Florentine Design

We worked with Florentine Design for our master bathroom shower replacement and vanity update project Nov 2023-Jan2024. They were very responsive, brought great ideas and taste to accomplish what we needed to within a reasonable budget. I liked they provided fast and tasteful work and worked well with the contractor. We are very happy with the result and look forward to working with them again when we have a new project. The fact that they also do exterior architecture work and manage the permit process are also big advantages to work with them.

Florentine design was a terrific help with our smaller project. We really appreciate their attention even though we were not remodeling our whole house.

I have been working with Donatella from the first ever reno we did at our home in 2015, so when I heard she had launched her own design firm, it was no brainer. Simona and Donatella make a great team! They have a great knack, being able to capture their clients vision and brining it to life. They are on time, on budget and lovely to work with! This time around we embarked on a pretty big project that involved structural work and impacted many areas of our home. Through it all, they made it feel easy for me and the end result looks like it was literally plucked from by brain an into reality! I highly recommend, to anyone thinking of, or about to embark in any project in their house, to give Donatella and Simona a call. They are super professional, talented and overall, a total delight!

Donatella and Simona are great! They are helping us with a major remodel and have provided excellent solutions to architectural issues that were not addressed properly by our first architect. They are reliable, fast, responsive and a pleasure to work with. Their Italian training is a plus.

Simona and Donatella are two amazing interior designers, I can’t recommend them more! Their design for my two bathrooms so beautiful!! They also designed the built-ins, they chose rugs, walls colors and art work… They purchased all the material for me, I didn’t have to worry about anything: tiles, faucets, lighting, vanities; everything that my contractor needed for the construction. They bought sectionals, tables and chairs: they got my taste straight away and for me it has been such and easy process!

Did a renovation in Walnut Creek with Donatela. We removed a load bearing wall in the kitchen, a fireplace, master bathroom, and some other things in the house. I am a general contractor, and honestly, it was a great experience for my clients and I, she really guided us through the process, and the results were amazing. A lot of creative ideas, a lot of cost saving ideas with the same great look. One of the prettiest projects I did, and most important a smooth project thanks to Donatela’s planning Highly recommended!

We had a complex job, converting our garage and part of the basement into a fully permitted ADU. Design was key, because we wanted to fit a kitchen, bathroom, living space, bedroom and office into less than 1000 sq ft, with part of it under a staircase. And we wanted it to look great! Donatella nailed it! She was super creative, drew up detailed blueprints that were meticulous and easy to follow, and had encyclopedic knowledge of Oakland's coding regulations. She was also extremely responsive throughout the process and interacted very well with our structural engineer and builders, ensuring we cleared every hurdle. I cannot stress how important it is for your designer, structural engineer, builders and contractor to have high bandwidth and productive lines of communication. Donatella excelled there as she did elsewhere. If you can get on her calendar, jump on the opportunity!

I’ve gotta say we talked to a lot of architects, and I’m so happy we went with Donatella. She approached our project with so much care and attention and was super straightforward with us every step of the way. She drew up a several different options for our kitchen and master bath remodel and gave us candid feedback on the pros and cons of each option. Even when we had new ideas at the 11th hour, I always knew Donatella would be open to discussing the change. Overall, we’ve really enjoyed partnering with Donatella. She’s insightful, kind, creative and precise. I’d work with her again!

Florentine Design did our remodel design which included converting a garage into 2 bedrooms, large bath and laundry room. They did an amazing job not only with the architecture, but they also provided design profiles that made it easy for the contractors to do their work. I look forward to hiring them for our kitchen remodel. They are so easy to work with. I cannot recommend them enough.

Simona is an absolute angel! She helped me with the design and permit submission, in collaboration with Donatella, for my upstairs 2 bedroom/1.5 bathroom conversion to a 2 bedroom/2 bathroom. I'm so pleased with her work and professionalism. Simona is very organized in her project planning and execution. This was my first major remodel, and she really helped me work within my budget, calling out tasks that I could do on my own to cut costs. Regarding the building design process, she first came to my property for a consultative visit, where she attentively listened to what I wanted to do with the space. She fully understood my vision for the design, and within a 2-3 weeks was able to provide a quote/statement of work, outlining what services she would provide and how we'd get from our existing floor plan to her proposed ones. Simona also pointed me in the right direction on local tile shops, online stores to find finishes/fixtures, etc. Next, she came out to do some measurements, and was very mindful during COVID-19 to practice safe social distancing, and even asked that we open the windows of the house for increased air circulation, which I was totally on-board with. Within another 2-3 weeks, Simona gave several design options and a good balance between support & guidance to help me make a decision on what would work best for me. She was very accessible through email and phone/text, and was able to walk me through the design via zoom. It was such a pleasure working with her on the design, I decided to tap her and Donatella to assist in the permit submission process with the city. Simona facilitated the whole permit submission, and made the process as easy as it could be for and inexperienced person like myself. She knew we wanted to get started on the work soon, and was on top of communicating with the city to give them everything needed to streamline the permit review and get it approved. We are excited to start construction within the week, and although the work that I contracted with Simona is technically complete, she has offered to inspect the demolition and post-construction work, to ensure that our design is shaping up as we envisioned. I couldn't have asked for a better designer and partner to go into this project with. I've already recommended Florentine Design to several friends/family, and I'm keeping her in mind for our next project.

Donatella is knowledgeable and she offered sound advice. She has a pleasant personality and she doesn't force her ideas on me. However if something doesn't look feasible, she will voice her opinion with reasonable explanation. I really enjoyed working with her. She puts all my anxiety in remodeling to rest and I feel I am in good hands because she puts my preferences in high priority and she minimized my cost to fit my budget. Above all she is patient in waiting for my decisions and coordinating with the contractor. I am so fortunate to find a fine architect like her.

I am renovating/restoring the interior of my house in Oakland. Simone of Florentine Design provided me with invaluable assistance with her suggestions. Her expertise has preserved the period details of my house while adopting modern furnishing. Simone prepared mood boards to show me the overall effect of the different visual design options she was recommended. I received numerous samples of floor and wall tiles, wall and window coverings, and light fixtures, along with source and price information. I felt comfortable and confident in arriving at my final selections. Working with Florentine Design saved me a lot of time that would have been wasted on hesitancy and indecision. I recommend working with Florentine Design Company without reservation. Aggie Rogacsi