MELINAMADE

I had a powder room that I needed to turn into a full bathroom, and wanted to make sure it looked nice and was done right, so decided I needed a professional designer, not just a contractor for the work. Melina was very nice to work with through the entire process. In the planning phase, she looked at the house, asked what I was going for, and took those ideas and ran with them. She worked with me on both the budget and the design. She came up with a full set of autocad plans and list of materials that I was able to use to get quotes from contractors. Because they were so detailed, down to the plumbing, electrical, and who is responsible for what materials, I was able to get very accurate quotes from contractors as they had no guess work. She also met with me at a fixture store so we could pick out hardware, and brought over several samples of things like tile for me to review. For the construction phase of the project she worked with the contractor, especially when it came to the details. She also helped source some sub contractors for things like a custom floating vanity. She placed the orders needed for the tile, and arranged the delivery. When it came down to the finishing, the made a large stencil so the tile setter knew exactly how to transition the tile. She also made sure everything was done to the highest level of quality. Overall, Melina was really great to work with, and I'd do so again!Read More

We worked with Melina on the remodel of our winter home in the Palm Springs area. During the project she displayed a wide array of talents, beginning with conceptual design, then selection of finishes, development of detailed plans, coordination of engineering requirements, contractor interviews and selection, permitting, project management during the construction process, and selection of furnishings. Melina did a wonderful job with all of these aspects of the project and her performance met or exceeded our expectations across the spectrum of work. She is very organized and was a pleasure to work with. We are very happy with the outcome and wouldn't hesitate to work with her again on future projects!Read More

I'm so glad we chose Melina to help us with our remodel. She listened carefully to what we wanted, gave us multiple options and then promptly created the plans and successfully got them approved by our (picky) town planning board. She then helped us select a contractor and manage that process. During the remodeling process, she was on top of things, dealing with the inevitable issues that came up (we have a very, very old house, and some things were not as expected when the walls were opened up). She helped me manage some issues that came up with the contractor and overall kept a level head. She is very knowledgeable about the various issues and patiently answered our questions. Melina is easy to work with and be around - it was a pleasure working together on material and product selections. She maintained a nice balance of being open to my preferences but expressing her opinions and being patient with a couple of times I changed my mind creating extra work. Most importantly, our kitchen and family room look beautiful and the new flow works better than even I expected - I am thrilled with the results!Read More

I give Melina a 5 star review because she exceeded all of my expectations for my kitchen/living room remodel project in San Francisco. She is not only a designer and has architectural talents as well. She understands construction and can interface with the contractors and cabinets makers on details that are so important in completing a project. She designed my kitchen and living room space and turned it into a piece of heaven. She always answered my emails and if we were unable to meet, zoom worked very well in moving the project forward. She has fabulous taste and the pictures attest to her talents! Look no further! Melina is simply the best.Read More

Melina was recommended to us by our contractor. What fabulous luck for us! As other reviewers have noted, she brings a wonderfully creative intelligence to her work, along with a cheerful and can-do attitude. She listens deeply and then draws on her deep knowledge of design and materials to create a proposal that honors the spirit (and the budget!) of the home owner. She's responds promptly and is fluent in any comms approach (phone, email, texting, google docs etc). Equally important: She produces absolutely detailed drawings that ensured that everyone -- from, to the contractor, to the suppliers (cabinets etc) -- knew exactly what they needed to do. Not many people can say this - but our kitchen renovation came in absolutely on time and on budget! And Melina played a pivotal role in making that happen. Thank you, Melina! It was a delight to work with you!Read More