Client Feedback
Sandra Brannock, Owner, Expert Kitchen Designs, Virginia
Project Date: October 2020
Expert Kitchen Designs recently designed a major renovation of our kitchen. We couldn’t be happier with how it turned out! Given the pandemic, we are spending more time in our kitchen than we ever imagined. The kitchen has transformed our entire house – not only are we enjoying cooking in it, but it is truly a warm and inviting place to spend time in. We particularly admired Sandra’s planning and design process and are still marveling at how beautiful the Hickory Creek Cabinetry is. It is clear that she is a perfectionist and works to get every detail just right. We also greatly appreciated that while she gave many valuable suggestions throughout the process, she never tried to foist her own tastes on us but rather respected our own preferences as to layout and style. Sandra is very easygoing, kind and creative and truly a pleasure to work with.
Project Date: March 2020
Sandra has been a pleasure to work with on our kitchen/family room renovation. Her expertise is unsurpassed and we were impressed with her vision and attention to detail. Sandra helped us transform our space from “dated and awkward” to functional and beautiful. I trust Sandra completely. She has excellent taste and her consultations were invaluable — we feel lucky to have worked with her on our project and we couldn’t be happier in our new space.
— Shannon Higgnes
Project Date: February 2019
Project Price: $50,000 – $100,000
Absolutely loved working with Sandra at Expert Kitchen Designs! I couldn’t have found a better kitchen designer & person to work with. She has everything you would want in a kitchen/Bath designer. She is creative, pays attention to the minute details, listens to all your needs/desires, explains everything, is very responsive and to top it off, a wonderful person. Love my new kitchen and can’t wait to work with her again on future projects.
— Andrea Wessel
Project Date: January 2019
Project Price: $10,000 – $49,999
Sandra helped us through the whole process, with intelligent cabinet design and layout, all the while respecting our personality and needs. She fine-tuned down to the smallest detail, resulting in a harmonious color scheme, excellent efficient appliances, and tasteful integrity of design. Our new kitchen has become the centerpiece of our home, and our favorite place to be.
— Lorraine Duisit
Project Date: March 2019
Project Price: $10,000 – $49,999
Sandra at Expert Kitchen Designs has designed two kitchens and several bathrooms for me over the years, and I highly recommend her! She is artistic with her designs while maximizing usability, and she creates beautiful, extremely functional spaces. Her input in my most recent project has resulted in the most beautiful kitchen I have ever owned, and I’m am proud to live in it every day! Thanks for all the great work, Sandra! You’ll be my choice for kitchen and bath design forever!
— Norm Laudermilch
Project Date: September 2018
Project Price: $1,000 – $9,999
Sandra stepped in to take over a broken relationship with our previous contractor and was a great balance of personable and professional. She is meticulous and attentive and responsive — all the things you want in a kitchen designer. She was patient with us as we made what felt like endless rounds of decisions — and even when we were indecisive. She also has high standards, which was very helpful when she was at our house for the cabinet delivery, inspected each one, and sent back the few things that weren’t perfect. I also like that she’s as creative as you need her to be , while respecting that you want to stay true to the style of your home. I highly recommend Expert Kitchen Designs.
— Amy Muhlendorf
Project Date: September 2018
Project Price: $50,000 – $100,000
Sandra was wonderful to work with. She was very communicative throughout our process which is a huge plus. Sandra took the time to listen to us and learn what our needs and goals were with our kitchen renovation. She prepared several different design options for us before we settled on our choice. She helped us with our contractor selection and remained thoroughly engaged throughout the entire process, helping us out with selections and to resolve issues that arose. Most importantly we are THRILLED with the end product. We are truly happy with the space. I’d recommend Sandra to anyone that asked.
— Gregory Milans
Project Date: January 2018
Project Price: $50,000 – $100,000
When we contacted Sandra, I asked if she would be interested in “a small renovation project”. We wanted to explore creative ways to improve the kitchen and bathroom in our weekend getaway, a log home built in the ‘80s. I thought I knew the limitations of the space and was worried Sandra would turn away such a small project. Happily, and without hesitation, she agreed to meet us.
Sandra immediately recognized potential where we could only see problems. She helped us completely rethink the existing enclosed kitchen and small bathroom. Sandra’s design has given us an open island kitchen with greater storage than before and plenty of space for two cooks. Both the bathroom and kitchen harmonize with the natural materials we prefer and have a timeless, uncluttered esthetic we were looking for.
The project grew organically — Sandra was great, fun to work with and very patient. Both my husband and I are detail oriented and need time to research, discover, or visualize options. Sandra helped move us forward when we got stuck on decisions. We had the added benefit of getting to know Sandra’s husband, Guy Brannock, who was the contractor for the project. The two of them were a dynamo team both creatively and in terms of execution. We quickly learned to trust their experience and their judgment. Now our cabin is as lovely and functional as we had envisioned – a peaceful place for just the two of us and yet better than ever for hosting gatherings of friends and family.
— Ariane DuBois
Project Date: April 2018
Project Price: $50,000 – $100,000
This has been a wonderful experience. My newly designed kitchen is the best ever. It has all of the best features like the appliance cabinet, mixer lift and pot lid section. The cabinets are beautiful and well designed. The island is very large with an induction stove with a built in downdraft.
— Catherine Cowgill
Project Date: April 2018
Project Price: more than $100,000
Sandra was wonderful! She designed a wonderful kitchen. I could not envision her plan working but, I should have trusted her expertise. She squared off our kitchen making so much more room. The workmanship of the cabinets, the title work all came together to create a modern but warm kitchen. Why did I wait so long!
— Patricia Green
Project Date: October 2017
Project Price: $50,000 – $100,000
OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! Sandra Brannock is an amazing kitchen designer! We had a dream kitchen in mind and always wanted to have an island. Prior to meeting Sandra, we were told by several designers that having an island would be IMPOSSIBLE! We were recommended by our contractor to Sandra and she designed our DREAM KITCHEN!! She is so talented, so cutting edge and so imaginative!!! She was passionate about the project after retaining her and worked feverishly to make all of our details work well. Sandra reviewed how we use our kitchen, how we store things in our kitchen and what we do in our kitchen. She is truly a custom kitchen designer!!!! I have used many designers professionally in my work endeavors and in my home but Sandra stands leaps and bounds beyond anyone imaginable!!!! I was also appreciative of Sandra’s ability to respect our budget and work within our financial confines to deliver a beautiful design.
— Elliot Aleskow
Project Date: August 2016
Project Price: $10,000 – $49,999
Sandra did an amazing job helping us reimagine our first floor, including a brand new kitchen that opens up to the other spaces in our home. My main request was that the space looked very “natural” since we were changing the basic design of a traditional 1978 Colonial home. We were very impressed with the results!
Sandra was extremely patient as we went through multiple revisions of her plan, so we could incorporate everything we wanted to have and still stay within our budget. She was able to tell us “no” when we needed to hear it and was spot on with her recommendations. She was able to do this while also listening to us and learning about the things that we liked, from a design and finish perspective. Sandra’s professionalism shined through and she was consistently there to help us through the entire project, from design, through construction, to completion of the project.
— Rachel Simon
Project Date: August 2016
Project Price: $50,000 – $100,000
Sandra made good suggestions and also let me express my own tastes, which is not often the case in the decorating world. She will steer you in the right direction! She also went out of her way to help me stick to my budget. I would definitely use her again.
— Lynn Trundle
Project Date: August 2016
We really enjoyed working with Sandra. She is very responsive–always available to meet and prompt to return emails and calls. She is warm and engaging and genuinely cares about your satisfaction.
She did a great job of taking our vision and turning it into a great design and was very respectful of our budget. She’s open to feedback while being honest about her recommendations, all in a respectful and friendly manner. In all, the kitchen came out fantastic. We definitely recommend her!
—- Melissa DeAngelo, Reston, VA
Project Date: January 2016
Project Price: $10,000 – $49,999
We were very fortunate to find Sandra as our designer for our kitchen remodel. She designed an exciting functional space for us integrating my husband’s and my wishes but with much improved interest and creativity. We love the cutout she designed for our corner sink area. So attractive! It is a joy to work in our kitchen now!
Sandra is a natural problem-solver, she proved very attentive to our needs and responded to our questions in a very timely manner. We felt she was honest and direct in guiding us throughout the project – which made us feel confident with the outcome, even when we weren’t quite sure how a problem might be resolved. She was very professional as she worked alongside our own contractor. We would whole-heartedly recommend Sandra and her design services. —- Nancy Cruikshank, Warrenton, VA
Project Date: January 2016
Project Price: $50,000 – $100,000
After having had some time to not only admire the finished product, but to actually work in my new kitchen, I have even more to say about Sandra at Expert Kitchen Design and her design work. My husband and I were complete novices at big projects such as this. As a result, there were some rough patches in our communication which I believe was a learning experience for both of us. Us, in learning how this process works and Sandra in remembering that what is second nature to her is new to some and “you don’t know, what you don’t know.”
All throughout, Sandra extended the utmost in patience and understanding as we sometimes muddled through. When my feet would leave the ground at times, she would bring me back down. In the end, her authenticity and devotion to her gift wins out. This gift is being able to create a design that fits well in its surroundings, with beauty and function. For me, she created a feeling, not just a room. It is the design itself, right down to the last detail, that generates the feeling I was looking for in my kitchen. She knew the feeling was primary and the look was secondary. She also knew the importance of making that feeling last for the long haul, even after the honeymoon of a new kitchen is over.
Sandra worked with us and heard what we said. She changed some things but built the trust that was needed for us to follow her guidance when we would suggest something that she knew would compromise the primary goal. This is important because “you don’t know what you don’t know” and we could either do what we wanted, or listen to her advice. I am grateful already for not going with some of my initial ideas and following her “less is more” approach. She knew what she was talking about.
I don’t just love my kitchen, it may sound silly, but I have grown in-love with my kitchen. If not for the time, effort, talents, patience and knowledge of Sandra at Expert Kitchen Design, I am not sure I would know the difference between those two statements. I would highly recommend Expert Kitchen Design as well as her husband’s exquisite creative work as a contractor with Brannock Enterprises.
— Lynn Lauritzen, Jeffersonton, VA
Project Date: December 2015
Project Price: $10,000 – $49,999
My niece and I purchased a small country home in 2014. Our plan is to share expenses and to stay in our home as long as we can, maintaining our independence. We are both in our early 70s. Until 2014 we had lived on opposite sides of the country since the 1960s. We knew taking on a kitchen remodel would be a real challenge because we are still learning how to communicate and make decisions together. We definitely felt we needed a designer to help us meet this challenge.
We found Sandra and another designer online. After interviewing them we found we really liked the ease with which Sandra communicated with us and the action plan she provided.
As seniors we had certain requirements like replacing lower cabinets with drawers and not having the microwave over the stove. Sandra was able to address everything including increasing the lighting, creating a flow where two women can cook different meals at the same time, having everything in the right place, selecting paint colors and granite, and where to buy appliances on-line. Most importantly she chose the cabinet maker for us and acted as our agent with them. There were only two items on which the three of us initially couldn’t agree and I reminded myself and my niece that we had hired Sandra for her expertise. In both cases we were glad we took that leap of faith in her abilities.
On a personal level Sandra was wonderful to work with. She takes extreme pride in her work and is very professional. At the same time she has a delightful enthusiastic personality. As a professional she referred us to a contractor who did an excellent job, she was always on time for appointments and with deliverables, and she was always able to find solutions that were within our budget. In the end we have the loveliest kitchen either one of us has ever had.
— Rita and Carol, Culpeper, VA
Project Date: December 2015
Project Price: more than $100,000
My husband and I originally intended to design our kitchen ourselves, with some assistance from our contractor and a large commercial kitchen design center. We were knee deep into the project when we realized we were spending a large sum of money, were making major renovations to our home, and didn’t want to look back after and feel we had made any “mistakes”.
I sought out a designer primarily by searching online near my home. I found Sandra and her reviews were exceptional. I called her and she immediately got back to me and had absolutely no problem coming into the “middle” of the job, with knowledge and enthusiasm.
Despite being in the middle of the job, where Sandra was forced to work around appliances that were already purchased as well as plans already in place, she sat down with my husband and me to try to re-create our dream. Her design was absolutely perfect!
The cabinetry exceeds anything you could ever hope to see in a large “box” store and Sandra was there the entire way. She assisted with paint, met with us to pick out tile, anything we needed. While there were a few hiccups along the way (as with any project I am now learning), they were resolved and the end product is truly one of a kind.
We have 4 young children and the design was intended to work for all of us. We enjoyed both Christmas and New Years Eve with more than 35 people and our kitchen could not have worked better. There is an art to design which is a gift Sandra truly has. I hope others get to enjoy her work as well.
— Tammy Smith, Warrenton, VA
Project Date: November 2015
Project Price: $50,000 – $100,000
Sandra provided a complete makeover/renovation of our kitchen and master bathroom. Her designs yielded an open, modern and practical expansion of our kitchen. Additionally a rework of our bathroom that gave us a peaceful, Zen-like atmosphere that we both love.
Sandra’s suggestions in the choices for cabinetry, back splash tiles, wall tiles and floor tiles provided beautiful, subtle and still daring variations that fully complimented one another. Sandra also managed to deftly navigate the occasionally conflicted ideas of two individuals to help us reach our final selections. That is no mean feat.
Starting in November with wrap up in February of this year, we encompassed 3 long holiday weekends plus the blizzard of 2016 and through it all Sandra was there with hand-holding and reassurances. It has been quite an experience, one my wife and I are both are very happy about. Sandra was excellent, as was her suggested contractor, Mark McCormack of Compass Construction.
— Michael LaBrecque, Amissville, VA
Project Date: September 2015
Project Price: $50,000 – $100,000
We called Sandra knowing only two things:
- We desperately needed to update and renovate our kitchen, and
- All the moving parts and ‘unknowns’ are overwhelming.
The thought of hiring a designer sounded expensive and intimidating. We learned very quickly it was neither of those things, and it ultimately resulted in a living space which exceeded our expectations.
Sandra asked us initially about our style and our priorities for our new space. We thought we had an idea of what we wanted it to look like but lacked the vision for what was possible. Sandra brought that experience to us. In a series of visits to our home, she sat with us and listened, provided ideas, and quickly developed the concept based on our needs. She provided recommendations and assistance based on our lifestyle and budget and was available to us throughout the project to assist in selecting beautiful cabinets, countertops, fixtures, and tile. Sandra delivered a design tailored for our family’s needs and we cannot wait to host our family for the holidays in our new space.
— Jessica Janisch, Amissville, VA
Project Date: July 2015
Project Price: $10,000 – $49,999
Expert Kitchen Designs helped me plan and implement my kitchen renovation. This included 1) finding a qualified contractor, 2) planning a new picture window, 3) designing and acquiring new custom cabinets, and 4) selecting new associated items like the fan, the backsplash, the cabinet color, the wall color, the cabinet hardware, the sink, lighting fixtures, and the faucet.
I absolutely love the result – it is perfect – exactly what I wanted. Sandra did an excellent job balancing my budget concerns and my taste with her recommendations. I was very impressed with Sandra’s ability to see very subtle color variances. Picking the right colors was a major concern of mine, but her recommendations turned out perfect.
— Paula N., Delaplane, VA
Project Date: April 2015
Project Price: $10,000 – $49,999
I am delighted to recommend our Kitchen Designer, Sandra Brannock, of Expert Kitchen Designs, located in Amissville, Virginia. I found Sandra online and sent her an email . She called me that very morning and has continued to be responsive to our every need as the project has evolved.
We wanted to gut our 30 year old kitchen and were seeking guidance concerning the removal of a wall between the kitchen and dining room. Sandra promptly demonstrated her knowledge, her skill and her talents in the design of our new kitchen/dining room, improving the traffic pattern and relocating the pantry to improve the access. Included in our renovation was the installation of new flooring which extended from the kitchen throughout the entire upper level of our home.
Utilizing her keen eye for color and ability to visualize the finished product, she worked with us to identify the perfect floor given our environment and preferences. We have witnessed Sandra’s ability to recognize each client’s unique needs and financial constraints. She brings a creativity and flexibility to her work which makes her a pleasure to work with. We believe we made a good investment and wise decision in hiring Sandra Brannock, and we think you will feel the same should you choose her to improve the function and beauty of your kitchen and home.
— Sandra Fox, Warrenton, VA
Project Date: February 2015
I need to say that getting a designer was not on my radar, until doing a little research online. Finding Sandra in my home town was a very happy surprise. Then after meeting her and hearing her ideas, I was sure I was doing the right thing by using her services. Sandra listens to what you want. If you are willing to listen to her suggestions as well, and let them sink in, you will not be sorry. She thinks of things not even the contractor thought of. We ended up with a kitchen and master bath that have more room and airiness than before and more storage than before. Sandra in not only doing a job, She is making your house a wonderful place to be.
— Jan LaBrecque, Amissville, VA
I personally recommend Sandra Brannock to anyone considering a kitchen rework. Our project was changing out a tiny 1950’s era kitchen into a much larger, modern and charming home-hub with all thought-through conveniences. Her approach is to work with customers for learning their goals and then starting to develop the process of proposals. For each proposal, there were multiple options for review and analysis, with some presented via rather hi-tech computer-generated layouts of how setups would appear.
Sandra follows a mantra of “less is more” and although our kitchen is now huge, it always allows perfect performance from multiple workstations and for a very comfortable and welcoming feel for accommodating guests with the industry-standard spacing set up and locations that allow for seamless meal preparations, even when 20 guests are hanging out. Maybe her former life as a CPA provided her with the knowledge for the exactitude to recognize all potentially relevant best practices for set ups, but I think she has now found her true calling in working as an ally and “gentle leader” in helping customers to discover what works to create the kitchen of their dreams.
As an additional testament, several friends now refer to our kitchen as “their own” kitchen and get a charge out of using it to give it a try for producing great meals for us. I can’t guarantee that will occur with yours, but it is a welcomed result when it happens! — Tom Murray
The most valuable commodity anyone can give you is time. Sandra came as a referral from our contractor. After being with her for five minutes, I told her I knew she was the real deal- no drama, no attitude, and she knows construction. Sandra listened and guided, but did not corral us into a decision. We gave her a wish list based on magazines and books. She considered it, and came up with a solution that was more appropriate for the space and explained why using design intent. We are over the moon and it has the wow factor because of the thought behind the space. It is the crowning jewel of this restored Tudor. — Paul Paolini, Arlington, Virginia
Sandra Brannock of Expert Kitchen Designs is just that, an expert. She worked with us to redesign our tiny kitchen on a tiny budget. This was our first remodel project and I am not sure what we would have done had we not found her. Sandra is creative, attentive, timely, and has an eye for detail. She provided sound guidance and feedback on all decisions from appliances to toe kick drawers. We also were very appreciative that Sandra was always respectful of our tight budget. I think the thing I appreciate most about working with Sandra is that even though our project was on a smaller scale & budget, I always felt like I was her top client. Of all the decisions we had to make during this process, working with Sandra was the one I felt the best about. — C.M. Riley
Working with Sandra from Expert Kitchen Designs was such a great experience, I don’t know where to start! After doing a lot research online for our upcoming kitchen remodel, I came across Expert Kitchen Designs’ website. Other designers we had spoken with seemed to be very “cookie-cutter” and weren’t able to offer us any different ideas other than those we had presented to them. We were planning on removing walls and doing a major kitchen renovation. Sandra and I spoke on the phone about our project and she asked questions about how my husband and I work in the kitchen and other functional questions that other designers had not asked us before. In addition, we discussed budget right away and Sandra was sure to keep our budgetary constraints in mind throughout the project. She was able to hone in on specific details about our use of the kitchen (what appliances do you have, what do you want left on the countertops, where do you store your sheet pans, etc). These details allowed her to create a design that gives us a place for everything! She was able to advise us on appliances and even gave us a website to order them from at a great discount. She gathered pictures from us on kitchens we like and carefully listened to what was important to us. She understood our desire for a clean-lined, open concept, transitional kitchen right away. Due to the long distance between us and Sandra we communicated mostly via email and phone which worked out great for our busy schedules. This saved us time and energy as we could get answers to our questions or discuss our ideas right away. She provided blueprint layouts via email which we could then send to our contractor for feedback. We would review the layouts during conference calls with her. This allowed us to review every detail together before moving on to the next step. She presented us with ideas that we would never have thought of on our own while keeping our budget firmly in mind. Sandra was always available for questions and advice. She came out to the house twice and then we communicated almost daily before the start of the project. She left no stone unturned in the project planning and layout which resulted in a smooth remodel once construction began. Sandra has a very good understanding of construction and aesthetics and is able to blend them together. The quality of the cabinetry she provided is impeccable. Our contractor said they were “top of the line”. They far surpassed others we had looked at and were about the same cost. Sandra provided us with a kitchen layout that we never would have imagined, it is absolutely perfect! If we ever need to remodel another kitchen, we will be using Sandra without question. If you’re looking for someone to create your dream kitchen, contact Sandra at EKD! — Lisa Hurley
Sandra was brought in to finalize a preliminary design that we had made for our kitchen remodel. She provided valuable suggestions for modifications to enhance the layout of the kitchen. For example, our original plan had the refrigerator in one location and she recommended moving it to a different location to open up the space. She was supportive of our concerns, but still able to respectfully communicate her recommendations. We are 100% pleased with the location of the refrigerator and can’t even imagine the kitchen any other way.
Also, based on the budget we provided to Sandra, she was able to guide us toward extremely well-made, beautiful cabinets which we wouldn’t have found on our own.
We appreciated Sandra’s support throughout the process and would absolutely recommend her to others. — Jenny Gutierrez
Sandra designed our kitchen remodel. She was extremely helpful with her ideas and had a great vision for our space. Sandra was conscious of our budget which helped ease our remodeling jitters. She worked closely with us every step of the way, from the cabinet type, color and design down to the lighting and back splash tile. Our overall experience with Sandra was positive and I would not hesitate to use her again. — Suzanne Paul
We think most people admire new kitchens for the quality of the appliances and cabinets. Ours are great too. But the special payoff with the kitchen and butler’s pantry you designed for us is the floor plan and arrangement of all the facilities.
At Thanksgiving we had 15 at the table and eight of us worked on food prep. And yet there was almost no “getting in the way of each other.” We could all smoothly move around and get all those different dishes to the table warm and stress free.
We cook more often every week. It’s more fun. After a year of active use this kitchen/pantry still feels new. It can be a quick meal after work made easy. Or a lazy, long Saturday breakfast made romantic. Or bonding as a couple for a marathon dinner prep for friends. Or not leaving work at the cook top but still being able to see out the front window, back windows, side window and watch TV too.
True, we were stunned at first by how different your design layout was from what we had had for years. But we would advise all future clients of yours to seriously ponder any surprising changes you may recommend. The radical changes opened up a cramped space without stealing space from other rooms or expanding the house — heaven forbid! With only trivial adjustments to the original plan you gave us a culinary factory that feels alternately like a limo or a touring car. We could not be happier.
OK. Back to the cabinets. They are elegant, sturdy, and fully functional. We would choose exactly the same for everything whether spice rack, large space for large pots, display for fine glassware, useful space under sink or cook top, or making the most of cold corners. We are glad we got them through you as well. Thank you! – Debbie Barthello and Mike Dillon
