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As much as I love pouring through my shelter magazines every month and dissecting nearly every design detail of every room shown, my most favorite page is consistently the Editor’s Page. When Margaret Russell, Ann Maine, Clinton Smith or Michael Boodro share their opening remarks, its as though I’m meeting with a good friend for tea and we instantly pick up where our last conversation left off. We get excited about the same topics, giggle at the same jokes and get exasperated at similar daily hassles and joys.
This couldn’t have been more true than when I read this month’s Elle Decor’s note from always on-point Editor in Chief, Michael Boodro. He goes right to my heart and talks of the highs and lows of embarking on a custom home. “…custom made connotes luxury and yields pleasure. But it also demands patience. It costs more. And more often than not, it is a pain in the ass.”
Exactly! I couldn’t have said it better myself, so I’m sharing his editorial page with all of you.
Rest assured, there is payoff to the (sometimes) pain. As evidence, I’m so fortunate to have dear clients share with me all the reasons why they are pleased they committed to the custom design process — after they’ve taken residence in their newly built or renovated homes. I even have a client who witnesses a joyful moment every day with an interior moulding detail, the scale of a room, the profile of a handrail or an overhang on her windows and then shares these with me. (You know who you are and I adore you.) These moments are the payoff for committing to and sometimes enduring the trials of custom design.
But make no mistake, it is a commitment. Custom made requires patience and dedication to creating something uniquely yours that expresses you, fits you and even grows with you in time. (A good design can do that.) It requires collaborating with your architect and designer probably far beyond what you even imagined, to get it right for you.
It also requires working with people who share your dedication and speak your language. And get excited when they read an editorial like this one and say out loud as I did, “Yes – that’s so true!”
Enjoy Michael’s comments and a few examples of our custom designs – created for and with some of our most favorite clients who enjoy all the benefits of custom made, now that the hard work is done.
All the best,
This traditional kitchen defines “custom”. Details stand out in the island cabinetry and its artful brackets, the glass china display with its sliding doors and diamond fretwork, the coffered ceiling with customized mouldings and the built in wine fridges flanked by a matching paneled freezer and refrigerator.
Close up of the custom moulding in the previously mentioned photograph.
This Newport library boasts mahogany paneling, built-in bookshelves complete with a library ladder and a handsome burl wood fireplace surround all crafted by Joe Yoffa. taste designed the fireplace screen with our favorite blacksmith Jay Christman, lending a customized and complementary design element in this cozy space.
This unique and custom-designed glass shower enclosure frames beautiful marble tilework in this Providence home. Elegant moulding follows the simple curves of the glass wall and soaking tub, making this master bath a spa retreat for the owners.
These custom built-in cabinets built by Stephen Demetrick, double as a bookshelf and media storage system. When not in use, the toe-kick drawers and cabinet doors can be closed to seamlessly blend with the paneling running the perimeter of this stately study.
Photo Credit: Robyn Ivy Photography, LeFebvre Photo
