In my design work, custom furniture and millwork often begin with an awkward angle, an overlooked corner, a material I can’t stop thinking about, or simply the realization that the piece I have in mind doesn’t exist. For me, there’s nothing more rewarding than finding a creative solution to a design dilemma and turning it into something special, a truly unique piece for a client.
There’s a particular pleasure in creating something that couldn’t have come from anywhere else. A piece that belongs to its surroundings, but also brings something entirely its own to the room.
THREE STUDIES IN BESPOKE DESIGN
The Ombre Kidney Desk
Not every corner calls for a right angle.
Featured in Livingetc, this bespoke, organic bean-shaped desk was designed to nestle into a corner of a primary bedroom study overlooking Manhattan. Its organic silhouette makes the most of an unusual space without crowding it, while the warmth of the ombre stained wood provides a striking contrast to the glass windows, angular architecture, and jaw dropping views of Manhattan.
The challenge was to create a functional workspace without sacrificing the room’s open and airy feel. A conventional rectangular desk would have been too rigid for the space. By rethinking the shape itself, we were able to make use of the space while introducing a softer, more sculptural element. When a room’s architecture presents a challenge, sometimes the best solution is to rethink the elements within it.
The Walnut Bar
A little contrast can go a long way.
Designed specifically for this home, the freestanding bespoke walnut bar cabinet began with a study of the space, its angular architecture, and the surrounding furnishings. We developed a curved silhouette to introduce contrast and sculptural warmth, carefully considering its proportions and materials alongside the marble dining table and adjacent pieces. Glass and mirrored details amplify the display of bottles, adding depth and light with a subtle sense of glamour.
The curved form brings balance to the room’s angular lines without competing with the surrounding furnishings. Every element was considered in relation to the room as a whole, creating a bar with its own sculptural character while complementing the architecture, furnishings, and materials surrounding it. Rather than repeating the room’s existing geometry, the custom bar introduces an unexpected form that makes the architecture and furnishings feel more connected.
The Bedroom, Reconsidered
Who says a headboard has to stop at the bed?
An unusually angled bedroom presented an opportunity to rethink the conventional arrangement of a bed flanked by two bedside tables. Instead, a wall length velvet headboard with integrated bedside tables brings the entire composition together.
The continuous design follows the room’s unusual architecture, introducing softness, texture, and a sense of cohesion. By treating the headboard and bedside tables as one architectural element rather than three separate pieces, we created a more unified arrangement that makes better use of the available space. Where individual pieces might have emphasized the room’s irregular proportions, the continuous design creates a stronger visual relationship between the furniture and the architecture. Sometimes the solution isn’t a different furniture arrangement, but reimagining several pieces as one.
A Final Thought
Three rooms with challenging architecture. Three very different interior design solutions.
In one, a curve makes an awkward corner more useful. In another, it provides a counterpoint to strong architectural lines. And in the third, a continuous design brings an irregular room into balance. Each piece was born from an architectural challenge, yet each called for a different creative approach.
That’s what I love about bespoke design. It isn’t about making something custom simply for the sake of it. It’s about recognizing the possibilities that standard furniture sometimes lacks, then finding a solution that feels unique yet totally at home in the room.
The architecture we inherit doesn’t have to dictate the furniture we choose. When the architecture can’t, or shouldn’t, be changed, the elements within it can be reconsidered. And sometimes, those very challenges lead to the most successful pieces in a home.