Defining Luxury Through Personalization and Scale: Our East Grand Rapids Renovation

East Grand Rapids is a picturesque, small, mid-west city. The tree-lined streets,  historic homes and a true sense of  community makes it one of my favorite places to design. This renovation was such a treat because we were able to take a home with great bones and breathe new life into it while making sure it reflected our clients’ playful personalities and active family lifestyle. Every choice was intentional. We wanted  our new design choices  to feel in tune with the age of the home while  still being fresh, modern, and completely custom!

Bespoke Details

One of the things that defines luxury for me is when a home feels like it couldn’t belong to anyone else. Personalization is everything. During our design process, we always ask our clients about their favorite seat in their home. What do they love about it? What drives them crazy about other furniture pieces they own? Even if someone hasn’t thought about it before, they always discover they have preferences.

For me, I know I love an arm height of 25 inches or above and a seat depth around 22 inches. I like to curl up and put my feet  on the sofa. Our clients may prefer something completely different. Maybe they love a lower arm so they can stretch out, or maybe they like a taller arm for leaning and lounging. Tailoring the design to our clients preferences is important to making a home comfortable, which is very important to me as a designer. In this home, the sofa dimensions were customized for both comfort and proportion to the space. The fabrics we chose were soft  but durable enough for everyday life. It’s  the details - perfect dimensions, the right cushion fill, arm height, and fabric texture- that make a space feel luxurious without ever feeling fussy.

Size and Proportion 

Scale was one of the most important aspects of this living room. The sofa is longer than average so it could be perfectly centered on the window while still connecting visually to the corner table and love seat. The white oak oversized corner table is an essential detail in pulling the room together. Standard tables simply don’t come this size or height, so we had it custom made. I love a table that sits right at the sofa arm or just below. It feels natural to rest a book or coffee there, with no awkward reaching!

The coffee table is another standout piece. It’s large enough to connect all of the seating areas, making the room feel cozy and conversational. Its curves are so beautiful next to the clean-lined sofas. That mix of organic and linear shapes keeps the space from feeling flat. It’s functional for everything from family game nights to displaying books and flowers, but it’s also sculptural, adding personality to the room.

The Home Feels “Easy”

This house was originally built in the 1950s, which is one of the things I love about East Grand Rapids; the variety of home styles throughout.

One-of-a-Kind Decor

I always say that a home should feel collected over time, not like everything was installed in one day. The décor in this room is layered with pieces that tell a story. We mixed clean-lined furniture, heirlooms,  French antiques  and local art that feels meaningful to our clients. Every item was placed  with intention. The slat wall is one of my favorite new additions with art layered a top by John McLaughlin.

Streamlined Project Management and Service

Large renovations like this one can be overwhelming without the right team. We guided our clients through every step, from the very first conversation about overall floorplan changes and understanding their daily habits, to the final styling the day and furniture install. A well-managed project makes the experience enjoyable, and it shows in the end result.

Everything came together as planned, and I love that this home now feels comfortable and ready for modern day living! It honors the character of East Grand Rapids while being perfectly personal for  the family who lives here. That sense of ease is what I believe luxury is all about.

XO