Testimonials

We are proud to have built our business on referrals. Here's what some of our clients say about us:

"I can highly recommend Maaike and NBI Design. Maaike had done some work in the neighborhood and everyone I spoke with thought very highly of her and her team. That got her an interview. What got her the contract was that she was friendly, personable, responsive, and she listened to what I wanted and needed from the design.
 
My kitchen, mudroom, and bath remodel was not easy. The list of things I wanted was long, and space was a premium. Added to that, I wanted the design to incorporated items from the original kitchen, things like a milk delivery door. I love my new kitchen and bath. They are beautiful, functional, and fit the character of the house. What’s more my job was on time and on budget. A great experience all the way around."

            --- Stephanie J., San Jose

"A lot of designers can update an existing kitchen.  Only the best can transform a kitchen and surrounding rooms into a beautiful, efficient living space.  Maaike Linnenkamp, of NBI Design, helped me transform my mid-century house into an up-to-date home.  She showed me how I could get more usable space in my kitchen and improve traffic flow. Working together, we created a stunning new kitchen and updated much of the house with beautiful lighting fixtures, new ceilings, freshly painted walls, and refinished hardwood floors.  We created a new focal point by replacing the tired brick around the fireplace with slate and adding a lively color to the wall around it.  Maaike’s team also painted the exterior of the house, added new insulation and storage space in the attic, and updated doors and windows.  A few months later, we turned our attention to my two bathrooms.  Maaike created more spacious bathrooms that are a delight to use.  As with all projects, issues arose but Maaike and her team managed to overcome them all.  Unlike many remodeling projects, the renovations to my house happened on time due to her strong project management.  My house is no longer stuck in the past.  It feels fresh and welcoming, it reflects my personal style, and it works well for my family and for entertaining."

            --- Debbie A., San Jose

"When I first decided to remodel my bathroom I had a big problem. I had no idea what I wanted to do! Fortunately I was introduced to Maaike. After our initial meeting she hit the ground running researching materials and design ideas. When we met the second time she presented me with a few different material collections and design drawings. I loved everything she showed me and I was especially happy that she narrowed the scope of choices keeping the decisions manageable. Once the project started Maaike was excellent at keeping the work flowing and was able to complete everything in time for a tight schedule that I had. The result… Awesome! I never expected my bathroom to look so great and I am truly happy with it."

            --- Bob  S., Los Gatos

"We hate to think about how we would have managed our remodel without Maaike. Although we didn't make any changes to our home's footprint, this was a sizable project. Among the many things Maaike handled with ease were: replacing wood siding with stucco, replacing thirty-five windows/sliding glass doors, new garage doors, new exterior doors, deck replacement, kitchen remodel, master bath remodel, closet remodel, new living room upholstery, new light fixtures, paint colors, interior painting…the list goes on and on.

 It was not just Maaike's expertise that we would have missed had she not been our contractor. In the chaos of living in a home under "reconstruction," what would we have done without her patience and humor? And how could we have arrived at such distinctive designs without her creativity? If you need it done, she knows who can do it and do it beautifully. She brought a crew of skilled craftsmen who were not only experts in their fields, but were also an absolute pleasure to have in our home…so much so that we hosted a dinner party to celebrate our work together. What a joy!

 Thank you, Maaike for partnering with us, teaching us, gently guiding us away from mistakes, and making our visions and dreams into reality."

            --- Linda and Walt B., Los Gatos

"We are delighted with our extensive new lighting. Every room is stylish, creative, beautiful and a joy to experience. We spent years looking for the right lighting designer. Our home presented many lighting challenges and we'd already had some less than satisfactory experiences. When we saw Maaike's work at a friend's home, we knew we'd met a truly talented professional. As a result of careful planning, NBI Design and their exceptional team of contractors executed the project with the least amount of disruption. Any problem (and there were very few) was just a situation to be calmly resolved. Thank you, Maaike, for a thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying collaboration."

 --- Barbara and Martin F., Los Gatos

"Thank you again for all of your help making our remodel happen. It was a pleasure working with you, NBI Design and your contractors. Your design for our kitchen has transformed not only the living space of our house, but also how we use it. As the project manager your oversight assured that all of the little details were taken care of, the construction went quickly and the end result was everything we dreamed of. You are a master at what you do and we look forward to working with you on our next home renovation project."

 --- Nanci P., San Jose

"I cannot speak too highly of Maaike Linnenkamp. She combines the knowledge, skills and artistic ability to turn any space into just what it should be for your needs and personality, and does it "green". Somehow she understood what would make my kitchen unique and reflective of me as well as functional, bright and comfortable. Then, as project manager, she made it happen presto-chango, organizing her team of contractors to the hour, being present to supervise, and best of all -- she is a perfectionist about quality and detail -- what could be better?"

 --- Lynn W., Los Gatos

"Maaike, it was a total pleasure to work with you. We tell all our friends and acquaintances that that was the best part of the whole remodeling experience. You were so attentive to every detail, starting with your detailed and tactful questions that got you acquainted with our personal habits, our needs, and our taste. You were so thorough,honest and so accurate about the cost and the time frame. Your talent as a designer coupled with your knowledge of every aspect of the construction, gave us total confidence in your judgement, and the end result proved it was warranted. You were so well organized! We loved that everything happened just on schedule as you had planned for it. 

We also admired your ability to work with people, and your choice of contractors and craftsmen — all were not only so skilled and capable but also a pleasure to have around. We admired that you chose your workmen with that in mind, and we enjoyed hearing you get along so well with them, and make requests so tactfully, that they were willing to stay late or come early as a favor to you. We know that you only bring in people who respect and take direction well, and also who get along well with each other, and what a difference that made. The atmosphere here during our eight weeks of construction was always congenial, and everyone not only worked efficiently, but in a well coordinated and cooperative spirit. We loved how detail-oriented you were, and how you were able to think about so many little details that made everything not only look so good, but also be so easy and comfortable to use. 

We loved the way you went about the planning and how easy you made the decision-making process by bringing us samples of tile, flooring, wood for cabinets, granite, paint color, etc. It saved us from hours of time and stress running around looking at too many places and samples. The choices you gave us were just right for decision making, so it wasn’t overwhelming for us.

Now our bathroom and living room are both not only gorgeous but also earth friendly, energy efficient, and easy to live in. The lighting is perfect for our needs, the color scheme and materials used are just right for our taste, and we enjoy them daily.

We have already recommended you to everyone who has seen our remodel, because all have asked for your name. From the minute people walk in our new front door they comment on how bright and light the entry way is ( you picked a door that fits perfectly with the architecture of this house, and found a way to create extra light with a window in the area above it.) Then when they walk into our living room and see the color, the soft lighting, and the fireplace treatment, they love it.

When they come upstairs to our new bathroom, they are really wowed by the amount of storage, the beauty of the cork floor, the natural tile, the stunning cabinetry , and the creative use of space. We ourselves are thoroughly enjoying the luxury, the beauty, the comfort, and the fact that it is so easy to keep clean! We are grateful to you every day!"

--- Lois and Rudy K., Los Gatos

"Maybe we could improve things some ... new carpet, we could paint the walls ... The old chair is comfy but the dog's been on it for five years now, so maybe a spiffy new chair. Even then, which carpet and where can we go to find it and which color should the walls be? Maybe a lamp, yes we could find that ... somewhere. Enter Maaike. She comes, asks some questions about how we live, sits there with her latte and looks around and comes up with an ingenious solution to everything. Don't get attached to that wall, it's going to go. New floors, doors, furniture, lights, niches, niches with lights - oh, it's so much fun! Did we mention lights? Maaike knows everything about lighting, you'll need a pick-up truck to bring over all her catalogs on lighting, but she'll narrow it down to a few and even we can choose from five - eventually, after a few more lattes. Maaike is the best you will ever find."

--- Kathy and Steve N., Los Gatos

"We felt deeply supported by Maaike in the transformation of our home. Our outdated 1920's cottage made poor use of lighting and windows, effectively cutting us off from the natural beauty all around us in our mountain setting. Maaike applied her instinctual knowledge of how to place windows, skylights and lighting systems to give our home life, natural light and connection to the great outdoors. She listened to our family's needs and helped us transform a funky office into our new dining room that is now the heart of family life and entertaining. Maaike also responded to our concerns about wanting to use the least toxic materials in our remodel. At every turn, she researched and coordinated the most environmentally and body friendly materials to use, making this a much easier remodel to live through.

Maaike's positive enthusiasm radiated from start to completion of our project and I can't imagine living through a remodel without her. She worked tirelessly on our behalf coordinating subcontractors and advocating for our needs. She has exquisite artistic taste and an infectious enthusiasm for the process of transforming homes.

Last but not least, when we look for someone to help us with something as personal as our home, I think it is important to have someone who is not only incredibly skilled but who truly cares as well. Maaike possesses this magical combination and we highly recommend her!"

--- Catherine C. and Brian W., Los Gatos

"Maaike is an interior designer and construction project manager who has mastered the equilibrium of beauty, form and function. She directed a small army of craftsmen and tradesmen to transform a functional but humdrum home office into a spectacular workplace, perfectly in tune with its surroundings in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

She has the vision and the perseverance that one needs to survive such a remodel. When unforeseen problems arose, as they always do, she was able to adjust and redeploy her resources so that the project advanced at a steady pace. We, of course, will work with her for all future projects"

---- Bonnie O., Los Gatos

"From creative design, quality in workmanship and timely execution, NBI design exceed every expectation. Maaike and NBI Design are absolutely the very best."

        --- Sally and John A., Los Gatos

"Maaike, I have never met anyone quite like you. You have treated my home as you would yours and poured yourself with heart and soul into remodeling my space. I think you have exquisite taste, a great sense of balance, and an open mind. You really think out of the box.

After many disappointing encounters with so-called professionals, I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with you. I really appreciate your integrity. What a combo! Who could ask for more? I love my “new” house, the tiling, kitchen, the different layers of lighting you designed. It all comes together. The colors are gorgeous, I keep walking through the spaces and enjoy every minute."

--- Mary Ann P., Santa Clara

"I have the most wonderful new kitchen, thanks to Maaike.  After seeing her work at the homes of two friends, I knew she was the person I needed for my kitchen remodel.  She completely understood my desire to keep the design compatible with my 30’s era house, yet have all the up-to-date conveniences.  Her suggestions for tile, countertops, light fixtures, cabinets, paint, and many other details were right on.  The construction couldn’t have gone more smoothly or quickly– never a glitch, no downtime, no surprises.  She employed only outstanding, top quality contractors.  In addition, she is totally honest, ethical and trustworthy.

In addition to her design and project management skills, Maaike was incredibly patient with me, as this was my first major remodel.  She was delightful to work with.   I can’t recommend her highly enough.  Every day (yes, every day!) I am thrilled with the new kitchen, and I am so glad I chose Maaike!"

---- Joyce K., Los Gatos