To Customize Or Not to Customize
Notes from the Studio, Vol. 14
In a utopian universe free of time and budget constraints, interior design is nothing but custom. That version exists (and we've done it), but for most projects — even luxurious, high-budget ones — the smarter approach is knowing exactly where the premium custom costs makes sense and where it does not.
Here's how we think about it at Studio Isaac:
01. Bathroom vanities: THE semi-custom surprise.
Especially for powder rooms and guest bathrooms, the market for well-designed vanities is strong. And here's what most people miss: the fixture and hardware selections do as much work as the vanity itself. We recently took an off-the-shelf vanity in a Brooklyn project that could have easily read as plain Jane, added a custom marble top, and swapped the existing hardware with unlacquered brass pulls. The result looked like it cost three times as much as it did.
Existing Vanity
This retail oak vanity had the perfect proportions for the bathroom we are working in. We opted to forgo one of the existing top/sink options in place of a custom option.
The Vision
While the vanity came with hardware, we intended to replace it with unlacquered brass cups to match the faucet and make this modern piece feel more traditional.
Semi-Custom
Here’s a sneak peek at the install. Stay tuned to see the final photos of this semi-custom vanity. Coming soon!
02. KITCHENS: CUSTOM ALL THE WAY
Kitchens: custom all the way.
Nothing else fits a space, a lifestyle, and a design vision the way a purpose-built kitchen does. The proportions are right. The storage works for how you actually cook. The details (like hardware, profiles, interior fittings) are chosen, not compromised by a select few options. A kitchen is one of the most used rooms in a home and one of the most expensive to redo. Custom, done well, is a generational investment.
Custom kitchen in Lavallette. See more project photos here.
03. Closets: it depends on the scale
For a large, well-proportioned walk-in, we go custom — we love what Ornare does in this space. At that scale, a beautifully designed closet becomes a room in its own right, and the investment shows. For smaller reach-ins, secondary bedrooms, or guest spaces, semi-custom solutions perform extremely well and preserve budget for the rooms that matter most. The deciding question: how much of your daily life happens in that closet, and does it need to feel like a destination?
“Little Luxuries” custom closet by Ornare.
04. Rugs: more accessible than you think.
Clients consistently assume custom rugs are out of reach. They aren't. Working directly with trade vendors, we can specify rugs to an exact size, colorway, and pattern. The process involves a pom sample set — physical yarn samples that let us dial in the precise palette with the vendor before a single thread is woven (photo below). That level of precision doesn't exist off the shelf. For a room where the rug anchors the entire design, it's worth every step of the process.
Example of a pom set for custom rugs.
05. Furniture: where vintage earns its place.
Custom furniture makes the most sense when you're in a home for the long term and a piece is anchoring the entire design. However, some of our favorite furniture solutions aren't custom at all — they're vintage. We actively seek out vintage pieces for shape, scale, and the character that no new piece can replicate. The custom touch comes in the finish. A refinished stain or a reupholstered seat in a COM fabric (customer's own material) ties the piece directly to the palette we're building for a room. Most trade vendors we work with also allow for meaningful customization within their standard lines: providing our own fabric, adjusting a dimension, changing a detail. That semi-custom middle ground is where a lot of the best design decisions live.
Mix & Match
This set of six vintage chairs had been reupholstered in a beautiful green suede. They are now paired with a new table and soft hanging lights.
COM
We love the shape of the Kent bed from Maiden Home and wanted the upholstery color to mimic the ocean views in this California home. We sourced new material and sent it to the production team to create a semi-custom piece.
Fabric First
Sometimes a fabric speaks to us… and we know it needs a place in a specific project. Like this Martello check velvet bark. That’s when we go the custom furniture route.
Custom means spending in the right places and being thoughtful everywhere else. Do you have a custom project in mind? Tell us about it.
— Sarah & Gerald
