Carol and her team are the ultimate professionals. Immediately after our initial meeting, her team produced a design concept that was exactly what I wanted to achieve with my master bath remodel. She helped me through each step of the design, selection and ordering of surfaces and fixtures, and gave me pointers for hiring the contractor. Carol also understood my desired level of involvement, and the project turned out to be a terrific team effort. We definitely will work together on future projects!
Cathy Aaron, Read it on Houzz.
Carol has helped us on several projects over the last few years. Most significantly she helped us with the entire remodel of our home. Carol is easy to work with, taking into account budget, quality and lifestyle. She has a magnificent eye for color, texture, lighting, etc. She’s timely, efficient and considers variety of factors before recommending anything including different views but also budget limitations. Everything she does is with enthusiasm and care.

Overall, Carol is an excellent professional that I enjoyed working with and highly recommend.

Debbie Alster, Read it on Houzz.
Carol has a very good eye for color and design. Though, her experience, passion and enthusiasm is what I found to be the most memorable. Our family is very pleased with Carol’s work and more than satisfied with the end results of our project.
Carol has assisted us on several projects and was extremely helpful in guiding us with some key decisions for our home remodel. It was a large scale project involving bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchen, family room and dining room. Carol has a keen eye for color, space and design. She is able to anticipate considerations I would never think of. Carol always keeps in mind what my style and motif preferences are without letting her own preferences influence her recommendations. She is a true professional who knows the lines she carries very well and takes into account value and keeping costs down, plus she is very pleasant and a lot of fun to work with! We would not hesitate to work with her again and highly recommend her to others!
Cindy Thompson, Read it on Houzz.

I had the pleasure of working with Carol and her colleague, Kelly, on a Master Bedroom remodel. Within the first couple meetings, Carol paired me with Kelly as she felt our styles would be similar – she was right! The project included some simple aesthetics – like new bedding and wallpaper – but also some built in cabinetry to create an office nook and gorgeous new drapes! I learned so much about how drapery can really change a room! Carol and Kelly were both very responsive and attentive to our project. I was relieved to have them help with this project as we welcomed our second daughter only a month after completion. I was so grateful to have a gorgeous mater bedroom to lounge in during those early newborn days. Thank you Carol and Kelly!

Carol helped me to create and obtain my dream bathroom. It was a tiny main bathroom which, initially, I was reluctant to change much. Through her guidance and vision, I trusted her design of gutting the shower and removing the soffit and instead putting in all glass shower walls with a pony wall. She supported my choices for floor and wall tiles. She even suggested placing grass-cloth wallpaper on one accent wall and hanging a custom made mirror on it which I love, love, love.
Probably the most helpful thing she did was hook me up with a reputable contractor, since I did not have one picked out on my own. She has worked with him for years and knew he would do a wonderful job. Yes, he delivered!!

The bottom line is that I love my bathroom and feel utter bliss and zen when I am in it. And I could not have done it without Carol’s help. I recommend her design company to anyone contemplating a home remodel project. You will be elated!! And it’s fun.

My wife and I just completed an extensive Master Bath Remodel. We could not have done it without Carol as our designer. Our existing master was old had 1950’s glass block walls in the shower. old Formica counters and cabinets. My wife and I have opposing tastes, so we desperately needed a designer. Carol took us under her wing, (even found us an excellent contractor!) Carol was extremely pro active. Whether we were meeting to go pick out cabinets, tile, hardware etc. Carol had already been to the shop and had several samples already there for us to compare. Her taste and her eye are impeccable. She always steered us in the right direction. My wife and I trusted her taste, and ended up being more comfortable with her eye than ours. The end result is an incredible new master bathroom we are extremely pleased with. We give Carol and her firm the highest recommendation.

When my husband and I starting planning our kitchen remodel, we had a definite vision. We had never used a designer before, and although we were not new to the home renovation process, this remodel was much larger than anything we had previously done. This time, we wanted to hire a professional to get reassurance and affirmation on our kitchen design and finishes. Carol did an outstanding job! She really helped guide me through the entire process. I came to her with many ideas of my own. She listened to those ideas and confirmed when they made sense and guided me when they did not. But more importantly, she assisted me when I struggled making a decision. Carol is a complete professional and really understands her clients. She was there when I needed her while still understanding that I wanted to be involved in every aspect of the process and needed guidance more than anything. Carol was a pleasure to work with. I would not hesitate to work with her again.

Carol has been my decorator for many years. She is the ultimate professional and a joy to invite into your home with her exciting ideas. Carol listens carefully, making sure she understands what you want and offers many options until, together, you find what works for you. Year after year, working with Carol has been one of my most delightful experiences. She is an expert at making your house beautiful, but is also expert at ensuring, when she is done, your house remains a warm and inviting “home”.

Gail Sault, Read it on Houzz.

Carol , owner of First Impressions, has a very keen eye for being able to coordinate colors, shapes and size. Carol was invaluable ; she has a great network of vendors. It made us confident that we received the very best selection of products; we never had to settle for something less.

Rick Doerr, Read it on Houzz.

We recently completed a whole house remodel and add-on. It was a very large project for us, one that would take 9 months of construction. We hired some amazing people to make this dream happen. Carol Christenson of First Impressions in Walnut Creek was our designer and decorator. Carol was highly recommended by other homeowners who had worked with her on their projects. She has a wealth of knowledge and a keen sense of style on all levels. Her sense of “what goes with what” is remarkable. I was so pleased with how easy it was to work with her, and how she was able to understand what we were looking to accomplish. It’s obvious Carol loves what she does and pours her heart and talents into her projects. She works tirelessly and was always available to us. Steve Ross of Distinctive Cabinetry did many preliminary architectural designs for us, as well as designed all our cabinetry throughout our house, in bathrooms, laundry room, family room, kitchen. He too has a remarkable knowledge of fine woodworking, cabinet design, finishes, fixtures, etc. Carol and Steve work well together and we were lucky to have found such an amazing team to help us with our dream house. If you are looking for a professional yet easy fun team to help you design your next project, we couldn’t recommend them more highly.

Robert Mustane, Read it on Houzz.

Recently, we made the decision to have our master bath and bedroom remodeled after 35 yrs. over the years we have known Carol and had her help us with the decorating in both the living room and family room. Having remodeled the kitchen eight yrs ago, we thought this project would be much easier.

Although the kitchen was a major project, the master bath and bedroom are much more personal areas where one goes to relax and unwind. This project involved taking some of the linen closet space so that we could make our shower larger. That meant taking all items out of closet to be stored in other bedrooms. My husband wanted a walk in closet so all clothes had to be emptied out of each other’s closets.

This also meant sharing our other smaller bathroom with my husband, not an easy task for two people. We couldn’t have managed this without an excellent contractor and his great team and certainly not without Carol’s expertise. Carol has a gift of pulling every detail together with a great eye for color and the ability to listen to our ideas and know the colors that we like.

Thanks Carol, we never could have done this project on our own. The end result is gorgeous, we will enjoy it for years to come. The contractor you suggested, Jim Davidson and his crew were a pleasure to have in our home, they were amazing! I would certainly recommend them with their ability to work quietly, meticulously and dependability. They have done an outstanding job with attention to detail the bathroom and walk in closet are fine examples of their work!

Diane Preas, Read it on Houzz.

Carol Christenson of First Impressions helped us on a big Master Bath and closet remodel, as well as refreshing our Master Bedroom with new paint colors, carpet and window treatments. From start to finish, she was fantastic and very fun to work with. Being new to remodels, we needed help with everything. Carol listened to our vision for the spaces and saved us lots of time by shopping materials with me. She listened to our budget, and worked well with our contractor. She is a total pro and is now my go-to interior designer for any future projects.

Carol Christenson and First Impressions are consummate interior design professionals. First, they are highly responsive when you call for advice and professional input. They are honest business people who listen to your needs and then provide detailed design options within your budget. They do not have an agenda to nickel and dime or upsell. They are great listeners and try to find out what you need, assess your style and then come back with options that consider both. They are highly professional in how they present options as they provide a visual image of what you can expect with the finished product. They provide detail about how much the job will cost and are completely transparent when communicating the mark up. They are great with color, fabric, furniture design and placement. They are a great balance of the practical and the artistic. Their finished product is elegant. And they are some of the nicest professionals we have ever worked with. My husband and I would highly recommend them for small interior design projects or large scale renovations. Many people have commented that our home is a show place…and we attribute this to Carol and First Impressions.

Carol was a wonderful interior designer. She started helping us pick up wall colors the first day we met her and she was very accommodating of our busy schedules. She listened to our ideas and what we envisioned and put together a beautiful great room and master bedroom. I really liked how she guided our vision and not imposed hers. I was impressed by her knowledge and connections in her field. She made sure that the project was completed in a timely manner and she was a joy to work with.

Hired First Impressions to help select wall colors, new custom vanity in half bath, new custom floating media cabinet in living room, and new hardwood flooring in living room and kitchen with custom rugs.

First Impressions also recommended fair and quality-focused contractors. Very pleased with First Impressions. I will hire them again for future work.

I would recommend Carol Christenson, with First Impressions Interior Design, to anyone who is thinking about renovations to their home. I had my kitchen and several rooms remodeled from June thru July of 2014. Carol assisted me with selection of tile, moulding, cabinets,counter top., fireplace, paint, light fixtures, door & cabinet hardware, wall paper etc. Carol worked closely with my contractors and was always available throughout the remodel. Carol and her staff were just so helpful during this time. Any future projects to my home, Carol will be the first person I call.

Chuck Simpson, Read it on Houzz.

We used Carol Christenson of First Impressions in 2013 for a full-house remodel and renovation. Carol jumped right in at the beginning of our project by making herself available for long weekend appointments on short notice for decisions that needed to be made quickly. This included everything from bathroom and kitchen granite, marble and tile design, lighting, plumbing fixtures, cabinet hardware, front door, french doors, carpets and hardwood floors, paint, window treatments, floor plans and furniture and fabrics.

Carol is well organized, reliable, pays attention to detail and is very pleasant to work with. She provides a range of options to fit your needs and style while keeping good design principals and your budget in mind.

She has long-standing relationships with a network of professional contacts that provide quality services and products and who also enjoy working with her! She worked well with our contractor and helped immensely with seemingly minor decisions such as grout and switch plate colors, chandelier drop lengths and mirror size that make such a huge difference in the overall look and feel of a home.

We continue to work with Carol and we strongly recommend her for any size project, large or small.

Alexandar and Katlyn, Read it on Houzz.

Carol Christenson’s sense of style and elegance has no match. She can take one look at a room and know what’s needed to boost its appearance—whether it be paint, faux painting, the right photograph or artwork, another kind of flooring, the perfect backsplash in your kitchen, whether the granite you’re looking at for a kitchen island would be the right fit for your finished look, or not, even down to selecting small items to be clustered together in unique corners or shelves. Carol is cheerful, organized, intelligent, professional and kind, and I can think of no other person to go to for that perfect first impression of our own home. I highly recommend Carol’s company, First Impressions Interior Design, in Walnut Creek, California!

Thru the years, Carol has ALWAYS been my #1 ‘go to’ for Interior Design projects! She is prompt, efficient, knowledgeable and works within your budget. I have always been very happy with the results, not only in MY home but other friends that I have recommended her to. She has excellent taste and seems to be spot on when she brings her ideas to you. Highly recommend her!

My experience with First Impressions was all positive. Carol was prompt, informed and willing to work together to achieve the goal, which was a transformed, beautiful and serene bedroom and bathroom suite than was modern and had lots of panache!

Carol was very respectful and mindful of my budget and willing to help me work within those parameters.

I would recommend First Impressions highly and certainly I will be calling on her again.

Jan & Brian M., Read it on Houzz.

I have worked with Carol at First Impressions for many years…there is no one who is more knowledgeable, driven and attentive, than Carol. She listens to your ideas and concerns, and offers wonderful suggestions and alternatives that you may never have thought of yourself.

I have owned a few houses and she has always been the #1 designer I have worked with on my various projects…large and small. Whether I needed help with custom furniture, window coverings, or accessories…or the management of a large remodel, Carol was on top of it all. And best of all, she is wonderful to work with…easy-going, fun, and full of ideas.

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