Home & Design SPECIAL SECTION
CUSTOM CREATIONS
BESPOKE FURNITURE CAN HELP ENHANCE A HOME AND MAKE IT STAND OUT FROM THE REST .
BY TANYA A . YACINA AND NEWPORT BEACH MAGAZINE STAFF
COURTESY OF ROOM & BOARD ; OPPOSITE PAGE : COURTESY OF LAZZONI
A home ’ s design is a reflection of personal taste and style . Whether you are creating the aesthetic from the ground up or selecting furniture and decor to suit the size or look of an already established space , custom pieces can add an extra layer of sophistication and individuality . Far from the cookie-cutter items that can be found in big-box stores , tailor-made furniture is handcrafted to a client ’ s exact specifications .
Anna Shay , principal at Solanna Design & Development , is one of a few local designers who make one-of-a-kind furniture . “ I don ’ t want to reproduce what anyone else is doing ,” Shay says . “ I love the process of creating a new piece — something that ’ s completely unique .”
Clients can be proud to display these custom items and treasure them for years to come .
“ It ’ s a wonderful gift to be able take some rough bits of lumber and turn them into something that means so much to someone , that was made specifically for them , that they will own for decades and maybe even pass down to their kids ,” says Newport Beach furniture maker Max Isles .
DESIGN ON DEMAND Isles has joined forces with his wife ’ s interior design business , Isles Interiors . He began lending his talents to the firm when his wife , Maria , began needing custom furniture for her projects .
Often , interior designers and other customers have an idea of what they want , or see something in a store or catalog , but their desired piece doesn ’ t come in the size or number needed for their project , he says . For example , a client may have found an antique chair and wants eight of them to go
Room & Board has collections that can be customized , such as cabinets available in a wide range of sizes with materials from white oak to cherry wood or maple with a charcoal stain .
NEWPORT BEACH MAGAZINE 53