Sarah Zimmerman Architect

We hired Sarah to help us remodel and renovate one of the oldest homes in San Anselmo. The property had a lot of deferred maintenance and required extensive repairs as well as a design makeover. We had an initial vision for the project and she was careful to work with us to realize and enhance our vision, while also addressing the structural and building systems issues, many of which we would not have been able to even identify without her expert help. She worked carefully to uncover potential pitfalls in the existing structure; she suspected balloon framing on the exterior walls and a very damaged foundation system and opened up walls to verify the conditions and crawled into a very shallow crawl space with the engineer to visually review the foundation and framing in that area. (There were critters under the house at that time, so this was not for the faint of heart.) She was essential to making our vision for the house come alive, suggesting many ideas that complimented and enhanced our initial concept. Towards the end of the project we decided to make a significant change to first floor plan layout and she took it in stride, was able to coordinate the revision for a modest fee although the actual construction cost change was fairly significant. Her field visits during construction were invaluable- her sharp eyes and extensive knowledge allowed for quick field resolution of minor plan changes and contractor corrections. She is a true collaborator in the best sense of the word, communicating equally well with the planning and building departments, contractor, on-site tradesmen and us.

Sarah worked with me on an investment property renovation, and also on a complete bathroom remodel in our personal residence. In both cases, Sarah had great insight and design ideas. She can be very budget conscious when necessary but also has a great aesthetic when you want high-end finishes and touches. Her knowledge and experience were invaluable, and I was very happy with the results. I plan to work with her again. Melinda R."

Sarah Zimmerman designed the complete remodel of the main bathroom in our Albany home to be ADA compliant, and designed the addition of a new half bath (or “powder room”). She was thoroughly knowledgeable of the requirements for disabled persons, while ensuring that the remodel was very attractive and pleasing to the eye for the long term. Sarah worked well with the contractor to ensure adherence to all the plan’s details, while staying in close touch with the homeowners to implement change orders and to stay on budget. She was very creative in using the limited space available, and in suggesting the addition of the powder room. We are very pleased with Sarah’s expert work.

"Sarah Zimmerman was asked to re-design our ugly, dark galley kitchen in 2005. She exceeded all our expectations. We now have a light-filled, gorgeous kitchen which is the nexus of our home. She incorporated our ideas, but of course, improved upon them with her own. She was mindful of our budget, was always professional and kept every appointment. We couldn’t have been happier with her project and her, and just we could have afforded her to do the entire house!"

Sarah did a superb job on our renovation. She took a dumpy place that had been 1/3 renovated by the previous owner, adapted what was good, and turned it into a showplace that every visitor praises. We were especially impressed with the way she transformed our master bath. Somehow she turned a tiny maid’s bathroom into a true master bath with a steam shower and two-sink vanity, all in exactly the same square footage. Oh, and the plans went through the county bureaucracy with zero changes. Unprecedented! Ruth Eckland and John DiFonzo, Emerald Hills, CA

Sarah designed a beautiful media center with illuminated bookshelves and a very cool "solve" for hiding the TV - where cabinet doors open to reveal the TV and cover the shelves or close to reveal them. Genius! She also designed an exterior faceliift to bring existing random elements into a cohesive style. Never in my wildest imagination did I imagine the house could look so good. Sarah has unique gift for taking the best features and working with them to create something truly special. And, she's very collaborative and respectful of budget constraints, which we very much appreciate. Can't wait to see Sarah's vision for the kitchen!

We involved Sarah in our remodel before we even closed escrow on our 2 bedroom, 1 bath home and she remained an integral and vital part of our project all the way through construction. Despite significant restrictions and intense scrutiny from the city, she managed to take our small, awkward house and create a comfortable, beautiful 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom home, filled with wonderful, custom details – there is truly something special about every room. It is rare to find someone so skilled in every aspect of their craft, but Sarah is just that – drawing on both her left and right brain to go from the tiniest, but most critical engineering detail, to unique, creative design, to expert construction oversight. We were awed by her skill and her dedication to realizing the vision – her creativity continued even into construction when she went so far as to source specialists to execute on the most charming details. She really never stopped thinking about our home, how we would live in it and how to make it both beautiful and functional. We began construction while living abroad and would never have considered doing so if it weren’t for our trust in Sarah. She is a true professional and kept in constant contact with us. She built a website so that we could keep track of our project and we had regular status calls to ensure we were on top of critical milestones. Sarah’s expertise also meant that she was able to manage our contractor in our absence far better than we ever could have. She was an outstanding partner – the best we could have hoped to have and she truly took a vested interested in creating our lovely home. We were incredibly lucky to find her and would highly recommend her. -Erin Heath, San Anselmo, CA

Sarah was key to our addition to our home project. She came up with great ideas and was always willing to cooperate with whatever we needed. SHe ran things the way I wanted them run rather than by her game and I don't think you get that all the time. She was present when needed, but not over the top and got involved only as needed on the project. She is great with your family and trying to help you understand what you will need. She thinks through alot of the problems and best ideas. I thought I knew it all and she made me know that she is very competent but respectful of my indivduality. I would highly recommend her to any family looking to do a large or small project. I don't think I Would ever hire anyone else.