By Donna Heiderstadt
“Sparking joy” was at the heart of a panel discussion called Selective Luxury: The Art of Intentional Design that jump-started NEXTStage programming on Feb. 26 at KBIS 2025 and explored how designers work with clients to create bespoke spaces that express personal style. Attendees were welcomed by author and design journalist Sophie Donelson — the Day 2 host at NEXTStage, which is sponsored by Ferguson Home — who introduced Amber Peterson, Design Manager for Ferguson Home and one of the session’s three panelists.
Peterson was joined onstage by Taniya Nayak, Founder of Boston-based Taniya Nayak Design Inc. and a designer/host on several HGTV, Food Network and ABC shows, and the panel’s moderator, Andrea Lillo, Executive Editor of Designers Today and the panel’s moderator.
Defining intentional luxury
Lillo kicked off the session by asking the panel “How do you define selective luxury?” Nayak jumped right in, noting that she herself wasn’t certain what it meant, so she asked her design team and they, too, were stumped. So she then asked them, “What is luxury to you?” quickly realizing that the answers ranged from “a vacation on a yacht” to a space that’s “simple, quiet, and peaceful.” Translation: Luxury means different things to different people.
“As a designer, you have to listen to the client about what luxury means to them,” she said, adding that it’s then possible to add “layers of selective luxury to customize a design and create a tasteful, bespoke space just for them.”
Peterson concurred, noting that “luxury is in the details” and that Ferguson Home “caters to those looking to tailor a space to their needs.”
Talking about customization, Nayak pointed to the varying moods of the rooms she designed for a New York client with a 1,000-square-foot apartment overlooking Central Park, which were being shown on the screen. While the living space was colorful, bold, and modern and the bathroom featured dramatically veined marble, the clients requested that the bedroom be a neutral, quiet retreat. “Customization is so important and we can do that with artwork, custom wallpaper, and other details,” she said, noting that the rise of custom wall coverings allows designers to create truly unique spaces for their clients.
Other customization buzzwords
Peterson also addressed another aspect of customization: comfort. “We’re seeing a push for comfort that is personal and elevated,” she said. This goes hand in hand with a wellness-at- home trend that has clients requesting spa-like amenities designed to soothe and relax in comfort and privacy.
Nayak also pointed to the trend of “color drenching” in which a space’s design focuses on a single color from floor to ceiling. She’s also seeing demand for it in kitchens, where appliances are now available in a a variety of colosr. “I think people are accepting that when it comes to design, they can go big,” she said. “It’s all about what sparks joy — if it does that it’s luxury.”
How to get clients to express what luxury means to them
Nayak suggested that after first asking clients about their needs relevant to their everyday life at home to then ask them “what they dream about, where was their best vacation, and what is their favorite restaurant.” She said she even opens their closets and looks at their clothes to get a sense of their personal style. “Then, as designers, we get to exaggerate that a little more,” she said, adding that being able to do that is all a matter of having the client trust you. “You know you have the right client when they really trust you,” she said.
Storytelling through design
Both Nayak and Peterson said they see storytelling as integral to selective luxury. Nayak recalled a client who inherited her mother’s condo and wanted to incorporate her love of reading into the design — so the living room features a focal-point built-in bookshelves with an artistic selection of books and other objects. “The space doesn’t let go of the soul,” she explained of designs with a story behind them.
Peterson also pointed out that manufacturers often tell her that having a story to tell helps sell a product.
Asked to impart advice to designers who are relatively new to the kitchen-and-bath sector and are looking to embrace selective luxury, Nayak had a suggestion. Rather than looking to showcase their talents by pushing their own personal design style, designers should truly listen to what their clients want and need. “Then give a little, take a little, and build that trust,” she said.
What does luxury mean to you?
The session concluded with Nayak asking members of the audience to say what luxury means to them. Answers included “comfort and security,” “a place to come home to unwind…a sanctuary,” “the place I want to be,” and “being authentic to yourself and the space rather than going with a trend or modernizing just to modernize.”
Nayak then returned to the role customization, from personalized wall coverings to playing with color, has in creating a sense of selective luxury. “We now live in a world where we can do anything we want to.”
