Custom Materials and Furnishings

Nothing yields a more unforgettable interior design than custom work. One-of-a-kind pieces, made for particular clients by exceptional craftspeople, lend distinctive character and personality to any room.

Many times a custom approach is desirable. Obviously, having something unique has great appeal. By customizing, we can tailor a piece to the precise size and functional requirements of the space while enhancing the design aesthetic. It is possible, for example, to adapt to oddly shaped areas with custom built-in furnishings that utilize every square inch of available space.

Each of my interior spaces is a one-of-a-kind creation. Built-in and freestanding furniture, textiles, rugs, carpets, and custom wall coverings are among the items I have had fabricated from my designs—each one specific to client and project requirements. I consider every surface, every detail as an opportunity to enhance the overall interior design. When ordering products from decorator showrooms, there are many options available.   Taking advantage of the many finishes, materials, hardware and colors, specifying dimensions and more, each piece can be detailed specifically to suit a particular space and project.

In instances where existing products cannot reasonably be adapted, a unique custom piece can be tailored to meet the specifications of the project while reinforcing the overall design.

A fuller range of materials, finishes, trim and details is available for consideration with custom design. I research and collect specialty glass, plastics, concrete, stone, tile, metals, and finishes which can be incorporated into custom designs.

It is not necessarily more expensive to have fully customized furnishings made locally, and specifically for you. A custom piece can be comparable in cost with a quality piece from a showroom. Eliminating freight costs account for substantial savings. Additionally you get to “test sit” locally-built fully custom upholstery during construction, enabling us to make adjustments in depth, firmness, seat height and angle to ensure that the end result will be comfortable as well as handsome.

Custom Kitchens and Baths

Kitchen and bath designs are complex puzzles, which require meticulous attention to detail, maximized function and use of space, precise sizing, understanding of new, green technology, access to exciting and unique materials, and up-to-the-minute knowledge of available appliances. Bathrooms and kitchens are today’s new living spaces.

Bathrooms have morphed from tiny, dark, function-only “water closets” into generous spaces with make-up tables, elaborate shower and bathing areas that often incorporate luxurious indoor furniture and outdoor garden spaces.

Kitchens, once relegated to the cook, are now gathering places for family and guests. They include spacious eat-in areas, multi-level work surfaces, and built-in-everything… including “garages” for small appliances. Clients often choose me because of my innovative and unusual kitchen and bath designs. I design sizzling kitchens and steamy bathrooms.

Custom Interior Architecture

To heighten the architectural presence of an interior space, I have designed ceiling coves, wall niches, columns, custom trims and surface treatments. Altering the size or alignment of a doorway, or detailing the often-forgotten floor and ceiling planes are among the many possibilities that I consider to customize the interior architecture. Favorite techniques for making spaces more active and interesting include the use of angles or curves in the layout and furniture arrangement that does not wrap the walls.

Collaboration

An exceptional result is achieved when client, architect, interior designer and lighting designer collaborate from the beginning of the project. This approach allows for seamless interface between the various layers of the project and lets us make necessary changes while the project is still on paper. It is also cost- effective, as it is always easier to erase a line than to move a built wall. It is essential that the right hand know what the left is doing.

As interior designer, I vet each floor plan to determine possible furniture layouts, verifying that pathways will not interfere with conversation and ensuring that visual access to focal points like fireplaces, video screens and wonderful views won’t be interrupted.

After studying the available space, I help select kitchen appliances and bathroom fixtures. Once these choices are made, we can be certain that enough square footage is allocated to each area, and determine the ideal layout to accommodate them. Making early choices of tile, stone, flooring, hardware, allows more time to make creative use of materials and to address details of installation. Closets and built-ins should also be addressed at this juncture, when everything is still flexible and appropriate space can easily be allotted to accommodate requirements for storage and display.

Where this early exchange ideas occurs, the design team is able to accommodate each other’s needs, resulting in a space that is more efficient, more flexible and more dramatic.

Once the basic design has been agreed upon, I enter into a second phase of collaboration. This one is with trades, artisans, artists, cabinetmakers: all of my specialist resources, who bring their unique talents to the project.

Custom dining table opens to seat 8. Custom coffee table (steel base and Rosso Levanto marble top, in living room beyond) is 7' long and max 21" deep to maximize surface area while fitting into long, narrow living room.  Custom rug design in dining room is repeated in smaller scale as a border in the living room, attached to bound broadloom carpeting.  This was a huge money-saver and actually more interesting than 2 competing rugs.

Custom pieces mix with classics by Josef Hoffman and Le Corbusier solve room dimension issues while making for an interesting space.  Existing fireplace set the color scheme and was easily matched by custom elements: rug, coffee table and sofa.

Credenza was fitted into an awkward wall configuration.  2 dimensional squares around the center of the table are repeated in 3 dimensions on the credenza to support a glass top (and happily again in the fruit bowl).  Just enough room was left between credenza surfaces for dusting. Both the outer circle of the table and the credenza are made of curly english sycamore.  The table pedistal, expressed through the top is actually bottle green as are the leather chairs.

A traditional sofa design was modernized to produce these sleek right and left facing sofa/chaises.  A window seat with storage drawers was designed to accomplish multiple purposes.

Detail of a custom rug is shown here.

Custom steel bookcase on the back wall is a handsome backdrop for the sleeper sofa in this office/guest room.  Originally designed for personal use, I have sold a version of this design several times to clients who have admired it in my space.

Custom 10' dining table solves the problem of table legs or pedistal being in the way of chairs and leg room.  Custom chandelier was a collaboration between designer and lighting designer. Flooring pattern and border inlay were details utilizing customizing ability of the floating flooring product.  The curved green wood cabinet in the background conceals any mess in the children's playroom from the dining room.  Sliding doors on the playroom side close the space off completely as necessary.  

Custom storage cabinet for girl's room provides ample storage and a nightlight in the triangular opening at the top.  Pillow on the right (one of several) was a find from a shopping trip to India.

10' sectional sofa is terminated by a high arm at one end and a built-in ottoman at the other.  Wall finish (which I did myself) was intended to look like concrete.  Viewer can decide how successful it is.

Corrugated aluminum detail "helps" the wall turn the corner like a flex-straw.  Tile inset in the wall leads to the kitchen where that tile becomes the backsplash.

Desk with cantilevered base was designed from elements offered by the manufacturer.  Custom color, (eggplant), steel and natural sycamore were the finishes I chose from the manufacturer's offerings.  The cantilevered circular top swivels out to accommodate a small meeting or in toward the chair to provide extra workspace.  Wall-to-wall bookcases and under-cabinet lighting were designed for above the Steelcase files. 

These adorable and comfortable swivel chairs once lived at the foot of the client's parents' bedroom.  Happy memories and comfort were factors in our deciding to keep them.  We re-worked them adding fringe at the bottom to replace the skirt, and re-upholstering them without tufting in an up-to-date fabric.

Likewise, chairs from the childhood porch received individually colored seat pads held on with tassels.  

Steel and maple custom cabinetry holds a myriad of dishes, glasses, serving pieces on adjustable shelves.  Shallow drawers in the maple section below the niche hold napkins and placemats, tablecloths, etc.

The slate backsplash is a wonderful counterpoint to the concrete countertops and cherry cabinetry in this kitchen. The unique, unexpected pattern, all cut from 12" square tiles was designed to show off the variation in the stone.  

This table was inspired by a child's ring-toss game.

Two-level coffee table