Expertise: Kitchen & Bath Remodeling

Your home is an extension of yourself. From the style to the décor, it's impossible to separate the design of a home from its owner. However, not every space is a perfect match, and in this competitive housing market it's difficult to hold out for that perfect space—that's where remodeling comes in. Remodeling provides homeowners the opportunity to make the space uniquely their own without holding out or breaking the bank on a total breakdown.

House & Home spoke with award-winning designer Sophia Amiano from Amiano & Son Design-Build about one of her favorite design styles, "quiet luxury," and how she incorporates it into home remodeling designs to add elegance to a space without being too abrasive.

What is "quiet luxury?"
Quiet luxury is when multiple elements of texture, monochromatic colors and materials are designed in a beautiful palette—not to compete with one another, but to come together in beautiful harmony. The major key to quiet luxury design is intention. Everything has its place, and as those places may be seemingly minimal, they are major factors toward the overall finished look of the space. Quiet luxury also embraces the idea of timelessness in the home. The idea is to cultivate a space that feels thoughtfully designed without overwhelming the senses.

How do you incorporate it into your designs?
I incorporate quiet luxury into my home designs mainly by material aspects as well as the overall layout of the design. Tile selections, cabinetry and flooring are all elements that need to come together to create a cohesive finished product with the original goals in mind. In a kitchen design, quiet luxury may look like panel-ready appliances for one client, while for another it may play into their cabinetry finishes or wood species selections, when applicable. Quiet luxury in a bathroom plays into the multiple tile selections from the shower to the flooring coming together to tell a story. Natural stone, porcelains, stone tile, geometric tile and the colors of those tiles all play such a huge role in this style of design. How you bring these multiple selections together needs to be thought out carefully so all materials flow and do not look stagnant in a space.

How do you work with clients to create a space they love?
From the time I complete the first initial site measure/discussion with the client, I talk with them about what it is they are lacking now in their space. To me, this comes first and foremost. What do they need to get out of this remodel? Function? Style? Then, I like to dive deeper into that discussion. Whether it is function or style, what is the plan for the home? Is this the client's forever home, or do they have a 10-year plan? Whichever case it may be, I always keep the client's personal touch in mind, as no one will fully enjoy their space if they base every decision off of resale or what they are currently seeing in the magazines.

Through my design and planning process, I work one-on-one with my clients in private meetings held at one of my showroom locations so we can completely home in, in a comfortable environment, surrounded by cabinetry, tile, flooring, cabinet hardware, plumbing and more, all under one roof. Condensing all materials as well as design space into my showroom locations gives me the opportunity to provide my clients with all options. Seeing them in-person all at once, without the hassle of going to different stores and breaking up the process into multiple design meetings, ultimately eliminates confusion for the client and deflection from the vision of the design.

Amiano & Son, Design-Build
Southampton and Barnegat Light, N.J.
(609) 268-5923
AmianoAndSon.com

Published (and copyrighted) in House & Home, Volume 23, Issue 11 (September 2023).
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