Client testimonials
— Tim & Laura, Chicago, IL
“Being an acquirer of whatever appealed to me at any given moment, my home was a collection of various styles, periods, interests, and moods. Catherine has helped me turn our space into a calm and connected home, while keeping my vibe and personality present and intact. She is talented visually, sees possibilities quickly and confidently, taking on mini to major projects with equal interest and commitment. And she’s a delight to work with–responsive, efficient, while showing a keen sensitivity to my needs as her client.”
— LINDA, Oakland, ca
“Catherine, I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for us. From the day we met to the day our home was furnished, it was such a pleasure working with you. Any real estate agent or a homeowner looking for a professional local team to stage their home, do yourself a favor and contact Catherine at iSPY Home Design. You won't be disappointed. The other thing I want to mention is that Catherine is one of the most professional and down to earth individuals in this business. After selling and buying real estate for many years, I can say that she and her team are extremely understanding and accommodating with all of my needs. iSPY is incredibly hands-on and detailed with their styling, they truly understand space and feelings, all in all I can't wait to work with iSPY again, thank you for everything!”
— MAICHEE & TAYLOR, emeryville, ca
“iSPY Home Designs staged our condo and we had an excellent experience working with them from start to finish. The initial consultation on the phone as well as the first visit was meticulous. Catherine walked into our condo, with gloves and mask on, fully equipped with a measuring tape and notepad. She spent time taking down notes and talking to us about our style and what we envision. Right after her visit, I received a detailed email, outlining what she thinks fits best within our budget and design expectations. She went above and beyond, setting up the condo to look so good, I had second thoughts about selling it at all! Catherine is courteous, professional and transparent in her work–a quality I highly admire. She has been great at listening and communicating. I wholeheartedly recommend her excellent design services to anyone looking to stage or design their space, and wish her all the best.”
— Afreen, san jose, CA
“What an absolute pleasure to work with Catherine at iSPY Home Design. After moving into our new home, we became quickly overwhelmed by the thought of how to best utilize and design our space. Catherine really got to know our style and taste and put together beautiful inspiration boards for each room. She kept our priorities and budget in mind and was quick to be flexible if there was anything we wanted to change. We couldn’t be happier with the work she provided. Our house feels like us but with a much better eye ;)”
— WENDY & JOEY, OAKLAND, CA
“When we moved into a larger apartment that actually fits all our stuff quite comfortably, we knew we needed help bringing everything together - enter the amazing Catherine at iSPY. After a walk through by video, she laid out where each piece of furniture could go, and helped us source the pieces we needed - and not just one or two items, a significant assortment that we could choose from at different price points. We still felt like we were shopping (fun!), but with direction, and without the time commitment of digging through every vendor out there. Her sage advice and practical design knowledge has already helped us transform our bedroom from an overcrowded and poorly organized space to a room I actually enjoy looking at and spending time in. We never would have flipped the room 180 degrees without her encouragement (moving a storage bed is a big project!) and it has made all the difference in the world. Looking forward to seeing our living room and entryway make similar transformations as we invest in new pieces with Catherine’s help. Thank you, Catherine and iSPY!”
— stephanie, Long Island, NY
“We needed some guidance in changing the layout of furniture in our living room and family room, and also buying a new sofa and reupholstering other pieces of furniture. Catherine helped us with all of this, finding sources for fabrics, sending fabric samples to me, finding a great store in which we shopped for our new sofa and a shop which did our reupholstering. All done in such a professional manner, with so many great ideas for the project. And, very important to me, she is very easy to work with and also lots of fun! I highly recommend her!”
— claire, corte madera, CA
— Debra & Andrew, chicago, il
“Catherine was a visionary. We've worked with a lot of interior designers and by far, Catherine was the best. She was able to listen to us and turn our hopes/dreams for the space into a reality. Catherine also was able to do it all - from clear layout mock-ups to serious project management (wow!) to creative sourcing from local places. She always went above and beyond - from dropping off samples quickly to sending multiple options for furniture to sourcing fun art we would have never thought of ourselves. All while keeping within our timeline and budget! What we liked most was that Catherine had a POV. She helped navigate the decisions with her expert design aesthetic. We are so immensely proud of the finished product and have Catherine to thank for this. I could not recommend Catherine more for any project. We will for sure hire her again...and again.”
— kristen & phil, Oakland, ca
— MIMI, new york, ny
“iSPY Home Design was invaluable in helping prepare my clients' home for sale in Oakland. We consulted with iSPY for colors on the exterior of the house and the homeowners couldn't be happier. iSPY also helped connect us with an amazing and affordable painter to get the job done. We'll absolutely be consulting with them more regularly.”
— JOE, Oakland, ca
“I can't recommend iSPY more highly! This is my second time working with Catherine and I presented a vastly different project this time. We just moved into a large house in Seattle and had to start pretty fresh just moving from a tiny apartment in the Bay Area, but we were on a bit of a budget. It was the first house that my fiancé and I were moving into long term and really thinking about as ours and it was also so important to me that the space have a certain look and feeling to it, to make it feel like our home. Catherine walked through the house with me on FaceTime and did an incredible job sourcing wonderful pieces and helping me think through the arrangement of each room to maximize the beauty and functionality of the space. She worked hard to get a clear sense for our taste, budget, and the day-to-day aspects of our lives (like the fact that we have two dogs). She also understood what decorating the space meant for me and how much I wanted it to feel unique and personal, and she made me a list of Seattle flea markets and antique shops to check out to find the little accent pieces that might stand out. She is very thoughtful and has an incredible eye!”
— STEPHANIE, SEATTLE, Wa
“iSPY showed me my home like I’d never seen it before. She worked with me every step of the way to help create a vision and bring it to life–lending a soft, creative touch and knowing just what pieces to add to make it shine. Catherine has a wonderful sense of melding color and texture that makes each room feel like a work of art.”
— ANDREW, OAKLAND, CA
“iSPY Home Design helped me transform my rather lackluster studio apartment into a beautiful, comfy, and functional urban oasis. I feel so at peace in my apartment, a feeling you really can't put a price tag on, and achieved a look I would have never reached on my own. Speaking of price, I am a renter and, again, in a studio so budget was especially top of mind for me. Catherine always went above and beyond to work with me and find items that were both in my style and price range. She is truly SO thoughtful, friendly, and a talented designer to boot. It was such a pleasure to work with her and I would recommend her to anyone looking to turn their home design dreams into reality!”
— LEAH, Berkeley, CA
“I worked with iSPY on the interior of my rear cottage. I simply cannot sing praises high enough. Catherine proved to be incredibly capable and organized. Potentially as important, she was also really fun to work with! The project was not your typical modern interior - I wanted the place to feel eclectic and fully lived in. Paris meets Palm Springs. Catherine not only helped me to design the space but also to source absolutely everything needed to accomplish that goal. From paints, furniture and fixtures to artwork, dish ware and towels. To say iSPY went above and beyond for this project would be a dramatic understatement. I look forward to working with this team again”
— danny, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
“I really enjoyed working with Catherine on re-decorating my single family home, approximately 2,000 sq. ft. The biggest change was installing a dry bar in the kitchen and she worked tirelessly to source counters and cabinets that matched my existing kitchen. Suppliers and installers she recommended were great and professional. She was receptive to changes in her designs, and quickly moved to source items that I requested. She also was respectful of budget!”
— KELLY, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
“I loved working with iSPY Home Design! I had never worked with an interior designer before so was a bit worried that I might feel either pressured to select stuff that wasn't really me, was too expensive, or that I'd feel uncomfortable being that I am a newbie in this area. None of that happened though - Catherine always listened to my input and came up with great alternatives when I couldn't quite make a decision, and managed to figure out affordable options when needed. The aesthetic of iSPY is beautiful, practical, and worldly. We remodeled our entire kitchen and from day one of meeting with Catherine she came up with the best layout for our family's needs, and understood my vision immediately. Although we had already selected a contractor (she can help you find one too if needed), she was able to easily work with them, answer questions, and problem solve. I still can't believe we got the kitchen we now have, we love it so much that I asked her to help us refresh our living room and dining room areas as well. They also have great sourcing contacts and I love that they make an effort to recommend local businesses whenever possible.”