It has been over a month since you worked your miracles with our place and we are as happy about it today as we were the day we first walked through the door. You both did an amazing job and your talent and level of service was exceptional. We really enjoyed working with you, our excursion to TJ and the whole experience. We will will no doubt recommend you to many others and hope you can create magic for some of our other rooms in the future.. Thanks again.

Rob and Leah

Style on a Shoestring (SOAS) provided complete design services and project management for a major renovation that totally transformed our house into one where visitors step in and proclaim “wow, this is really cool.” First, owner/designer Tracy Lynn and designer Vanessa set up an afternoon of meetings with a group of contractors assembled through years of trial and error – contractors who do good work, are reasonably priced, reliable, and would comply with a tight schedule.  The trades included cabinet maker, tiles, electrician, plumber, doors/window, painter, window treatments, closet shelving organizer, etc. We would never have known where to begin, let alone bring such a group together. Tracy and Vanessa exchanged ideas with the contractors –  Then Tracy and Vanessa met with us to review the possibilities. Once a direction and rough budget range was decided, they worked with the contractors to more closely specify the work and refine costs, including consulting with us regarding trade-offs and alternatives, and design versus functionality options and issues.

Throughout, they provided design expertise with a flair, including many things we would never have even imagined on our own. When we became overwhelmed, Tracy and Vanessa would meet us at vendor showrooms, arriving in advance to narrow choices or pointing us in the right direction for internet searches. Once we signed contracts for the various trades, Tracy developed a tightly integrated comprehensive time line – often with multiple trades working at the same time or one right after the other on the same day (made possible by the good working relationships developed with the stable of well-screened contractors.) The work began and Tracy managed the process, checking on progress in person almost daily. We had heard renovation horror stores from friends – months to renovate a bathroom, massive cost overruns. It was completed within 30 days and within budget. Tracy and Vanessa also selected interior and exterior paint colors and helped us select furnishings from good vendors, keeping in mind the things we had accumulated from 20 years of living overseas. The result is spectacular, transforming a ho-hum little tract house into a wonderful home, rich in design features and a pleasure to live in – we often just look around the house and marvel!

Robert and Andrea Blumberg

Style On a Shoestring is proud to announce their involvement in a new Home Ideas Center in San Diego.  The center is located at 7081 Consolidated Way, and will give homeowners a place to visit and possibly choose contractors and designers for their home projects.

The center will house 170 spaces in 80 categories for contractors installing windows, doors, outdoor spaces, home theatres and even those offering home additions. Style On a Shoestring will have an information booth and will offer a slide show featuring before and after pictures on past design and remodeling projects.

The new showroom is free to the public and opened Monday through Saturday. For information call 858.549.1700 or go to info@Homeideascenter.com

I cannot describe how fantastic this company is! We worked with Tracy, the owner and Mary, one of the designers/project managers. We had better service than we thought possible.  They were very respectful of our budget and presented us with many options for everything along a spectrum of costs. They tracked all expenses in a very timely manner and kept us apprised of where we were with the budget at all times. They planned pretty much all the details before work started and all materials were either at the house or ready to be delivered. We were in awe of how our house looked after they did their magic on it (and they’re not even done!). We never knew our house could look so beautiful! They not only managed the remodel in an incredibly organized fashion, maintained an incredible eye to detail, but also had incredible talent for design. They always seemed to be available! 

 Thank you SOAS,

McCarthy Family

When my wife and I decided it was time to remodel our home, I researched a number of options and decided upon Style On A Shoestring (SOAS). Their business model is different than any of the others we investigated. Most design firms receive a cut from the furnishings and services you buy giving them an incentive to run the bill as high as possible. SOAS charges by the hour but passes the designer discount on to the client. They negotiate diligently with store owners and subcontractors to maximize the amount of savings. This means the client has an advocate in SOAS to keep costs under control which meant a great deal to us. Once we had defined our project with SOAS, they supplied us with a timeline and spending plan. Our project involved a complete makeover of wall, floor and window coverings including crown molding and baseboards and new furniture on the ground floor of our home. The timeline we were given called for our project to last a little over two weeks. There were minor adjustments along the way but everything came together perfectly on the appointed day. The spending plan was updated regularly; I am happy to report our project came in under budget! Our home looks and functions so much better it is hard to describe in words. Our family and friends have been astounded at the improvement too. When I look at the photos of our home before and after the remodel I can t believe the difference. We plan on having the top floor of home remodeled in a couple years and will definitely use SOAS again.

Ochi Family

Carmel Valley

Hi, Mary:

I was thrilled with how my chair pads and piano bench turned out – could not be more pleased!  Excellent job and I love the fabrics we chose – today at lunch I get my window treatments! I am sure I will love them as well.  It is so worth it to have custom-made cushions and window treatments – a world of difference – and I love the snaps on my chair cushions – very clean look, which is just what I was looking for! 

You guys are simply the best … I will recommend you to anyone else who might need assistance.   

Thanks again so much!!!

Melodie

December 2008: After spending an entire Saturday at the studio trying to make it look nice, Leslie goes home totally disheartened. She googles “interior designers” and finds Style On A Shoestring. The owner, Tracy, answers her call for help at 11 pm on a Saturday. How’s that for customer service? They have the place looking fabulous by opening day. Thank you Style on a Shoestring!

The Recreational Music Center

Point Loma

Mary,

I cannot tell you how much we love, love, love our new window treatments!  The sheers are perfect, thank you so much.  You went darker than I would have, but it works!!  The guys that did the install were super, very nice, efficient, complimentary about the re-model.  In fact, when can you drop in to see the finished product?  Let me know if you’ll be in the “hood” sometime, would love to show you how it turned out.  Take care, and Happy New Year!! 

 Susan and Rich

Tracy, Mary and Brian,

Thank you all so much for the wonderful job you did in my son, Jackson’s room. Your creativity and imagination are incredible. The surfboard on the wall was a great idea. He loves his room so much he can’t wait to show it to all his friends. I can’t wait for the next decorating phase. I look forward to the day when my entire house is by “Style On a Shoestring.”

Thanks again,

Heather and Fred Hanover

You guys rock.

We’re so geeked out about our new space — I want to leave work right now and just go sit in it for another hour. We LOVE it.

Thanks!!!

DAVID TRAINA DESIGN