Best of the Beach 2018 Home Services
Bob and Jim Cook’s family has been installing doors and windows for over 90 years.
Doors and windows
Cooks Doors and Windows
Aimee Cook’s great grandfather Bert opened Cook’s lumber in 1923. Four years ago Aimee joined her father Jim and uncle Bob, who joined their father in the business in the late 1970s. Aimee picked an opportune time. The South Bay had recovered from the 2008 real estate collapse and new construction and remodels were on an upswing that continues today. In addition to economic cycles, the Cooks have witnessed cycles in architectural styles, from Spanish Colonial to Italian Mediterranean, to the recent Caribbean Plantation. Aimee described today’s most popular style Coastal Modern, characterized by clean, minimalist lines. A popular window for this style is their Western Windows System, which offer large, aluminum framed, energy efficient windows, and sliding and folding doors.
“We put in a lot to keep this a family-run business. We’re born and raised in the South Bay, we know the customers, and we know the location,” she said.
Cook’s Doors and Windows
14410 Hawthorne Blvd.
Lawndale
(310) 679-2212
Cooksdoorsandwindows.com
Runner-Up: South Bay Door and Window
732 N. Catalina Ave.
Redondo Beach
(310) 372-3667
southbaydoorinc.com
Furniture store
Ikea
Our readers love Ikea for its clean design and affordability, and they love touring that spacious store, examining the wide array of bedrooms, living rooms and office spaces they can put together. Ikea sees a home as “a perfect reflection of the people who live inside.” To further help customers make their homes look and work the way they want, the store offers features such as an online drag-and-drop interior designer with precise measurements and 3D mock-ups of the customer’s virtual rooms. And of course, they will assemble their furniture for you, so you don’t end up with a leftover screw and an excess dowel thingee.
IKEA
20700 S. Avalon Blvd.
Carson
(888) 888-4532
ikea.com
Runner-Up: Living Spaces
1519 Hawthorne Blvd.
Redondo Beach
(310) 266-7300
Livingspaes.com
Carpet store
South Bay Carpets
& Hardwood Floors
South Bay Carpets, family owned for three generations, received the nod from our readers for personalized, professional service, from sales to installation. Owner Gerry Blanks, a lifelong area resident, said, “We may not be the biggest, but we’re definitely the best.” The store offers one-on-one showroom consultations and free in-home estimates for carpeting, vinyl, hardwood, laminate and tile work. Customers praise South Bay Carpets for fair prices, “top-notch” work and bend-over-backwards service.
South Bay Carpet and Hardwood Floors
1443 Aviation Blvd.
Redondo Beach
(310) 373-2163
southbaycarpetsinc.com
Runner-Up: Carpet Spectrum, Inc.
1050 Aviation Blvd.
Hermosa Beach
(310) 376-4344
Carpetspectruminc.com
Swimming pool/spa store
Leslie’s Pool Supplies, Service & Repair
Our readers found the service and selection unbeatable at Leslie’s, a national leader in swimming pool service, installation and repair. Leslie’s boasts an eye-popping selection of pool cleaners, chemicals, equipment, toys, parts and accessories for above-ground pools, in-ground pools and spas. Customers praise the wide variety of products available, and the knowledgeable and attentive staff. One Hermosa customer raved that Leslie’s was able to fix a previously nagging algae problem, and get her family back in their pool.
Leslie’s Pool Supplies
5054 W. 190th St.
Torrance
(310) 371-7272
Lesliespool.com
Runner-Up: ABC Pool and Patio
24449 Hawthorne Blvd.
Torrance
(310) 373-0935
Abcpoolandpatio.com
Plumbing
Pacific Coast Plumbing Co.
Owner David Vialpando, a Hermosa businessman and longtime resident, said attention to detail and “good customer service, with follow-up and follow-through” are keys to his success. “Our techs are highly trained and very clean and conscientious. They always wear booties into your house, and they will always lay their tools on a work tarp or towel, not on your floor.” Pacific Coast Plumbing has been serving South Bay since 1976. The company is state-licensed, fully insured, and maintains active memberships in the Better Business Bureau and International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials.
Pacific Coast Plumbing Co.
1706 Pacific Coast Hwy.
Hermosa Beach
(310) 318-8899
Paccoastplumbing.com
Runner-Up: Mickey Chastain – Pipe Eyes Plumbing
23329 Grant Ave.
Torrance
(310) 387-5003
Tile store
Classic Tile & Design
Classic Tile has set a standard for excellence in the South Bay tile industry for more than 25 years, and its showroom displays the best of artistic tile, ceramic tile, concrete tile, glass tile, metal tile, stone tile, and tile care products. Customers praise Classic Tile’s wide selection and outstanding service. Terri of Palos Verdes described her exhaustive search through tile stores large and small to make her tiles match, following a renovation to the guest bathroom. “No one came close. We decided to give Classic Tile a shot and thankfully, they came so close that no one will ever know that they are not the same tiles.”
Classic Tile & Design
860 Pacific Coast Hwy.
Hermosa Beach
(310) 376-8024
Classictiledesign.com
Runner-Up: Rock Mill Tile & Stone
727 Pacific Coast Hwy.
Hermosa Beach
(310) 379-7646
Rockmillstone.com