Luxe Home Interiors – Grand Opening

This morning I had the opportunity to visit Luxe Home Interiors (formerly Norwalk – The Furniture Idea) for the first in a series of “Seminars for Designers.” Now, I have already been through the new Luxe and can tell you that the showroom is beautiful — well laid out, with a good mix of styles and price points. The staff is as professional and attentive as always. What made today’s event interesting was that we had the opportunity to hear from a couple of vendor reps about the new product lines now available at Luxe.

Specifically, Fine Furniture from Huntington House, Gat Creek, Joe Ruggiero for Miles Talbot, Gotico and Carolina Home from Century. These lines have a tremendous amount of flexibility built into them so that you can go from traditional to contemporary to lodge to country and back all with the same manufacturer, just choosing from the the myriad options. They have also put together special programs for Luxe that have considerably streamlined the ordering process.

Of course, Luxe still carries some of you favorites: Drexel Heritage, Saloom, Bermex, Dinec, Stanley, Bernhardt, Artistica, Charleston Forge, Lorts & Hooker. And they have a good eco line, ecollections, that utilizes sustainably harvested woods, natural-fiber fabrics, water-based finishes and formaldehyde-free glues.

In my opinion, Luxe Home Interiors is now a much better store than Norwalk. The selection is broader, the ability to customize is tremendous, and the fabrics…oh the fabrics, are sensational. You can furnish your home here, be it Urban Loft or Lodge.

OH! And they’re having a great Grand Opening sale until March 31. If you’ve been thinking about new furniture, now is a great time to buy.

Thriving Through Life’s Transitions — Design Helps.

We all experience transitions in our lives, some pleasant, some not. You may not think of interior design as factoring in here, but in my experience it really does. Think about it…when you get your first apartment, your first real opportunity to create a space that is all yours, you begin to decorate. When you get married, suddenly you are combining two households with two different styles…how do you make that work? Then the kids go off to college. What will you do with all that extra space? An art studio? A beautiful guest room? A library? 

In each of these cases, interior design plays a big part in how you will ultimately feel about your environment. If you pay attention and recognize these transitions as opportunities to  redefine or perhaps reinvent yourself, you may find them much less stressful. Of course, times of transition are frequently chaotic and frenzied. Who the heck has time to think about decorating? Even so, a bit of planning and forethought can reap big rewards and reduced stress. 

For example, a friend is soon getting married. She and her soon-to-be husband both have reasonably well outfitted homes. How do they decide which furniture to keep and which to let go of. Sometimes it’s easy– things are worn or dated. More often than not, it isn’t that clear cut. There may be an emotional attachment. He may love his big overstuffed chair and college memorabilia and she thinks its all awful. He thinks she has too many pillows and ruffles. Negotiating some of these things prior to the move-in can greatly help smooth the transition.

It can be overwhelming, so don’t be afraid to consult a professional designer to help. Most are accustomed navigating the road of compromise, they can help clarify and realize  your vision and they are really good neutral, third parties. 

So embrace life’s transitions, create the environment that will nurture and support you into the next phase. You’ll be glad you did.