Distinctive Interior Designs

DESIGNER INSIDER 👀
Custom rugs without the scary “custom” price tag.

One of my favorite parts of designing a home? Finding resources that let us create exactly what the space needs — instead of settling for “close enough.”

I’m loving the possibilities from RuggleUp for completely custom rugs. Wool, New Zealand wool, merino wool, silk, jute… so many gorgeous textures, colors and combinations to play with. 🤍

And the best part? We can customize the exact size and shape for the room — something that can make a HUGE difference in how a space feels and functions.

Beautiful quality, reasonable pricing AND good lead times? That’s the kind of designer resource I’m always happy to add to our palette. 😉

What if your bedroom could make you exhale the minute you walked in? 🤎

For our Springdale Project in Princeton, this 22’ × 18’ primary suite was designed to be so much more than a place to sleep.

It’s a bedroom, a cozy sitting room, a quiet place to unwind by the fire…and it has a few secrets hiding in plain sight. 👀

Those paneled walls? They’re not all what they seem. Pressure-release panels conceal a private coffee + w**e bar, so morning coffee—or an evening glass of w**e—is only a few steps away without adding visual clutter to the room.

That’s one of my favorite parts of designing a large multifunctional space: giving it everything you want it to do, without letting it feel like it’s doing too much.

The goal here was simple: calm, warm, layered and peaceful.

Because sometimes luxury isn’t about adding more.
It’s about designing a space that makes you want to stay. 🤎

Would you have guessed there was a coffee + w**e bar hiding behind those panels?

What came first… the design chicken 🐓or the dream egg?🥚

Or in our world… the dream kitchen or all the little details that make it one?

Flooring… Cristallo counters… cabinet finishes… lighting... custom hood… A shape we can already see in our heads, and need our clients to see it too.

One decision leads to another, and somewhere along the way, a collection of individual choices starts looking a whole lot like the home we imagined from the beginning. ✨

This Princeton whole-house project with L Brooke Homes, LLC is moving from vision → selections → reality, and we can already tell this kitchen is going to be a dream to use.

Breaking ground in less than 1 month — come along for the journey!

“Wait… you still do window treatments?”

I’ve been hearing that question a lot lately from clients I worked with 15, 20… even 25 years ago.

The answer is a resounding YES! 😊

When I started Distinctive Interior Designs back in 1998, custom window treatments, blinds & shutters were the foundation of my business. Over the years, we’ve grown to include renovation design, space planning, kitchens, baths, and whole-home transformations—but we never stopped creating beautiful, custom window treatments and all product to address your privacy and light control needs!

This video is for a client whose window treatments I installed 15 years ago. They served her well, but it was time for a fresh look that better reflects her home today.
Whether you need one room, an entire house, motorized shades, woven woods, shutters, drapery, or a complete renovation, we’re here to help.

So if you’ve been wondering if we still do blinds and window treatments… we absolutely do—and we’d love to help you with your next project.

✨ Sometimes the smallest update makes the biggest impact.

The best design solutions usually start with the strangest problems… like building a cozy den around a massive burgundy safe.

This bulky functional piece was taking up significant floor space in another room. Instead of treating it as a problem, we tucked it into a closet, created lift storage above, and designed the entire den experience outward from there.

Vintage airplanes. Antique trains. Layered personality. Cozy TV watching.

Because great design isn’t about creating a pretty room.

It’s about creating spaces that reflect the people living in them and sometimes their history too!

Whether we like it or not, our kids grow up. 🤍

Their toys disappear. Their visits get shorter.

But we never stop wanting them to come home.

This bedroom was designed with that feeling in mind — elevated … and still familiar. Because thoughtful design isn’t only about how a room looks. It’s about how someone feels when they walk back into it.

Maybe the worn teddy bear and old truck are there for a reason. 🧸🥛🍪

Because home should always leave room for who they used to be… and who they’ve become.

✨ Designing spaces worth coming home to.

Not every favorite feature in a home is the dramatic one. ☕✨

When we suggested adding an InstaHot to this coffee station, the homeowner honestly thought it was unnecessary.

Now?
He says he couldn’t imagine living without it.

Sometimes the BEST design decisions are the little everyday luxuries that quietly improve how you live, move, and start your mornings.

And yes… we designers secretly love when clients end up saying:
“You were right.” 😄

Would YOU add an InstaHot to your kitchen or beverage station?

KitchenInspo