Designing Multifunctional Luxury Interior Spaces with Entertaining in Mind
To go out or stay in? That is the question.
But when your home entertainment zones look as good as this, there really is no question.
More attention than ever is being paid to luxury designing with entertainment in mind — and we couldn’t be happier to oblige.
When we have the opportunity to create a personalized space that our clients not only love living in, but also where they love inviting their friends and family, what a joy.
Here are three design rules we live by when we have our eyes pointed toward designing for year-round enjoyment and for when crowds gather.
1. Design for both intimacy and expansion.
Regardless of a room’s size, daily living requires intimately connected seating zones. After all, nobody wants to have a bullhorn laying around to be able to talk to the person sitting on the nearest club chair.
An interior design with distinctly different seating zones ensures both comfort and flexibility for gatherings of any size — especially for more oversized dream rooms. These zones are each cozy in their own right, but also scale wonderfully to larger gatherings.
We recently created a stunning and incredibly multifunctional sublevel expanse that serves as the ultimate place for entertaining — with a bar, wine cellar, media room, game area, and intimate seating areas perfect for conversations among two or three.
While we were spoiled with space in this sublevel destination, lesser square footage can absolutely work for entertaining. Think about double-duty furnishings, such as movable ottomans tucked beneath a console table or handsome nearby upholstered dining chairs that easily can be pulled into a space for expanded seating.
2. Interior Design to indulge passions.
We love to explore what makes our clients tick — their unique wants, needs, and cravings for their home. Together these lead us to design spaces that feel ideal for the way they love to entertain.
Passionate about moonlighting as a mixologist when friends come to call — or perhaps you’re the consummate wine collector? These are both excellent interests to indulge in an entertaining space, like a bar or a wine room. Movie lover? A home theater or integrated media room is in the cards. Big video gamer? A tricked-out game room or billiards room to enjoy on any given Friday night is easily a hot ticket for entertainment, too.
In this sublevel space, we channeled multiple points of interests — from wine to billiards and arcade games, Friday film nights, and more. When we design spaces around personal passions, we know that they will “share well” with guests.
3. Interior Design for function and flow.
Both function and flow are the epitome of importance in a space designed with entertaining in mind. We want to create the opportunity for mingling from area to area; for staying connected without being too cramped into a space; and for an easy percolation from one activity zone to the next.
From grabbing a drink at the bar and heading over for a game of pool, perhaps stopping for some conversation along the way, a perfect entertaining space will make every intended activity feel friendly and accessible. Another example? A glass wine storage area that’s viewable, which makes a space feel larger and connects it to the rest of the entertaining space — rather than pocketing it away.
Furnishings can support this intent, too. Extra-long, extra-deep sofas provide year-round comfort and are equally prized when entertaining. Equally so, movable seating like ottomans, custom bean bag chairs, and barstools can act as overflow seating. The deliberate use of hard-wearing fabrics that stand up to red wine and more means carefree hosting.
4. Design to be statement-making.
At the end of the day, we want a space to say something, to take a stand and command attention — whether that’s in big, bold gestures or in small but poignant moments.
We owe a great deed to texture — what one feels tactically and visually in a space — to create an impact. In luxury interior design, your brain experiences different textures as much as your skin. A space filled with shiny, sparkly items will “feel” differently than one that is filled with plush, soft, matte textures.
Here, a hearty stone-clad fireplace sits in wonderful complement to beautiful, striated cabinetry in a high-gloss sheen — sophisticatedly balancing organic and modern textures. We added more punctuation marks in the metallic leather barstools and the sculptural lighting.
Color plays another big role when creating an eye-catching vibe; different color depths and combos create layers of experience. In this space, we took inspiration from the bold and primary color palette of arcade games, adding in touches of rich marigold and sunset orange in the wine tasting area. It’s definitely a WIN.
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Whether the dream entertaining scenario for you looks like accommodating a large crowd — or creating the intentional space for small intimate gatherings — we can design luxurious and livable areas that fit into your home’s square footage and architecture.
When we create these entertaining spaces for our clients, our goal is that they feel fantastic and that their guests want to stay and drink it all in!
Our expertise includes knowing exactly what questions to ask, so that we can design entertaining spaces that are impeccable — stunning, welcoming, and functional, and that feel generous and relaxing and personalized just for you.