Island Architecture

I hired Nina at Island Architecture for a much needed home remodel project. Nina met with me several times to go over ideas for updating the kitchen and master bathroom as well as finishes throughout the main level of the house. Not only did the kitchen have a poor flow, it was very outdated. Her redesign of the kitchen provides a much better flow for cooking and entertaining. It truly is a work of art. The master bathroom needed a lot of work. The updated design is a dream! I found Nina to be very helpful, efficient and knowledgeable. Her design turned out beautifully. I am very happy with the work Nina did on my house. I highly recommend her. Thank you for your Nina!

The kitchen in our 2008 house never worked well. It was not small, but the layout of the appliances, cabinets and work spaces were poorly planned and inefficient. It lacked natural light, and the over-use of cherry on the floors and cabinets, coupled with dark granite countertops, made the kitchen read as gloomy and uninviting. We researched and selected a respected local contractor to do the remodel, and found an experienced custom shop for the cabinets. What stopped us from moving ahead was that nobody could come up with a plan to resolve the awkward layout of appliances, work spaces, and overall aesthetics of the kitchen we dreamed of. Our contractor recommended Nina Le Baron and her firm, Island Architecture. From our very first meeting, it was clear that Nina could see ways to resolve the problems that seemed intractable to other designers we had spoken to. She designed a new layout that kept the (few) things we liked about the old kitchen, but magically fixed every other issue that made us frustrated whenever we cooked or entertained. Nina approached the design challenges methodically, and very clearly communicated questions and choices for us to make before finalizing the plans and submitting them for project permitting. She recommended finishes for floors, cabinets, counters and wall surfaces, and became a valuable sounding board to help us make the best choices among seemingly endless options. In the end, we love, LOVE our new kitchen! All the frustrations of the old one have disappeared, and once again we are able to enjoy the experience of preparing creative meals and entertaining friends and family in this light, bright, artistic space. I wholeheartedly recommend Nina Le Baron and Island Architecture for kitchen, bathroom, and all types of remodeling and construction projects.

We are working with Nina on a condo buidling remodel. Nina has been very responsive to our ever changing requests. She is quick at getting back to us and always follows-through. The most exciting experiences were the times on Zoom when we talked through our ideas and alterations to the plans and we watched Nina make the changes in real time -what an efficient and productive way to approach the task. Thank you Nina!

Once again Nina helped collect my ideas and put them into a cohesive plan, for a major overhaul of my primary bedroom, bath and dressing room. We had a wonderful collaborative zoom call where I could watch the plans evolve in real time! It was easy to make suggestions and have Nina tweak the plans. Nina has worked with my general contractor before, so she knew how to speak "his language". I am so happy with my kitchen remodel, I cannot wait to see how the bathroom turns out!

Nina was great to work with she listened to our needs and was quick to respond to making changes. We are extremely happy with her work and how the remodel turned out.

Nyna is so easy to work with and is such a professional. Held my hand through the whole process and was really helpful, every step of the way. We're just working on the first phase of building, and I'm looking forward to working with her on the main house as well. She listens to what I want, but if there are better options, she helpfully steers me toward them. It's been a very good collaboration, and she's great at what she does.

My contractor suggested we bring in Nina to help with the drawings for my kitchen remodel. I didn't think i needed an architect! but her ideas and insights into the design helped create a kitchen which far exceeded my expectations. I cannot wait to get her back to work on my master bath!

Nina was a pleasure to work with. She was considerate, creative and cost-effective. Our kitchen remodel not only came in on budget and on-time, but far exceeded our expectations. I would highly recommend Nina.

Hired Island Architecture (Nina Le Baron) to complete a small complex project involving legalization of an Additional Dwelling Unit. She was timely and professional in the communication and completion of the project. I was very impressed with her results in dealing with the San Francisco Building Inspectors. She even saved us money on filing multiple permits at one time... I highly recommend her and her firm...

I have worked with Nina LeBaron on several home renovation projects over the years, and they have each been a positive experience. I highly recommend her architectural plan and drafting services and end product work. Nina is a true professional, very talented and creative. She will listen to your needs and desires and incorporate them fully in her work. I believe you will be happy with your remodel project results and fees provide an excellent value for the quality of work you will receive.

Nina LeBaron designed a beautiful northwest house that fit our site perfectly (and it needed to!). She did the design quickly but carefully and worked with our builder to make it right. She is an excellent and highly creative architect. I'd hire her again in a heartbeat.

Nina really listens to her clients and anticipates their needs. She communicates an insightful vision for their projects. Since she has backgrounds in historic preservation and design, she brings a wealth of design ideas, solutions, expertise and insights to her projects. She is also a joyful person to work with. She inspires her clients to expect the best. I hired Nina, again, to revision a kitchen remodel. She had immediate ideas which I implemented in the remodel.