Cillesa interior design & space planning

Welcome to the redesign of cillesa.com!

I am excited to share the new Cillesa website with you. We’ve added lots of cool features, including new portfolio photographs—with some dramatic before and after images—in an all-new gallery with much-improved navigation. I’m also pleased to introduce my blog, called Chirp, where I’ll be offering design commentary, insights on design trends, photos from current projects, and articles I’m writing for media outlets.

Thanks for visiting, and I hope you check back often to see what’s new.

–Cillesa

As we started to get serious about remodeling our kitchen, dining room and living space, my husband and I knew we needed design help. We found that one of the biggest advantages of working with Cillesa was that we got space planning and design all in one person. We went back and forth on how best to change the layout of our house. Cillesa highly recommended we move our kitchen to our family room, an idea we hadn’t even considered. Cillesa is very good at space planning – the elegance is actually in the simplicity of the design resulting in a functional and aesthetically pleasing space. The result is a kitchen, dining room and living space that is truly unique and custom. Cillesa is easy to work with and professional at every turn. We appreciated her input throughout the entire process from design to construction to the finishing touches. In the end, her effort helped us save time, money and costly mistakes. She is conscientious and follows through to ensure that her clients get the results they want.

–Kana & Steve, Moraga, CA

Cillesa is a marvel. We had been in our home for 10 years, wanted to improve it, and just didn’t know how. Cillesa sat down with us and was able to help us articulate the kind of living environment we wanted, and then identified the changes that would make the most impact. She drew up a set of options, each more exciting, and we were able to find the right approach for our budget. She oversaw all construction – we were so comfortable with her abilities, that the floors and walls were done while we were on vacation. My husband and I have made a pact to not touch the house without Cillesa’s guiding hand. She saves us time, money, and worry, and we love the outcome!

–Helen & Eric, Oakland Hills, CA

Working with Cillesa, remodeling our 1950s rancher was a breeze from start to finish. She is economical, and yet incredibly creative, when it comes to using space. If you’re working on a tight budget, as we were, she’ll help you figure out how to save some money “over here” so you can spend it “over there.” When she helped me select appliances at a showroom, she pointed out important functional and stylistic details that I, frankly, would have overlooked on my own.

She’s meticulous and well-organized and will keep you—and later, during construction, your contractor—on track. No detail is too small, and nothing falls through the cracks. When friends and neighbors visit and express “kitchen envy,” I tell them, in a heartbeat, to hire Cillesa.

–Eileen & Julio, Orinda, CA

We highly recommend working with Cillesa. She is able to look at challenging spaces and design effective solutions that make a real difference.

Cillesa listened to our needs and assisted us with optimal space planning as we moved into our new home. Later, she designed a nursery and transformed a 1940s wood-paneled room into a wonderful office that is now our favorite room.

Cillesa has gone the extra mile to help us create great spaces that make our lives better.

–Carrie & Pat, Piedmont, CA

We have worked with Cillesa for over five years, and are continually impressed with her professionalism, her creativity, and her ability to read our minds. She listens to us and we never feel as if she is imposing her design direction upon us. Cillesa’s warm and positive interactions with everyone she works with – clients, contractors, vendors – are evidence that she loves what she does and that she does her job well. Before we embarked on our kitchen remodel/office and bath expansion, we met with a number of architects and kitchen designers. No one had the ideas that Cillesa did, which in the end brought us greater functionality to our space and saved us money.

–Hannah & John, Moraga, CA

Cillesa is our “go to” expert in all matters relating to any changes we make to our home. She is an outstanding problem solver and creative catalyst. She brings these talents together in a manner that stays true to our preferences but simultaneously exposes us to new combinations and possibilities. Cillesa is a first class colorist, combining paints, tile, granite, wood and hardware in pleasing combinations that flow harmoniously throughout the rooms. She is an expert in the use of lighting, both the types of fixtures and their optimal placement. Her attention to detail is exceptional. Our contractor noted that the speed and ease within which our plans were approved by the City was in great measure a result of the clarity of the drawings Cillesa prepared. In each project we have undertaken with her guidance Cillesa has established and reinforced a team climate with all those engaged in the effort. This has resulted in the resolution of issues in a manner that always placed our best interests over expediency without sacrificing harmonious working relationships. The daily enjoyment we experience in our home is a direct result of Cillesa’s talent and commitment.

- Dan & Judy, San Francisco, CA