11 Tips to Creating a Luxurious Yet Comfortable Home

October 19, 2023 by Suzanne Lasky

The art of comfort! Discover the secrets behind our plush and inviting interiors that make you never want to leave your Scottsdale sanctuary.

Do you have to forgo comfort to have a luxury interior design style in your home? NO!!

Comfort and luxury can go hand-in-hand as long as you know some interior design insights to follow. 🏠

Your home is your sanctuary, the place where you unwind, make memories, and express your unique style. Striking a balance between luxury and comfort can transform your living space into a haven of relaxation and refinement. In this blog post, we’ll explore how to create a luxurious yet comfortable home that reflects your personality and offers a peaceful retreat from the outside world.

Choose Timeless Design Elements: Luxury and comfort begin with the design. Opt for timeless design elements that exude sophistication, such as neutral color palettes, quality materials, and elegant furniture. These elements provide a classic foundation that you can build upon with your personal style. Please don’t forgo adding in your own personal design preferences!
Quality Over Quantity: Invest in high-quality furniture and décor. While it might be tempting to fill your space with many items, it’s often better to select a few well-crafted, statement pieces that exude luxury and comfort. Think plush sofas, classic leather armchairs, and elegant wooden tables.
Create an Inviting Entryway: Your home’s entrance sets the tone for the entire space. Make it inviting by using a tasteful combination of lighting, art, and a stylish entry table or console. A well-placed mirror can also make your space feel more expansive.
Comfortable Seating: Comfortable seating is paramount in achieving a luxurious yet comfortable home. Consider investing in ergonomic chairs and cozy, cushioned sofas and sectionals. Use soft throws and decorative pillows for added warmth and style.
Incorporate Natural Elements: Bringing nature inside your home can add a touch of luxury and serenity. Consider houseplants, natural materials like wood and stone, and large windows to connect your space with the outdoors. Incorporate real or high- quality faux plants and trees into your design.
Layer Lighting: Lighting plays a crucial role in setting the ambiance of your home. Layer different types of lighting, including ambient, task, and accent lighting. Chandeliers, sconces, and stylish lamps can add both luxury and comfort to your space.
Luxurious Textures: Incorporate luxurious textures into your decor through plush carpets, silky curtains, and soft upholstery. These elements not only look elegant but also provide a tactile sense of comfort. (One of our personal favorite tricks! Performance fabrics make this a no-brainer :))
Minimize Clutter: A cluttered space can be neither comfortable nor luxurious. Keep your home organized and uncluttered by using storage solutions like cabinets and shelves. This creates a sense of tranquility and elegance. Add attractive trays to capture clutter on kitchen islands and entry areas.
Personalize with Art and Accessories: Make your home uniquely yours by incorporating art and accessories that resonate with you. High-quality art, decorative vases, and personalized photos can add a personal touch to your luxurious home.
A Relaxing Bedroom: Create a bedroom that is a true oasis of comfort and luxury. Invest in a comfortable mattress and high-quality bedding. Soft lighting, blackout curtains, and calming colors can contribute to a restful night’s sleep.
Spa-like Bathroom: Transform your bathroom into a spa-like retreat by adding features like a deep soaking tub, a rainfall shower, and soft, fluffy towels. A well-designed vanity with ample storage can add both luxury and functionality.

Creating a luxurious yet comfortable home is all about finding the right balance between opulence and relaxation. By selecting timeless design elements, quality furnishings, and personal touches, you can turn your living space into a haven that reflects your unique style while providing the utmost comfort. Remember that true luxury is not about excess but about the thoughtful curation of your space to enhance your everyday living experience.

Luxury Interior Design Elements

May 27, 2023 by Suzanne Lasky

Luxury interior design in Arizona combines elegance, sophistication, and a reflection of the state’s unique environment. Here are some key luxury design elements that can be incorporated into Arizona interiors:

Natural Materials: Emphasize the beauty of natural materials that reflect the desert landscape. Incorporate elements such as travertine, limestone, quartzite, or sandstone for flooring, countertops, and feature walls. Use rich woods like mesquite or walnut for furniture and cabinetry, and consider incorporating leather and woven textiles for added texture.
Southwest Color Palette: Draw inspiration from the desert’s warm and earthy hues. Use a palette of soft neutrals such as beige, tan, and ivory as a base and complement it with pops of vibrant colors inspired by Arizona’s sunsets and desert flora, such as deep oranges, reds, and turquoise.
Grand Entrances: Make a statement with impressive entryways. Incorporate features like double-height ceilings, grand staircases, or striking chandeliers to create a sense of luxury and drama as guests step into the space.
Open Floor Plans: Create a sense of spaciousness by incorporating open floor plans that seamlessly connect living, dining, and entertaining areas. Large windows and glass doors can be utilized to maximize natural light and provide beautiful views of the surrounding landscape.
Luxury Fabrics and Upholstery: Choose high-quality fabrics and upholstery that exude luxury and comfort. Consider plush velvet, soft leather, or luxurious silk for furniture, draperies, and accent pieces. Opt for custom upholstery with intricate detailing and patterns to add a touch of opulence.
Statement Lighting: Incorporate eye-catching lighting fixtures to enhance the overall ambiance of the space. Chandeliers, pendant lights, and sconces can serve as both functional and decorative elements, adding a luxurious and glamorous touch to the interior.
Custom Millwork and Built-ins: Incorporate custom millwork and built-in features to add uniqueness and sophistication to the space. Consider bespoke cabinetry, shelving, and architectural details like ceiling beams or paneling that reflect the elegance and craftsmanship associated with luxury design.
Resort-style Outdoor Living: Extend luxury design to outdoor spaces by creating resort-style living areas. Design outdoor kitchens, lounges, fire pits, and poolside retreats with high-end furnishings, plush fabrics, and stylish accessories. Use natural stone or tile for patio flooring and incorporate landscaping that blends seamlessly with the desert environment.
Art and Sculptural Pieces: Display curated artwork, sculptures, and art installations to add a sense of refinement and artistic expression to the interior. Seek out local artists or pieces that highlight the region’s cultural heritage, history, or natural beauty.
Spa-like Bathrooms: Create luxurious and serene bathroom retreats with features such as large soaking tubs, walk-in showers, double vanities with high-end fixtures, and luxurious materials like marble or mosaic tiles. Incorporate statement mirrors, elegant lighting, and plush towels for a spa-like experience.

When designing luxury interiors in Arizona, it’s important to strike a balance between sophistication, comfort, and a connection to the desert environment. By incorporating these elements, you can create a luxurious space that captures the essence of Arizona’s unique charm.

Simple Options for Renovating Your Home

October 19, 2022 by Suzanne Lasky

Kitchen Remodel by S Interior Design, LLC

Ready to renovate your home? The process can be daunting, but it’s a great way to increase the value of your home and make it look exactly the way you want it to. Whether you plan to renovate your basement, the roof, or other parts of your home, here are some things that you should keep in mind.

Improving and Renovating Your Home

When you decide to renovate, the first thing to decide is what you want to renovate. Do you want to add a home extension? You’ll need quotes from multiple contractors, plans, and approval from the local government. Are you interested in getting more energy-efficient lighting or a better HVAC system? Calling a local electrician or HVAC specialist could be the key to doing renovations right.

While you can DIY some of your home renovations, know that some of them will require professional input. Some areas that you can handle yourself may include your home office, flooring, and interior design. S Interior Design recommends putting a team of experts together to get the best results.

Adding a Home Office

Adding a home office can be as easy as converting a walk-in closet into an office space or as labor intensive as adding walls and building a new room in your home.

When you build your new home office, consider locating it near natural light, which is known to help maximize productivity. If you can’t do that, make sure you invest in overhead lighting so you have plenty of light in the room.

Working on New Flooring

Flooring is one thing most people can do themselves. You have the option to add new vinyl, waterproof, wood, or other kinds of flooring to your home. Note: You need to make sure the substrate you are installing your new flooring over is level! (S Interior Design commentary)

Selecting vinyl roll flooring or vinyl planks is a good choice since these lay down easily in one or two afternoons. Just choose your favorite colors, and you’ll get the look you want in no time at all.

Designing the Interior of Your Home

Another thing you can do yourself is the interior design of your home. Do you have an older home that you want to update? Select new paint colors, change out the hardware on your cabinetry or consider adding a new top to your counters for an updated look.

You can also change the furniture in your home without touching your physical walls or flooring and still make a huge impact. Swapping out dark furniture for lighter furniture, for example, may brighten up your space. Selecting modern furniture instead of traditional styles could make your space look more current.

For professional interior design help, contact S Interior Design. S Interior Design provides services such as paint color and wall treatment selection, design drawings, and more to help you achieve the perfect look for your home.

Get Help Renovating Your Home in Scottsdale, AZ

Changing different parts of your home, like adding a home office, can increase its value and make it stand out. If you’re ready to renovate your home in Scottsdale, AZ, you can handle some aspects yourself but may need to call in professionals for others. For help with interior design, visit S Interior Design.

Eco-Friendly Light Sources

August 28, 2022 by Suzanne Lasky

Tips on Choosing Eco-Friendly Lighting

Eco-Friendly lighting in both residential and commercial buildings remains an important part of living green. The mode of lighting has an effect on our mood and health, in addition to the environment at large. Different elements, such as the type of bulb used, lighting source, fixture, material, and daily routines, determine the environmental friendliness of a room.

Lighting is a very essential quality indoors, and our days will be dull and unproductive without it, because as soon as it gets dark outside, work will be reduced. Therefore, green lighting is of high importance and it will have a positive impact on your health and the environment. Green power saves more energy and is several times more efficient than conventional power sources. Energy-saving bulbs last longer and consume less power than incandescent bulbs. The goal is to help your health and the environment and spend less while doing this. Below are some tips on choosing eco-friendly lighting.

Use CFL and LED Lights

Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) save a lot of energy and are more efficient than conventional bulbs. CFLs are available in different shapes, colors, and sizes, and this allows them to fit into different parts of the house for decorative or pure lightning purposes. They are a bit more expensive than incandescent bulbs, but they last way longer (about 10,000 hours) and use only around a quarter as much energy. CFLs emit less heat and are beneficial during the summer. You do not have to worry about changing your bulbs frequently with them, and they help you save money in the long run.

S Interior Design is does not recommend CFLs for residential applications

Light-Emitting Diodes (LED) use less energy and are beneficial to our health. Their longevity and energy efficiency are second to none. They cost more than CFLs by just a bit, but they last longer. It is estimated that an LED bulb can last for 100,000 hours. This is ten times the amount of time that CFLs use. Also, they convert about 95% of their energy into light, and just 5% is emitted as heat. LED lights are the best way to go green.

S Interior Design recommends different temperature levels for LED lights depending on where they will be used.

Purchasing from quality brands such as Louis Poulsen lighting, and other reputable LED lighting manufacturers can make a huge difference for the environment and on the overall electricity bill.

Recycle and Reuse Materials

Lights don’t just stand on their own. They are accompanied by fixtures or lamps to help hold them down and beautify them. You should make use of recycled materials when making or purchasing your lights. This is essential for healthy green living because you will spend less and get more.

Lights made from natural materials such as cloth and wood, as well as those made from recycled materials like glass and plastic, are great options. When you use recycled lights, you help the environment and also save money on the side.

Adopt the use of a Natural Light Source ( Sunlight)

A day is never bright without sunlight. The sun is natural, and this makes it the most eco-friendly light source. A lot of people under utilize sunlight in their homes. You should make the most of it by opening up your windows and drapes during the daytime to allow natural light into every inch of the house. You can achieve your desired intensity and light angle by making use of tinted windows or patterned curtains.

Many houses now have skylights to serve as an extra source of direct sunlight into the home. These fixtures are present in living rooms, dining rooms, and some closets. You can style your house the way you want it to allow sunlight in.

A great way to add natural light to a space is by using Solar Tubes when conventional sky lights are not an option.

Switching off lights when not in use

What’s a more effective way to use lights than to turn them off when you’re not using them? You need to cultivate the habit of switching off lights in rooms no one is occupying. Whether you’re going to another room in the house or out, you shouldn’t leave the lights on.

You should help your loved ones learn the efficient use of light till it becomes a habit. Turning off lights when they are not in use has no disadvantages but helps save energy and reduce heat in the house.

Motion Sensors and Dimmers

Motion sensors are really great for eco-friendly lighting. They turn on the lights in your room when you are present and turn them off when there’s no one in the room. This is a great way to save energy and money on electricity bills. With these sensors, you can avoid unnecessary expenses on lights and bills.

Dimmers are amazing choices for green love. With them, you can set the light in your room to the brightness you need. They are great for conserving energy because when you reduce the light being emitted, less voltage is used and more energy is stored. This will help you save on electricity costs and also help the bulbs last longer in the long run.

Invest in Green Power

“Green power” is electricity produced from natural sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, and hydro. You can reduce or totally avoid a carbon footprint by using green energy because it comes from natural sources and is completely renewable.

Solar energy is the most eco-friendly energy source, and when you implement it in your home, you will be enjoying more light while saving a lot on electricity bills. You can also sign up for green power with your electric utility.

Invest in Creating a Smart Home

Eco-friendly lighting is essential for smart homes. Who wouldn’t want to have a house that can control the lights and temperature according to how they like them? If you can afford it, then it’s a great choice to go for. Smart homes record information in the house about rooms you use and those you don’t, in addition to your preferred temperature according to the general weather.

You can have everything in your house on autopilot, from the bulbs to plugs, thermostats and more. They will detect when they’re not being used and switch off themselves. When you are ready and available to use them, they will turn back on automatically. This is really great for green living as you will only use the energy you need every time. Most excesses are cut off with smart homes.

Summary

Eco-friendly lighting is energy-efficient and very sustainable. The low impact it has on the environment is very important for the planet and one’s health. With the low power consumption and low cost of acquiring some eco-friendly lights and fixtures, you can save a lot on electricity costs and bills.

Follow the above tips to make an excellent choice when choosing eco-friendly lighting.

5 Home Upgrades You Won’t Regret

January 26, 2019 by Suzanne Lasky

Below is a guest posting about upgrades you can do to your home to increase functionality, update the look and feel and increase your home value prior to selling. Notably the first upgrade the author cites is around smart home technology. It gives even a traditionalist, post 50 year old cause to think about implementing a few more in her home….lights that can change color with our moods? Definitely need to find out more about that one! Enjoy reading this post and more from S Interior Design.

There are many ways you can upgrade your home. From full scale remodels to small upgrades that will impact the way you live in your home daily. We’ve compiled five upgrades you can do in your home that will provide a refresh, and can even help you save money.

Photo from Unsplash

1. Automating with smart home technology

We are constantly surrounded by technology, and we’re always finding new ways to make our devices smarter, faster, and better. Smart phones and watches, high-tech doorbells and hands-free devices, such as the Amazon Echo and Google Home, allow us to streamline our lives.

Some other smart home features include smart televisions, which are more streamlined than an entertainment center full of modems and they’re more stylish with an unobtrusive screen and beautiful screensavers.

You might also look to smart lighting by adding a lamp that can be turned on and off via an app. Smart light bulbs also exist with color-changing options that can coordinate with your mood.

There are even smart oven options now that allow you to monitor your cooking and food temperature while being away from the kitchen. Imagine, picking up children from school and extracurricular activities and still arriving home to a delicious, homemade meal.

Photo from Unsplash

2. Painting or redecorating

Take a look around your home and consider your current color palette. How long has it been since you painted your living room or kitchen? Determine if a fresh coat of paint will help refresh a stale space. Consider neutrals or the color of the year (“Living Coral”) to update a room in your house.

Other ways to refresh a space without a full remodel include utilizing some of the 2019 home design trends. Some examples you may consider include a full tile backsplash in the kitchen to refresh the space or repainting your cabinets with a white or cream to brighten the room without the expense of replacing cabinets. Also, in living spaces, consider a mix of fabrics to add depth and textures.

Photo from Unsplash

3. Replacing old appliances

Upgrading your 13-year-old washing machine or your finicky dishwasher to a new, high-tech appliance could save you money in the long run. Modern appliances are energy efficient and conserve more water than traditional models, so you’ll be saving on your utility bills in no time.

They’ll also boost the resale value of your home if you’re planning on moving in the next few years. If any of your appliances are on the fritz, you could be eligible for a brand new replacement through your home warranty, which is also considered to be a great marketing tool during a home sale.

4. Getting more out of a small space

We all have a small room in our home that isn’t being used to its greatest potential, and it’s often a bathroom. Fortunately, there are ways to make the most of the space you have.

First, consider the lighting of the bathroom. If it is possible, consider bringing in additional natural light by adding a skylight or solar tube. If that isn’t an option, add recessed lighting in addition to the vanity lighting. Clear clutter, go vertical with storage and consider adding a floating vanity. With a small footprint use all the space available by going up.

Photo from Unsplash

5. Preparing for resale

Selling your home is a stressful process. You want to show it in its best possible shape, but you also want to avoid putting too much money into the property you are selling.

Start with a home critique from a real estate agent or potential buyer. Getting a fresh set of eyes into your space can provide feedback on things you may not see, and may also show trouble points you weren’t aware of.

Once you have received feedback consider repainting and reflooring the interior. A fresh coat of neutral paint helps provide a neutral backdrop that potential buyers need in order to imagine themselves in your space.

Also, consider the condition of your flooring, especially carpet. Dirty and torn carpet may need to be replaced, or at minimum a professional carpet cleaning works wonders.

These are just a few tips and upgrades we know you won’t regret when considering changes and additions to your home.

BY: Paige A. Mitchell