Kress Jack at Home

Not impressed. In the initial sales consultation, my experience was dealing with someone haughty, unfriendly, not customer service oriented and operating with the assumption that my budget wasn’t going to accommodate her fees even though no discussion of specific amounts had ensued. The reviewer that gave her carte blanche from 1500 miles was perhaps the stronger appeal.

I am currently working with Kress long distance from 1500 miles away– I met her in my home for maybe 1 hour at most and in that short space of time she was able to create a canvas of wonderful possibilities that my Husband and I just love! I am making purchases virtually and am so confident that I just basically gave her carte blanche to do whatever she knew would work beautifully I hope not too many people find her or I will need to book months ahead to do my future projects– She is superb!

After carefully researching many interior designers, my boyfriend and I decided to work with Kress Jack based on her elegant, yet unique and eclectic style. It was the best decision we ever made, by far!
We presented Kress with these parameters:
1. Moving into a rental house in Marin — and needed to furnish it from scratch.
2. On a budget (reasonable, but very far from big).
3. The house needed to accommodate a newly melded family with 6 kids, ranging in age from 5 to 16.
4. She could only see it one time before designing it because the former tenants were still living there, and it was filled to the hilt with their furniture.
5. It needed to be ready in one month. OK… go!
I would have run for the hills if someone asked me to do that, but Kress thought it would be fun. We talked a lot so she could get a sense of our style. Then, she went to work right away, finding the major pieces from local stores, antique shops, the Alameda flea market, etc. She stayed in close contact with us and sent cost breakdowns for each room, worked with our budget, and was very upfront with her fees from the start. Throughout the entire process she and her assistant, Liz Hendey, were warm, enthusiastic, passionate about the work, funny, sweet, knowledgeable, flexible, creative… I could go on and on. They made a daunting project an absolute pleasure. And the house looks like it belongs in magazine — it is spectacular! I never thought I could live someplace so beautiful. It’s cozy, yet spacious, warm and comfortable, but with gorgeous, thoughtful design. There are modern touches, quirky touches, elegant touches, shapes, textures — and it all flows perfectly together. Fun for kids, but with plenty of spaces for dinner parties and relaxing for grownups. Many of the pieces they found were gorgeous vintage, it makes the house feel so special. Kress knows all the best places in the city to find the best treasures. And, incredibly, the house is filled with all the things that we love. It’s like she read us both and created our ultimate dream home — but better than anything we could have come up on our own. Kress is a truly gifted designer, and anyone who works with her will have a gorgeous space all their own.

I have to write a review even if I’m only adding to the chorus of praise. Though I may add a slightly different perspective as my wife selected Kress and it wouldn’t be a stretch to say I was skeptical of designers at the outset. I have been converted, Kress is fantastic. She basically helped us redo our entire house and we love it. She’s been flexible in regard to our budget and desires, willing to listen or provide additional options, and firm when she has a strong conviction. I feel as though she created something unique that looks like it was professionally done, but also really reflects our tastes. I couldn’t recommend someone more highly and I suspect if you use her you’ll be writing your own 5 star review as she does wonderful work and handles her clients well.

Kress is amazing. We have been working w Kress the last year remodeling an old farm house in wine country (that hadn’t been updated since 1972!). we went into the process having never remodeled or worked closely with a designer so we were concerned on all levels (cost, process, time, style, etc). Fast forward to today and we have the most beautiful home that is beyond what I envisioned and exactly what I wanted. Bright, classy, updated yet comfortable. And not «overly decorated.»
Not only does Kress have the most incredible sense of style, she is an absolute joy to work with. Multiple times we had to revise our budget and she always found solutions that were beautiful and didn’t make us feel guilty or that we were lowering our standard. And she always did it with a smile and never lost patience with us. She listens and has the unique ability to understand what you are looking for even when you can’t properly articulate it.
I really can’t say enough about Kress. We still have a few more projects until the house is done (will it ever really be done?) and I can’t wait to work together again. I trust her completely feel incredibly lucky that we selected her as our designer (and that she chose to work with us).
She made a new house our home.

Kress has now helped me with almost every room in my house and she just decorated both my kids’ rooms. My little girl’s room is totally amazing! We went away on vacation and asked her to «transform it into a fairy princess room» while we were gone. That way, we could surprise her with it for her third birthday. I had no idea how special a room could be until Kress did her magic. And I swear my daughter has been sleeping so well in it since she «moved in». Definitely don’t hesitate to call Kress. She’s incredible at what she does.

My husband and I hired Kress to redesign our bedroom. We had never worked with an interior designer before and were a little hesitant, fearing the experience might be a little intimidating. However, Kress was perfect! From the get-​go, she was consultative and inspirational — but really easy to talk to and spend time with. She had ideas we’d never thought of and the results are awesome!
All in all a great experience. We would recommend her again and again!

Kress is really terrific. We had a garage converted into a cottage that my daughter was moving into and Kress came over and suggested paint colors, which I never in a million years would have thought of, and which improve the space incredibly. She had great ideas of simply moving existing furniture from one area to another that opened the space up and made it feel so much larger and inviting. She is a fun person to work with, isn’t just interested in selling you expensive pieces, but is interested in you getting the most out of your space. Try her for just one room, you’ll be so happy you did.

I second what all the other reviewers have said about Kress. We absolutely love her. Personally, I do not enjoy (nor does my husband) decorating or shopping for furniture/​décor, and I’m totally lame when it comes to color schemes. That’s why Kress was so perfect for us. We basically told her what styles we liked and didn’t like and she made it as easy as possible on us. When she found stuff she thought we’d like, she’d send us digital photos by email (always giving at least 2 or 3 options varying in price). Then, we’d tell her which we liked and she’d get it for us. Also, I’d send her links from time to time of things I needed but was too scared to buy on my own (see color lameness note above) and she’d either tell me to go for it or that it would not look good. She probably ended up saving us money on stuff I would have bought and then ended up hating! The other great thing about Kress is you can go as quickly or slowly as you like on your project — and she’ll break it up into chunks for you if you can’t pay for it all at once. Anyway, can’t say enough about her — she’s terrific!

Kress is amazing. About a year ago, I was shopping for furniture. I mentioned to the store owner that I wished there was someone who would come into my apartment to help me arrange my furniture and tell me what needed to go and what should stay. She laughed and said, «I have just the person for you!» Thankfully, she didn’t tell me Kress was an interior designer because with my studio apartment and teacher budget, I would have been very intimidated.
Kress showed up and couldn’t have been more warm and supportive. She surveyed my apartment, moved things around, told me what «had to go,» and started prioritizing. She helped me find items from places ranging from a thrift store to Crate and Barrel to a boutique in Mill Valley. When she found or suggested things I didn’t love, it was very easy to be honest with her. She has a great sense of humor and was very conscious of my budget AND my new found style. The icing on the cake? I gave her my keys, and sometimes I’d come home to little surprises (final touches like mirrors and vases and lamps that she wanted me to try out — always returnable)!
A few months after we finished, I was at a friend’s apartment and it turns out… she worked with Kress too. Her apartment was completely different than mine (with a few recognizable Kress touches). It just goes to show that Kress really listens and tunes in to individual style.
I truly love coming home, and I no longer have to make excuses to guests about the state of my apartment. A week ago, I decided to move to a bigger apartment. The first thing I did (after paying the deposit) is call Kress to ask for help arranging furniture and filling in the gaps. I am so excited to work with her again.

Without a doubt Kresds is the most fun, collaborative interior designer I have ever met! We have worked on several projects together, and every single time it has been fun and the clients have loved the results. What makes Kress really special is her amazing flexibility. She doesn’t seem to have preconceived ideas about how you «ought» to do something– she just gets in, assesses your situation, talks and LISTENS, and then goes about finding the things she thinks will work for you. And she is very friendly and laughs a lot, which makes doing business that much better. I absolutely recommend her for interior design advice, especially if you feel intimidated by the «big stars» at the design center and their fees. Plus she will be straightforward about the stuff you already have and help yopu «let go» of things you bought by mistake. (Do I hear craigslist, anyone?)

I absolutely love my interior decorator, Kress Jack.
She is stylish, friendly and very helpful! I was referred to her by a friend of a friend. I visited the home that she recently decorated and fell in love with the interior design. Kress definitely has her own sense of style but she will work with you to adapt your look and feel. Luckily she and I have similar tastes so it’s been easy to work with her.
She is also very reasonable. She does not try to upsell you — let her know your budget and she will work around it. She also has connections with many vendors and can provide you with her discount so that you are paying wholesale prices. This is especially helpful with lighting and furniture stores.
She is also based out of Mill Valley but has many clients in San Francisco.
Check out my pix to see some before and after looks. I’ll post more as I complete my apartment renovation.