Tag: personalized design

Making a Luxury Kitchen Feel Personal With Custom Design

Peter Salerno Inc.

Making a Luxury Kitchen Feel Personal With Custom Design

There are so many ways to make kitchen design feel luxurious. But there are only a handful of ways to make luxury kitchen design feel personal to YOU. If your forever kitchen doesn’t feel like your forever kitchen, then what’s the point?

True luxury starts and ends with you. What you place value on is a question only you can answer – the same should hold true of your dream kitchen design. It’s why the truly elite kitchen design companies start their design process with questions, not suggestions. “Cookie cutter” high-end kitchen design is great for flipping houses or looking just like your neighbor down the street. But if you want a truly standout kitchen design that speaks to your life, your loves and your definition of luxury, then personalized custom design features are crucial to your kitchen.

Hiring a world-class custom kitchen and bath designer like Peter Salerno is a great way to ensure your home kitchen design is both elegant and personally distinctive. The “new” trend of personalizing luxury kitchen design is a staple of Peter Salerno Inc.’s vision since 1997. Peter’s own home kitchen is even adorned with hand-painted floral arrangements on each of his custom cabinets – one to signify the birth month of each of his family members.

In a recent luxury kitchen design feature on Instagram, Peter Salerno Inc. outlined a recent kitchen design project in which the homeowner worked hand-in-hand with Peter Salerno to create a truly unique, luxury masterpiece of a home kitchen.

The design started by incorporating furniture pieces, screens and vintage items to be converted into portions of the luxury kitchen design. (For example, look above to the beautiful mantle that became part of this one-of-a-kind custom range hood!) By centering the design around the clients, their desires, needs, and what they found to be aesthetically beautiful, Peter Salerno and his team were able to begin construction on a kitchen design that was both marvelous and guaranteed to be impossible to duplicate.

We are in love with the custom cabinetry in this kitchen design – especially considering they weren’t cabinets to begin with at all! The original blue screens featuring ornate elephant patterns were carefully crafted into front panels of new, high-end custom kitchen cabinets, creating a series of pieces throughout the kitchen that were both unique and personal to the homeowners.

“Making a kitchen completely personal is something Peter Salerno Inc. is known for,” Peter Salerno Inc.’s Instagram remarks – and the photos above are no exception. Peter envisioned a new use for a classic book shelf, transforming it into a beautiful server for this showstopping kitchen. Add in the incredible custom island sink, statement pendant lighting and dazzling turquoise soffit feature, and you have a custom, luxurious kitchen design that speaks directly to the heart of its owners.

Isn’t it your turn to transform your home’s kitchen into your forever kitchen, that’s both luxurious and personal to you? Talk to an expert.

Graffiti Bath Design: How to Break ‘Design Rules’ + Still Create a Masterpiece

Peter Salerno Inc.

Graffiti Bath Design: How to Break Rules + Still Win at Design

Throw the bath design rule book out the window. When it comes down to it, the only true ‘rule’ of design is creating something you love.

When Peter Salerno created the award-winning, updated Peter Salerno Inc. showroom, he wanted to reserve one space that went entirely outside the box. When Peter saw the masterful graffiti-style street art that would soon adorn his showroom bath design, he knew he’d found his muse.

Peter Salerno hired a professional graffiti artist to create a bold, vibrant cityscape in the bathroom design. From a replica manhole cover in the center of the floor to colorful depictions of a metropolitan skyline and an elevated subway line, the artwork is audacious and vivid. The inside of the bathroom door is even “tagged” with notable initials, names and dates important to Peter Salerno, his family, and the Peter Salerno Inc. legacy.

Now, before anyone panics – design conventions and standards exist for a reason. There’s no reason to abandon ship on everything you know about design. However – as with anything else – sometimes stepping outside one’s comfort zone is the only way to reach new heights as an artist, a designer and a creator.

As with many of the designs we feature, the true beauty of this graffiti art bath design is in its personalization. As the years have passed at the Peter Salerno Inc. showroom, the ‘tags’ on the bathroom door have filled in – with new staff members, new husbands and wives, children and grandchildren. A simple door has become a living testimonial to the Peter Salerno Inc. design family as well as Peter’s own family.

It’s important to respect your personal legacy and style while incorporating new elements into your home design, especially in frequently traveled areas like the kitchen and bath. Rich colors can still be comfortable and inviting when coupled with design elements that mean something to you.

“When I’m doing design work, it’s always important for me to personalize something,” Peter Salerno says in the video above. “I wanted to show the energy of New York City; I think that graffiti was the only way to express that properly.”

By stepping outside a personal comfort zone, a world-class designer was able to pay tribute to his family, his design team, and a city which he loves. How do YOU plan to step outside your ‘design comfort zone’ and grow? Let us know in the comments below!

For more about the graffiti bath design at Peter Salerno Inc.’s award-winning Wyckoff, New Jersey showroom, check out Peter Salerno Inc.’s official Instagram account.

Read more about this design on the Peter Salerno Inc. Instagram account.
Read more about this design on the Peter Salerno Inc. Instagram account.

How to Afford Luxury Home Design: Part 2 [Personalization, Not Price]

Peter Salerno Inc.

How to Afford Luxury Home Design: Part 2 [Personalization, Not Price]

In this series, Design Your Lifestyle shows you how luxury home design in 2018 can be far more affordable than you think. The series began with Part 1, where we stated that ‘luxury’ is a far more flexible term than you might think – especially when it comes to custom kitchen design and custom bath design.

The key to luxury home design is simple, and it’s the exact opposite of what you’re told to believe: you shouldn’t want to keep up with your neighbors. True luxury home design in today’s marketplace isn’t about trying to ‘one-up’ others; rather, it’s about focusing on yourself.

New kitchen design installation photos from Peter Salerno Inc.
New kitchen design installation photos from Peter Salerno Inc.

Achieving true luxury in your kitchen design, bath design or whole home design is all about personalization – not price.

Personalized Luxury is the best kind. What good is a beautiful home design if it’s sterile? Imagine a spacious, glamorous home full of the hottest design trends, posh furniture, luxury appliances and state-of-the-art technology. That would be a great place to hang out for awhile, but would it be a great place to live?

A house can be virtually anything. But your HOME has to reflect you. A home provides comfort, security, sentimental touches and reflections of your family, friends and loved ones. And if it doesn’t compliment your own personality and sense of style, then is it truly “yours”?

One of the reasons we lean on our parent company, Peter Salerno Inc., for constant design advice is simple. Peter Salerno and his team spend an inordinate amount of time honing their crafts, attending conferences and design showcases, and partnering with the finest brands and sub-contractors in the world. But they spend even more time learning about their clients.

Peter Salerno Inc. 2017 new white kitchen design - stunning and trendy.
Peter Salerno Inc. 2017 new white kitchen design – stunning and trendy.

The application of personal touches and ‘personalized luxury’ even extends into Peter Salerno’s own home. Peter’s home kitchen is adorned with hand-painted floral arrangements on each of his custom cabinets – one to signify the birth month of each of his family members.

There are two ways to approach the concept of adding value to your home through hiring a world-class custom designer. One is, of course, financial – resale value is an important measurable to consider for the future. But in the here and now, the second concept of added home value is invaluable – and that’s the idea of personal value.

Peter Salerno's 2014 NKBA Best Kitchen. (Credit Peter Rymwid)

We’ll put it this way. Whatever your current design (or re-design, or renovation) budget may be, would you rather spend it on impersonal items that will only serve to add re-sale value? Or would you choose to invest some or all of that budget in making your home a place where you (and the world) can feel a true connection to who you are and what you love?

Quality home design firms today must take the time to learn about you as a client. Everyone wants beauty in his or her daily life, but the definition of beauty is unique to each individual. Ultimately, your custom kitchen designer, custom bath designer, or whole home designer must answer to one standard of beauty – yours.

The details make the design, and they also make it personal. Whether it’s reclaiming materials from your first home for use in your new home, or finding decor from your hometown, or simply utilizing your favorite colors, expert designers like Peter Salerno understand the difference between ‘a gorgeous house’ and ‘your perfect home’. And by utilizing that thought process, they can provide you with luxury home design that focuses on personalization, not price.

Want more information about this article, personalized luxury, or the designers mentioned? Fill out the contact form below or leave a comment!

Fall 2016 Kitchen Cabinet Design Trends to Embrace

Peter Salerno Inc.

Fall 2016 Kitchen Cabinet Design Trends to Embrace

Fall is a season of change. As the leaves turn to brilliant shades of red and yellow, daylight hours shift, and summer wardrobes make way for sweaters and pullovers, home design trends also begin to shift towards future trends.

Kitchen design often leads the way in home design trends, and rightfully so. The kitchen is the heart of your home, where family and friends gather to share meals, drinks, stories and life’s everyday moments. As such, it’s important your kitchen design fully reflect your sense of personal style, with design elements that tastefully bridge the divide between the classic and the contemporary.

Peter Salerno's 2014 NKBA Best Kitchen. (Credit Peter Rymwid)
Fall 2016 kitchen cabinet design trends we adore. (Photo: Peter Rymwid, Peter Salerno Inc.)

There will always be new kitchen design trends with which to experiment, but one facet of your kitchen should always remain timeless – your cabinets. While statements are often made with backsplashes, accessories and countertops, your kitchen cabinets are often the “glue” that holds your kitchen design together.

So which kitchen cabinet design trends should you trust? Which can you embrace as an element of your holistic kitchen design for years to come? As passing trends fall out of vogue, these Fall 2016 kitchen cabinet design trends will stand the test of time. Consider them as a wise investment for your kitchen design or re-design project this fall.

Our Favorite Fall 2016 Kitchen Cabinet Design Trends

1. Gray and White Cabinets are Always “In”.

At first, one may typify a gray or white cabinetry scheme as staid or prosaic. In actuality, the right cabinet maker and kitchen designer will make white and gray cabinetry a clean, stunning focal point in your kitchen design.

Peter Salerno Inc.'s 2016 HGTV People's Choice Award. (Credit: HGTV)
Peter Salerno Inc.’s 2016 HGTV People’s Choice Award. (Credit: HGTV)

Experts from HGTV to the NKBA laud the use of white and gray cabinetry, rewarding their use in design with some of their highest 2016 awards and honors. Peter Salerno Inc. (the most award-winning kitchen and bath design firm in North America since 2002) used gray and white cabinetry to earn a prestigious HGTV People’s Choice Award during the 2016 KBIS Convention.

2. Personalized Cabinets.

When installing new cabinets in your home kitchen, bear in mind you want them to last for a long time. With that in mind, Peter Salerno suggests adding personal modifications to your cabinet design. In Peter’s own home kitchen, his cabinets are adorned with hand-painted flowers, each of which represents the birth month of his family members.

As a result, Peter is reminded of his loved ones every time he enters his home kitchen space. He also reaps the benefit of owning world-class cabinetry decorated by beautiful rustic floral artwork!

How can you add a personalized touch to your kitchen cabinetry? Choose a color scheme, decorative pattern or other detail that marks your kitchen space as your very own. It’s a subtle yet intimate way to create a one-of-a-kind kitchen design.

3. Custom Carvings.

Another fantastic Fall 2016 kitchen cabinet design trend is the implementation of custom carvings in and around your cabinetry. While the intricate woodwork likely requires hiring a master craftsman like those at Peter Salerno Inc. (see the video below), the end result is a gorgeous facet of your kitchen design that will never be duplicated.

Be creative when deciding how to use custom carvings in your cabinet design! Will they be used as cabinet handles? Will they outline the cabinets themselves? Or will you hire a custom master cabinet craftsman to design custom carved crown moulding above your high cabinets?

Whatever kitchen cabinet design trend you embrace, make sure it properly blends fresh ideas with classic design elements. With that balance in mind, your Fall 2016 kitchen cabinet design (or re-design) will be a lasting, cherished focal point of your home kitchen for years to come.

For expert advice on your home kitchen and/or kitchen cabinet design project, please fill out the contact form below.