Saybrook Home Design Services

It’s official! We’re 2 weeks away from moving into our new home. It feels like a dream. If you’ve been following our house building journey from the beginning (almost 3 years ago!) I had no idea how much work went into building a custom home – it’s certainly no easy task. Once we’re completely moved in, I will share a post all about building custom and what to expect. In the meantime, let’s talk décor!

Decorating a new home is overwhelming. Where do you begin? What’s your budget? Where do you shop? What’s your style? All important questions to iron out before you get started. We were fortunate because we knew the style of décor we wanted for our home. It’s so important to find a style that reflects your personal taste, surroundings and lifestyle needs. We purchased farmland in a rural town in Connecticut. The most logical style home to build on farmland is (you guessed it!) a farmhouse. We designed what I would consider a rustic modern farmhouse, but were careful to include many traditional details in both the architecture and décor. I think it’s the perfect mix!

The next big decision we had to make was where to shop for our interior furnishings. There are many important factors to consider when furniture shopping – quality, price and variety are  just a few examples. We were looking for a retailer that offered a wide selection of quality products at an affordable price. Right around the time we began searching for furniture pieces, James and I were introduced to Saybrook Home – a local, family-owned business in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. The shop has been in business for 41 years and is known for its fine quality furniture, home décor, giftware, hand knotted rugs and custom window treatments. All Saybrook home furniture is made in the USA (another important factor for me!) They work with the best furniture manufacturers across the country to provide superior quality and craftsmanship in every piece they sell.

If you follow me on Instagram (@redwhiteanddenim) you’ll see that we have an open floor plan on the first floor of our home which was designed to entertain. James and I both decided this area would be first to furnish. Having a background in interior design, I had a clear vision of what I wanted for this room. However, I soon realized that my vision is just the first step, bringing that vision to life is the challenging part. Lucky for us, Saybrook Home offers Interior Design Services. Some professional guidance and advice was exactly what we needed to get started on designing this space!

SAYBROOK HOME DESIGN SERVICES

STORE VISIT

The first step on our design process was visiting Saybrook Home. During our visit, James and I met with Saybrook’s lovely designer, Bridgette. Bridgette is one of the senior designers at Saybrook Home and I knew the minute we met that she would be the perfect fit! Not only was Bridgette incredibly sweet and easy to work with, she also completely understood our style. It was reassuring to know that we were in good hands when it came to decorating one of the most important rooms in our home! To learn more about Bridgette and how she can help design your interior spaces, scroll to the bottom of this post!

We spent a few hours (yes hours – Saybrook Home covers 42,000 square feet of retail space!) browsing the store and taking note of the pieces that caught our eye. James and I took photos of everything we loved and made notes of where we envisioned each piece in our home – keeping in mind that everything on the showroom floor is completely customizable to one’s needs.

You’ll notice the minute you walk into Saybrook Home that it doesn’t feel like other furniture stores. We received the warmest welcoming upon arriving and immediately felt at home. Saybrook Home believes that “you aren’t just a customer; you’re part of the family.” You can tell that their staff truly cares about you and making your home the best it can be. We entered the store as customers, but left feeling part of the Saybrook Home family. It made me look forward to our next trip back!

(ps. If you’re looking for a great place to grab a bite, try Aspen! The restaurant is located in the Saybrook Home compound and has excellent food – I’d recommend the Grilled Hearts of Romaine!)

IN-HOME CONSULTATION

The next step was scheduling an in-home design consultation with Bridgette. Prior to our consultation, Bridgette requested that I send her my vision for the room. This included a mood board and a few Pinterest boards full of inspiration I collected over the past couple years (follow me on Pinterest HERE.) She brought along some of the pieces we spotted during our trip to Saybrook Home – like the beautiful red area rug photographed in this post – along with a few extra things she thought would look good in the space.

This was such a crucial step in the design process. Having these items displayed in our home was the best way to tell whether or not they were going to work in the space. Case and point: This beautiful area rug was one that I fell in love with during our visit to Saybrook Home, but didn’t think would actually work in our great room. I was convinced I wanted to go with something more neutral. Thankfully, Bridgette decided to bring it to our home. The minute we rolled it out on our rustic oak floors we were sold – it was PERFECT. Even in an unfinished room surrounded by construction, we knew it was the one. Choosing this rug was the very first decision we made for the room and ended up being our source of inspiration for the remaining décor.

FINAL PRODUCT SELECTIONS

The last step of the process included a second trip to Saybrook home to finalize our selections (and yes, lunch again at Aspen!) When we arrived, Bridgette surprised us with our beautiful handmade rug laid out on a table in the textile room. It was covered with an array of matching fabric and wood samples for our furniture pieces (see my Instagram stories for more!) Bridgette also had a computer graphic of our room to show us the proposed layout and how each furniture piece would be situated. This was extremely helpful for us! During this visit, we also finalized our couch and chair selection and fabric for each. Bridgette found the most beautiful fabric choices for our room. For our sectional, she chose a ‘worn in’ cognac leather. In contrast, she chose a deep blue velour fabric for our accent chairs. I can’t wait to see the final product!

Because all Saybrook Home furniture is made-to-order, there’s a few week lead time on the pieces we chose. Lucky for us, the timing works out perfectly and we should be receiving the furniture right around the time we move in. I can’t wait to show you guys the finished room – stay tuned for our big reveal!

If you’re ever passing through the Old Saybrook area, I highly recommend experiencing Saybrook Home for yourself! Even if you’re not in the market for furniture or home décor, it’s worth a trip to the Saybrook Home compound to grab lunch and browse their clothing boutique. For events and latest happenings, check out their website at www.saybrookhome.com! You can also follow them on Instagram @saybrookhome.

MEET BRIDGETTE

Bridgette is a passionate designer who believes that the power of beautiful interiors can influence daily life. Prior to receiving her BA in English, she attained her associate degree in Interior Design at Chamberlayne College in Boston. She has worked in both the interior and fashion design industries for over 15 years. As managing consultant at both Domain in northern VA and Barami in DC, she gained significant knowledge of color, lighting, fabrics and textiles as well as furniture design. After becoming a licensed VA Realtor in 2013, Bridgette employed her design skills, attention to detail and forward looking outlook to transform her team’s listings for spectacular professional photo shoots. Having worked with clients on a variety of projects, she feels that each personality is unique, like paint on a canvas, and listening is the key to creating exceptional design.

Set up a design consultation with Bridgette HERE.