Named "Stylemaker" by the San Francisco Chronicle, Principal Susan Diana Harris (sdh) has been creating homes clients never want to leave since 2004. After a decade of design in the San Francisco Bay area, the births of Susan's children ignited her obligation for sustainability. Now on Tongva land in Los Angeles, Susan's dedicated to the creation of homes clients never have to leave—accessible spaces, big and small, designed for thriving in place, even amidst the challenges of the climate crisis. She is on track to be a Certified Passive House Designer in December 2024.
Susan's mission is to "make sustainability cool." She serves on USGBC-CA's Advisory Group for their BuildSMART Trailer—a mobile, hands-on experience for community members to engage with sustainable materials, technologies, and energy-saving programs that emphasizes the importance of awareness and accessibility to resources in communities disproportionately affected by climate change. She is equally excited about her work on Climate Action California's Passive House Steering Committee to Implement a Passive House Standard to Title 24 and its potential for Environmental Justice. She co-authored "Passive House: Enhancing Air-conditioning Performance (and more), Without Forcing Change."
From custom cabinetry, remodels and new construction to shipping containers, an Airstream precursor, and prefab modular designs, Susan is continually exploring innovative methods to lower carbon emissions from the built environment and expand access to safe, healthy, and accessible housing. Read more about "Designers vs. Climate Change" and Los Angeles' "Our County" plan.
sdh room design is a simple, linear, flat rate interior design service:
• one room at a time
• quick, decisive process
• virtual meetings, and
• all you need to make it happen on your own.
(For Airstream, ADU, and/or tiny home, see our FAQ for the room equivalent.)
"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.
"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.
Thanks Susan and team!"
"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.
"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.
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!!!
"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!!!
"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."
Is an initial consultation right for me?
We recommend on-site initial consults for those within 30 miles of 90046; and Zoom initial consults for those outside of that area.
Have questions about your needs?
What furniture, lighting, and fixtures are need in each room, and what might they cost?
How would you recommend I remodel my kitchen or bath?
What is recommended in each room, how many, and where?
Which pieces will look best?
"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."