Is it worth going bespoke with your interiors? Designer Joy Moyler talks us through where to invest

Going bespoke with your interiors, whether it's bedlinen or furniture, has many benefits from the fact that aesthetically you can create something that perfectly reflects your style and doesn't just follow interior design trends, to it being a very practical option for furniture or built-ins if you want something that perfectly fits your space. 

But there's no denying it can be expensive, so we asked our new columnist, New York-based interior designer Joy Moyler whether it's worth the investment (spoiler – yes). 

'Sometimes it hits you immediately. Sometimes it’s quiet. Sometimes you have to walk around the room, touching things before you know for sure. But you can feel it in the air. It has a personality all its own. I’m talking about luxury. It’s a feeling, an experience – when not just materials but details come together in a way that makes a space different from all others. 

Luxury takes time, details take time – that’s the real difference. It’s what separates a good room from a great one. Oh, and of course it costs more, too. True luxury means bespoke pieces specifically designed and created to elevate a room. It can be with beautiful wallpaper ideas, linens, drapery, furniture, art, and/or accessories. Above all, it imbues craftsmanship. 

This is how I recognize a space that is well-developed, well-scaled, well-designed, and well-delivered. I touch it. I see it. I know it has not been seen anywhere else. When I am working on projects, I always source the absolute best. Namely, the best that fits within a client’s budget. At a minimum, I design custom linens for the bedroom. 

Usually crafted in England, Italy, or France, these take months to produce. The main requirement is quality; the homeowner will know that where they lay their head was detailed and crafted especially for them. It’s important for clients not just to know this, but to feel this as they drift into dreamsville. 

Joy Moyler

Joy Moyler is a US-based interior designer. Before launching the A-list interior design services Joy Moyler Interiors 12 years ago, she worked for some of America's best interior and architectural design firms including, Skidmore Owings & Merrill and Kohn Pederson Fox, and as head of Giorgio Armani Interior Design Studio.

I enjoy creating crests, logos, or a favorite quote; it may be as simple as a small graphic. From there, I work on establishing the more public spaces. This may include custom furniture made in a particular region, and shipped in from elsewhere. I have a particular fondness for makers and support craftsmanship whenever, and wherever I can.

Cultural representation is equally important. I find it a deep honor to place items in a home representing the owner’s culture and others as well. This makes an environment feel curated not pulled from a catalogue. More meaningfully, it is authentic and reflects the lives of the occupants.

It’s exciting for me to start with an idea for a piece of furniture and source the best craftsperson or studio to develop it. I get a thrill from visiting their studio, sometimes getting dirty, sitting on the floor editing drawings and/or just giving the maker freedom to interpret the piece after seeing my drawings.

I love the smell of fresh-cut wood and seeing molten metal smoldering in a foundry that will develop into lighting or door hardware. I enjoy taking clients to view this process, too. It helps them to understand and appreciate the works and how their money is being spent. But more significantly, I want them to feel it – the exhilaration of something that’s being made for them. When their hand travels over custom embroidered cashmere chairs, they will remember that atelier visit, and how excited they were. I want those moments to live on, not just for me but for them as well.'