Berkley’s own small businesses, Metro Lighting, has recently created a 3-d walk-through showroom experience.

While life is still chaotic and the “new normal” hasn’t settled in. We encourage anyone who is stuck in their Home to start day dreaming about their space. Go online to destress, browse and imagine your home of the future.

2240 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley, CA, 94702, USA.

San Francisco Design Center's and Historic Preservation

I have only recently become aware of the San Francisco Design Center being considered for historic preservation. My first thought? Excellent! These buildings need to be preserved, lets not lose them! But upon being more informed I am deeply saddened at the loop-holes that will tear apart this great institution. This article by the San Francisco Chronicle gives a balanced report, but ultimately it does mean the demise of something only large cities provide.

San Francisco Design Center

I'm not the most political person, I agree with the historic preservation of these buildings on Henry Adam's at the Division Circle and I love Pintrest. I don't agree with misuse of the historic preservation trailing policies that are allowing the building owners to force the San Francisco Design District into chaos. There needs to be balance. While I value Pintrest as a tool for homeowners and designers a like, to displace those who are in the building industry will only make things more difficult for homeowners in the along-run. The beauty of having a design district is to simplify and reduce the time it takes to visit showrooms, thus increasing the likelihood of higher costs to homeowners. Digital images are not something to be trusted when making the ultimate purchase for your kitchen or bathroom projects. You need to see, feel and operate if possible the items that you will be investing in and installing into your home.

What we need is to incorporate the building industries' technology partners and mesh showrooms and offices together, not push out. We need showrooms and office spaces integrated so that designers, architects and contractors as well as technology tenants can cohabitate and collaborate to being the best built homes to the public. 

We are San Francisco, would the New York Design district put up with this? Neither should we.

New Office!

Jack London Kitchen and Bath Gallery

I am excited to announce that I am moving in with my favorite plumbing showroom, Jack London Kitchen and Bath Gallery! 2500 Embarcadero St., Suite F, Oakland, CA 94606 where I will be holding office hours from 10 am - 4:30 M-F by appointment.

As of Monday June 16th, I will have my office in the loft area of this fantastic showroom. Stop by and say "hello" or make an appointment and I can do what I do best as the "Sherlock of Design" by turning the overwhelming choices into an enjoyable experience in selecting what is just right for their function needs, style and budget while having fun.