Before the pandemic, model homes were a common showcase for designers’ interior work that prospective clients could interact with in a functional setting. “That has gone by the wayside because we can’t hold onto homes long enough to build the models,” Adriene Ged, lead interior designer at Naples-based EDGE Interiors, says. With the red-hot real estate market driving demand for remodels and new construction, the design firm doesn’t intend to be without a showcase for long: This summer, EDGE debuts its 3,400-square-foot showroom at the Galleria Shoppes at Vanderbilt in Naples.
Founded as EDGE Cabinet and Space Creators in 2013, the company quickly established itself as a top source for luxury millwork in communities like Park Shore and Port Royal. They’re often tapped by local greats Stofft Cooney Architects, Diamond Custom Homes and Freestyle Interiors to create showpiece wine rooms, statement walls with 3D features, geometric built-ins with clever storage solutions and over-the-top dressing rooms, with most of the millwork being crafted by artisans in Pennsylvania. Last year, the team rebranded to EDGE Interiors, expanding to include full design services to meet bolstered demand. “Designers have a great presence in Southwest Florida, especially now since the industry is booming with new construction,” Ged says.
The 17-year interior-design veteran joined the company a year ago and has laid the roadmap for the new division. Under her guidance, the team now leads clients through the entire design process, drafting digital models as they go back and forth on plans, layouts and materials. The new showroom is EDGE’s wonderland. Clean, white walls provide a blank canvas for frequently changing vignettes, with cabinetry and fabric libraries, Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances, accent fixtures, and the latest automated lighting and audiovisual controls.
As the core of the company, cabinetmaking is still a forte, but the new operation reflects a shift in how interior companies are working, with designers now being more hands-on throughout the process instead of thought of as an afterthought for aesthetics. “The biggest misconception is that we’re decorators,” Ged says. “We’re moving doors, walls and windows—we’re getting structurally involved from the start.”
