--- title: "AlterECO, Inc. — Cabinets & Cabinetry | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/cabinets-and-cabinetry/altereco-inc-pfvwus-pf~662736608 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~662736608.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "AlterECO, Inc." category: ["Cabinets & Cabinetry"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/7903a1c70fea87ec_0284-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg address: "Sausalito, California 94965, United States" phone: "(415) 634-2032" website: https://bamboocabinets.com/ rating: 5 review_count: 28 years_in_business: 28 best_of_houzz_awards: 8 followers: 116 last_updated: 2026-08-30 --- # AlterECO, Inc. > Modern kitchen design + bamboo cabinets - for a warm, healthy home Original Houzz profile: [AlterECO, Inc.](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/cabinets-and-cabinetry/altereco-inc-pfvwus-pf~662736608) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Cabinets & Cabinetry - **Location:** Sausalito, CA - **Serves:** San Francisco, Oakland, Richmond, San Rafael, Mill Valley, Larkspur, San Anselmo, Tamalpais-Homestead Valley, Corte Madera, Tiburon, Kentfield, Sausalito, Santa Venetia, Marin City, Sleepy Hollow, Ross, Belvedere, Fairfax, Woodacre, Stinson Beach, Muir Beach, Belvedere Tiburon, Greenbrae - **Houzz rating:** 5.0 out of 5 (28 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 8 awards (2015–2026), for Service. ## About ### Houzz Badges - Houzz Pro Software User - Star Houzzer - Houzz Influencer - Recommended on Houzz - 10,000 Ideabook Saves - Best of Houzz winner - Eco-friendly - 28 years in business - Provides 3D Visualization ### Business highlights - Best of Houzz winner - Eco-friendly - 28 years in business - Provides 3D Visualization AlterECO = design + cabinets. Founded in 1997, AlterECO is well known in the Bay Area for custom cabinetry designed & built to high standards of craftsmanship, utility and sustainability. While bamboo has long been our featured cabinetry material due to its aesthetic appeal, structural integrity, & regenerative environmental benefits, we work from an innovative palette that includes a variety of ecologically-responsible materials. The beauty and character of the wood, bamboo, and natural composite materials we offer are enhanced by safe, premium quality finishes. A central purpose of AlterECO has always been to co-create conditions for a healthy, harmonious home for each of our clients & a healthy planet for all. The importance of this biophilic (life-loving) mission is becoming ever more vital every single day. ### Services Provided - Custom Cabinets - Custom Kitchen Cabinets - Custom Bathroom Vanities - Custom Pantries - Pantry Design - 3D Rendering - Bathroom Design - Kitchen Design - Biophilic design - Design Consultation - Drafting - ECO designer - Lighting Design - Sustainable Design ### Areas Served - San Francisco - Oakland - Richmond - San Rafael - Mill Valley - Larkspur - San Anselmo - Tamalpais-Homestead Valley - Corte Madera - Tiburon - Kentfield - Sausalito - Santa Venetia - Marin City - Sleepy Hollow - Ross - Belvedere - Fairfax - Woodacre - Stinson Beach - Muir Beach - Belvedere Tiburon - Greenbrae ### Typical Job Cost $20,000 - $40,000 $20,000 - $40,000 ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | AlterECO, Inc. | | Address | Sausalito, California 94965, United States | | Phone | (415) 634-2032 | | Website | https://bamboocabinets.com/ | | Years in business | 28 | | Followers on Houzz | 116 | **Social profiles:** - Blog — https://bamboocabinets.com/ ## Offers Looking for Healthy Kitchen Designs? _Reach out to us for Design Services!_ ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [AlterECO, Inc.](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/cabinets-and-cabinetry/altereco-inc-pfvwus-pf~662736608) - **Website:** https://bamboocabinets.com/ - **Phone:** (415) 634-2032 ## Credentials **Certifications & Awards** - Green Business of the Year - Sustainability Commission of Sausalito; Certified Bay Area Green Business; Green America Approved Business - **Best of Houzz:** 8 awards (2015–2026), for Service. ## Reviews **Overall rating: 5.0 out of 5 — 28 reviews** *Aspect averages:* - Work Quality: 50.0 - Communication: 50.0 - Value: 50.0 ### Featured Review **★★★★★ — Paul Riddolls, Aug. 2025** > Thom is the ultimate professional. The bamboo cabinets are so amazing and have stood up very well after 13 years. He is always available for a question on cleaning or minor adjustments but frankly there have been only 1 or 2 calls and he resolved the question promptly. The soft close feature stills works great and Thom's design of the kitchen has worked out fantastic. > All my friends and family are amazed at how Thom matched the grains of the bamboo throughout the kitchen and bathroom. They just look so great. Thanks Thom, i am so glad i found you. **Comment from AlterECO, Inc.:** > Thank you, Paul, for your very thoughtful review. I'm delighted that the cabinetry and design have worked out so well these many years. You've been a pleasure to work with, and I wish you many, many more years of enjoyment of your bamboo kitchen and bath. They're built for the long-haul. ;o) ### All 28 reviews **★★★★★ — Dreams of a Beautiful Kitchen, Nov. 2025** > I had been looking for bamboo cabinets with a nontoxic finish for my new kitchen and as soon as I saw AlterEco’s website I knew I’d found them! No particle board, no off-gassing, just real bamboo. What I didn’t know is how lucky I would be to also find an excellent cabinet maker who was as conscientious and helpful as Thom. We used his design services as well to really get the custom details right, and that turned out to be really valuable to us. Our kitchen is not large, so every design choice was important. Our old custom cabinets were fine, but we got so much out of this upgrade! Thom gave us suggestions and ideas that we wouldn’t have thought of. He answered all our questions promptly and thoughtfully and I just couldn’t be happier with the result. Our contractor was really impressed with the quality and construction of the cabinets too! I feel extremely lucky to have been able to get this quality of cabinet, and they are the star of my new kitchen!! **★★★★★ — HU-611378029, Nov. 2025** > I hired AlterECO over a decade ago, maybe two, and I am still so pleased with the quality of their product and workmanship. My custom kitchen cabinets have stood the test of time. They are as beautiful today as the day the were installed. I did have a minor glitch with one of the hinges, which Thom said were state of the art a decade ago. After all this time, Thom answered my call promptly, came and updated the hinge. He is so pleasant to work with. Highly recommended! **Comment from AlterECO, Inc.:** > Thank you! Grateful for the opportunity to create a complement to your beautiful home! Time does fly! **★★★★★ — John Schembri, Jan. 2025** > Thom recently completed the second kitchen/bath/bedroom remodel for my Green Home in Mill Valley, CA. Twenty years after my first remodel, I turned to AlterECO again and I'm completely pleased once again. > > Thom brings a very welcome design aesthetic, quality workmanship and great customer interaction to his work. I thoroughly enjoyed working through the design/build process with Thom. > > There's no higher recommendation than from a satisfied and returning, which I completely am. **Comment from AlterECO, Inc.:** > Always a pleasure working with you, John. I appreciate the collaborative design, as well as the interesting conversations on travel, politics, etc. I'm grateful for your repeat business over the last couple of decades. Interesting that we did a whole house project for the previous owner as well, in the very early days of AlterECO. **★★★★★ — elmazelmaz, Nov. 2024** > I adored every moment of working with Thom and AlterECO. I knew a banquette would maximize my small dining space and create more room in the kitchen. However, i couldn’t find the quality or price I wanted. Thom made a proposal of a simple yet intricate design that would fit in the odd corner of the area. Each side was a different dimension and required a tailor made design. Thom worked with my vision, gave excellent suggestions, and completed it in a timely manner. It has changed everything about the lower floor of my house and is elegant and eco friendly. I highly recommend Thom and his brilliant concepts and work. **Comment from AlterECO, Inc.:** > Thank you Elmaz, for the glowing review! It was a joy working with you, and I'm grateful for your openness to a creative approach. I'm delighted by your delight! **★★★★★ — Colin Rudolph, Sept. 2024** > We met Thom from AlterEco during a hiking trip in Japan. We learned he was a cabinetmaker that lived in SF Bay Area and queried him about bamboo cabinets which we were considering for a kitchen and 2 bathroom remodel. Upon return home to SF we invited Thom over, talked through designs and had the opportunity to see other work Thom had completed. We were previously considering having Berkeley Mills produce our cabinets but AlterECo's cabinets were of similar quality at a much more favorable price point. Thom provided fantastic advice regarding layout that much improved the design and functionality. He delivered the cabinets and had them installed on schedule. The workmanship is outstanding. We could not be happier with the results. > > Having now remodeled 4 houses over the years we know good work when we see it. We highly recommend AlterECO and Thom, who is a consummate professional and a truly wonderful person. It was a pleasure working with him! **Comment from AlterECO, Inc.:** > I love that this wonderful San Francisco project was birthed on an adventurous trek along the Kiso Road in Japan! What are the odds that I would meet and befriend a delightful couple (who live 15 minutes from me) on a trail several thousand miles from home; and said couple just happened to be in the market for fine quality bamboo cabinetry? Very slim odds indeed! And yet, this auspicious meeting led to a rewarding design collaboration and beautiful cabinetry for kitchen, pantry, and two baths. I would have been happy just to have met Colin and Harriet, but it was a joy and an honor to be their cabinetmaker too. Grateful for the experience. And, of course, some influence from Japan carried through. **★★★★★ — Andrea Lage, Dec. 2023** > As part of a whole house renovation, my husband and I had the pleasure of working with Thom to redo all of the cabinetry in the house. The cabinets really are spectacular in form and function. We couldn’t be happier. As an added bonus, everyone who sees them comments on them. Many are surprised by how much they like the bamboo, having never seen such cabinets before. The end grain is a special bonus and a few folks have threatened to walk off with the bench we had built for the master bathroom. :) **Comment from AlterECO, Inc.:** > Thank you, Andi, for the wonderful review. It was a joy co-creating with you! Your remodel turned out beautiful - quite the transformation. I love the images. Thank you again for choosing AlterECO for your cabinetry. **★★★★★ — Daniel Steingrimsson, Dec. 2023** > Working with Thom was the best part of our Covid-era kitchen remodel! The end product makes our hearts sing every time we use it. We're almost 2 years into owning the kitchen and we love it as much as the day it was finally ready! > > Thom sat through several long video calls and also came onsite several times to help us successfully build our "kitchen of inches". We were an atypical remodel in that we were not modifying our floor plan which meant that we wanted to achieve a better utilization within the same footprint. This required meticulous attention to how all the doors, drawers, and appliances would interact and how to utilize every last inch. > > Thom immediately understood our vision and used this to inform his recommendations throughout every aspect of the design. He patiently worked through suggestions and feedback from our hired design firm (who we signed before meeting him). They did add some interesting suggestions but it was Thom who came up with how to make them actually work. > > While we agonized over the finish and grain of the cabinets in relation to the other kitchen materials, Thom was there for us. > > When it came time for the building phase with our contractor, Thom helped whenever there were questions, concerns, or other details. > > We're so happy we went with AlterECO and (when we financially recover from the contractor costs) we're coming back! **Comment from AlterECO, Inc.:** > Thank you, Daniel, for the thoughtful and detailed review. It was fun working with you and your wonderful family! I sincerely appreciate the opportunity, and I look forward to the next adventure together ... when you're ready. The photos look great! **★★★★★ — richk\_in\_sf, Oct. 2023** > AlterECO is a fantastic resource for anyone interested in bamboo cabinetry. They recently completed cabinets for our Eichler kitchen/bath remodel and we couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome. The cabinets are striking and AlterECO’s attention to quality and detail is exceptional. We’ve received so many comments from visitors remarking on the artistry of the cabinets. Thom Harrison, AlterECO’s business owner, is a master craftsman and designer – he saw our project through from beginning to end, and gave us seasoned guidance with amazing attention to detail throughout, in all aspects of the project. He was amazingly responsive, and on top of that, he is really the nicest person to work with. Even though our kitchen had an initial design plan, his input and suggestions were invaluable, and prompted us to make innumerable improvements over the original design. When unforeseen changes and delays in our overall remodeling project occurred, Thom was patient and even-measured. We can’t say enough about the wonderful cabinetry and design services we received from AlterECO. **Comment from AlterECO, Inc.:** > It was a pleasure working with Rich and Jeff and playing a role in the total makeover of their beautiful MCM home. They've got great taste and a keen eye for design. Grateful for the opportunity. Thanks too for the nice photos! **★★★★★ — Marcus S, May 2023** > We are very happy with the high quality of craftsmanship and precise fit of the cabinets. > Working with Thom on our project was truly a pleasure. He was very accommodating with our design requests and easy to work with. > I would definitely recommend!!! **Comment from AlterECO, Inc.:** > Thank you! A joy working with you too! I appreciate your design sensibility and appreciation for meaningful details and fine craftsmanship. Great to see photos of the space. Nice! Enjoy! **★★★★★ — Denise Miller, July 2022** > Thom is a consummate professional. He worked with us over six months and lots and lots of measuring and re-measuring to get our kitchen lay-out perfect. I so appreciated his patience and the craftsmanship is high-end, first-class. We love our gorgeous kitchen with the horizontal bamboo pattern, perfectly matched across the upper and lower cabinets. Very much recommend AlterECO. **Comment from AlterECO, Inc.:** > Thank you Denise! I appreciate you and Ed's appreciation for fine quality, high functionality, and ecomodern design! A pleasure working with you. **★★★★★ — Samantha Smart Merritt, June 2022** > Thom of AlterECO did a fantastic, beautiful piece of work with our kitchen and bathroom cabinet project. His matching of the horizontal grin of the cabinets was seamlessly perfect. The result is a warm. cohesive, rich and timeless look that has massively improved our home. Each concomitant piece of veneer was similarly perfect and his attention to detail is faultless. Thom recommended that we switch to new soft close hardware and we are very glad we listened and agreed - there is something very satisfying about now using a light touch. It may actually extend the life of our cabinets. In addition, Thom recommended installing some drawers in both the kitchen and the bathroom - what a massive improvement! There is now double the space in the bathroom and our wide new kitchen drawer accommodates everything I need it for. On top of all that. Thom is just a lovely person, easy to work with and we enjoyed many a rewarding conversation. We would give our highest recommendation to Thom and AlterECO! **Comment from AlterECO, Inc.:** > Thank you Samantha! It was wonderful working with you and Ray and helping to transform your kitchen. Wow... what a difference! I'm grateful for your appreciation of the craftsmanship and details. Enjoy! **★★★★★ — Anna Shimko, June 2022** > We are so happy! AlterECO and its leader Thom Harrison have helped tremendously to make our renovated and expanded floating home perfect, with beautiful, and useful, bamboo storage all over the house. Our gorgeous bamboo kitchen and bathroom cabinets were originally built by AlterECO in 2004, and have held up terrifically. Now, 18 years later, we have worked with Thom again to add more kitchen cabinets and reconfigure the existing ones (e.g., to accommodate a dishwasher); design and build a cool bar with glass front cabinet doors in a little niche; and fashion super useful and attractive built-ins under the stairs for storage, the most attractive pull-out laundry folding table one could envision and a cat box cubby. Nothing here is cookie-cutter, it is all specially designed for our home and our family. The materials are both beautiful and durable. The craftsmanship is exquisite. The design is thoughtful and creative. We whole-heartedly recommend AlterECO products and services! **Comment from AlterECO, Inc.:** > Thank you Anna! It has been a joy working with you and Pete over the years and being part of the evolution of your beautiful floating home. You have great taste in design choices, so it has been a delight to play a role in many of them! **★★★★★ — Darshan Brach, March 2022** > Thom is an extraordinary craftsman - painstaking and with a wonderful aesthetic. Totally honest, reliable and thoughtful. Highly recommend! **Comment from AlterECO, Inc.:** > Thank you Darshan. It is a pleasure working with you. Grateful to play a role in the beautiful design-scape of your stunning MCM home! **★★★★★ — Linda Marquardt, Oct. 2021** > AlterECO/Thom Harrison designed and made absolutely beautiful bamboo cupboards for our recently completed kitchen remodel. He worked with us and our architect and provided innovative ideas to make our small kitchen extremely functional and convenient - as well as providing us with the maximum amount of counter space. He recommended an appliance garage that included a Blum Aventos HL lift system as well as a bottom shelf that the appliances could sit on and just be pulled out and used right on the shelf. He also included a Kessebohmer pull out pantry that was accessible from both sides. We worked through the optimum drawer configuration by mapping out exactly where to store each item to keep them close to where they would be used. Various sized drawers were included to provide for large items and all drawers were soft close. An additional bar cabinet with pull out storage was also designed. We’ve been cooking in the new kitchen for a couple months now and everything is working perfectly! We have plenty of room for all of our appliances, cookware and dishes and they are all arranged very conveniently. There isn’t anything we’d change about them. Everything was constructed with fine precision, all the grain of the bamboo matches exactly from one drawer to the next and it’s beautiful and easy to care for. We’d definitely recommend AlterECO and Thom Harrison. **Comment from AlterECO, Inc.:** > Thank you Linda! It was great working with you, Alan, and Michael to create your custom bamboo kitchen. I so appreciate your thoughtful and detailed review. I'm happy we were able to be part of such an important space in your beautiful, welcoming home. It was truly a transformation! **★★★★★ — richmaiers, Sept. 2021** > We've worked with Thom twice (approx. 10 years apart) and both experiences have been fantastic. His craftsmanship is top notch and he's a good person with real attention to detail. > > We've had his cabinets for over 10 years and they stand the test of time. > > He's also done some other work for us - custom mantle over our fireplace and various wood items (new Walnut top to a coffee table). It's all been high quality. > > Highly recommend. **★★★★★ — Karen & Mike Kapolnek, April 2020** > We love these cabinets and this business so much that we have contracted with AlterECO three times! We purchased cabinetry for our kitchen, dining room and laundry in 2006, our bathroom and hall in 2011, and our family room in 2019. The product quality is always impeccable/accurate and the service is superb. After up to 14 years of living with these cabinets, we continue to enjoy their beauty, durability, functionality. As far as functionality, we have found that custom furniture optimizes the use of our space. > > The owner Thom has a particular talent for design, both technical and esthetics. Our home is a 100-year-old bungalow. That comes with irregularities such as an asymmetrical nook and a bathroom wall that protrudes a couple inches for plumbing. Thom figured out how to work around these. He designed an angled built-in bookcase for the nook, and adjusted the bathroom cabinet depths to make their fronts continuous across the wall. These are just a couple of examples. > > Thom is also extremely customer focused. He REALLY listens to your ideas and goals, no matter how quirky, and comes up with unique solutions to incorporate them. For example, we wanted a way to hide a large fold-up sewing table when it was not in use, but have room for it when opened. He came up with a shell that we could slip on and off with ease for regular use. > > Thom earnestly wants you to be pleased with your project. Each time, there was a back and forth exchange of ideas until just the right design was achieved. We were considering a tall cabinet in one of our nooks, and he suggested a shorter one with glass shelves above and an overhead light. It was the way to go—we have a favorite Kauai glass sculpture there and we love it. There are so many details to consider: color, orientation of the grain, drawers vs. cabinets, glass fronts, type of glass, etc. and he patiently helps you figure out what will work best for you. > > Now Green. This business is serious about operating as Green as possible. Since we have been working with Thom, he changed the already green formula for the finish on his cabinets to one that was even better for the environment. You do not have to talk with him long to see that he is aware of details about the production and supply chain for his raw material, and is monitoring the industry, and adapting to function as green as possible. > > It has been a true pleasure to repeatedly work with AlterECO. The owner is very professional and reliable, and clearly has passion for and takes pride in his business. Each time, the process of collaborating to design custom cabinetry was productive, and fun! The outcome was upgrades to our home that we have already enjoyed a long time and will continue to enjoy. We heartily recommend this business. **★★★★★ — Maria Daverede, March 2020** > Working with Thom from AlterECO has been seamless. Thom is an artist, and a very thoughtful and kind person; it has been a pleasure to work with him. He pays attention to detail, and delivers as promised. The quality of the cabinets is outstanding, and they are gorgeous. They surpassed all of our expectations. Thom is extremely knowledgable, and he even helped us with the design of our kitchen, recommending colors for countertops, floor, etc. He met our deadline and most importantly, he worked with our budget so we could make it happen. We highly recommend AlterECO. **★★★★★ — Dan M, Feb. 2019** > We purchased an older house at a historic midcentury location, and badly needed to update the late-70s kitchen to do justice to the house and its siting. We were looking at RTA cabinets and were reluctant to be "those people" and go with a fancy kitchen with custom cabinetry, but figured we should at least get some quotes, so we contacted Thom. We are SO glad we did. > > Thom is awesome. We first contacted AlterEco because we liked the look of their specialty bamboo cabinets, but were delighted to discover that Thom is also straight up great at kitchen design, material notwithstanding. We went in with a vision of what we wanted, but working with Thom was a collaboration that took our "midcentury modern" concept and turned it into a "modernized midcentury" result that we couldn't be happier with. > > Thom brought his deep experience to give us great advice on everything from layout and features to appliance & fixture selection and even color & materials for counters and flooring. He also has contacts with other experts in the area -- for instance he connected us with a countertop stone vendor who also did an incredible job at a great price. > > And the final result was excellent. The installation went smoothly, and the cabinets and hardware are honestly even better than we'd hoped for. When I walk into the kitchen I like to pause and look around and just smile, because it's just the kitchen we wanted. It's practically a zen thing, mindfulness in kitchen form. > > Best of all, the cost was quite reasonable. We paid more than we would have for RTA cabinetry, naturally, but the quote was considerably more affordable than we'd been bracing ourselves for, and the final cost was right in line with the quote, with no unexpected extras. When you factor in all the design work and the quality of the cabinets themselves, the value is off the charts. And if you're on the fence about bamboo as a material, don't be: the surface is a joy to touch and in person it's a wonderful, handsome, and modern look that plays very well with other woods and finishes. > > See for yourself - check out our end result! (Ignore the incomplete backsplash, though -- that's on me, not Thom. ;) > > The bottom line for this sort of thing is: would you go with the same vendor again? And for AlterEco, our answer is: in a heartbeat. **★★★★★ — Howard Wollner, Jan. 2019** > Thom provided our new home with all the cabinetry including our kitchen and 4 bathrooms. That was almost 10 years ago and the cabinets still look like they were just installed. They have all performed beautifully. We just had Thom add a new piece of cabinetry to the kitchen under a workstation and it looks great. We highly recommend AlterECO. **Comment from AlterECO, Inc.:** > It was a delight to get Howard's call and return in 2019 to see the same beautiful kitchen installed 10 years prior in the warm, gorgeous Wollner home. Wonderful to have the opportunity to add a special detail at the desk area, as shown in the photo. A blessing to to serve such wonderful people! **★★★★★ — Denise Borocz, March 2018** > Thom and his crew were wonderful to work with. Their craftsmanship is 10 out of 10. Everyone who has seen our kitchen cabinets just love them. If I had to do the project all over again, I would pick Thom at AlterEco! **★★★★★ — Sonja Hanson, March 2018** > If you value unique high quality construction, both materials and craftsmanship, Thom is the guy. If you enjoy working with a nice human being, Thom is your guy. If you llike a straight forward and consistent timeline and budget, Thom is your guy. **★★★★★ — Brewster Fong, Jan. 2017** > If you need cabinets, Thom is the man! The workmanship on my bamboo cabinets is excellent and his cabinets are top notched. He was able to source the exact color I wanted and being local, he was able to deliver on time and at a very reasonable price. > > Further, there's an old saying "measure twice, cut once." Well, that describes Thom's work habits. Not only is he very thorough in making sure all measurements are correct, he also worked well with my contractor when there was a small mistake. Thom didn't know my contractor and had never worked with him before, but the repair was seamless and taken care of immediately. I ended up with a kitchen that I never could imagine going into the project. > > Professional, knowledgeable and a quality product, what more can you ask?! > > I highly recommend Thom and AlterEco! Good Luck! **Comment from AlterECO, Inc.:** > A joy working on this project that was truly the transformation of a forlorn kitchen. This is one of those where you need to see it in person to appreciate the beauty and impact on the home as well as the substantial improvement in functionality! Below are a few photos of the before that give a sense of how darkness turned to light! **★★★★★ — Lisa Hubbert, Sept. 2014** > I am sitting in my brand spanking new kitchen marveling at the beauty of the cabinets and countertops and happy as a clam.I first contacted Thom well over a year ago, and he worked with me patiently and with great knowledge through the entire process. Before I even had a contractor or an architect, I knew that I wanted to work with Thom for our Lyptus cabinets and Paperstone countertops. He added so many great ideas, and gently dissuaded me from ones of my own that might not have been so great. In the end, he helped me to bring my ideal kitchen to life. **★★★★★ — 11aloha11, Aug. 2014** > Working with Thom at AlterECO was a pleasure from start to finish! Not only is he a very kind and easy going person, he is a consummate professional who truly knows and loves his craft. We absolutely love our beautiful new bamboo kitchen cabinets, and we highly recommend him. **★★★★★ — sihbman, July 2014** > We have re-modeled two kitchens with Thom and cannot recommend him highly enough. For our second job, he handled both design and cabinetry. He is a true craftsman -- incredible sense of functionality, excellent design aesthetic, tireless attention to detail (which really matters with cabinetry and kitchen design) and a responsive, patient thought partner to match his work to your needs. One of our contractors said Thom's cabinets were the best he's ever seen. Thom is also very helpful lining up other great service providers -- contractors, countertops, pulls, etc. Also a really great guy. You will be in good hands getting Thom on your team, and the quality he delivers is first rate. **★★★★★ — Deeper Green, Jan. 2014** > We hired Tom to design our bamboo kitchen cabinets. He's super friendly, smart and he excels at design challenges. His design gave us everything we wanted feature wise and his network of green suppliers created exquisite cabinets within our budget. We are very pleased with the kitchen cabinets. I highly recommend AlterEco for your next cabinet project. **★★★★★ — neeta\_dhawan, Dec. 2012** > AlterEco refaced our kitchen cabinets with bamboo and transformed our kitchen from boring to beautiful. Thomis a true craftsman. He is also very kind, respectful and professional. He works with people's budgets. We love our cabinets so much we are now having him custom build a desk in our kitchen. ## Selected projects - [Sausalito Mid Century Modern](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/sausalito-mid-century-modern-pj-vj~6882885) - Location: Sausalito, CA - Photos: 4 - Description: Refresh of a modern eco-friendly kitchen that is perfectly-fitted to a mid-century modern home in Sausalito, California. - [Sausalito Bamboo Kitchen on the Bay](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/sausalito-bamboo-kitchen-on-the-bay-pj-vj~106871) - Location: Sausalito, CA - Photos: 8 - Description: This natural bamboo kitchen by AlterECO is a bright, beautiful makeover for what was a dark & depressing kitchen that simply did not do justice to this wonderful home set on the bank of the San Francisco Bay. - [Modern Bamboo Kitchen in Eclectic Oakland Loft](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/modern-bamboo-kitchen-in-eclectic-oakland-loft-pj-vj~124551) - Location: Oakland, CA - Photos: 4 - Description: I love this eclectic, industrial space! It shows-off beautifully the power of effective material selection & balance, with the brick, concrete & steel of the structure as the solid, rugged envelope that embraces the clean white countertops, the refined stainless steel appliances, and AlterECO's warmly inviting bamboo cabinetry. - [Sampling of Contemporary Bathroom Vanities](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/sampling-of-contemporary-bathroom-vanities-pj-vj~2961982) - Location: Sausalito, CA - Photos: 5 - [Blonde Bamboo Contemporary Kitchen - Orinda](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/blonde-bamboo-contemporary-kitchen-orinda-pj-vj~124647) - Location: Orinda, CA - Photos: 13 - Description: AlterECO bamboo kitchen cabinetry in Orinda. Vertical grain natural (blonde) bamboo, hickory floor, stainless steel & paneled appliances, modern light pendants, countertops in limestone, quartz & glass. A striking & complex kitchen design! Work in collaboration with Liz Maguire (Catherine Macfee & Associates Interior Design, Inc.). Photos by Thom Harrison - AlterECO, inc. - [Contemporary Bamboo Kitchen in Mountain View](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/contemporary-bamboo-kitchen-in-mountain-view-pj-vj~124609) - Location: Mountain View, CA - Photos: 4 - Description: AlterECO bamboo kitchen cabinets in mid-century modern Mountain View home. Stainless steel sink & appliances nestled into warm caramelized bamboo & set against the light oak flooring & white paint. Add the muted grays & blues and you have a calmly welcoming kitchen. Remodel by Casa Blanca Construction. Photo by Thom Harrison, AlterECO, inc. - [Mid Century Modern Bamboo Kitchen (KPKM)](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/mid-century-modern-bamboo-kitchen-kpkm-pj-vj~97373) - Location: San Rafael, CA, CA - Photos: 5 - Description: An Eichler mid century modern home in the Lucas Valley area of San Rafael, CA, featuring modern bamboo cabinets. - [Caramelized Bamboo Redo in Oakland (KRDR)](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/caramelized-bamboo-redo-in-oakland-krdr-pj-vj~134288) - Location: Oakland, CA - Photos: 1 - Description: Bamboo kitchen redo featuring vertical grain caramelized bamboo with horizontal orientation of grain. Open shelves with solid 3-ply core exposed. Richlite Black Diamond countertop. - [San Francisco Diamond Heights Eichler](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/san-francisco-diamond-heights-eichler-pj-vj~7514433) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 6 [See all 9 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/cabinets-and-cabinetry/altereco-inc-pfvwus-pf~662736608) ## Video - [Company video](https://player.vimeo.com/external/1221460229.m3u8?s=8f9177948a71fc671da9a5632041913b7a826f6b&oauth2_token_id=1384357804) ## Frequently Asked Questions **Do you manufacture cabinets in-house or source from suppliers?** At AlterECO, Inc., we design and build our custom cabinetry ourselves. Our process ensures that every piece meets our high standards of craftsmanship, utility, and sustainability, allowing us to maintain full control over the quality and ecological responsibility of our products. **Do you provide cabinet design services?** Absolutely! Design is at the core of what we do at AlterECO, Inc. We offer comprehensive cabinet design services, including 3D rendering, design consultation, drafting, and specialized kitchen and pantry design, ensuring your vision for custom cabinets is brought to life beautifully and functionally. **Can you create custom built-ins?** Yes, custom built-ins are a specialty of AlterECO, Inc. We excel at designing and building custom cabinetry, including bathroom vanities, kitchen cabinets, and pantries, all tailored to fit your space perfectly and enhance your home's functionality and aesthetic. **Do you offer custom, semi-custom, or stock cabinetry?** AlterECO, Inc. specializes exclusively in custom cabinetry. We pride ourselves on designing and building unique pieces like custom bathroom vanities, kitchen cabinets, and pantries that are precisely tailored to your specific needs, style, and the dimensions of your home. **What wood species and finishes do you offer for custom cabinetry?** We offer an innovative palette of ecologically-responsible materials, with bamboo as our featured cabinetry material due to its aesthetic appeal and regenerative benefits. We also work with other wood, bamboo, and natural composite materials, all enhanced by safe, premium quality finishes. *FAQ content may be generated based on the Pro's Houzz profile and website.* ## Ideabooks - [VITALITY](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/177074826/list/vitality) — 1 idea - [STORE \[Pantry\]](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/163699266/list/store-pantry) — 1 idea - [ILLUMINATE](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/162224887/list/illuminate) — 1 idea - [LOVE THE LOOK AND FEEL](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/158319389/list/love-the-look-and-feel) — 30 ideas - [PREP](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/161385090/list/prep) — 5 ideas - [COOK](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/161385130/list/cook) — 1 idea - [SIT](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/161384720/list/sit) — 7 ideas - [CLEAN](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/161192901/list/clean) — 2 ideas [See all 8 ideabooks](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/users/altereco) ## Community Q&A **Q: Bamboo Cabinetry** *(in Photo Questions)* We are building a new home in British Columbia and really like the look and eco friendliness of bamboo for our kitchen cabinets and possibly bathroom vanities. We will have honed concrete floors throughout and accent Douglas-fir (beam, window sills and interior doors). Do you think a natural bamboo would go well with the more reddish fir? Some, not all, bamboo samples look quite yellowish and I am concerned about how the bamboo will weather over time. Thoughts? Your projects look beautiful! A: I love the intentions for your remodel, Leanne. sounds beautiful. I grew up in in the architectural cast stone ("gourmet concrete") business, and I love how well it works with natural materials. We have done many projects that had Doug Fir as a design element in the ways you note, as well as much more expansive surfaces, such as floors and ceilings (and for years we built custom furniture with salvage fir and redwood merged with bamboo,. The materials resonate beautifully, The "natural" bamboo you mention is bamboo that is is not caramelized/carbonized and thus is the "natural" color of the bamboo - and that does tend toward a yellowish/straw tone. That can work nicely, unless of course you are not a fan of colors that tend toward a shade of yellow. The amber/brown-leaning bamboo (what we call caramelized and is often referred to as carbonized) sounds like a better fit for your tastes. The color will tend to mellow over time, depending on the amount of direct exposure to sunlight, but the change is gradual and has worked well for our clients in hundreds of applications. And, if you go with a natural oil finish, then you will restore the original color when you do the occasional refresh of the finish. **Q: Bamboo Cabinets** *(in Photo Questions)* The cabinetry is beautiful. We are looking at bamboo for our hew kitchen. Do you recall the stain, if any. Have you noticed the color change over the years and, if so, how? Thank you! A: The bamboo is not actually stained but is "cooked" (often referred to as "carbonized" or "caramelized") to achieve the amber/brown tone throughout. The surface color does tend to mellow over time with exposure to sunlight and can be restored by refinishing. **Q: Is there a stain that would give the same colour?** *(in Photo Questions)* I love the bamboo cabinets and would like the same for my kitchen remodel. A: Hi @skyscott. The bamboo in this project (and the vast majority of our projects) is not stained but rather is the color attained when the bamboo is "cooked" (heated to achieve the "caramelized", or "carbonized" effect) - creating darker tones. Of course, if you have lighter bamboo and want to stain it darker and/or modify the color, you could certainly do so. The choice of stain (or colorant) would depend on the finish approach and is a better question to ask of the pro who would be doing the finishing for your particular project. All the best! **Q: Very cool! Any idea what the backsplash tile is?** *(in Photo Questions)* It looks nice with the brick... A: Heath Ceramics, Sausalito CA **Q: Great Kitchen** *(in Photo Questions)* Can you talk about the floor? What is it made of? What is the name of the color? Thanks in advance A: We were not involved in sourcing the floor, but I believe the tile was a special order marble. I remember it had an extensive lead-time! **Q: Is it carmelized bamboo?** *(in Photo Questions)* A: Yes, it is dark caramelized bamboo. --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-08-30.*