"…just what we needed…"
"operates with the highest amount of integrity"
"we are hiring her once again..."
"…completely transformed our loft…"
"service was unbelievable..."
"...went above and beyond…"
"...made it super easy"
"...visionary, and generous"
"…keeps thorough track of the budget"
"Susan just gets it"
"...delivers in every way"
"listens to our needs and ideas first..."
"...blown away by the design"
"Susan is awesome. Full stop."
about
Since 2004, sdh has created modern, colorful residential spaces from new construction to remodels, and even an Airstream!
Principal Susan was San Francisco Chronicle's "Stylemaker," "When it comes to her work, Susan Diana Harris' goal is pretty straightforward: to design a home that her clients won't want to leave. Susan, who grew up in Washington, D.C., and spent her high school and college years in Germany, France and Belgium, says, "I was constantly sketching while at a dream internship at the European Parliament in Brussels. I knew then that designing homes was going to be more than a hobby for me."
After a decade of design in the San Francisco Bay area, the births of Susan's children ignited her design obligation for sustainability. She studies passive house design and other alternatives for modern interiors to take a bite out of the carbon emissions caused by the built environment. Susan believes no matter how small, our decisions at home and when designing our homes affect the next generations. Read more about "Designers vs. Climate Change" and Los Angeles' "Our County" plan.
Susan combines her degrees in Political Science and International Studies at Virginia Tech, with Interior Architecture & Design at the Academy of Art University to lead in modern interiors with a conscience. Now in Los Angeles, where she co-directed the local Free Forest School, you'll find Susan happiest playing with her kids in Nature, practicing vinyasa yoga, and seeking collaborative partners in sustainable design and policy.
Start Now
Ready for your new room? Our sdh room design provides the design information you and your team need, thanks to a simple, linear, online process. Select the type of room to learn more.
For Airstreams, ADUs, and tiny homes, see our FAQ to determine which sdh room design suits your project, or contact us.
What They Say
"Susan and team are fantastic!
After I purchased my new loft and deciding to go all in with renovations, I researched and spoke with several designers. What stuck with me, was that right away Susan showed genuine excitement and great vision around the possibilities. The renovation included a full kitchen, lighting and furniture for the dining and living rooms, colors and painting of the entire unit.
I had never gone through major redesign or worked with a designer before and was unsure of the process. Diana and team asked me a lot of questions about by tastes, listened to my ideas and brought back a vision that was awesome! They did such a great job of ensuring the design was something that I would love. The result is that they gave me such a beautiful place, one that I couldn't imagine getting to on my own, but it feels 100% mine...and I love it!
In addition to the design, I needed help coordinating and manage the entire project. This included purchasing and receiving, managing budgets, pulling permits, coordinating and managing the contractors, final inspection of their work and set up of the furniture. I needed a turn key renovation. Diane and team delivered on this front as well.
There are still some rooms that I intend to finish at a later date and Susan and team will be there with me! They were so easy to work with, had great vision and creative ideas, paid attention to detail, masterfully managed all the moving parts and ensured that I would love the results...and I do! I still can't believe how great it looks!
Susan and team are true professionals, super creative, great people and great to work with. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for help on a renovation."
"We heard about Susan from a friend of ours (John H.). Most of the people we had seen online before her gave us fear that our home would turn into a study in beige or a Laura Ashley showroom -- so we were having a hard time even finding someone to interview. When we saw Susan's website and work, we liked its more modern vibe -- colorful and clean lines.
Working with her has been wonderful -- she is able to listen to us ramble about our likes and dislikes, then synthesize them and find something perfect (better than we could have chosen ourselves). She has definitely listened to our needs, finding fabulous looking pieces that also mesh with our requirements that things be functional. Her motto is that she wants us to love it. She very much listens to us and keeps our sensibility in mind at all times -- as a result, we truly love our home.
In addition to a great eye and listening to us, Susan is great for the technically savvy household -- since we live in Mountain View and she is based in SF, most of our communication is over email and online software. Also, due to our family's busy schedules, probably 80% of our purchases have been over the internet -- and all we returned was a remote control. We have trusted her to look out for us with contractors and vendors; and each time we came home to a great new addition to our house. Finally, she does a great job at controlling costs, getting us the best deals and splurging on the right things.
Working with Susan has quite simply, transformed where we live into where we want to be."
"I loved working with Susie and her team and would highly recommend anyone looking for an interior designer who brings creativity but designs something that fits YOU. I was initially nervous about working with a designer because a) I had a budget and b) I had my own ideas and opinions about what I wanted. Many designers blow the budget and force you into styles that don't fit your personality. Not Susie. She knew where to push and where to evolve her own creativity to fit my interests and taste. AND we stayed within budget. I now LOVE every room I in my house including the backyard.
Susie also did a great job working under pressure. I had a deadline to complete the project and I appreciate that Susie got most of the work done on time. Finally, she and her team operate with the highest amount of integrity. We had an issue with one of the vendors where there was a big disagreement and I lost money. Susie stepped in and even worked to resolve the issue with a new vendor, offering a credit for the additional (and unwarranted) services. I had the utmost trust for her and never had a problem leaving her in my home to work while I was away. We are now finished with this home but if we move into another one I will ABSOLUTELY use her again!"
"Finally took the plunge of purchasing my first home and Susie was right there to help me really make it my own. She understood and worked within my limited budget, and was able to find creative solutions to my small space condo. She's extremely easy to work with as we were able to handle most of our communications via email, which was best and most efficient due to my work schedule.
She even came and staged my condo for a photoshoot when all the work was completed, which was the perfect opportunity to throw a house warming party right after.
I would 100% recommend her."
"Susan is great. We had gone through a few other designers -- either they weren't matching with what we wanted to do, or they just disregarded our desires. We were frustrated. Susan just gets it. She listens to our input, and helps push us and drive us to try new things. Our home looks fantastic, and the risks she got us to take paid off in huge ways.
On a more personal level, my wife and I just like her. She's easy to work with, no drama, and she's a great communicator."
"Susan is awesome. Full stop. She completely transformed our loft in a way that we had never considered - it seemed like we were "trapped" into a specific room configuration just by the logistics but yet her magical brain and team broke through it. It was an amazing - and so pleasant! experience. We would unreservedly recommend Susan and her team to anyone looking for creative, colorful, and unconventional interpretations of space that coulda-shoulda been standard. We quite literally have people asking for her name every time they come into our home.
Thanks Susan and team!"
What They Say
"Susan and team are fantastic!
After I purchased my new loft and deciding to go all in with renovations, I researched and spoke with several designers. What stuck with me, was that right away Susan showed genuine excitement and great vision around the possibilities. The renovation included a full kitchen, lighting and furniture for the dining and living rooms, colors and painting of the entire unit.
I had never gone through major redesign or worked with a designer before and was unsure of the process. Diana and team asked me a lot of questions about by tastes, listened to my ideas and brought back a vision that was awesome! They did such a great job of ensuring the design was something that I would love. The result is that they gave me such a beautiful place, one that I couldn't imagine getting to on my own, but it feels 100% mine...and I love it!
In addition to the design, I needed help coordinating and manage the entire project. This included purchasing and receiving, managing budgets, pulling permits, coordinating and managing the contractors, final inspection of their work and set up of the furniture. I needed a turn key renovation. Diane and team delivered on this front as well.
There are still some rooms that I intend to finish at a later date and Susan and team will be there with me! They were so easy to work with, had great vision and creative ideas, paid attention to detail, masterfully managed all the moving parts and ensured that I would love the results...and I do! I still can't believe how great it looks!
Susan and team are true professionals, super creative, great people and great to work with. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for help on a renovation."
"We heard about Susan from a friend of ours (John H.). Most of the people we had seen online before her gave us fear that our home would turn into a study in beige or a Laura Ashley showroom -- so we were having a hard time even finding someone to interview. When we saw Susan's website and work, we liked its more modern vibe -- colorful and clean lines.
Working with her has been wonderful -- she is able to listen to us ramble about our likes and dislikes, then synthesize them and find something perfect (better than we could have chosen ourselves). She has definitely listened to our needs, finding fabulous looking pieces that also mesh with our requirements that things be functional. Her motto is that she wants us to love it. She very much listens to us and keeps our sensibility in mind at all times -- as a result, we truly love our home.
In addition to a great eye and listening to us, Susan is great for the technically savvy household -- since we live in Mountain View and she is based in SF, most of our communication is over email and online software. Also, due to our family's busy schedules, probably 80% of our purchases have been over the internet -- and all we returned was a remote control. We have trusted her to look out for us with contractors and vendors; and each time we came home to a great new addition to our house. Finally, she does a great job at controlling costs, getting us the best deals and splurging on the right things.
Working with Susan has quite simply, transformed where we live into where we want to be."
"I loved working with Susie and her team and would highly recommend anyone looking for an interior designer who brings creativity but designs something that fits YOU. I was initially nervous about working with a designer because a) I had a budget and b) I had my own ideas and opinions about what I wanted. Many designers blow the budget and force you into styles that don't fit your personality. Not Susie. She knew where to push and where to evolve her own creativity to fit my interests and taste. AND we stayed within budget. I now LOVE every room I in my house including the backyard.
Susie also did a great job working under pressure. I had a deadline to complete the project and I appreciate that Susie got most of the work done on time. Finally, she and her team operate with the highest amount of integrity. We had an issue with one of the vendors where there was a big disagreement and I lost money. Susie stepped in and even worked to resolve the issue with a new vendor, offering a credit for the additional (and unwarranted) services. I had the utmost trust for her and never had a problem leaving her in my home to work while I was away. We are now finished with this home but if we move into another one I will ABSOLUTELY use her again!"
"Finally took the plunge of purchasing my first home and Susie was right there to help me really make it my own. She understood and worked within my limited budget, and was able to find creative solutions to my small space condo. She's extremely easy to work with as we were able to handle most of our communications via email, which was best and most efficient due to my work schedule.
She even came and staged my condo for a photoshoot when all the work was completed, which was the perfect opportunity to throw a house warming party right after.
I would 100% recommend her."
"Susan is great. We had gone through a few other designers -- either they weren't matching with what we wanted to do, or they just disregarded our desires. We were frustrated. Susan just gets it. She listens to our input, and helps push us and drive us to try new things. Our home looks fantastic, and the risks she got us to take paid off in huge ways.
On a more personal level, my wife and I just like her. She's easy to work with, no drama, and she's a great communicator."
"Susan is awesome. Full stop. She completely transformed our loft in a way that we had never considered - it seemed like we were "trapped" into a specific room configuration just by the logistics but yet her magical brain and team broke through it. It was an amazing - and so pleasant! experience. We would unreservedly recommend Susan and her team to anyone looking for creative, colorful, and unconventional interpretations of space that coulda-shoulda been standard. We quite literally have people asking for her name every time they come into our home.
Thanks Susan and team!"
"Susan is not only highly creative, but also sharp and organized. I had a habit of rambling on about crazy design ideas in a haphazard way -- and she would remember them all, transform random ideas into realistic projects, execute them, and regularly email me with updates. When I was out of town for 2 weeks during some renovation work (which is a great time to do any renovation work!), she checked on the contractors and sent me digital photos of their work every day. Susan was worth every penny as a negotiator with contractors and vendors. She was very picky and insistent on getting things right, and those vendors worked extra hard for me because they wanted her future business. I highly recommend her, and I would hire her again in the future."
"Susan and her team were amazing to work with and transformed my itsy bitsy vintage condo into the high-end luxurious vacation pad that I was looking for. I was operating from my home in Los Angeles and Susan made it super easy to make my selections on everything from appliances to vases. She went above and beyond accommodating my busy schedule and added every extra touch I imagined. She blended comfort and style to create a showcase unit reflecting the surrounding Chinatown vibe. Her service was unbelievable, even coming to my rescue when I spilled red wine on the custom sofa she selected - another five stars for Wine Away, no stars for Coit Cleaners who wouldn't even try to help!!!
I would highly recommend Susan and David (her assistant) to anyone looking to hire a designer who really listens to her clients and delivers in every way."
"We worked with Susie for 2 projects when we purchased our first home - a small scale bathroom remodel, and a second more extensive kitchen remodel and addition of a family room and study.
And the results have been just fantastic! Her designs are unique, vibrant, and functional, and we couldn't be happier with our home.
Susie is absolutely a pleasure to work with - she always listens to our needs and ideas first, and then works her creative magic through a very collaborative approach. She is relentless in ensuring the optimal solution given any any constraints that we may have in terms of budget or taste. And finally, she was always accessible whether over email/phone/in-person whenever we had to resolve/clarify any issues.
It was a pleasure to work with her, and would absolutely endorse her for any home remodels that want to stand out from the ordinary."
"I had recently moved to San Francisco and purchased a new home, and was fortunate to find Susie through the Internet. My new place needed only modest alterations, but a lot of decorating and the purchase of several pieces of new furniture.
Susie did a great job of organizing the project and pricing what need to be done, arranged for and oversaw the work of a good contractor and had a lot of ideas about what we should do and where to look for it. At all times she was very professional, a delight to work with and always available when required.
Perhaps best of all, she challenged me to try things I wouldn't have had the imagination to do myself.
My new home is now a good combination of the old and the new, and I feel it is inviting, attractive and comfortable, and am very pleased with the final result. Susie has my enthusiastic endorsement."
"I hired Susan originally because I had fairly wild ideas about paint colors for my condo, and I wanted a sanity check from somebody with good instincts (coworkers had employed her previously and had good things to say). It quickly became clear that Susan had a great deal of skill and insight that I hadn't known to look for and I expanded our collaboration to take full advantage.
She was instrumental in turning my vague but fussy ideas about my ideal home into concrete plans for action, lining up contractors, shopping for furniture and accessories (in showrooms or discount stores or even craigslist), and monitoring the efforts of various contractors and deliveries*. Susan didn't dictate design to me, but rather listened to what I knew I wanted and helped me extrapolate my desires into areas of decoration and design that would not have occurred to me on my own. I'm extremely pleased with the outcome, and if I find I must leave this home behind and settle in another, I won't hesitate to call on Susan again. I've already referred her to several close friends, and wouldn't hesitate to do so again.
(* Susan had a key to my place longer than most people I've _dated_, and I had neither cause nor inclination to worry. Indeed, it brought me significant peace of mind to know that she was stopping by to check in on other people working in my house.)"
"I discovered Susan via Yelp, and from the onset, she was professional in all regards. My husband and I had just bought our first condo after living together in an efficiency studio for four years. We hired Susan to help us design a space that reflected our energy, experiences, and personality. I always dreamed of going crazy with color in a living space, but never had the guts. Susie listened intently to what we had to say and then suggested risky and creative ideas based on our conversation. As a result, our home looks more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. People walk in and are stunned at how unique it looks in its vibrancy and style.
Susan told us in our initial meeting that she had three goals:
1. We would love it
2. We would not know which room we liked the best
3. We would never want to move out.
Mission accomplished. We absolutely love it! Also, Susie is an extremely warm-hearted, kind individual, and she made the process fun and almost easy. She responded to emails promptly and effectively, and moved through our project with the pace at which we were comfortable. If we ever move again (which i don't want to now!!!) I will hire Susie in a heartbeat.".
"Susan is not only highly creative, but also sharp and organized. I had a habit of rambling on about crazy design ideas in a haphazard way -- and she would remember them all, transform random ideas into realistic projects, execute them, and regularly email me with updates. When I was out of town for 2 weeks during some renovation work (which is a great time to do any renovation work!), she checked on the contractors and sent me digital photos of their work every day. Susan was worth every penny as a negotiator with contractors and vendors. She was very picky and insistent on getting things right, and those vendors worked extra hard for me because they wanted her future business. I highly recommend her, and I would hire her again in the future."
"Susan and her team were amazing to work with and transformed my itsy bitsy vintage condo into the high-end luxurious vacation pad that I was looking for. I was operating from my home in Los Angeles and Susan made it super easy to make my selections on everything from appliances to vases. She went above and beyond accommodating my busy schedule and added every extra touch I imagined. She blended comfort and style to create a showcase unit reflecting the surrounding Chinatown vibe. Her service was unbelievable, even coming to my rescue when I spilled red wine on the custom sofa she selected - another five stars for Wine Away, no stars for Coit Cleaners who wouldn't even try to help!!!
I would highly recommend Susan and David (her assistant) to anyone looking to hire a designer who really listens to her clients and delivers in every way."
"We worked with Susie for 2 projects when we purchased our first home - a small scale bathroom remodel, and a second more extensive kitchen remodel and addition of a family room and study.
And the results have been just fantastic! Her designs are unique, vibrant, and functional, and we couldn't be happier with our home.
Susie is absolutely a pleasure to work with - she always listens to our needs and ideas first, and then works her creative magic through a very collaborative approach. She is relentless in ensuring the optimal solution given any any constraints that we may have in terms of budget or taste. And finally, she was always accessible whether over email/phone/in-person whenever we had to resolve/clarify any issues.
It was a pleasure to work with her, and would absolutely endorse her for any home remodels that want to stand out from the ordinary."
"We had a fantastic time working with Susie and her team over our 6-month assignment. My husband and I lack all artistic/design talent, so we relied on Susie 100% to:
1) help us understand our budget and develop a staged timeline,
2) understand our (very different) tastes and come up with a design that is appealing to both of us and is "uniquely ours" - a task I thought was impossible;
3) make sure the design is as beautiful as it is functional, and will be able to last for years to come through several stages of life, and
4) complete the project on time and within budget, despite our crazy lives and schedules.
Susie, Rachel and team brought a tremendous amount of creativity and suggested ideas/layouts/colors that we never thought of or imagined before....and while it sometimes took us a while to get comfortable with these out-of-the-box ideas, we never regretted implementing any of them. It's very satisfying to walk into our house and feel like the space truly reflects our unique personalities, and not some design catalogue.
All our friends/visitors immediately comment on the beauty and uniqueness of our interiors, ask how it all came together and start considering hiring a designer themselves.
We are busy professionals, and Susie's team was incredibly patient with us to make decisions, find a time to meet, and even helped oversee furniture deliveries, paint jobs, handled tailoring, returns, and installations...we honestly couldn't do it on our own without their expertise, hard work, professionalism and kindness.
They're also just a fun, young, energetic team to work with. Dealing with budgets, contractor and delivery people is highly stressful, and they were always on top of it, always patient, always willing to go the extra mile to make sure everything was handled properly, within timelines and budgets.
We couldn't speak more highly of Susie, Rachel, Kendall and Brian. We love our house and hope you get an opportunity to work with them!"
"Major home renovation can be an overwhelming undertaking, and not without hiccups, false starts, delays, and sometimes even outright failures. Through it all you keep asking yourself the same question: "Is this really worth it?" As you dwell within the finished product that is your new home, and assess the decisions that lead to where you sit today, you ask yourself, "Did I make all the best choices that I could have?" For some things you might second guess, for others you might know absolutely that you could have done better. But one thing I know for certain that I did right when I began renovating my home was hiring Susan Harris.
Susan helped me plan an extensive remodel of my newly purchased Oakland condominium. I wanted a great place that I could share with my girlfriend, who was moving in with me for the first time. I wanted the place to be ours, to help us grow in our relationship while feeling like something that was very much my own individually.
On the first evening we met, Susie sat with my girlfriend and I on the floor of our then empty condo and we began to build a vision for the home we've come to live in. The colors, the lines, the materials and the decor were the result of intense collaboration and lots of frank discussions..
Over the next week and into the successive months of construction there were a lot of opinions, a lot of ideas and a lot of compromises; but eventually we landed on some great visions for a home that everyone was excited to see created... a massive undertaking to say the least. I want to say that creating that home and seeing that vision brought into reality happened without incident, painless and stress-free. That didn't happen. But for the role she played in updating our home Susie was always gracious, proactive, professional, kind, outgoing, punctual, available, communicative, productive, knowledgeable, compromising, visionary, and generous. She commanded and guided us through some very difficult development phases.
She worked within a collaborative environment where I wanted to be available to approve every detail but could not be due to job constraints... I know that wasn't easy for her and there were even some missteps as a result but she took them in stride.
"I want you to love your home," was her catchphrase, and she absolutely meant it, and proved it both by word and by actions.
It is now a year since the last updates were made to my home. The aftermath of some unexpected consequences during that period still linger on, but as I sit and look at the finished product that is my home I can say absolutely that I (and my girlfriend) love it and that the vision-turned-reality would not have been possible without the incredible collaboration of Susan Harris and her team.
Everyone who comes to visit is blown away by the design, and comes to love our condo as much as we do. Our condo is truly a hidden gem in the hills of Oakland, thanks to Susie and her team.
Susie is a 5-star Yelp recommendation for anyone looking for an interior design team that can:
- Keep you abreast of the latest trends in interior design, furnishing and materials and make more suggestions than you can shake a stick at.
- Work with you to build a distinct living space that is uniquely your own.
- Tap into the hidden structural potentials of your live/work space.
- Manage contractors and sub-contractors directly or in collaboration with you.
- Be flexible, compromising and proactive when unforeseen difficulties arise.
- Bring a personal and professional attitude to every interaction that makes you feel like you made all the right choices!"
"We had a fantastic time working with Susie and her team over our 6-month assignment. My husband and I lack all artistic/design talent, so we relied on Susie 100% to:
1) help us understand our budget and develop a staged timeline,
2) understand our (very different) tastes and come up with a design that is appealing to both of us and is "uniquely ours" - a task I thought was impossible;
3) make sure the design is as beautiful as it is functional, and will be able to last for years to come through several stages of life, and
4) complete the project on time and within budget, despite our crazy lives and schedules.
Susie, Rachel and team brought a tremendous amount of creativity and suggested ideas/layouts/colors that we never thought of or imagined before....and while it sometimes took us a while to get comfortable with these out-of-the-box ideas, we never regretted implementing any of them. It's very satisfying to walk into our house and feel like the space truly reflects our unique personalities, and not some design catalogue.
All our friends/visitors immediately comment on the beauty and uniqueness of our interiors, ask how it all came together and start considering hiring a designer themselves.
We are busy professionals, and Susie's team was incredibly patient with us to make decisions, find a time to meet, and even helped oversee furniture deliveries, paint jobs, handled tailoring, returns, and installations...we honestly couldn't do it on our own without their expertise, hard work, professionalism and kindness.
They're also just a fun, young, energetic team to work with. Dealing with budgets, contractor and delivery people is highly stressful, and they were always on top of it, always patient, always willing to go the extra mile to make sure everything was handled properly, within timelines and budgets.
We couldn't speak more highly of Susie, Rachel, Kendall and Brian. We love our house and hope you get an opportunity to work with them!"
"Susie was an absolute delight to work with. Her creative sense of style was just what we needed when we were looking to decorate our loft. She was able to make our place look great and all within our budget! (ok almost w/in) but it was well worth it. We've had numerous compliments and even have had unsolicited offers to do photo shoots of our place for various marketing purposes. I would highly recommend Susie without hesitation. I'm happy that we've found a true professional that is a lot of fun to work with. I hope that we don't have to move anytime soon, but if we do, Susie will definitely be helping us."
"I hired Susan originally because I had fairly wild ideas about paint colors for my condo, and I wanted a sanity check from somebody with good instincts (coworkers had employed her previously and had good things to say). It quickly became clear that Susan had a great deal of skill and insight that I hadn't known to look for and I expanded our collaboration to take full advantage.
She was instrumental in turning my vague but fussy ideas about my ideal home into concrete plans for action, lining up contractors, shopping for furniture and accessories (in showrooms or discount stores or even craigslist), and monitoring the efforts of various contractors and deliveries*. Susan didn't dictate design to me, but rather listened to what I knew I wanted and helped me extrapolate my desires into areas of decoration and design that would not have occurred to me on my own. I'm extremely pleased with the outcome, and if I find I must leave this home behind and settle in another, I won't hesitate to call on Susan again. I've already referred her to several close friends, and wouldn't hesitate to do so again.
(* Susan had a key to my place longer than most people I've _dated_, and I had neither cause nor inclination to worry. Indeed, it brought me significant peace of mind to know that she was stopping by to check in on other people working in my house.)"
"Susie was an absolute delight to work with. Her creative sense of style was just what we needed when we were looking to decorate our loft. She was able to make our place look great and all within our budget! (ok almost w/in) but it was well worth it. We've had numerous compliments and even have had unsolicited offers to do photo shoots of our place for various marketing purposes. I would highly recommend Susie without hesitation. I'm happy that we've found a true professional that is a lot of fun to work with. I hope that we don't have to move anytime soon, but if we do, Susie will definitely be helping us."
"Major home renovation can be an overwhelming undertaking, and not without hiccups, false starts, delays, and sometimes even outright failures. Through it all you keep asking yourself the same question: "Is this really worth it?" As you dwell within the finished product that is your new home, and assess the decisions that lead to where you sit today, you ask yourself, "Did I make all the best choices that I could have?" For some things you might second guess, for others you might know absolutely that you could have done better. But one thing I know for certain that I did right when I began renovating my home was hiring Susan Harris.
Susan helped me plan an extensive remodel of my newly purchased Oakland condominium. I wanted a great place that I could share with my girlfriend, who was moving in with me for the first time. I wanted the place to be ours, to help us grow in our relationship while feeling like something that was very much my own individually.
On the first evening we met, Susie sat with my girlfriend and I on the floor of our then empty condo and we began to build a vision for the home we've come to live in. The colors, the lines, the materials and the decor were the result of intense collaboration and lots of frank discussions.
Over the next week and into the successive months of construction there were a lot of opinions, a lot of ideas and a lot of compromises; but eventually we landed on some great visions for a home that everyone was excited to see created... a massive undertaking to say the least. I want to say that creating that home and seeing that vision brought into reality happened without incident, painless and stress-free. That didn't happen. But for the role she played in updating our home Susie was always gracious, proactive, professional, kind, outgoing, punctual, available, communicative, productive, knowledgeable, compromising, visionary, and generous. She commanded and guided us through some very difficult development phases.
She worked within a collaborative environment where I wanted to be available to approve every detail but could not be due to job constraints... I know that wasn't easy for her and there were even some missteps as a result but she took them in stride.
"I want you to love your home," was her catchphrase, and she absolutely meant it, and proved it both by word and by actions.
It is now a year since the last updates were made to my home. The aftermath of some unexpected consequences during that period still linger on, but as I sit and look at the finished product that is my home I can say absolutely that I (and my girlfriend) love it and that the vision-turned-reality would not have been possible without the incredible collaboration of Susan Harris and her team.
Everyone who comes to visit is blown away by the design, and comes to love our condo as much as we do. Our condo is truly a hidden gem in the hills of Oakland, thanks to Susie and her team.
Susie is a 5-star Yelp recommendation for anyone looking for an interior design team that can:
- Keep you abreast of the latest trends in interior design, furnishing and materials and make more suggestions than you can shake a stick at.
- Work with you to build a distinct living space that is uniquely your own.
- Tap into the hidden structural potentials of your live/work space.
- Manage contractors and sub-contractors directly or in collaboration with you.
- Be flexible, compromising and proactive when unforeseen difficulties arise.
- Bring a personal and professional attitude to every interaction that makes you feel like you made all the right choices!"
"Susie was an absolute delight to work with. Her creative sense of style was just what we needed when we were looking to decorate our loft. She was able to make our place look great and all within our budget! (ok almost w/in) but it was well worth it. We've had numerous compliments and even have had unsolicited offers to do photo shoots of our place for various marketing purposes. I would highly recommend Susie without hesitation. I'm happy that we've found a true professional that is a lot of fun to work with. I hope that we don't have to move anytime soon, but if we do, Susie will definitely be helping us."
"I discovered Susan via Yelp, and from the onset, she was professional in all regards. My husband and I had just bought our first condo after living together in an efficiency studio for four years. We hired Susan to help us design a space that reflected our energy, experiences, and personality. I always dreamed of going crazy with color in a living space, but never had the guts. Susie listened intently to what we had to say and then suggested risky and creative ideas based on our conversation. As a result, our home looks more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. People walk in and are stunned at how unique it looks in its vibrancy and style.
Susan told us in our initial meeting that she had three goals:
1. We would love it
2. We would not know which room we liked the best
3. We would never want to move out.
Mission accomplished. We absolutely love it! Also, Susie is an extremely warm-hearted, kind individual, and she made the process fun and almost easy. She responded to emails promptly and effectively, and moved through our project with the pace at which we were comfortable. If we ever move again (which i don't want to now!!!) I will hire Susie in a heartbeat.".
"I had recently moved to San Francisco and purchased a new home, and was fortunate to find Susie through the Internet. My new place needed only modest alterations, but a lot of decorating and the purchase of several pieces of new furniture. Susie did a great job of organizing the project and pricing what need to be done, arranged for and oversaw the work of a good contractor and had a lot of ideas about what we should do and where to look for it. At all times she was very professional, a delight to work with and always available when required. Perhaps best of all, she challenged me to try things I wouldn't have had the imagination to do myself. My new home is now a good combination of the old and the new, and I feel it is inviting, attractive and comfortable, and am very pleased with the final result. Susie has my enthusiastic endorsement."