--- title: "Suzette Sherman Design — Interior Designers & Decorators | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/interior-designers-and-decorators/suzette-sherman-design-pfvwus-pf~1258432466 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~1258432466.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "Suzette Sherman Design" category: ["Interior Designers & Decorators"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/d483b7a10074751d_0993-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg address: "198 Texas St, San Francisco, California 94107, United States" latitude: 37.7621 longitude: -122.3971 phone: "(650) 862-7522" website: https://suzetteshermaninteriordesign.com rating: 5 review_count: 20 best_of_houzz_awards: 5 followers: 390 last_updated: 2026-09-05 --- # Suzette Sherman Design Original Houzz profile: [Suzette Sherman Design](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/interior-designers-and-decorators/suzette-sherman-design-pfvwus-pf~1258432466) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Interior Designers & Decorators - **Location:** San Francisco, CA - **Serves:** Santa Rosa, Napa, San Rafael, Saratoga, Windsor, Ukiah, Mill Valley, Tamalpais-Homestead Valley, Healdsburg, The Sea Ranch, Sonoma, Tiburon, Sebastopol, Sausalito, Fort Bragg, Saint Helena, Guerneville, Angwin, Belvedere, Glen Ellen, Muir Beach, Belvedere Tiburon, Elk, Kenfield, Timber Cove - **Houzz rating:** 5.0 out of 5 (20 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 5 awards (2013–2023), for Service, Design. ## About ### Houzz Badges - Star Houzzer - Houzz Influencer - Recommended on Houzz - 25,000 Ideabook Saves With over 25 years of experience I've worked as an interior designer coast-to-coast. I bring an eye to furnishings along with a deep understanding of architectural design and construction. This includes much experience with renovations and ground up built homes too. My love of color, texture and furniture gives me no greater pleasure than to create a truly unique home for each and every client. I am also happy to work within all budget levels. My work reflects a variety of genres, from traditional to contemporary. My home was published in the San Francisco Chronicle, where Zahid Sardar noted “Sherman enjoys classical design as well as a full-tilt modernism.” I want you to love your new home and luxuriate in walking through the end results. I have been published in Dwell magazine, New York Times magazine, Interior Design magazine, San Francisco 7x7 magazine and Forbes to name a few. ### Services Provided - Interior Design - Kitchen Design - Bathroom Design - Living Room Design - Bedroom Design - Color Consulting - Space Planning - Furniture Selection - Kids Bedroom Design - Dining Room Design - Custom Cabinets - Custom Kitchen Cabinets - Lighting Design - Custom Built-ins - Entry Design - Floor Plans - Project Management - Playroom Design - Custom Furniture - Custom Bathroom Vanities - Laundry Room Design - Mudroom Design - Nursery Design - Custom Blinds & Shades - Custom Home Bars - House Plans - Art Selection - Closet Design - Basement Design - Custom Bookcases - Custom Walk-in Closets - Custom Entertainment Centers - Custom Rugs - Custom Fireplace Mantels - Sustainable Design - Wine Cellar Design - Custom Shelving - Custom Pantries - Downsizing - Holiday Decorating - Handicap-Accessible Design - Energy-Efficient Homes - Attic Conversion - Custom Storage - Bicycle Storage - Home Office Design ### Areas Served - Santa Rosa - Napa - San Rafael - Saratoga - Windsor - Ukiah - Mill Valley - Tamalpais-Homestead Valley - Healdsburg - The Sea Ranch - Sonoma - Tiburon - Sebastopol - Sausalito - Fort Bragg - Saint Helena - Guerneville - Angwin - Belvedere - Glen Ellen - Muir Beach - Belvedere Tiburon - Elk - Kenfield - Timber Cove ### Typical Job Cost $15,000 - 5 million I have worked on homes of all sizes, from designing one room in the home to full design and furnishings of custom ground-up homes. I am happy to work within a client's budget. ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | Suzette Sherman Design | | Address | 198 Texas St, San Francisco, California 94107, United States | | Phone | (650) 862-7522 | | Website | https://suzetteshermaninteriordesign.com | | Followers on Houzz | 390 | ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [Suzette Sherman Design](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/interior-designers-and-decorators/suzette-sherman-design-pfvwus-pf~1258432466) - **Website:** https://suzetteshermaninteriordesign.com - **Phone:** (650) 862-7522 ## Credentials **Certifications & Awards** - I have a formal design education through the Bachelor of Science in Design program at the University of Cincinnati. The level of my work and process is reflected in my education and time logged at some of the top design offices coast to coast. I work on a small to large projects. - **Best of Houzz:** 5 awards (2013–2023), for Service, Design. ## Reviews **Overall rating: 5.0 out of 5 — 20 reviews** *Aspect averages:* - Work Quality: 50.0 - Communication: 50.0 - Value: 50.0 ### Reviews **★★★★★ — Summer Powell, March 2022** > Suzette Sherman is an extremely talented designer and is a pleasure to work with! She is very responsive to her clients needs and their own sense of design while offering solutions beyond what they would be able to conceive of themselves in terms of function and beauty. She has wonderful contacts in the field for coming up with custom furnishings and cabinetry. She also understands budgetary constraints and is open-minded. I love that she has the vision to integrate a variety of styles so that her rooms feel natural and unforced while also being beautiful. Suzette is wonderful! **★★★★★ — Joselle Lee-Chao, Sept. 2019** > Suzette helped me renovate the kitchen, bathrooms, and Man-cave of my house in Kentfield in Marin. She coordinated the entire project with the contractor. She designed the details of my home so the look was cohesive and beautiful. My family has truly enjoyed living in the home Suzette designed just for us. **★★★★★ — Rod Lager, Jan. 2019** > This is the second time my wife and I have worked with Suzette. Over a decade ago she helped us with our first home. We enjoyed her designs so much that we hired her again for our new upgraded house. Suzette has talents in both the interior architecture and the furnishings. We had her help us on the significant renovation of our kitchen, bathrooms and stairway. We were impressed with her experience when working with contractors on our renovation. My wife and I both love the design of our new home Suzette designed. **Comment from Suzette Sherman Design:** > Hi Rod, > > It was great to work with you again! You and Carmela are a joy to work with! It was wonderful to hear how the kids are enjoying the house along with some of the special features we built-in too. Always a treat to hear such feedback. Let us know if you need any design help again ; - ) **★★★★★ — Tyler White, Jan. 2019** > When we moved into our larger, newer home, we were faced with furnishing a great room and a second living room, starting with nothing in the way of suitable furniture. For us it was worse than starting from scratch, since both rooms had built-in elements (wet bar, AV cabinetry) that did not fit our sense of style or how we wanted to use the space. We contacted Suzette after seeing photos of her work on Houzz, and we never regretted our choice. Suzette talked to us about our ideas for the use of the rooms and proposed several layouts to us. In the design process, she very quickly got a sense of what we liked and didn’t like, but was also able to convince us to try some things we couldn’t quite visualize ourselves, but were very pleased with when we saw the end results. Suzette coordinated with our contractor for demolition and repair, and then worked with our local cabinet maker to design new built-in cabinetry. We collaborated with Suzette in the design of several large pieces of custom furniture, including trips with her to pick out wood and stone for fabrication. We are not very creative ourselves, but know what we like when we see it, and Suzette was spot on in the design of our living spaces that do justice to a high-end California ranch house. It is a constant pleasure to watch the way the rooms change throughout a day and into the evening, and we often comment about how “Suzette was right about that”, when looking at a light fixture or chair that we didn’t think would work at all. Suzette was a pleasure to work with throughout a months-long process, during which we became friends as well as clients. She is very organized, and we always had a good sense of where things stood in bringing everything together. We would recommend Suzette to anyone, and would work with her again without hesitation. **Comment from Suzette Sherman Design:** > Hi Ty & Annette, > > Wow what a long and considered review! I can't help but be deeply touched by your reflection of the experience. The pleasure of the process of working with you two was most special, especially given your desire to build a new chapter of your life. I feel honored to have been selected. The wonderful part is having your two as friends going forward. I love our chats and the humor ; - ) not to mention getting to be in your amazing house. A sincere thanks for the review! **★★★★★ — Blackburn Architects, PC, Aug. 2018** > Blackburn Architects worked with Suzette Sherman on a ground up house we designed in Tuolumne County, CA. Suzette was great to work with. She's a talented interior designer. From start to finish, the design process moved along at an excellent pace. The team was impressed at how well we all worked together. **Comment from Suzette Sherman Design:** > Thanks John! Great memories and such a pleasure to work with you and your wonderful team! I hope we get to work together again ; - ) **★★★★★ — Timothy Williamson, Aug. 2018** > Speaking as a vendor, Suzette is a dream to work with. She is fantastic at communicating expectations and deadlines through the entire purchasing process. I'm fully confident that any client of Suzette's will be thrilled by how efficiently she manages her projects, down to the details of managing relationships with vendors. Five stars. **Comment from Suzette Sherman Design:** > Hi Timothy, > > A big thanks and always a pleasure to work with you! **★★★★★ — Ross Beck, July 2018** > My wife and I built our dream house on the edge of Yosemite and the architect we worked with had recommended Suzette. It was a wonderful experience for us. Suzette and the architect worked fluidly together with our finish house being absolutely stunning. It was evident that Suzette as an interior designer has past experience with construction and is architecturally talented. The architect was based on the East Coast and so Suzette gave us full confidence to guiding us and being there for us through the design and construction of our house. We love our house and could not be happier! **Comment from Suzette Sherman Design:** > Hi Ross, > > We all worked so hard as a team to design your beautiful new house. It's wonderful to hear you are happy and are enjoying your home. Such a wonderful location to live your life in your dream home and on an ancient rock along the lake. **★★★★★ — friendbzur, July 2018** > We were very pleased with Suzette’s creativity, style and ability to understand our tastes to help us to decorate our home. Our home was an Eichler home that we wanted to decorate with a modern but warm feel, that would accommodate multiple children but also look good for entertaining. Suzette helped us to achieve this goal while also staying within budget. > > Suzette was very responsive and inclusive. She not only was reachable and open to our ideas, she also was able to finish our project on schedule. This is not true of other decorators with whom we have worked. Suzette was open to using technology to accommodate our schedules and availability, so if it was better for us to email, video or phone vs meet in person, she was willing to do that. > > We continue to be pleased with the decorating style and furniture that we bought with Suzette and would recommend her highly. **Comment from Suzette Sherman Design:** > Hi Bzur, > > Thanks for the wonderful review! It's so heartwarming to read your (and Page's) thoughts about our experience of working together. I have to say I'm excited to see your new home (the last one was amazing) and to work with you two again! **★★★★★ — Barbara Tomash, July 2018** > Suzette Sherman is an extremely talented designer and is a pleasure to work with! She is very responsive to her clients needs and their own sense of design while offering solutions beyond what they would be able to conceive of themselves in terms of function and beauty. She has wonderful contacts in the field for coming up with custom furnishings and cabinetry. She also understands budgetary constraints and is open-minded. I love that she has the vision to integrate a variety of styles so that her rooms feel natural and unforced while also being beautiful. Suzette is wonderful! **Comment from Suzette Sherman Design:** > Hi Barbara, > > Thank you so much for the review! Working with you was truly unique. Plus such a pleasure to combine your eye with mine in not only the process but also the results of your home. Many happy days ahead to you and Ed ; - ) **★★★★★ — eswanson223, May 2014** > Having worked with a designer in the past we found Suzette's professionalism and talent astounding. Her taste is so sophisticated and what a master at color! We hired her to help with our new built house. Suzette's ability to create spaces gave us unexpected rooms to function within our home. She worked wonderfully along with our architect in a mutually respectful relationship. We hired her to design the layouts, kitchen, bathrooms, lighting plans and select furniture, tile, window treatments and paint colors. We found her to be organized and she truly listened to our needs. Now completed, we're not only loving our home but we also built an endearing relationship with her. I highly recommend her! **Comment from Suzette Sherman Design:** > Hi Evan, > > I am touched by your review! It was wonderful working with you too. I look forward to any additions or improvements in the future. **★★★★★ — brettmacfadden, Oct. 2013** > Suzette worked with us during a kitchen and bathroom remodel, and as someone who had never worked with a designer before, quickly proved her value. She was able to immediately hone in on spacial opportunities we wouldn't have thought of, and identify efficiencies, such as organizing around where plumbing lines already existed, to keep construction costs in check. On a personal level, I've know Suzette and her own homes for a number of years, and she designs with a highly-refined and thoughtful sense, that makes spaces both dramatic and functional. **★★★★ — Drew Hoskins, Aug. 2013** > Suzette helped us design our living room. We love the results! Her design advice was spot-on and she did a good job of incorporating our contemporary, masculine tastes while also proposing some things that helped expand our design palette. We developed a good rapport with her, and had fun in our meetings. I do have some comments, though. One comment is that although texting between us worked well, Suzette was a little less responsive than we would have liked to with emails: on two occasions she only replied to one of us via email, and twice she took three days to reply. Also, there was one point when she spent ~25 hours of work without us having discussed a ballpark estimate and we were a bit surprised by the bill. She did a lot with this time, ordering swatches, wood samples, and exploring alternatives, and we just didn't know how involved it would be. Either Suzette or we should have brought up estimated hours for discussion beforehand. Suzette steered us towards some local retail outlets and contrary to her selected recommendations, we selected some of our own furniture (sofa, media console, mirrors, pillows). The end result was that we came in roughly on budget. Finally, Suzette selected for us a custom low-hanging pendant over our dining-room table. She ordered it with the wrong stem length and once we told her of the discrepancy, she contacted the manufacturer to resolve the issue. Minor issues aside, she did a great job - she kept detailed spreadsheets, was flexible about us ordering retail for some items, and was personable and respectful. ## Selected projects - [Palo Alto Home Renovation](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/palo-alto-home-renovation-pj-vj~5238578) - Location: Palo Alto, CA - Photos: 17 - Description: Home for a couple located just a few blocks off University in Downtown Palo Alto. A newly purchased house the redesign included renovating to create a larger kitchen. A small bedroom was eliminated to make room for the large speciality kitchen. This included a breakfast nook, single island with a double ink, double oven wall, appliance garage, home organizer office station, wall of cabinets with a breakfast bar and seating at the island. A small kitchen was made into a deluxe kitchen. The client… - [Mill Valley Golf Course Overlook](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/mill-valley-golf-course-overlook-pj-vj~95450) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 16 - Description: This is the design for the ground up home of a couple who have 2 children. They met on a golf course so the house romantically overlooks a golf course. They have very contemporary taste and enjoyed also adding some furnishings that are less well known. It's a two level home with lots of light and they preferred soft colors in all the rooms. The paint colors vary throughout the house but all are soft variations of almost white. - [Los Gatos Townhouse](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/los-gatos-townhouse-pj-vj~95407) - Location: Los Altos Hills, CA - Photos: 12 - Description: This was a townhouse close to downtown Los Gatos. The client purchased it and remodeled all the bathrooms, kitchen and added a new stairway. All the furnishings were new throughout the whole including bedding, towels, and dishes. - [Contemporary Yellow Gem Powder Room](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/contemporary-yellow-gem-powder-room-pj-vj~4989812) - Location: San Francisco, CA - Photos: 5 - Description: A bright state of the art powder room for a bachelor in Potrero Hill area of San Francisco. Powder rooms can be an opportunity for a unexpected surprise inside. This bathroom is white with a bright yellow accent wall opposite the door. The design theme is a fresh look designed with all square shapes, shiny chrome and white glowing glass in both the sconce and the mirror. This powder room is very small space ( just enough to pass codes) yet still an elegant glowing gem of a powder room now. - [Greenwich, CT Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/greenwich-ct-residence-pj-vj~98515) - Location: Greenwich, CT - Photos: 17 - Description: This is a traditional four bedroom home in Greenwich, CT I designed for a divorced bachelor with 3 children. He chose to fully remodel the kitchen, family room, and create a media area. Unlike his former life, he wanted to express his contemporary lifestyle and taste with a home filled with modern influenced furnishings. The house was recently purchased so all the furniture was new except for a wonderful blend of existing antique pieces I had the pleasure to mix within the various rooms. - [Napa Valley Wine Country Estate](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/napa-valley-wine-country-estate-pj-vj~95430) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 25 - Description: I worked with the architects and the client on their home as it was built. The architects were very collaborative and I selected all of the finishes in the interior of the home with some input on the exterior. The clients are both from the Midwest and rather than have the more typical Italian or Napa home they chose to go with an English Cottage inspired house. All of the walls are Italian colored plaster. I intentionally did transitional furnishings to work with the house design since they want… - [Great Room in San Francisco](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/great-room-in-san-francisco-pj-vj~4490284) - Location: San Francisco, CA - Photos: 6 - [Los Altos Hills, Transitional Residence (In Process)](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/los-altos-hills-transitional-residence-in-process-pj-vj~98636) - Location: Los Altos Hills, CA - Photos: 5 - Description: This was a 5 bedroom contemporary house in Los Altos Hills that a client hired me to redo the exterior and interior of the house. She wanted the facade to be arts and crafts with a slight contemporary influence. On the inside we blended a more transitional look and feel via the furnishings and details to be traditional leaning towards more of a contemporary edge. This project was an unusual project as it was a 6 year renovation carried out over segmented portions to reflect her available budget… - [San Francisco Hip Warehouse Loft Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/san-francisco-hip-warehouse-loft-residence-pj-vj~97570) - Location: San Francisco, CA - Photos: 11 - [Sonoma Winery Home](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/sonoma-winery-home-pj-vj~97050) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 7 - Description: Home in Sonoma for a couple who own a winery. The house is situated with 360 views and the grape vines just below on the hill. The house is used for wine parties and rentals as well. This was part of the design requirements to think of the main spaces as a place for people to wine and dine. - [Suzette Sherman Design Office](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/suzette-sherman-design-office-pj-vj~295025) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 7 - [Marin County, Kentfield Party House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/marin-county-kentfield-party-house-pj-vj~343970) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 13 - [Working with Clients](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/working-with-clients-pj-vj~95464) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 5 - Description: Wonderful moments in time working with clients. - [Published in Dwell Magazine](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/published-in-dwell-magazine-pj-vj~3497620) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 1 [See all 14 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/interior-designers-and-decorators/suzette-sherman-design-pfvwus-pf~1258432466) ## Ideabooks - [Wish List](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/164242954/list/wish-list) — 2 ideas - [Wallpaper Patterns That Hit the Groove](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/117509516/list/wallpaper-patterns-that-hit-the-groove) — 20 ideas - [A Bright Green Trend: Plants Move Into the Home](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/117295117/list/a-bright-green-trend-plants-move-into-the-home) — 14 ideas - [Cool Christmas Decorations that Blur the Lines Between Art & Design](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/115976498/list/cool-christmas-decorations-that-blur-the-lines-between-art-design) — 15 ideas - [What is the Color for 2019? Bring it on Bright Coral!](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/116772519/list/what-is-the-color-for-2019-bring-it-on-bright-coral) — 16 ideas - [Pattern on Pattern is Back with a Fresh Look](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/115564644/list/pattern-on-pattern-is-back-with-a-fresh-look) — 8 ideas - [Fun Accent Chairs That Spice Up a Room](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/114989022/list/fun-accent-chairs-that-spice-up-a-room) — 8 ideas - [Breakfast Nooks That Rock the Modern Look](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/114852827/list/breakfast-nooks-that-rock-the-modern-look) — 8 ideas - [Great Custom Headboard Designs](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/114735611/list/great-custom-headboard-designs) — 12 ideas - [Not Your Typical Art Wall](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/112822768/list/not-your-typical-art-wall) — 9 ideas - [Modern Foyers - get the Look!](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/111631738/list/modern-foyers-get-the-look) — 15 ideas - [Dining Room](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/111120110/list/dining-room) — 16 ideas - [Best Ideas For Accent Wall Color](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/114387470/list/best-ideas-for-accent-wall-color) — 7 ideas - [Young Teen Bedroom](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/110795392/list/young-teen-bedroom) — 11 ideas - [Child's Bedroom](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/110795816/list/child-s-bedroom) — 4 ideas - [ssid's ideas](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/5669448/list/ssid-s-ideas) — 3 ideas - [Great TV Wall Ideas](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/113564685/list/great-tv-wall-ideas) — 9 ideas - [An Interior Designer's Trick to Designing an Amazing Office for Cheap](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/112821745/list/an-interior-designer-s-trick-to-designing-an-amazing-office-for-cheap) — 1 idea - [Ten Tips For Fitting a Dining Room & a Kitchen Into a Small Space](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/112404451/list/ten-tips-for-fitting-a-dining-room-a-kitchen-into-a-small-space) — 1 idea - [Wish List](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/164242953/list/wish-list) — 1 idea [See all 20 ideabooks](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/users/ssid) ## Community Q&A **Q: Original hardwood floors** *(in Flooring)* Hello! Seeking opinions on whether or not I keep our original hardwood floors. They are in good condition and I like the color. Some of the floor is creaky and uneven (to be expected) but generally, it’s in good shape for its age. If I replace, it’d be with either real hardwood or engineered hardwood in a wide/long plank in a warm brown color similar to this inspiration photo. I know some people would be appalled at swapping real HW for engineered but that doesn’t offend me, heh. Reasons to keep: less waste/environmentally friendly (I asked my GC if the wood could be salvaged so I could build a playhouse with it, but he said it has hundreds of nails so it’s not a good idea) retains home’s charm (not as important to me but maybe for a future buyer many years from now) saves money to be used for something else! Reasons to change: put thicker subfloors and make everything even/not creaky (the neat freak in me loves this) possibly add sound insulation (my toddler is a VERY light sleeper and it would be nice not to walk on eggshells when he’s asleep) floor may eventually need to be replaced anyways and it’s nice to get it done now while we’re remodeling everything else I’d like to poll others’ opinions since I’m genuinely torn. :) Thank you! The photo of the closeup is the original flooring. The photo with the kitchen in background is the inspiration photo that illustrates the possible new flooring option. A: Both are very different looks. The new one is updated but yes a lot of cost involved. The old floor has great graining and its a nice color. Seems the verdict is stay with what you have unless you have deep pockets ; - ) **Q: Kitchen Bay Window Bump Out Banquette. possible?** *(in Windows)* The dining area in my kitchen is somewhat small. I would like to remove the wall with the door and add a bay window bump out. The width of this wall is 9ft. Will this be large enough to create a banquette within the bay window? Any advice appreciated. Thank you Please see the attached photos showing what the area currently looks like and what i would like to create. A: If it's a 9 foot long wall and you use a 48" long table then yes you will have room. The angled corners are only there to scoot in to sit on the banquette along the 48" length anyway. Don't be fooled by the idea that you will have a drawer in the built-in cabinetry as shown. Note the height of the seat of the chairs and the height of the top of the banquette cushion - way different. The banquette is way higher. This a a common misconception. Just add the inches up: 4" to 5" h base board, a rail at the top and bottom to hold the drawer in, the top molding edge, the cushion height and then subtract from 18" (the height the top of the cushion should be)...and well you are lucky to have enough for just a tiny niche. I'm 6' and I would not find that banquette height comfy even with my very long legs ; - ) Also prior designer is correct to be aware of the expenses you are walking into. Perhaps you simply remove the door add a window with a built in bench (just deep enough) in front of the wall?I do not see a plan and assume it is not possible or you would have considered it? Tip: College degreed and subsequent major design office experienced designers always begin by designing in plan ; - ) **Q: Help! With cabinet and wall color for kitchen redo.** *(in Paint)* Have a nice size kitchen I am updating. New counters with Karis LG quartz and Blanco quartz sink in cinder. However kitchen is in middle of house does not get a lot of natural light (although looks into a room with a lot of light) light is mainly from over island and indirects . Surrounding 2 rooms get a lot of light, The 2 surrounding rooms are BM Sherwood Tan and whole house is SW extra white trim and is family room cabinetry. I am afraid cabinets repainted in SW extra white will be do “cold” in the kitchen and am struggling with wall paint color. I like the idea of black cabinets but I have a lot of cabinets. the middle pix is best representation with only island light on mid morning. A: You have some interesting colors on the walls. These combined with your kitchen counter top color provides a very interesting opportunity of a color out of the ordinary. If it were my job I would sit in the kitchen and pull out the large BM books of colors (not tiny chips) in the complementary color range. I'd tape options on the cabinets to see how they look in your light and situation. Every color looks different in every single home. As many as 15 options. Live with them for a few days and then come back fresh and cull down to 4. Then order the big samples of each to then live with again. Why go down the usual route of white or black when you are going to paint them and can do any color under the sun. What an opportunity! I see a very sophisticated monochromatic scheme of sorts that would make your kitchen unique, pull all the colors together and result in magic you will love and your friends can't help but comment on. **Q: Can I stain a red oak butcher block island a dark gray?** *(in Design Dilemma)* I have a 3' x 7' butcher block island. We are sprucing up our kitchen. My counters are white marble with a gray vein and the back splash is a white painted brick. I plan to keep those. I am replacing my floors with a natural warm colored wide french oak that has a hint of gray. I would like to keep my butcher block but I want to know if I can stain it a darker gray? A: As a designer the question is not a color question it is a safety and overall look after wear and tear question. Do you prep on that counter with a knife and for food prep? I would have two concerns; 1) would the stain be toxic when exposed to types of foods and food juices? 2) would the knife marks and wear & tear show the real color and how would that look over time? I have never seen butcher block countertops stained and suspect for a good reason. I have used butcher block in walnut to achieve a different darker look. But yours is the type of questions that a designer would then go to an truly experienced and knowledgable woodworking expert to have a discussion. Perhaps there is a qualified woodworker who is willing to answer this? **Q: Advice needed: Relatively new cabinets with peeling paint** *(in Paint)* Our newish kitchen cabinets have quite a bit of peeling and worn paint on them. A year and a half ago we had a kitchen installed by a high end kitchen company. We had them recommended to us by a builder who used them for his own house. The kitchen company was great to work with and designed and installed a kitchen that I am very happy with. Now, the paint is peeling and worn. We are not hard on our kitchen, this is from normal use. What can I do about this? Our kitchen needs to be repainted and we have had it around 18 months. We went with solid wood cabs from a local company. They left us with touch up paint, unfortunately I think they gave us someone else's because it was the wrong colour. TIA A: All good comments by others above so here is mine. By the looks of the paint the job does not smell right. I'm sorry to say that you can hit some builders are not on the up and up. Your cabinets are not high-end at all! So I'm not sure why you were told that. Smells like your builder may have possibility even gotten a kick back to sell you on those. Having said that you will never know. I would go to the cabinetmaker and complain. A mention of a not good yelp might also help if need be or the BBB. If all else fails in the end the best you can do is have them match the paint color to give you the touchup paint. **Q: Mother-in-Law Challenge** *(in Design Dilemma)* My mother-in-law recently passed away and we are trying to get the house ready to sale. To say we are overwhelmed at the sheer amount of bric-a-brac and knickknacks is putting it mildly...it’s hard to see the forest for all the trees. The house was built 18 years ago and was dated then. I really need help with a vision of what we can do to update quickly, without spending a lot. Every room and space is like this, but I’m attaching pics of the dining room and living room, since that’s what you see when you enter the home. Colors, ideas, furniture arrangement, window treatments...it all needs to be redone. Help!!! A: Looks better than most homes so you're ahead of the curve. Yes go though and less is more as to objects. Delete half of them. No table cloth. The rule of thumb here in the red hot SF Bay area real estate market is to paint the rooms neutral to not have a color as a barrier to a buyer ruling out the home. The dark red needs to be a soft white. The living room looks good as to the color. --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-09-05.*