Joy Street Design - Oakland, California

Linda B.

My hubby and I sought out an interior designer to help with the design of our home. We were referred to JSD. Not having substantial experience with interior decorators, we did not know what to expect. What we were not expecting was a total transformation of our experience in our new home. We thought that they might come up with a few ideas we could implement but were not expecting to completely change the way we view interior design.

The process, though not without hiccups, was made far easier through excellent communication. The design team made sure we knew the status every step of the way. Communication was critical, especially with the number of moving parts and contractors coming in and out of the project. The JSD team was excellent at keeping us fully informed about the various stages we were in, and we never felt like we did not know what was happening.

The design team showed their expertise, suggesting ideas and concepts that we would never have gotten to on our own. For example, their suggestion to use wallpaper, and their suggestion of colors we would have never selected really worked for our home and we ended up appreciating them seeing things that we just did not see or imagine. While we followed the primary vision laid out by the design team, they were perfectly open to and flexible enough to hear our ideas, and to incorporate them into the overall plan.

The transformation, from even a few days prior, was nothing short of magical. When we walked in, we could not believe that we had the privilege of living in such a beautifully designed home. We were, and continue to be, awestruck. Among the many things that we appreciate about JSD is that they suggested a few items that were at price points that we likely would not have selected on our own, but having lived here a few months, we really appreciate the fact that we stretched ourselves to acquire high quality furniture which will last far longer than if we bought less expensive furniture.

Overall, it was a joy to work with JSD. We could not be more pleased with the end result and would highly recommend JSD for any interior decorating needs you may have.

Caroline D.

My husband and I worked with Kelly and her design team on several rooms in our Oakland house in 2019. The two of us were looking for a design style that would elevate our home while still maintaining a casual atmosphere. We have two dogs and knew we'd likely have a kid or two one day so wanted materials that could stand up to a variety of uses. Also, my husband tends to like minimalist designs while I prefer color and prints. Magically, Kelly and her team were able to capture our various requirements and wishes and now we have spaces that are both beautiful and livable! It's been a couple years since the work was completed and I still find myself admiring all the special touches as if I were seeing them for the first time!

It was incredibly easy to communicate with Kelly and I would definitely recommend her - I hope to work with her again someday!

Shannon C.

I have nothing but positives to say about Kelly and the Joy Street team. We worked with Joy Street on a full house renovation and design project, spanning almost 18 months.

From the beginning, Kelly was approachable and receptive. She understood our budget and was able to work within it. (We also appreciated her transparent pricing structure - a seeming anomaly in the industry.) We absolutely clicked with Kelly. She really understood how to translate our meetings and inspiration boards into a breathtakingly beautiful home, full of color and personality.

We appreciated the project management aspect of Joy Street's work as well. They took care of delivery of furniture, and worked with the contractor on installation schedules for tile, appliances, etc. Moving into a fully furnished and decorated house was wonderful.

Kelly knows her way around a construction site, which instantly boosted her credibility with other members of our team (architect, contractor and tradespeople). They commented that the Joy Street team was easy to work with and clear with communication.

We love every aspect of our home and sometimes still can't believe that we live in a magazine-worthy space that perfectly fits our family's personality.

Heather E.

We recently hired Joy Street Design to help us with our kitchen remodel. We were very excited to work with Kelly and her team based on her portfolio. Unfortunately, our experience was very disappointing. When we signed on, we assumed we would be working with Kelly as our designer as she never said otherwise. This was not the case and was the first of many red flags about the way JSD runs their business. The second red flag was when they gave us a floor plan that we approved, only to learn it didn't have the proper clearances for a modern day kitchen. We continued to "trust the process" as Kelly advised, but the final straw was at our final design presentation. At the very end of the meeting, they presented us with the budget which was $100k over our max. At no point before this did they flag that they may exceed our budget. When we explained we could not afford this and asked for a revision that worked within our budget (which we even increased by $50k) Kelly said she couldn't make any guarantees and blamed us for picking the floor plan we chose! Overall, the poor communication, lack of progress and questionable business ethics are the main reasons why we would not recommend working with JSD.

Veronica A.

Kelly is a treasure and her design team is the friendliest and most accomplished group of professionals. From my first appointment with the Joy Street Design team, I knew my family would be well taken care of. The design process was smooth and the team helped us create a beautiful and comfortable family home, which is especially necessary during these pandemic times. Kelly and her team thought of everything and their ideas were so much better than anything I could think of (and I have pretty good taste!). There was so much creativity and foresight in creating living and functional spaces that allow for fun and work-life balance for my family to enjoy. We highly recommend the Joy Street Design team. I promise you'll be in great hands. Excellent work deserves high praise and I'm so appreciative of their work, time, and care.

Alice F. S.

We really enjoyed partnering with Kelly and the JSD team! We had been considering a home renovation for almost two years before meeting Kelly and had received some ideas from other stylist but couldn’t decide on a direction that felt right. That all changed with JSD. After our consultation, we knew we were in the right hands. Kelly did a great job suggesting a design that not only fit our home but also the "personality" we wanted our home to have. She did an awesome job maximizing both small and large spaces throughout the house. The design combined bold and bright colors with warm Earth tones that brought out the true potential of the house. We also had a hard timeline for the project to be completed as we were expecting our 2nd child and JSD did everything possible to complete the project on time. If you’re looking to refresh your home or do a complete renovation and you want a look that is sophisticated and modern while still being a timeless classic look, definitely reach out to Kelly and her team. You’ll be happy you did!

Mazlum K.

As someone who has provided services to this company, I want to share my experience. They requested us to create a handmade project, which we completed and shipped to another location as per their instructions. Later, they raised an issue about a couple of scratches on the product.

We apologized and promptly reproduced and sent the replacement items. We also agreed to refund them $110 and offered a 30% discount on their next order. They thanked us for our efforts.

However, we then received a notification from the payment platform stating that they had claimed a full refund, effectively receiving the product for free and profiting $110.

Please keep this in mind when doing business with this firm. I hope they receive their just due.

Benita A.