Testimonials

Lisa is a visionary. We hired her to redo our kitchen and ended up not only with a gorgeous, organized, spacious, extremely functional kitchen, but we feel like we have a new house! Our home is from the 1920s, but with a mid-Century modern feel. Lisa looked at our home and created a unique and modern space, that blends effortlessly with the feel of our home. Her design choices are spectacular, and she came up with ideas that would have never occurred to us, but once implemented created a beautiful space for us to live, entertain and cook. The crews she uses to implement her vision are excellent. True craftsman and hard working. From the general contractor to the tile and counter crew and everyone in between! We started with the kitchen but ended up improving other parts of our home as well. All with Lisa guiding us. Lastly, Lisa and her staff were available and very responsive to our needs, calls, emails, you name it. THANK YOU, LISA!

From start to finish with our kitchen and bathrooms, it was a pleasure working with Lisa. She is an artist who approaches every aspect with an artistic eye, but is as efficient as an architect and engineer in her execution on getting the work done. We’ll definitely be using her for our next project.

Thank You Lisa along with your team of experts for creating another dream kitchen with atrium. Once again, You have breathed new life into my world. My guests (including myself) feel like we are living inside of a gorgeous piece of artwork! Forever grateful for your wisdom, focus on wellness, intuition, vision and love of timeless beauty. There is no one else like you!!!

Lisa is a true master of design, she redesigned our kitchen, bathrooms and entire home, creating incredible spaces that are both beautiful and highly functional. Our highly technical home design required a true expert. Lisa’s creativity, attention to detail, smart space planning and ability to blend style with practicality resulted in a kitchen and home design that exceeded all my expectations. She is professional, creative and a true pleasure to work with – Lisa created our dream home and we cannot wait to work with her again!

Lisa and the team at Kitchens on Montana are exceptional! From the initial consultation to the final reveal, they provided thoughtful design solutions and top-notch craftsmanship. Lisa was attentive to every detail, offering personalized recommendations that brought my vision to life. The process was smooth and stress-free, and the end result exceeded expectations. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a dedicated and skilled professional!

Lisa is the consummate professional. She has her finger on the pulse of every aspect of kitchen design. Kitchens on Montana did our first remodel 20 years ago and I always knew when the time came we would go back to her. Our new kitchen has just been completed and exceeded our expectation, thanks to her insightful recommendations and expertise. I will add that I really appreciated the fact that she didn’t try to talk me out of my original vision (black floors) but worked tirelessly to find exactly what I wanted. If anyone desires an enjoyable kitchen remodel – RUN, don’t walk to Kitchens on Montana.

In this very competitive market, Kitchens on Montana was a great find for me. Lisa is absolutely incredible in kitchen design, layout, and guiding you through the entire process. She gives you a list of contractors to interview and the one I chose was just fabulous. Lisa is very involved with the entire process and helped me design the kitchen and den of my dreams. Look no further as I am absolutely thrilled with every detail from start to finish!!!! It was a great experience working with Lisa and her fantastic team!!!!

Lisa is amazing. She turned our very ordinary kitchen into a showplace. Her eye for layout is spot on and her design sense is excellent. She helped us pick out beautiful materials which exceeded our expectations once they were installed. Lisa is very professional. She fulfills every promise and follows up on any loose end. Our kitchen remodel was part of a complete home remodel. We love every new room but our kitchen the crown jewel!

Our house had been destroyed in the 1994 Northridge earthquake and we were forced to rebuild and that is when we first met Lisa. We knew nothing about rebuilding, let alone designing a kitchen. We happened to walk by a small kitchen remodeling store in west Los Angeles. We were drawn in to the store by one of the display kitchen setups. It was simply amazing and we knew we had to have it for our rebuilt house. That amazing kitchen was designed by Lisa, in the early years of her career. She took that design and made it even better in our rebuilt house and that kitchen truly become the center for most of our activities for more than 25 years. Fast forward to 2022 and we are moving to a new home. It is an older home and needed to be remodeled, particularly the kitchen and bathrooms. We immediately thought of Lisa and tracked her down to Kitchens on Montana in Santa Monica. She took on our new project without hesitation and has created three beautiful bathrooms and the kitchen of our dreams. Lisa is special not only because of her creativity, eye for beauty, good taste and ethics…she also has attracted amazing artisans and resources that assist her in making her visions come to life. The quality of her work and the work of those she chooses to assist her in creating her visions is top drawer. You will never regret working with Lisa.

Lisa was the primary designer and consultant for my new kitchen done in 2020. She did an absolutely wonderful job along with the contractor of her choice. I fall in love with my new kitchen every single day, thanks to Lisa. I highly recommend her. She is lovely!

Lisa is a star! I feel fortunate to have found her. Lisa is a true designer, she looked at my space and immediately knew what needed to be done, she can see through walls As she says.

During the entire project I felt that she was all in as though she was designing her own kitchen. What really makes her valuable is her good taste, everything she chooses has elegance.

My project is now complete, and I am thrilled with the results.

If you’re looking for a first-rate operation, Kitchens On Montana is it. It’s owner, Lisa Steinbach Schecter, is the ultimate professional and is talented beyond words.

She is a perfectionist, very detail-oriented and all of the people she works with are top in their fields.

My husband and I are so in love with our new kitchen; it is not only beautiful, but functional and efficient.

We are so happy we chose Kitchens On Montana to create our dream kitchen.

We love, love our kitchen. I new remodeling while living in the house would be difficult but Lisa and her team made it such a great experience.

Everyone showed up when they said they would, helped u us with decisions.

Lisa gave us lots of options to think about and the kitchen turned out to be absolutely beautiful. I would highly recommend working with Lisa and her team.

It was a great experience.

Jill Robinson
Jan 2021

We love our new kitchen ~ especially our beautiful cabinets.

Lisa was such a pleasure to work with. Her contractor and tradespeople were all top notch and professional.

She understood what we were looking for, was respectful of budget, kept the project on time, and ultimately delivered a kitchen that we truly enjoy.

Top notch designer and proprietor of Kitchens on Montana, Lisa Schecter brings 30 years of experience to every project.

My wife and I met Lisa in 2004 when she remodeled a neighbors kitchen and it turned out great. After 10 years of living with a kitchen that neither of us liked, we elected to move forward in updating our long time family home.

That effort included a complete new kitchen / breakfast nook, along with minor tie-ins to the dining room and guest bath and service areas.

The look and quality of the cabinets appears today to look as contemporary and current as a kitchen completed in 2020. Fast forward, in 2018 we purchased a “small” but special ocean view condo on Ocean Ave in Santa Monica.

Knowing that we still loved the kitchen Lisa designed and completed 15 years earlier, there was no reason to meet with anyone else other than Lisa Schecter.

We met at the condo and shared our vision of bringing the outside in, lots of open spaces, using only natural materials and keeping all elements simple and basic . Lisa was able to execute exactly what we wanted. Looking back over the project now that it has been completed a year and we are now living full time in a small space, I have even more appreciation of Lisa’s skill set. Simple things like using a high gloss finish on a buffet cabinet or using horizontal grain rather than the vertical grain on a floating master bath sink set up make the difference between something common versus something special. Another example is Lisa’s choice in cabinet hardware, sounds simple but it makes or breaks the entire effort…

Lisa’s work on the condo project, completed in 2019, involved a demo plan, new floor plan, lighting plan and countless hours working with my wife in getting the interior cabinetry just “right”.

Most building projects experience one problem or another… and our project was no exception. This is where Lisa’s personality and experience pays off…

Lisa stood ready to make whatever the issue right. No matter what the issue, Lisa’s underlying goodness shines through.

In closing, anyone considering updating their kitchen or bath will not be disappointed in working with Lisa. She is a delightful person with a skill set to make it all happen.

David M. Santa Monica

Top-notch from start to finish. We walked in to Kitchens on Montana last spring with only the vaguest idea of what we wanted. Lisa Schechter visited our condo, listened to our requirements, then translated them into a stunning kitchen. There were several consultations and reviews of drawings and elevations. Our old kitchen had a lot of problems: minimal counter space, dated appliances, dark cabinets and floors that made it seem like a cave, poorly laid out storage, and common condo walls that limited wholesale reconstruction. Lisa’s plan resulted in a 50 percent increase in counter space, vastly increased storage and cabinetry, augmented lighting, and countless small touches that improved the kitchen’s usability. Her recommendations for countertops, backsplash, lighting, a new floor, and cabinetry were just what we wanted. When people who knew the previous kitchen see the new one, they literally gasp in delight.

A word needs to be said about the subcontractors. All of them were licensed and bonded, friendly, and had a can-do attitude. They were conscientious about the disruption, execution, and cleanup. They did not stop until we were satisfied.

Our new kitchen is a huge improvement over what we had, and we truly believe that nothing short of moving would result in something better. Demolition started in late August, appliance installation was in October, we were able to cook by Thanksgiving, and we were completely done before Christmas.

Recommended without reservation.

Lisa is a consummate professional and artist with energy to spare, respect for the client’s taste, budget, and time, and an extraordinary flair for design and materials. She quickly understood how to bring my old, mold-ridden kitchen and master bath into the 21st century. She created abundant storage in both rooms. The ergonomic design of the kitchen makes meal preparation easy and efficient. The master bath has a luxurious, spa-like tub and shower, polished nickel fixtures, and different levels of lighting. Both rooms fill me with joy the moment I enter them.

Her plumbers, electricians, tile workers and cabinet makers are first rate, responsible, on time, and polite. They pay attention to details and fix what needs fixing, sanding, straightening, etc. I could go on and on but will end by saying that she will transform your kitchen and bath into beautiful spaces.

You will be thrilled to have chosen Kitchens on Montana for your projects.

When getting ready to do a full remodel of our kitchen, from top to bottom. we searched and met with many designers. We only wish we met with Lisa of Kitchens on Montana first, it could have saved us so much time. Because of the complexity of what we were doing, we knew we needed someone that not only could provide us with great ideas, but could also share with us people she had worked with and trusted to implement those ideas. Lisa, was there every step of the way. She spent time working with us to incorporate all of what we envisioned as our dream kitchen.

We began with cabinets and went in a myriad of directions from there. She found the perfect contractor, who did an amazing job for us, appeared like magic every day and made it all look easy.

She even took the time to take us personally to several stone houses until we found our perfect countertop.

In conclusion, take our advice and go to Lisa first, you’ll be very glad you did.

Al & Virginia Ovadia
Calabasas, California

I’m so happy I went to Kitchens on Montana. Putting in a new kitchen was a very big deal for me because I had waited over 10 years for it. Lisa was so helpful with everything right from the start.

I loved the displays in her shop and I picked one very similar with a different color lower and upper cabinets. She helped me with everything, the color of the wood floor, the pulls, the custom hood, the stone, literally everything.

I absolutely love my kitchen. Thank you Lisa.

Lisa was fabulous to work with! I’ve since done a second kitchen and bath project with her.

She’s got a very creative eye, incredible attention to detail, follow thru without ever having to be nudged, a constant eye on the budget, and integrity and backup at the highest level!

I unequivocally recommend Lisa for your next project.

I hired Lisa and KOM to create my dream kitchen after walking by her beautiful showroom on Montana Ave in Santa Monica, CA.

Lisa was very professional and helped me to execute re-modeling my entire kitchen and 2 bathrooms.

She was great to work with, mindful of my budget and I would use her and KOM again plus recommend her to family and friends!!

We had a sudden and horrible burst pipe incident which trashed our kitchen and needed to act quickly to replace it. We had heard great things about Kitchens on Montana and after researching LA Kitchen design places, we decided to go with them. We are really happy with our beautiful new kitchen.

It is beyond our expectations from an aesthetic and practical perspective. Lisa and her creative team Jim and Sarah used their superb talents to dream into existence the best possible use for our space.

We appreciated the personal touch at such a stressful time, dealing with Insurance and also redesigning the space might have been a nightmare, but they calmed our nerves and supported us through to the other side.

We are delighted with the functionality and all of the upgrade details that they thought of that truly transformed a formerly lovely space into our dream kitchen.

We highly recommend them.

Lisa and the staff who works with her couldn’t have been more wonderful. Lisa is a warm, incredibly creative and very knowledgeable kitchen designer.

She came up with a spectacular design and executed it with barely a hitch. Her support staff were lovely, knowledgeable and very accommodating and supportive.

The result of this spectacular design was a “WOW”that caused mouths to drop.

We are loving it!!

I had a very professional, & creative experience with Lisa—Kitchens on Montana owner & force.

Lisa is soooo knowledgeable with all the Kitchen cabinetry & surfaces!

It was a thorough education so I could make wise purchases from kitchen equipment to kitchen surfaces.

It’s always nice to be in such creative & competent hands—with an Eye on time & budget—

I have have worked with Lisa and her team on multiple projects including a very special home at Beverly Park in Beverly Hills. Lisa pays such close attention to every detail and is so involved from start to finish making sure that the contractors all get everything where and how it needs to be to avoid mistakes and delays.

She has amazing ideas, solutions and finishes to bring to the table. What I love most about working with the Kitchens On Montana team though is their integrity.

They do what they say when they say they will do it and with the highest quality in product and installation.

Lisa at Kitchens on Montana really knows her stuff!

We’ve done 3 complete kitchens with her, ranging from Modern to Mediterranean.

They have all turned out beautifully.

Lisa is a fabulous person to work with. I am now remodeling a second home with her.

My first experience was so wonderful that I would not work with anyone else. She listens to what I want and goes beyond my ideas! Lisa is very professional.

Her work is top quality and she can do everything.

It is one stop shopping, which takes so much stress off of me.. she is always on top of everything and meets every deadline.

I love working with her.

 

I had a terribly outdated kitchen and even cooking in there was depressing. When my husband and I (who agree on absolutely NOTHING) went to see Lisa, she asked a lot of questions (What did I really hate? Was there anything I liked about the kitchen? What did I envision as my “dream kitchen”? We took down the wall between the kitchen and dining room and opened it up so that it’s light, bright and cheery. Lisa guided us every step of the way, making suggestions, but being gracious when we had some particular ideas.

The result: a spectacular traditional kitchen with a touch of modern. I even predict it will not look dated in 15 years. Lisa promised that everyone who saw it would have “kitchen envy” and she was right. It is truly spectacular and I love being in there. I happen to be a serious cook and it’s a pleasure to putter away in there. Our original budget was not realistic and we had to increase it, but that was our choice based on some of the design decisions we made.

Lisa kept her part on track and the cabinetry was exactly what she said it would be. We had plans drawn up by an architect, but Lisa made some adjustments that had she not caught would have been awkward (dining room chairs bumping into the island chairs!) Some of the cabinetry details were things I would never have thought of, but Lisa did and it made all the difference.

She also made some great referrals (appliances, contractor, etc.) and frankly, we could not be more pleased. I would recommend Lisa in a heartbeat…and I have!

We’ve been super happy with the quality of work from KOM. They really understand what it takes to create a beautiful kitchen and bathroom. They’re very easy to work.

Interviewing multiple designers for our kitchen, my instinct instantly drew me to Lisa. Her innate sense of distinction and style carried through in her work. I am relieved to say that my intuition lead me well! Upon the completion of our model kitchen, we requested her expertise on our master bathroom. Both have become high-end highlights that we are immensely proud to showcase.

We felt comforted by her insight in both the aesthetic and technical aspects of design, and her ability to pull from a catalogue of luxurious and emerging designers and material, a broad swath of tastes and designs. On site, she patiently spoke our language as clients with a vision, and without missing a moment, seamlessly transitioned into a dialogue with our contractors, outlining succinctly what she anticipated in quality and measurements. Her sharp eye for detail caught quite a number of issues from the contractor, and she motivated the project back on track. Her communication skills were superb and left a lasting impression on me.

Finally, after all was completed, Lisa remained thoughtful and present, offering her guidance through the final touches and last minute issues.

Truly one of a kind. An incredible designer. Dealing with multiple vendors for nearly a year, she was and remained our most reliable and professional voice of reason.

Kitchens on Montana designed and supervised the construction of our new kitchen. We are thrilled with the final results and were equally satisfied with the design and supervision services provided by Kitchens on Montana. After hearing everyone’s horror stories about their own kitchen remodel, ours came in on time and on budget!

By the way, Kitchens on Montana recommended the contractor we used for the construction phase and we were equally happy with him and his crew (and subs) as well. Completely satisfied in all phases! Amazing!!

Lisa at Kitchens on Montana has over the course of the last few years done total remodels on my 3 bathrooms as well as redecorated my living room, breakfast room and currently my master bedroom. All 3 bathrooms are beautiful, creative and efficient. me She has a vision which is fresh and innovative. Her taste in decorating is impeccable.

Unfortunately she wants only the best for me and costs have been more than I expected. After you have seen top of the line merchandise, nothing else compares. She tried to cut some savings, but beautiful things aren’t cheap. She definitely listened to my likes and dislikes and “got me” immediately.

My only negative is that there were some time delays that I didn’t expect because Lisa has a lot going on. The fact that I have used her 3 times and continue to use her speaks volumes.

We continuously refer clients to Kitchens On Montana as we have heard nothing but great feedback about their service and cabinetry.

Lisa Schecter at Kitchens on Montana was a Godsend to me. I had just bought my first home, and the kitchen and two bathrooms had to be gutted. I thought I had an idea about what I wanted to do, as both my parents are home builders and I’d had some experience watching them work growing up.

Lisa took my ideas, and without making me feel like she was throwing them out, came up with much more inspirational ideas that still had the essence of “me” in them.

From the Belmont cabinets to the Quartz counters to the incredible backsplash (which she convinced me to wallpaper around the kitchen window to spectacular effect), every single detail in my new kitchen (and bathrooms) is part of a whole concept. That is what I really admire about Lisa. She has a complete vision.

Thanks to this vision, I smile every time I open my front door. It is truly a pleasure to come home.

Lisa also has a contacts list of contractors and subs who are not only artists in their own right, but are friendly, approachable and reliable. She made this easy for me.

I don’t know what I’d do without Lisa and her team, including Sima and Jim. They are a one of a kind operation. It’s no wonder they’ve stayed in business so long where others have failed. I can’t say enough good things about Kitchens on Montana.

As soon as I can use them again, I will.

Lisa contacted us because she needed some wallpaper installed in her showroom and in a client’s bathroom. We were able to schedule and complete both projects with no complications. It was great working with her, and we look forward to helping her on any other projects she has

LIsa did an amazing job remodeling our kitchen. It’s better than we ever imagined. Lisa came to our house and carefully drew up a few detailed plans to choose from. She really listened to what it was we were looking to get from the remodel and tailored it to our priorities. The kitchen has always been a focal point in our home, so we really wanted something fabulous. The design, the construction, and all the details worked out beautifully. What’s more, the kitchen is super functional, so we have a lot more cabinets and counter space than before. If we had to do again, we’d definitely choose Lisa and Kitchens on Montana. She’s talented, has great up-to-date ideas, attentive, and a lot of fun to work with.

Kitchens on Montana are simply the best! Lisa designed our kitchen in 1992 and then last year we did a complete remodel. Her designs and professionalism are second to none. We have been thrilled with all her work and would hire her again in a heart beat.

We highly recommend Lisa from ‘Kitchens on Montana’! We hired Lisa after her name came up repeatedly throughout showrooms in the greater Santa Monica area as we sought recommendations for a top-tier home designer. Working with Lisa was delightful, professional and successful. Lisa listened to our desires, visited our home and transcribed a vision into working architectural plans. We used Lisa initially for her custom kitchen and master bath design services. Lisa’s extensive experience understood the needs of our area, climate and design style. Lisa supplied us with appropriate contractors, cabinet manufactures, floor, stone and appliance installers, and lighting and furniture retailers. Lisa guided our often overwhelming choices to create a cohesive space in a timely manner and within our budget. As a designer, Lisa walks the walk and talks the talk.

Lisa fluently speaks the language of a true professional. One notable example was during bath tile selection. Lisa verbalized descriptive adjectives of the style and look we desired. Within a few minutes the tile supplier pulled available and beautiful tile samples that fully achieved Lisa’s (and our) hoped for design expression. How Lisa does that just amazes us. Working with Lisa saved time, money and frustration, and gave us fabulous results!

Achieving great results in our older building did have some surprises along the way. Lisa calmly approached any dilemma with her mantra, “There are no problems, only opportunities for creative solutions.” Lisa solved all problems and delivered a home our family will enjoy for years to come. We give Lisa from ‘Kitchens on Montana’ a top five star rating and our highest recommendation.

Lisa is a highly proficient kitchen designer. She is experienced with high end remodeling and has an impressive portfolio. She is up-to-date on all the latest trends in kitchen design and is fully versed in the availability of materials and contractors. But what I appreciated most was how Lisa worked with my wife and I. LIsa listened carefully to what our desires were and asked many clarifying questions. She ‘drew-out’ our views on both broad and detailed design elements. She made us feel comfortable when some ideas just needed more time to mature. Lisa is most pleasant to work with. She insured that we felt like the customer and always in ultimate control – and that she needed to earn our trust. As she presented initial concepts our confidence in her skill and creativity soared, and that our trust in her would be rewarded in the final product. And it was! We wanted a ‘wow!’ kitchen and we now have exactly that. Finally, renovation is a complex business and things never go 100% to plan. When anything would go astray she would calmly say “The are no problems, just creative solutions”. And she always managed to find an answer and then insist our contractor make it happen. 5 stars for Lisa and Kitchens on Montana…..with deep appreciation.

Lisa designed our kitchen and great room. Great results start with meticulous planning and Lisa is a master. She’s an artist and brings an artistic sensibility to create spaces that are art that we live in. She listens, she asks the right questions, she grasps the tiniest nuances. She learned everything about how we live every day, how and who we entertain, how our dogs live in the house, what colors speak to us, and more. Her plans were so complete and detailed that the contractor (someone Lisa has worked with for years) had no questions and permits were a breeze to get. All materials were ordered, received and stored locally before demolition began. There were NO DELAYS during construction. The estimated completion time was 3 – 4 months for the kitchen and another month for the great room. We completed everything (kitchen and great room) in 3 months to the day. And what a result it was. We are thrilled. It is more than a great looking room, it has changed the energy of our home. It has transformed our living experience. Lisa is simply the best.

The kitchen Lisa made us is absolutely beautiful! My wife loves, loves, loves it!!! She has global experience, exquisite taste, artistic master skills and a heart filled with sincere focus in order to achieve your vision. We just couldn’t be happier with the work she did.

Exceeded our expectations!!! Lisa and her dedicated staff of design professionals at Kitchens on Montana (KOM) were a delight to work with from the first moment my wife and I stepped into her lovely showroom on Montana Avenue, in Santa Monica, CA. My wife shared some magazine photos of kitchens she liked, Lisa visited our home to get a sense of our space and kitchen life-style, and Lisa and her team prepared 2-3 wonderful and creative initial design concepts for our review. Wow! Lisa and her team are certainly “kitchen design professionals”, with their clear understanding of building construction and which designs will be easy to implement in the existing space and which designs will require some level of construction renovation. With absolutely no pressure from Lisa or her staff to select any one of the initial design concepts, we carefully weighed the design, function, and total projected costs of all her initial designs with Lisa’s insights, before selecting a final design concept that we had Lisa and her team completely layout and cost. My wife and I selected a design that fit within our existing space and did not require moving any walls. We also selected a “mid-price” range of cabinets from the very wide-range of cabinet manufactures KOM represents. (my wife and I are both working parents, and we did not have an “unlimited” kitchen remodeling budget) Lisa arranged for two (2) different kitchen construction specialists to visit our home and provide firm quotations to build the kitchen of Lisa’s design, and we arranged for one (1) contractor to bid as well. Both of Lisa’s contractor’s submitted lower and much more detailed bids then the contractor we invited to bid. We selected one of Lisa’s contractors Ariel Construction, who completed the project on-time and on-budget. (we certainly had no design or construction snafus on our project) In addition to Lisa’s great depth of design experience and expertise, my wife and I feel Lisa’s true and unique talent is understanding and working with colors as would a renowned artist. Lisa worked tirelessly with my wife and the cabinet manufacture to prepare the perfect color/glaze/finish on our cabinets that highlight/complement the other design elements in our kitchen (countertops, floors, walls, appliances) delivering a truly phenomenal forward kitchen design with a spirit and soul my wife and I both love! See for yourself–click on this link to see photos of the lovely kitchen Lisa and her staff at KOM designed and built for us

Lisa is an awesome designer that produced some of the best kitchen projects in all of LA. She partners with the best manufactures and creates one of a kind designs for all of her clients. She is a sweet heart that I have been honored to work with.