CUCINA KITCHEN DESIGN - Alameda, California

Mike G.

Lisa and her wonderful team are incredibly professional, talented, and a delight to work with! We were overwhelmed at first trying to remodel our kitchen. There were too many decisions to make and potential pitfalls to avoid. We connected with Lisa and she took care of everything. Lisa and her team consulted with us to figure out our design aesthetic and proposed concepts as well as specific finishes and appliances. It was a relief not having to make all the decisions on our own! Once the design was set, Lisa brought in a trusted contractor and managed the cost estimate and contractor oversight throughout the project. It was a smooth process with little effort or burden on our behalf. Within a month we were in our new kitchen, which has exceeded our expectations in every way possible. In fact, we liked everything so much we recently brought Cucina in to redo our bathroom. You can't go wrong with this small, local, and all-women-owned business!

Matt B.

We consulted with Cucina in 2015 to to provide consultation and project management on a major renovation of our home, which included expanding an existing 1930’s era kitchen, opening walls and doorways to improve flow into an existing 1970’s era family room addition, replacing windows, and other structural and cosmetic work to the home. After surveying our needs and preferences, Lisa Cannelora and her staff developed detailed plans of possible layouts for the new spaces, and then worked with us to refine a layout and arrangement to our satisfaction. Lisa worked closely with our architect and general contractor throughout the project to avoid delays and keep our project on schedule. She also helped us select cabinetry, appliances, fixtures, and lighting and provided contractors to cut and install countertops in the kitchen and dining room. Finally, Lisa helped us select a color palette for the entire renovation. The Cucina staff were delightful to work with and always responsive and professional. Our opinions and ideas were solicited and respected, and Lisa incorporated many of them into the design. This collaborative approach resulted in a superior design which has stood the test of time, and we continue to receive compliments on our kitchen and dining area from guests who visit. We are convinced that Cucina’s consultation and Lisa’s project management expertise helped achieved a superior overall result and was money well spent in our project budget.

Danica B. D.

Lisa and her team designed my kitchen, bathroom and fireplace. Their quality of work and attention to detail is second to none. We absolutely LOVE these upgrades. I would hands down use her for ANY design project for my house. We are so happy

Jessica B.

This review is long overdue. three years ago, before the remodel craze of pandemic started, Lisa and team redesigned our kitchens and bathrooms when we gutted our Victorian, but she really did SO more than that. She was instrumental in coordinating many aspects of the project and keeping things moving smoothly. We had three different entities working on our home: our architect, our contractor and Lisa and her team. The team was a power combo of talent and professionalism and Lisa and her team interfaced with all members of the team to efficiently and professionally keep the remodel moving along. I'm so impressed with Lisa and her ability to design, coordinate and manage a project of our scope and size. Three years later, our house still looks as good as the day we moved back in. She helped us really bring the project together. Our formerly dated and dysfunctional Victorian is a modern era Victorian style dream and so much is due to Lisa influence. I recommend Lisa without reservation for anyone looking for a designer, project manager and/or consultant.

Dani M.

We just completed a kitchen "refresh" and used Lisa Cannelora as a design consultant for the project. We replaced most of the finishes and appliances and had our maple cabinets painted. I can't believe how smooth the process was - Lisa recommended both the contractor and painter that we used and we loved working with both of them! Their attention to detail, professionalism and workmanship was of the highest standard and we got exactly what we wanted! Most of all, Lisa's coordination and management of the project was so appreciated because we actually completed the project in 3-1/2 weeks! With minimal inconvenience, Lisa scheduled the sub-contractors and everyone perfectly. We are delighted with the result and we highly recommend Lisa Cannelora and Cucina di Cannelora if you are considering either a full remodel or just a refresh in the future!!

Mary B. R.

We hired Lisa Cannelora of Cucina di Cannelora to design our kitchen remodel during the summer of 2016. She provided designs and recommended Colin Zak of Kodiak Construction for the construction. She managed the whole project for us. We were very happy working with Lisa, Colin, and their teams.

As the designer and project manager, Lisa was both creative and proactive to give us the kitchen we wanted and keep the schedule and the costs in check. She listened to what we wanted and guided us on the design that would fit our 1934 Storybook Tudor home explaining what could and could not be done given the space parameters and current building codes. She steered us to better options given her years of experience as both a designer and a chef so the kitchen is not only beautiful but very functional as well. She showed us lots of sample imagery and materials for each piece of the project helping us avoid pitfalls that we might have otherwise thought were good ideas. For each element of the project, we were given options to spend more or less on different elements, understanding whether the extra price was warranted. For instance, we spent more to get Neolith countertops given their advantages, but spent less on backsplash tile as the appearance of a less expensive tile looked great and there was no need to spend more.

The remodel entailed a complete tear down to studs and the subfloor. We also opened a wall with a door to create an open arch and a few other custom touches. This job was done as a fixed bid. During the project, a number of extras came up, repairing dry rot for example, and these were added on for time and materials for a very reasonable cost. We were never surprised by extra charges for anything that wasn't clearly outside the scope of the bid.

As for project management, Lisa always kept us, the vendors, and the crew moving all the steps along so that there would be no delays. For example, she made sure we had selected our appliances early on, and had them delivered and stored in our garage, on-site, so they were available when it was time for them to be installed.

The workmanship of Colin's team was excellent. Everyone was friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable, and the team kept to a schedule and completed the work in the estimated 13 weeks. Whenever there was an unknown, or the option to do something different, Colin's team always kept us informed and offered us choices. Some issues required Lisa working with Colin to determine the best course of action. They routinely fixed, updated, and repaired anything, including all the wiring unearthed after the demolition, and came up with a creative re-working of some of the cabinetry trim to fashion custom shelving for mason jars of bulk goods.

Seven years later, we're still in love with our new kitchen. We were delighted working with Lisa & Colin, and would highly recommend them as a design build team for a kitchen remodel.

Stan K.

We worked with Lisa Cannelora for two projects in the last few years. First, she totally redesigned our kitchen and breakfast room, and opened them up to the rest of the house. As a former chef, she knew just how the work would flow in the kitchen, and we love the layout of the cabinets and appliances. It is so convenient and functional; we love cooking and eating there.

Next, her staff designed and refurbished our main upstairs bathroom, and a small half bath off our basement den. While the layouts did not change, the products they used are great, and we are very happy with both jobs.

The contractors Lisa selected for each project were great, and we have used one of them for another project at our Tahoe vacation home. Lisa also helped with design, layouts and product selection there.

Lisa's consultations and project management oversight were extremely valuable in getting the design and work done properly and in a timely way. She certainly provides what we consider premier customer service. She was always responsive and was easy to reach and talk to. We greatly enjoyed the experience of collaborating with her as she helped us achieve our goals for our home.

Valerie H.

We worked with Cucina for a complete kitchen remodel in our 1904 Alameda home. Lisa's consultation skills and overall project management were invaluable. We met on several occasions to go over the style we liked and her input was fantastic. We especially appreciated how she kept the look and feel of the period of the house. Her resources for cabinetry, lighting, windows and all the little extras were top notch. The contractor for our project and his team were fantastic! Always on time and respectful of our property. Also, the communication from Lisa and her team was great. We could go to work every day and not have to worry about anything pertaining to the project. Lisa handled everything from start to finish and it was beyond our expectations.