Here are JRL Interiors we are always working on something!  And very often, it is designing the details of some bespoke element.  That might be window treatments, cabinetry, upholstery, pillows, bedding, or any number of other things. Custom design is a luxury, to be sure, but it is SO worth it to have exactly what makes life better, easier, or more comfortable.

So many people hear “luxury design” and picture gilding and chandeliers dripping with crystals and a house full of uniformed staff a la Downton Abbey.  But luxury has nothing to do with formality, or aristocracy, and everything to do with quality and suitability.  Luxury goods from clothing to interiors are often tailored specifically for a person, a place, or a unique purpose.  This is the very definition of bespoke design and is why it is synonymous with luxury. Bespoke design is what you get when you work with a luxury interior designer that can imagine and produce the best solution for you. specifically.

Custom window treatments, built-ins, or upholstery are often on the drawing board at JRL Interiors. Here is a sneak peek into what we are working on at the moment for 3 different clients. All are ongoing projects.

Window Treatments

I looooove designing custom window treatments - I love beautiful textiles and I love how custom window treatments make ALL the difference in the feel and finish of a room!

Currently, we are designing window treatments for a classically elegant and decidedly feminine home office.  These bespoke window treatments were designed specifically for this room and were the starting point for all the other selections in this project. This window fabric is the “star” pattern for the room.  It is an embroidered floral linen weave in sophisticated but fresh shades of pink and green.

The custom hardware is a mix of clear acrylic and satin brass and scaled to hold up to the sizable millwork in the room.  This material mix bridges the gap between strictly traditional and a bit more modern.  

These are designed as stationary panels since the client has no need for privacy or light control at this time. If, in the future, we need to add that capability, shades or blinds can be added.  

The panels themselves will be sized just for this space - generous and full length meaning more than a single fabric width and hung from above the molding to a slight break on the floor at the hem. This will frame the garden views and highlight the lovely height and mouldings in the room.  As with nearly all our custom window treatments, they will be lined and interlined for sumptuousness, and they will have a more contemporary pleat profile.

Built-ins

On the drawing board (literally, there is a drafting board and T square on my desk right now ?!), we are also designing built-ins for an office/library space in a new construction home.  Our client has a LOT of books as well as an heirloom antique desk and chair.  I suggested wrapping two walls of the small space in shelves with a bit of cabinetry for some covered storage, and painting it all in a rich blue-spruce green color.  We are building along one of the shorter walls under the pitched roof and around the corner to surround the window with shelving.  It will both make a wonderful backdrop for the rich antique pieces, and provide the book and office supply storage they were seeking. We selected the perfect wool area rug in conjunction with the paint color.

Upholstery

For another ongoing project we are reupholstering 3 chairs for a striking blue and white master suite.  Reupholstering existing good pieces is the ultimate in sustainable living - it is recycling at its very best! As an aside: we always recommend buying the best quality upholstery you can afford. If you don’t know what constitutes quality upholstery, ask your designer - part of our job is to know the value of all-the-things so we can help you make the smartest choices for your situation.

Back to our trio of chairs…One is done and the other two are in the works!  The chairs were: a black frame chair with an upholstered seat and back, a wing chair that was a good piece but was tired and worn, and what we fondly refer to as the “ugly duckling” chair - which is going to be striking when it is done! 

The picture frame chair got an embroidered trellis blue fabric and, though it lives in the bedroom, is versatile enough to work in nearly every room in the house when the need arises!

The wing chair survived many years and two cats…just barely!  It is a good piece, though, so worth reupholstering.  For its new life, we are covering it in a white performance fabric and adding contrast piping in blue, and a sexy little skirt with pretty blue tape banding on the edge.  These are the kinds of details that you can only get with custom pieces.

The ugly duckling chair is a wood side chair with an upholstered seat.  It is currently a dated pink toned pickled wood finish with a torn pink-ish upholstered seat, but the plan for transformation includes a rich deep blue gloss paint and a striped textured performance upholstery fabric in shades of blue.  This chair is the dumping spot next to the door, so an easily cleanable fabric is an important addition here.

It is so rewarding to be able to create something that works perfectly for the space, the client, and the situation!  I can’t wait to see all of these in place!