About
Sarah personally guides every project through every phase. Clients can expect a seamless and organized experience, beginning with a full assessment of their existing space, and moving onto schematic designs, design development, and project execution. Our expertise covers full home designs, kitchens, bathrooms, and decorating. Discover more about our range of services, project types, design process, and Sarah's extensive involvement in the New England design scene.
INTERIOR DESIGN STUDIO
SARAH SCALES
In-House technical skill
Sarah's expertise, honed through formal education and 15 years in architecture firms, allows her with the technical skill to conceptualize, draft, and bring to life large-scale and intricate projects.
We're passionate about decoration and styling, but our primary focus lies in interior architectural design. Explore how our studio's expertise is manifested across various project types.
Drawing from over 20 years of experience, we've perfected our approach to crafting expansive and holistic design projects. Discover how our proven design methodology can be tailored to suit your project.
Services
Meet Sarah. With an enduring love for interior spaces and a wealth of industry experience, the studio is driven to create stunning homes one project at a time.
WHAT WE DO
Project Types
HOW WE WORK
Design Process
The studio
Meet Sarah
About
Sarah personally guides every project through every phase. Clients can expect a seamless and organized experience, beginning with a full assessment of their existing space, and moving onto schematic designs, design development, and project execution. Our expertise covers full home designs, kitchens, bathrooms, and decorating. Discover more about our range of services, project types, design process, and Sarah's extensive involvement in the New England design scene.
Services
Project Types
Design Process
HOW WE DO IT
We have a practised hand, and have learned a tried-and-true from a 20 year career working for a range of design and architectural firms. Learn about our approach.
WHAT WE DO
Most of our project are large scale construction projects or partial home projects (kitchen ad bath design). All projects benefit from decorating & styling services. Read more about our work.
IN-HOUSE TECHNICAL SKILLS
We draw everything. From furniture plans to detailed and comprehensive construction documents, drawing is how we design. Learn more about our in-house capabilities.
The Studio
MEET SARAH
We're passionate about homes and design. Discover how our studio's dedication to interiors shows through Sarah's impressive accolades and resume.
Space Planning
Bid & Construction Documents
CAD Drawings
When planning to design your home, it’s important to have confidence that your design partner can translate your story and vision into livable, beautiful space while handling every detail of the process. Our services include:
Services
Technical drawings allow the studio to create precise and detailed two-dimensional drawings in the form of floor plans, elevations, sections, and schematic diagrams to communicate design concepts. We are capable of creating 3D drawings on a case-by-case basis.
Specifications
Purchasing Services
General Management
Furnishings
Space planning is the organization of interior spaces to accommodate kitchens, bathrooms, and livable furniture layouts. We focus on functionality, comfort, and aesthetics, and select and position furniture to support the use of each space.
The studio provides space planning for all projects, whether you are working with an architect or not. Our best outcomes are seen when we conduct space planning internally.
Space Planning
Bid & Construction Documents
CAD Drawings
Specifications
Purchasing Services
General Management
When planning to design your home, it’s important to have confidence that your design partner can translate your story and vision into livable, beautiful space while handling every detail of the process. Our services include:
Services
Furnishings
Bid and construction documents are essential components in the construction process, providing detailed information and instructions for various stakeholders. These documents play a major role in ensuring that a construction project progresses smoothly and is executed well.
Our bid documents assist in hiring and onboarding builders and other trades, while our construction documents help your project come to fruition.
Space Planning
Bid & Construction Documents
CAD Drawings
When planning to design your home, it’s important to have confidence that your design partner can translate your story and vision into livable, beautiful space while handling every detail of the process. Our services include:
Specifications
Purchasing Services
General Management
Services
Furnishings
Specifications refer to the detailed documentation of selected materials, finishes, fixtures, and other components required a project. It serves as a comprehensive guide for the project team and can assist in purchasing services, tracking selections, delivery and installation.
Space Planning
Bid & Construction Documents
CAD Drawings
When planning to design your home, it’s important to have confidence that your design partner can translate your story and vision into livable, beautiful space while handling every detail of the process. Our services include:
Specifications
Purchasing Services
General Management
Services
Furnishings
Purchasing and procurement is the process of acquiring the necessary materials, products, and services as communicated in Specifications.
After the studio selects, sources and specifies all items and work with various vendors, we create invoices, and manage the ordering process from start to finish.
Space Planning
Bid & Construction Documents
CAD Drawings
When planning to design your home, it’s important to have confidence that your design partner can translate your story and vision into livable, beautiful space while handling every detail of the process. Our services include:
Specifications
Purchasing Services
General Management
Services
Furnishings
Overseeing and coordinating various aspects of a project is crucial to the design and execution of interior spaces. It involves organizing, planning, and controlling resources, timelines, and budgets to ensure that the design project meets its objectives effectively and efficiently. We work with the project managers from the construction team and clients to collectively move the project forward.
Space Planning
Bid & Construction Documents
CAD Drawings
When planning to design your home, it’s important to have confidence that your design partner can translate your story and vision into livable, beautiful space while handling every detail of the process. Our services include:
Specifications
Purchasing Services
General Management
Services
Furnishings
The studio selects, sources, and procures furnishings, tracking a master budget and coordinating delivery and installation. This phase includes selecting furniture, area rugs, window treatments, and custom millwork. Final touches include art, throw pillows, and decorating.
Space Planning
Bid & Construction Documents
CAD Drawings
When planning to design your home, it’s important to have confidence that your design partner can translate your story and vision into livable, beautiful space while handling every detail of the process. Our services include:
Specifications
Purchasing Services
General Management
Services
Furnishings
Space Planning
Bid & Construction Documents
CAD Drawings
We can translate your story and vision into livable, beautiful space while handling every detail of the process. Our services include:
Services
Technical drawings allow the studio to create precise and detailed two-dimensional drawings in the form of floor plans, elevations, sections, and schematic diagrams to communicate design concepts. We are capable of creating 3D drawings on a case-by-case basis.
Specifications
Purchasing Services
General Management
Decorate & Style
Space planning is the organization of interior spaces to accommodate kitchens, bathrooms, and livable furniture layouts. We provide space planning for all projects, whether you are working with an architect or not. Our best outcomes are seen when we conduct space planning internally.
Services
Space Planning
Bid & Construction Documents
CAD Drawings
We can translate your story and vision into livable, beautiful space while handling every detail of the process. Our services include:
Specifications
Purchasing Services
General Management
Decorate & Style
Bid and construction documents are essential components in the construction process. We provide or own comprehensive drawing sets for soliciting estimates from builders and for construction.
Services
Space Planning
Bid & Construction Documents
CAD Drawings
We can translate your story and vision into livable, beautiful space while handling every detail of the process. Our services include:
Specifications
Purchasing Services
General Management
Decorate & Style
Specifications refer to the detailed documentation of materials, finishes, fixtures, and other components required to execute a design concept accurately. It serves as a comprehensive guide for the project team from purchasing to delivery to installation.
Services
Space Planning
Bid & Construction Documents
CAD Drawings
We can translate your story and vision into livable, beautiful space while handling every detail of the process. Our services include:
Specifications
Purchasing Services
General Management
Decorate & Style
Purchasing and procurement is the process of acquiring the necessary materials, products, and services to execute a design. We selects and sources all items and work with various vendors to create invoices, managing the ordering process from start to finish.
Services
Space Planning
Bid & Construction Documents
CAD Drawings
We can translate your story and vision into livable, beautiful space while handling every detail of the process. Our services include:
Specifications
Purchasing Services
General Management
Decorate & Style
Management involves organizing, planning, and controlling resources, timelines, and budgets to ensure that the design project meets its objectives effectively and efficiently.
Services
Space Planning
Bid & Construction Documents
CAD Drawings
We can translate your story and vision into livable, beautiful space while handling every detail of the process. Our services include:
Specifications
Purchasing Services
General Management
Decorate & Style
The studio selects, sources, and procures furnishings, tracking a master budget and coordinating delivery and installation. This phase includes furniture, area rugs, window treatments, and custom millwork Final touches includes art, throw pillows, and decorating.
Services
Space Planning
Bid & Construction Documents
CAD Drawings
We can translate your story and vision into livable, beautiful space while handling every detail of the process. Our services include:
Specifications
Purchasing Services
General Management
Decorate & Style
A full home design should feel cohesive—a harmonious balance of form and function that flows seamlessly from room to room. It's a daunting prospect, but one that the studio specializes in.
With deep industry knowledge and a well of trusted partners and contractors, Scales can transform your space into a balanced design from its very proverbial foundation to every last decorative detail.
Services start with a site measure, space planning, and creating bid & construction documents. We specify all materials and products for both construction and decorating related items; overseeing purchasing and general management for all aspects of the project. We decorate and style at the completion of these large-scale construction projects.
Project Types
The studio blends thoughtful, balanced, interior architecture with timeless designs to create home environments that suit each client's individual lifestyle. The award-winning firm can tackle everything from full home designs, to kitchen and bath projects to decorating and styling.
Kitchen & Bath Design
Furnishings
Full Home Design
Kitchens and baths are the most complicated, technical, and expensive; working with a practiced hand is best. We leverage architectural and space planning experience to create smart, customized designs. Kitchen & bath design involves both construction related services as well as furniture, decorating & styling.
Services are similar to Full Home Design, we start with a site measure, space planning, and creating bid & construction documents. We specify all materials and products for both construction and decorating related items; overseeing purchasing and general management for all aspects of the project. We decorate and style at the completion of these partial-home construction projects.
View Kitchen Gallery
View Bath Gallery
Kitchen & Bath Design
Full Home Design
Project Types
Furnishings
The studio blends thoughtful, balanced, interior architecture with timeless designs to create home environments that suit each client's individual lifestyle. The award-winning firm can tackle everything from full home designs, to kitchen and bath projects to decorating and styling.
A full home design should feel cohesive—a harmonious balance of form and function that flows seamlessly from room to room. Services start with a site measure, space planning, and creating bid & construction documents. We specify all materials and products for both construction and decorating related items; overseeing purchasing and general management for all aspects of the project.
Project Types
The award-winning firm can tackle everything from full home renovations or additions, to kitchen & bath design to decorating and styling:
Kitchen & Bath Design
Decorate & Style
Full Home Design
Project Types
Kitchens and baths are the most complicated, technical, and expensive; working with a practiced hand is best. We leverage architectural and space planning experience to create smart, customized designs. KItchen & bath design involves both construction related services as well as furniture, decorating & styling.
View Kitchen & Bath Gallery
The award-winning firm can tackle everything from full home renovations or additions, to kitchen & bath design to decorating and styling:
Kitchen & Bath Design
Decorate & Style
Full Home Design
Kitchen Gallery
Bath Gallery
Design Process
Existing Conditions
& Schematic Design
Once a schematic design and concept has been chosen, Scales begins the research, planning, sourcing, and contracting needed to complete the project in full.
During this phase, Scales offers her clients transparency and agency, as she provides them with comprehensive plans. Scales takes care to guide her clients through what can be an overwhelming decision-making process, so the project comes together smoothly and precisely as planned.
The studio takes a deeply methodical approach to every project. By starting with a full AutoCAD documentation of the existing space, Scales creates the foundation needed to imagine the possibilities.
From there, we create design concepts and floor plans to choose from, and iterate in collaboration with clients before settling on a final design and budget together. Bid drawings are created and the team on-boards a builder to solicit pricing.
As a full service studio, we guide the entire process from start to finish.
This includes frequent communication with clients, vendors, contractors, and consultants, on-site supervision of the project at every step, and ensuring that timelines are met.
Design Development
Project Management
Project Completion
We finish every project with styling services, breathing life into each space with color, proportion and texture. The studio provides art selection and decorative touches that enhance and elevate your home.
Presentation
Implementation
Finishes Selections
Implementation
Morris dancers come hither, bugger codswallop gob. Taking the mick middle class bog roll bow ties are cool posh nosh off t'shop, stew and dumps taking the mick know your onions pulled a right corker 'tis, anorak mince pies tosser warts and all knackered, complete mare stupendous proper on the beat.
Design Process
Existing Conditions
& Schematic Design
Once a schematic design and concept has been chosen, Scales begins the research, planning, sourcing, and contracting needed to complete the project in full.
We draw comprehensive plans that come together to form construction documents, and prepare presentations to track and demonstrate all design decisions.
The studio takes a deeply methodical approach to every project. By starting with a full AutoCAD documentation of the existing space, we create design concepts and floor plans to choose from, and iterates in collaboration with her clients before settling on a final design and budget together. Bid drawings are created and the team on-boards a builder to solicit pricing.
As a full service studio, we guide the entire process from start to finish. This includes frequent communication with clients, vendors, contractors, and consultants, on-site supervision of the project at every step, and ensuring that timelines are met.
Design Development
Project Management
Project Completion
We finish every project with styling services, breathing life into each space with color, proportion and texture. The studio provides art selection and decorative touches that enhance and elevate your home.
Presentation
Implementation
Finishes Selections
Implementation
Morris dancers come hither, bugger codswallop gob. Taking the mick middle class bog roll bow ties are cool posh nosh off t'shop, stew and dumps taking the mick know your onions pulled a right corker 'tis, anorak mince pies tosser warts and all knackered, complete mare stupendous proper on the beat.
Principal Designer & Founder
Resume
Sarah Scales
Sarah studied Studio Arts and Mathematics at Fairfield University, an unusual combination that serves her well in her design career. Upon her graduation from Fairfield University in 2002, Sarah immediately began working for architectural firms and pursuing graduate-level studies in Interiors at The Boston Architectural College.
Sarah honed her design skills working at several commercial and residential design firms, where she developed a strong background in interior architectural design and planning. Working with Boston design firm Elkus-Manfredi Architects, Sarah designed commercial spaces including lobbies, hotels, offices and restaurants. In 2010, Sarah began working with The McGuinness Group to provide interior design services for commercial spaces. Each firm’s thoughtful, professional approach to interior architecture continued to shape Sarah’s design process as she launched the Sarah Scales Design Studio in 2012.
The Studio has contributed content to several local publications including New England Home Magazine, Boston Home, Design New England, Boston Globe Magazine, ID Boston, Home Remodeling Magazine (South Shore & Islands), Southcoast Magazine (MA & RI) and New England Monthly.
In 2018, Sarah was the recipient of New England Home Magazine’s ‘5 Under 40’ Award. Each year, the ‘5 Under 40’ award focuses on up and coming talent in the areas of architecture, interiors, furniture, and home design products and accessories.
Mission Statement
Principal Designer & Founder
Resume
Sarah Scales
I'm deeply passionate about the concept of home and the connection we have to our spaces. Our homes serve as the backdrop to our daily lives, from morning rituals to nighttime routines, encompassing everything from nourishment to relaxation and sleep. A home is not just a structure; it's the canvas upon which we build our lives.
It's truly inspiring to work with clients who welcome our studio into their homes, and I take pride in the diverse range of projects we've undertaken over the past two decades. I feel privileged to have the opportunity to work on historic New England homes, some dating back as far as two centuries. Each project allows us to touch history in a tangible way, breathing new life into these spaces and contributing to their timeless allure.
I'm grateful for the skilled craftspeople who bring our designs to fruition, from millworkers to electricians and beyond. Their expertise forms the backbone of our projects, while artisans who create rugs, print paper, and craft textiles add the finishing touches that elevate our spaces. It truly takes a village to realize our vision for each project, and I'm thankful for the collaborative spirit that drives us forward.
Every project brings new experiences and challenges, and I'm always eager to share our latest endeavors. I look forward to the future with excitement, anticipating the creative journeys that lie ahead. If you're curious to learn more about our design process, the types of projects we undertake, or to explore our portfolio, I invite you to delve deeper into our studio's story. I hope you find inspiration within our work.
