Albany Cabinets & Design

We just finished a kitchen remodel, and Isabel Tsang of Albany Cabinets and Design was a key part of what turned out to be a very pleasant experience. Her showroom is terrific, and allows you to see lots of different ideas side-by-side. She is really great to work with, very funny and opinionated in the best possible way. She has great design ideas, and is that rare professional who offers both functional and aesthetic advice. As is her typical approach, she came out to our house for a free (with cabinet order) consult that ended up making a big difference for us. She saved us from a poor design choice that an architect had suggested, and gave us a much better design for the kitchen layout. Her help with selecting cabinets was invaluable in terms of maximizing the space and thinking about location of everything. And we ended up also getting our counters through her, which was tremendously convenient. Best of all, she was a great manager of the whole process, helping us out with cabinet delivery dates, counter measure and install dates, and everything else. She carries quality American-made cabinets, so they are not the cheapest, but with her discount they were very reasonable and we are very happy with the quality. And when there was a minor problem with a couple of the cabinets (not painted on the correct sides), she not only paid to have them painted, she gave us a very generous discount out of her own pocket. I cannot recommend her more highly.

First of all, Isabel Tsang helped us focus on our muddy vision of putting a new kitchen into our 1926 Spanish Revival house and making it look 'organic.' She listened actively, provided concrete feedback to our questions, and made helpful suggestions. Isabel's knowledge of cabinet lines, features and finishes is wide-ranging and professional. She helped us choose an appropriate style and finish, and worked with us to outfit outfit our kitchen to accommodate our family's needs and my cooking preferences. Our general contractor installed the cabinets with no problems, and Isabel's team measured and installed our counter tops with ease. We were able to make good decisions on costs and materials, staying in budget where we needed to and spending on worthwhile enhancements.

We wish we had another kitchen to remodel so Isabel could work her magic again. When we thought of remodeling our kitchen we went to the “Big Box” stores and spoke with designers and looked at product. In our mind an independent designer would have been out of our price range. To our surprise Isabel was very respectful and realistic of our budget, but more important was her vision for our kitchen...our kitchen is perfect. The balance, the beauty, the practicality and the design; she thought of every detail. It was so much more than cabinets and counter tops. She made sure the sink, faucets, lights, hardware and type of appliances all fit together. She worried about the trim and how it would line up with the transition to the rest of the house. She was very accessible and when she visited us to view her finished design she was so proud that her vision was completed. It was beyond our expectations and within our budget.

My wife and I were out shopping one day and happened to walk into Albany Cabinets & Design. Isabel Tsang, the owner, gave us some very good preliminary advice about remodeling, and helped get the ball rolling for us. She came out to our home, saw what the old kitchen and bathroom looked like (typical 1950s "modern" for that period, pretty ugly and not functioning well), offered up suggestions on improving things, and took our suggestions as well. I wanted the kitchen to open up into the dining room, which meant opening up a wall. Isabel created a nice cabinet design for the dining room in that opening, that also had a great counter top, highlighted by two low-hanging pendant lights. The house feels much more open now, and it improved the amount of natural light in the kitchen. She also replaced our very ugly safety railing next to our stairwell with a pony wall, more cabinet storage, and more counter space, something that my wife wanted. All of this was put into a computerized drawing, showing the kitchen and bathroom from all angles. We had to approve it, and after a few revisions, we did. This was a "tear-it-down-to-the-wall-studs" remodel, so Isabel wanted to make sure we were satisfied with the drawings before proceeding. Isabel helped in every area, from paint color on the walls of the kitchen and bathroom, lighting fixtures in both rooms, appliances, cabinet hardware, very stylish plumbing fixtures... well, you get the idea. She also kept checking in with the contractor to make sure every detail was taken care of. The finished kitchen requires far fewer steps between the refrigerator and stove, not to mention the dishwasher and storage drawers and cabinets for the glasses, cups, cutlery, and dishes. The bathroom layout couldn't be changed much, but it sure is a lot nicer to look at, not to mention that everything in there works a lot better too! We've lived with the new layout for almost four years now. Was it worth going through four months of remodeling work? Definitely! My wife and I don't know how we got along with our old kitchen and bathroom. This site says I can include photos, but since I can't find where to upload this, you'll just have to take my word for it that the transformation was spectacular. We don't have another remodeling project on the horizon at this time, but if we did, we'd definitely use Isabel Tsang and Albany Cabinets & Design again. I also have no problem recommending Isabel to friends who are doing a remodel.