NO PLACE LIKE HOME: “We love our work. We get great joy from it, and we help people fulfill their dream. When we show our clients how their house can be transformed, it really is a dream come true.” Stan and Susan Gulati, owners of Luxe Home Company and experts in interior design, are shown in their spacious showroom.

By Jean Stratton

We all need personal shelter, of course. Once that has been accomplished, the opportunities and choices to create a home that is a haven are limited only by imagination. Style, size, textures, and colors as well as subtle nuances all combine to bring to life a home environment that reflects the owner’s personal taste and lifestyle.

Stan and Susan Gulati know all about this. Owners of Luxe Home Company in Princeton Forrestal Village, they are experts in helping homeowners achieve their dream house. As designers, they can direct customers to the desired result, and as owners of the handsome spacious showroom at 126 Village Boulevard, they provide 12,000 square feet filled with an array of furniture and accessories.

The showroom is a treasure trove! Its expanse of windows offers a light-filled space, inviting customers to find just the right piece of furniture, rug, window treatment, lighting, or decorative piece or to create an entire ensemble that reflects their hoped-for home decor.

Enclaves of sample rooms of all kinds provide an atmosphere of enjoyment and creative ideas as customers browse among the intriguing displays.

Enterprising Entrepreneurs

Luxe Home Company opened in 2006 in Princeton Forrestal Village as furniture became an increasing part of the store’s inventory, and more space was needed. Stan and Susan Gulati had owned its predecessor, ETC Company on Palmer Square, for nine years, and their retail experience dates back even further. As students at Rutgers in 1989, they were enterprising entrepreneurs. Their first store was on campus, and then in 1991, they opened an ETC in New Brunswick.

“As small business owners, we are constantly reinventing, refreshing, and trying to inspire people,” points out Stan. “Having been in the business 30 years, we have learned so much. We love it, and we continue to learn every day.”

The move to Princeton Forrestal Village was an excellent decision, report the husband and wife team. As furniture became more and more important in the store, they wanted to offer a wide variety and display it in an expansive setting.

“We offer top quality, always fairly priced,” they point out. “We find that people enjoy coming to the showroom to look over everything and get ideas. They want to come in and see it firsthand, touch it, sit on it, see if it is comfortable. We have seating for everyone’s size and shape!

“Also,” continues Susan, “many times customers will come to the showroom for a new sofa or coffee table, and that may later lead to a design project.”

In fact, design has become the major part of the Gulatis’ business since they moved to Forrestal Village. “It was really a demand from our customers,” explains Stan. “There were more and more requests, and now design is 99 percent of our business.”

Comfortable Atmosphere

Lifestyle is a big factor in the design project, he adds. Do the clients entertain a lot? How do they use the space in a given setting? Where do the kids do homework? Do they need a home office? An entertainment setting? Are there pets?

“Our designs are very customized,” points out Susan. “Also, sometimes people have an idea of what they want, but don’t know how to get there. That is what we can help them do. We can provide help in so many ways, including organizational assistance. During COVID, we were so busy. People were staying home, working at home, and wanted to make improvements and have a nice, comfortable atmosphere.”

Client preferences vary considerably, and the process becomes very individual, reports Stan. “Popular design styles today include new fresh traditional and soft modern, and open floor plans continue to be popular.”

Sophisticated and elegant, light and airy, relaxed and informal, bold and dramatic, a touch of glamor and drama, or simple, soothing, and down-to-earth — all of these are options, and sometimes blended into a surprising look.

As a design gets underway, the first step is to visit the home, get a sense of the client’s style and wish list, take measurements, and make a floor plan, explains Stan.

“When we go to a home, it is really a fact-finding mission. As we go forward, we focus on the entire design experience. We will give a presentation with a furniture selection, fabrics, colors, rugs, lighting, window treatments, etc.”

Refreshed Look

Their work is predominately residential and includes both existing homes and new houses, says Susan. “We always try to use what people already have, if they wish. We can add a refreshed look to older pieces. Reorganizing and rearranging placement, for example. There are many options.”

Many people are comfortable with an eclectic style today, not focusing on one specific genre. On the other hand, with the open floor plan, an easy and seamless flow throughout the house regarding color, accent, and style, all pleasing to the eye, is desirable.

As with everything in design, whether fashion or home decor, the finishing touches complete the statement. Whether it is lighting (from chandeliers to sconces), area rugs, decorative pieces, wall decor, and more, these will all highlight the personality of the room. This is Susan’s specialty.

“We always strive to personalize the interior based on the client’s wishes, and this includes all the accessories,” she explains. “Also, we have so much in the showroom to help clients with choices, including more than 5,000 fabric samples, over 1,000 rug samples, and framed art in all styles and sizes.”

In addition to the extensive selection in the showroom, an adjacent warehouse offers many more items available at significant savings. Its 2,000 square feet contain floor samples at 20 to 60 percent off.

Luxe Home Company’s clientele comprises all ages and includes the Princeton area and beyond. Many are regulars, as well as referrals, and now even second generations from the same family are coming, reports Stan.

Cost Effective

“We have had projects in New York City, Martha’s Vineyard, and Naples, Florida, and also clients who have second homes at the shore or in the mountains,” says Stan. “And it’s people of all backgrounds, including young people just starting out, and empty nesters downsizing and reinventing themselves.”

He also likes to point out that the services of a designer can be very cost-effective regardless of the client’s financial status.

“We can save you from costly mistakes,” he says. “Too often, homeowners make purchases for their homes without a complete plan of how it will fit, work together, and function for their lifestyle. Sometimes, the purchase is made without fully understanding the quality or comfort level. We take the guesswork out and guide our clients every step of the way.”

Stan and Susan Gulati are very proud of the success of Luxe Home Company, and look forward to continuing to provide their clients with high quality products and the expertise of their design service. As they point out, “We believe that good design is not just about looking better; it is about living better. We see how important their house is to people. They want to enjoy their home and be safe at home. We do all we can to help them achieve that.”

Luxe Home Company is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call (609) 987-2600, and visit the website at luxehomecompany.com.