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Albany Cabinets and Design
Categories: Home Services Interior Design Shopping Home & Garden Kitchen & Bath Interior Design, Kitchen & Bath [Edit]
920 San Pablo Ave(between Buchanan St & Solano Ave)
Albany, CA 94706
(510) 526-2288
- Hours:
Mon-Wed, Fri 10 am - 6 pm
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Miriam F. said: "My experience with Closet Innovations was over the top! The best ever! I highly recommend their designer Malka. She has creative closet solutions for the most challenging closets, and utilizes every inch of space in the best, most…" read more »
8 reviews for Albany Cabinets and Design
8 reviews in English
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Review from cecilia g.
Oakland, CA
12/3/2011
We wanted to remodel the kitchen in our condo and had a limited budget, and after going to Home Depot and experiencing terrible service and having trouble getting a contractor that would comply with our HOA requirements, I decided to do a yelp search for local businesses that provided kitchen cabinets. I read the reviews for Albany Cabinets and it seemed that the only bad reviews were from customers that didn't like the way they were treated when they walked in the store, and sometimes that can also speak of the customer as well as the staff, so I decided to give Isabel a try anyway. I was very clear about the budget that we had and what we wanted to do, and yes, Isabel is very frank which may not sit well with some people; she did tell us that with our budget we were going to have to make some compromises and she would only take our job if we were willing to work with her to meet our budget, otherwise we would all be wasting our time. I actually appreciate when people are clear like that, especially when we are talking about thousands of hard earned dollars, and a substantial amount of things that can go wrong. You want someone like Isabel, a business owner who cares and who is going to be clear and diligent, not a salesperson who is all nice until they get your check and then wishy washy and hard to get in touch with afterward.
We were in a hurry to get our kitchen done because our condo was without flooring due to water damaged, and Isabel helped us make decisions in the order that would expedite the job the most. Choosing the cabinets was key because they have the longest lead time, and then we could take our time making the other decisions. She also helped us find a great contractor who could comply with our HOA's requirements. Even with the hiccups that are bound to occur during a job of this kind, like things arriving damaged from the factory and having to be replaced, etc., we had a working kitchen by the promised date, which according to everyone else who I know that has had a kitchen remodel, is almost unheard of.
The key is that when problems do occur (and they will occur - buying a kitchen is not like buying a blow dryer, you are buying parts and pieces and hiring people to put them together for you and there are lots of things that can go wrong), you want the person you bought your kitchen from to be responsive and help resolve them, and Isabel did this for us. Albany Cabinets is great because it provides an option for people who maybe have a budget above home depot but not the huge amounts of money that it takes to get a custom built kitchen, and it's a local business with an owner who cares and takes pride in her job. I recommend that if you decide to give a visit, just be clear about what you want and what your budget is, and Isabel will be clear with you. -
Review from Toni M.
10/13/2010
This is the second time we've worked w/ Isabel on a bathroom upgrade. The first time was 4 years ago and was a back-to-the-studs big deal that involved a contractor. Isabel is charming and has good ideas. She also knows when to step back and let me organize things when I have a clear idea of what I want. I have never felt unwelcome in the store, which has expanded since we first worked w/ her. I lived in jeans and a sweatshirt on w/es when I was working and she never treated me as if I was too scruffy and should go elsewhere. We ran into some problems that last time when the cabinet maker, who was based in the Northwest, made a series of mistakes which frustrated me greatly. We finally had to hire Jesus Espinoza to make everything right and Isabel picked up the tab.
This bathroom upgrade is less major. It involves a new sink cabinet, medicine cabinet, a wall-hung cabinet over the toilet and a new floor. We chose a different style of cabinet this time and it's manufactured in Iowa, I think. The first bathroom cabinets are bamboo. The ones in the front bathroom are red birch. They are gorgeous and well made. Handyman Rick installed the cabinet over the toilet last week and Frank the plumber installed the sink cabinet after moving the cold water shutoff. The sink top and faucet assembly were just installed and look gorgeous. The water will be hooked by by Frank tomorrow morning and the bathroom will be painted Monday.
My only area of discontent is that the sink cabinet is larger than the old one and crowds the bathroom a bit. I will have to move the clothes hamper elsewhere and put the waste basket under the sink. I see the responsibility for this as shared between Isabel and me. Although she's officially the designer, I was organizing this and should have been more mindful of the effect of 3 or 4 inches. As Alan says, we will get used to it and its beauty will go far in making us forgive its size. It's really looking great.Listed in: Home Remodeling and…
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Review from SG F.
El Cerrito, CA
3/14/2007
Albany Cabinets is owned by Isabel Tsang, a friendly, knowledgeable, and professional designer. We first came in with a smaller budget than Home Depot Expo would accommodate to redo our kitchen. We also had some design challenges in our kitchen and Isabel's expertise really came in handy there.
Isabel offers an affordable but varied selection of cabinets, countertops, and accessories and appliances for kitchens. She designs the layout on professional software. She makes the design work within your budget, including labor. She works with a very good set of contractors. She cares about her clients and sees projects through to the end personally.
We were really pleased with our new kitchen and have gone back to Isabel for other work. If you are overwhelmed about starting a new kitchen remodel and aren't sure where to start, Albany Cabinets is a great place. Isabel leads you through everything at a comfortable pace and answers all the questions.
We had gone to Home Depot Expo first and they quoted us $30k not including permits and the labor was merely an estimate. You knew it would go over that. We went to Albany Cabinets and Isabel said, what is your budget? We answered $20K and she did it within that number, labor and everything
We can't recommend Albany Cabinets enough for the personal service, attention to detail, and great design choices. -
Review from Abony H.
Richmond, CA
12/6/2009
My experience was not unlike Kitty L.'s I am planning a remodel of my kitchen, and decided to stop by to check out the vetrazzo counter tops, since they were the closest dealer to my home.
I was not dressed fancy, I had spent most of the morning ripping out my kitchen cabinets and I tend to not wear an evening gown for that. I went to the store with my husband and contractors in tow, and was greeted with the rudest, snobbiest attitude I had ever experienced in a place of business. I should have expected as much when I discovered I had to be buzzed into a store, on a busy street, in broad daylight, on a Saturday, IN ALBANY.
When I asked about the price of the Vetrazzo counter tops, she responded that they were "very expensive." As if that weren't enough (and honestly, it was enough) she then asked where exactly my house was located (not in Albany where she prefers her clients) and how much my budget was. When I was finally able to get the actual price out of her, she told it to me with such disdain that she may have well said "Even if you were capable of scrounging up the money, Id much rather sell it to anyone else."
Naturally, I hightailed it out of there in a bad mood, (and ended up buying my very expensive counter tops elsewhere). I didn't think of a good come back to her "It's very expensive" dig until later at dinner with friends. Just in case she's reading:
Maybe it's very expensive for you, since you work here, but I'm sure I can afford it. Instead, I will be taking my thousands of dollars of business elsewhere, and leave you to your non existent fancy clients in your empty upscale store. Enjoy the recession!
Now I'm thinking I should pull a pretty woman and show up with my receipts and exclaim "big mistake"-- but I doubt she'll buzz me in this time. -
Review from Debra K.
Albany, CA
1/16/2009
Hubby and I were just about resigned to choosing cabinets that weren't perfect for us and then, like Dianne S, we decided to check out this small shop in our neighborhood! What a find :) We walked into the showroom and immediately saw exactly what we had been looking for (the ole' "you know what you want when you see it" kind of thing) -- the cabinet happened to be the one Isabel uses behind her desk! We were warmly greeted and Isabel did a wonderful job of getting us to identify and select what we wanted for a kitchen demo/remodel. She even suggested a contractor, Dana Milner (another 5* recommendation!), that she has worked with several times.
Isabel set an appt to come to our home; she brought samples of cabinet doors and finishes, as well as countertops. She measured the space, talked to us some more about what we wanted and revised her designs numerous times until it was perfect! Isabel's expertise was so useful in guiding us through the project. Her suggestions and recommendations were spot-on and I would never have thought about them (whatever they were) without her. Her designer's eye is awesome :)
Isabel was terrific at giving us opportunities to save money in one area so that we could spend more $$ on something that was more important to us.
Isabel "went the extra mile" in working directly with our countertop fabricator to make sure that the countertop was cut so that we could maximize the slab (it's recycled glass and we wanted to be able to use every single inch!).
I am so delighted with her work that I'm using her skills again in helping me design a home office.
Isabel is a delight. You will enjoy working with her, I promise. -
Review from Angela N.
Oakland, CA
12/8/2007
We bought our beautiful new cabinets from Albany Cabinets and were very happy with the design Isabel came up with for us. We had a pretty tight budget and she was able to work with us to find the best bang for the buck, so to speak. We had our own contractor install the cabinets so I cannot give any feedback on that aspect. She also was extremely helpful in designing the kitchen to fit our specific needs and usage. Overall, I highly recommend Isabel's design services and the Kraftmaid cabinets are beautiful.
Listed in: Home Improvement 101
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Review from Joshua M.
Berkeley, CA
12/13/2008
My wife and I recently purchased new cabinets, a countertop and a sink from Albany Cabinets and Design and had a very positive experience. I would say that our encounter with Isabel was quite the opposite of the one described by Kitty L on 11/07. Our impression of Isabel is that she is a hard working local business owner who is truly invested in satisfying each customer by helping them identify the product and price point that is right for them.
Even though we had a relatively small project, Isabel still gave us her full attention, expertly helping us choose from the range of options she provides. She then patiently developed a design with us, taking into account all of our requests and offering helpful expert advice on configurations, lighting, sink options, etc. She even went out of her way to accommodate our very short timeline for getting the project done, placing phone calls to her suppliers while we waited in the shop in order to determine how quickly they could deliver what we were requesting before we placed our order.
Everything came in either on time or ahead of schedule and the final product is high quality and looks great. We'd certainly go back to Albany Cabinets and Design again if we had future cabinet needs, and would recommend them to others without reservation. -
Review from Kitty L.
Berkeley, CA
11/10/2007
my husband and i were in our usual tee & jeans. we walked into this place and we felt like we're in 'pretty woman'---when julia roberts walked into a Beverley Hill boutique and got discriminated. the owner gave us a stare from top-to-bottom. told us that she only does high-end design. only works with BIG kitchen. she then sent us to another place that sells cabinets across from Ranch 99. she said she doesn't have problem referring clients to that place since she's only interested in clients who can spend big bucks.
wow. quite an attitude. go if you're ready to empty your fat wallet.
