SARAH SCALES

INTERIOR DESIGN STUDIO | BOSTON & BEYOND

SARAH SCALES

INTERIOR DESIGN STUDIO  |  BOSTON & BEYOND 

Journal

design narratives

Discover rooms we love, materials that
inspire, and stories from our projects; giving you an inside look at our studio and work.

Recent Posts

August 1, 2025

Hingham family room with Lee Jofa drapery, woven wood shades, French wallpaper, and coastal-inspired interior design elements

During a recent client meeting, I launched into a full explanation about window treatments. People understand the basics—privacy, light filtering, and sun protection. But as a decorator, I see them differently. Beyond just functional, they’re visual anchors, adding warmth, color, texture, and scale. They soften hard window frames and act as large-scale art.
That’s why we never skip them. In fact, we don’t take on projects where clients won’t budget for window treatments. Yes, they’re expensive, but also essential.

July 26, 2025

Art in interior design discussed by Boston interior designer Sarah Scales during a panel at South Shore Art Center in Cohasset

Last week, I joined a smart and lively crew on Boston’s South Shore to talk about fine art in interior design. The South Shore Art Center hosted the panel, led by Executive Director Patrice Maye, following a striking new installation featuring two local artists: Alyssa Fortin and Curtis Speer. I joined the conversation alongside Kelly Netishan and Christina Godfrey—two powerhouse women who know their way around a gallery wall.

June 6, 2025

Indoor Plant Styling Tips featuring a Song of India plant in a design showroom, used as the main photo for a Boston interior designer’s blog

Looking to elevate your next photo shoot or home staging project? These indoor plant styling tips, inspired by a recent LA showroom visit and a South Shore photo shoot, offer easy-care greenery ideas that photograph beautifully and thrive indoors. Before styling any space for a photo shoot, I start with greenery. Fresh-cut flowers are lovely but are often a last-minute call and are fully dependant on what’s available at the market.

April 25, 2025

Tariff talk is exhausting. With imports from Asia getting more expensive and shipping no longer cheap, more people may start avoiding fast fashion—and it’s about time; I’ve been doing that for years (long live Poshmark and The Real Real). It’s a good time to turn toward secondhand everything beyond clothing, including home decor and furniture. We’re not the first to catch on to secondhand goods—just pointing out the growth!

April 11, 2025

Mid century modern furniture in use: the iconic Womb Chair styled in a historic home interior with traditional architectural details

Florence Knoll didn’t just shape the look of mid-century modern furniture—she hired the people who defined it. Her collaborations with Eero Saarinen led to some of the most enduring furniture designs of the 20th century, and they still show up in our projects today. Mid-century pieces like the Womb Chair, Tulip Chair, and Tulip Table—designed by Saarinen for Knoll—pairs with the Executive Chair, designed by Knoll herself.

April 4, 2025

Coastal-inspired family room with light blue and neutral tones, designed by New England fabric designer Ellisha Alexina and a Hingham interior designer

This post is a little shout-out to some of the people we love in the New England interior design industry. We’re starting with our friend and colleague, Ellisha Alexina—a talented New England fabric designer whose work we’ve admired for years. A Massachusetts native, her designs come to life in Boston, and her textiles are made in Western Massachusetts. We love local.

March 28, 2025

We’re thrilled to share a collection of luxury textiles & custom pillows included in our latest project in New York City. These bespoke pieces—small upholstered side chairs and unique throw pillows—feature materials from our favorite fabric houses. Some from domestic sources, others from Europe and beyond, but all celebrate the art of textile design. Rich colors, striking patterns, and details bring personality to our Lenox Hill project.

January 17, 2025

A warm corridor in a new construction home, painted Benjamin Moore White Dove (OC-17), a top choice for the best white paint colors.

There’s a reason Benjamin Moore has an entire collection dedicated to white—it’s anything but simple. In fact, their Off-White Collection includes 152 different whites. That’s right….152 options. No wonder finding the best white paint colors can feel overwhelming. Cool white, warm white, off-white, pure white. it’s a lot to process. Here are three of our favorite whites and some foolproof tips for finding your own “perfect” paint.

January 10, 2025

A detailed CAD furniture plan for a large-scale home, showcasing precise layouts by a Milton interior designer for a well-balanced and functional design.

You’ve probably heard the old adage—how do you eat a whale? One bite at a time. The same goes for furnishing a home, especially when moving into a large space from a smaller city apartment. Many new homeowners face sticker shock when they realize just how much furniture is needed to fill a home. On top of that, balancing personal style with budget constraints can feel overwhelming.

December 22, 2024

A luxury NYC bedroom with Zak & Fox wallpaper, a Montce trundle bed, and modern Design Within Reach furniture. Designed by a Boston interior decorator.

Our holiday gift to you: updates on our Upper East Side apartment design! Earlier this month, we stopped by our NYC project to review the paint, wallpaper, and light fixture installation. The first deliveries of furniture arrived, featuring many custom pieces, mid-century modern elements, and items from our client’s home in Concord, Massachusetts.

December 20, 2024

A Brownstone Interior Design project featuring a custom hunter green sofa, reupholstered white bouclé womb chair, and an oval coffee table.

One of our favorite projects was transforming the parlor level of a stunning historic home. This brownstone interior design project required a careful balance of style and functionality to bring our client’s vision to life. After an extensive renovation, we stepped in to furnish and decorate the main living areas. Our client, overwhelmed with decision fatigue, had a clear aesthetic vision – see how we pulled it all together.

November 29, 2024

Navy blue media room design in a historic Brookline home with dark walls and a matching coffered ceiling. A modern sectional blends with navy walls, reupholstered swivel chairs, and personal art.

Navy is becoming a go-to choice in media room design for its deep and timeless appeal – especially in New England. This versatile color blends with both historic architecture and modern design, creating dramatic yet cohesive spaces – a quintessential coastal and classic hue. From a renovated Brookline home to a transformed Hingham basement to a Concord estate, see how navy lends depth, warmth, and sophistication.