Luxury Living with Debrae Little

Wesley Knight 0:00
This is a KU NV studios original program. The content of this program does not reflect the views or opinions of 91.5 jazz and more the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, or the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education. Dave

Debrae Little 0:40
Dave, welcome to luxury living with Debray, coming to you from KU NV, 91.5 jazz and Moore in Las Vegas. I'm your host. Debray, little interior designer, storyteller and lover of all things beautiful living each month right here on KU NV, we explore the worlds of interior design, architecture, real estate and lifestyle with industry experts who help us understand how to create spaces that elevate the way we live. You can listen to all past and upcoming episodes on Apple podcasts. Spotify Apple Music and wherever you enjoy your favorite podcast. And of course, you can tune in to our broadcast every third Sunday of the month right here on KU nv 91.5 Welcome back to luxury living with Debray, where we explore the art of beautiful living, from luxury design to lifestyle architecture and the future of how we shape our homes. I'm your host, Debray little, and today it is a special episode our final show of the year, and joining me is someone who is essential to almost everything I do my amazing product manager, Angela Brent, Angela, welcome back.

Angela Britt 2:08
Thank you. Debray, always happy to be here. It's hard to believe we're wrapping up another year.

Debrae Little 2:13
It really is. And today we are taking a look back on all the incredible guests, conversations and design insights we've shared throughout the year, and then we're shifting gears to look forward. We're taking we're talking trends forecast, how clients needs are evolving, and what interior design might look like in 2026

Angela Britt 2:35
this should be exciting.

Debrae Little 2:37
Well, let us begin. We've had such a strong lineup of guests this year we've had lighting experts, surface and tile specialists, realtors, builders, architects, paint and coating professionals. Each brought something unique. Absolutely.

Angela Britt 2:55
I love the episode with the Sherwin Williams team getting into how the exterior paint technology has changed, and what that means for the outdoor living spaces.

Debrae Little 3:05
Our conversations with ESG gallery, those stone slabs, the artistic tiles, the way the materials became part of the architecture, that episode will inspire me forever.

Angela Britt 3:17
Yes, and our real estate guest, people really connected with the episode about luxury high rise living and how interior design meets lifestyle.

Debrae Little 3:26
It all shows how expansive interior design really is. We've covered wellness, sustainability, outdoor, entertaining, lighting, construction, Color Psychology, and, of course, upgrading your home for how you truly want to live. It was really a good year. Well, we're speaking living well. I want to touch briefly on a recent project, an outdoor living transformation we completed. This was all about lifestyle. The clients wanted a comfortable, resort inspired environment that could take them from quiet mornings to a full entertaining mode.

Angela Britt 4:05
That project was really a great example of how people are redefining luxury. They didn't want showy. They wanted ease, comfort, warmth, yet still polished.

Debrae Little 4:16
Yes, and we use a lot of layered, layered lighting. We use performance fabrics, stone surfaces, outdoor rated woods and, of course, well placed heating and shade structures to make it usable for most of

Angela Britt 4:30
the year. And the furniture layout flowed beautifully with the architecture, multiple conversation areas for dining, lounging and a social fire pit.

Debrae Little 4:40
While outdoor living is no longer a luxury. It's an extension of the home, and I think that's going to heavily influence 2026 The thing I liked most about this project was the fact that a lot of things didn't change. We kept the hard scape in the backyard. We kept we did not touch the pool. People, but we did provide a fence that was beautiful, that was provided structure for the backyard, and we updated the furniture. And we we, what actually we did was an upgrade we we took with a lot of lot of clients may choose to do these days is not to strip the entire backyard away to create a beautiful outdoor living space, but instead to kind of work with the pieces that we have. So I'd like to say it was an upgrade that we kept the pool and we kept some of the features that existed, but what we did was we just made it even better. It's a better place for my clients to be and hang out.

Angela Britt 5:44
It's amazing what a power wash can do.

Debrae Little 5:49
Yes, it is for sure. Oh, that

Angela Britt 5:56
feels more like it feels more like a home that ages beautifully and feels layered with a story, not like a showroom. It gives people choices. They could update cushions, you know, put some art in or throw, but the bones of the space holds up for years, and that the original design was great for the back of the house, and I think you did a great job with that project.

Debrae Little 6:20
Well, thank you. It had its challenges, for sure, but I think in the end, the clients will use the backyard, which they never used before, because now they have adequate lighting, they have fans, and it just became such an extraordinary outdoor living space for them, multiple seating areas. There's multiple places to dine. There's a bar area now, and I think it's just become a wonderful entertaining space. So having said that, we're going to discuss what interior design will look like in 2026

Angela Britt 6:58
great Debray, when you talk about trends and forecasts for 2026 What have you found? I've been looking at the lighting section for what's in I've seen some of the things you've pulled have been mixed materials with metal and stone and glass and bronze portable lighting and rechargeable accent lights. I also noticed, when you're specifying, that clients really like that warm glow. The Kelvin between 20 703,000 is really comfortable for the clients. Oversized chandeliers too. I know you like huge lighting. That's your thing, but it has to be sculptural and has, you know, silhouettes that are interesting and led architectural lighting codes and integrated shelving, toe kicks lighting, you know, all the little hidden areas that really can make the room special. And what's out is that pure white, 4000 Kelvin light is it can be blinding, and it can really mess with the colors that you've chosen. No, it can really mess up a paint color.

Debrae Little 8:10
Yeah, it is. It's too overwhelming in the space, and it doesn't allow for comfort. It's like, you know, it's not ambient lighting, which is what I prefer, even for the outdoors. I think you start with doing overall lighting, and then you have different levels of light that come down from the top of the ceiling and make their way down to that space where you're actually having conversations or relaxing. And what I noticed in going back a little bit to this project that was recently completed was that I added LED lighting to the beams in the ceiling. So it did two things. It gave it warmth, it gave it interest at the same time, because the ceiling was very, very bare, and it just, it just made it feel like it was warm, and the whole space was enveloped in light because of the beams, and there was also lighting on the pillars or the columns. We added sconce lighting so it just makes lighting is just so important. It's just like that. The first thing you want to tackle when you're renovating a home, whether it's a new build or you're doing an updated renovation, you need to address the lighting.

Angela Britt 9:22
And there's so many more options now. You don't have to do all chrome lighting anymore, all those harsh down lights, so many other things that are available.

Debrae Little 9:30
No, there are. I think the mistake is that a lot, oftentimes, a designer, or maybe even a contractor will come in and put recess lights everywhere. And that's, I think that's a mistake. I think that became a trend, because everyone loved them, and they're less expensive than having a chandelier or something like that, and they're applicable just about in every area, but they too have to be corrected in terms of the Kelvin and the temperature. Yeah. Not wanting to use something that's 5000 that's going to blow out the entire room, and you lose the warmth. It becomes very sterile when you use lighting that's 5000 Kelvin. So it is important in terms of how you use recessed lighting in your home. But there are so many other things that we've learned over this past year, or the trends that are that are moving to the forefront for this year coming up, I think that they're we're looking at the kind of living that people are living. Where are they living? How are they choosing to live? Are they in a high rise, a townhouse or residential home. What's more popular these days? Or or what is the you always have to look at what Las Vegas is a place that a lot of people have second homes. And so if they do, maybe that's a townhouse, maybe it's a condominium, or maybe it's it's a it's a residential that they have. And some people want high rise living when they're here, because they've coming to take on a sporting event, like to see a Raiders game or something like that, and it's going to be a property that they rent out while they're not using it. So it's interesting to see what the trends will be going into 2026 in terms of what we will be designing.

Angela Britt 11:22
Okay, what about color and material trends?

Debrae Little 11:25
Oh, those are, those are always at the at the top of what we're looking for, because every season the colors change. And right now, we're looking at warm, rich and moody hues. Think earthy olive greens, terracotta, deep chocolate browns, glazed rich rust Amber tones. These evoke a grounded, natural warmth, instead of the cool, gray and stark neutrals of the past, which is pretty much reminds me of those recessed lights again, that I see that are very blinding in homes. But it's nice to see that there has been a shift and colors. I mean, we're seeing jewel tones and saturated shades, deep teal, Moody Blues and even plum or aubergine tones are coming back, adding drama and sophistication for accent walls, cabinetry or upholstery or even accessories, layer neutrals and warm base tones instead of flat white or cold, minimal neutrals, expect to see soft creams, warm grages and Universal khaki style backgrounds that allow richer, more accent colors and textures to shine. There's also the use of natural materials, wood, stone and matte finishes have been popular, and they will continue to be popular. And the coming year, designers embrace natural warmth, walnuts, smoke, oak, warm staining, stone surfaces will be paired with organic textures to deliver depth and character. Wow.

Angela Britt 13:07
Good stuff. Good stuff. What about furniture? You know, furniture layouts and styles are going to be in big shifts or

Debrae Little 13:16
Well, I think noticed. I think part of it will be a continuation. I think it's taken a while for homeowners to adapt to having furnitures that are curved and softer silhouettes and around it and flows, but I think we're starting to see we're going to see even more of that. We started to see a lot and 2025 but I think we're going to see that because people are getting away from the rigid straight lines that the average sectional that you see is they're looking for the furniture to be sculptured or flow, or soft and organic shapes, and with tables and even chairs will feel more fluid and less boxy. And then there is what they call fat furniture. Now that's an interesting one. It's oversized furniture, and it's making a statement. Think plush sofas, bowls, sectional lounges that read as sculptural art pieces as much as functional seating, comfortable, substantial and visually grounding. I mean, I love tittes, which is that two sided sofa that you can sit on one side and then on the opposite side, someone can sit. I'd be seated. And it's a nice conversational because you can turn your head. It's actually a very good place to flirt. Actually, I think it's one sexy. It's kind of sexy, and you'll see it in a lot of the lounges and some of the high end clubs and lounges on the strip, for sure. And then there's also eclectic, which is true to my heart. I like when you mix vintage with Martin and then you actually have artisan P. Pieces that somewhere on actually carved and made by hand, whether it's a vase, a ceramic piece, or maybe it's some kind of wall art, and maybe it's textural, maybe it's made from rope, or maybe it's harkens back to was that back in the 70s that was so popular that everyone had them. They were plant hangers hanging. Oh, the macrame. Oh, my God, you know. And so I like that all thrown together. And it also involves hair vintage finds that you might find, you know. But I kind of like the fact when you mix and match them together, because I think it says a lot about your personality. Because I don't think everyone is just that straight ahead. Design people want to incorporate who they are and their life experiences into their interiors. And I think having an eclectic mix is just wonderful.

Angela Britt 15:52
Yeah, your home should look like it's been curated over time, not like you just went to the store and picked out that what's on the floor and took it home.

Debrae Little 16:01
That's true. Because people travel, people have different experiences. They have relatives that live in the East Coast versus the West Coast are those that live down at the beach. And so you find people are integrating, being bringing seashells back and wanting to integrate them in a home or a vintage piece that they found when they were, you know, shopping at some of the outdoor markets, you know, you have a little bit of everything. So I think that those are wonderful details that should be brought in and to a home, because they add depth and their text, textile, tactile, I'm sorry, richness on longevity makes them wonderful.

Angela Britt 16:38
So what do you think? Who do you think our new client will be for 2026 and what are their wants and needs?

Debrae Little 16:45
Well, I believe that that client is going to want to actually be more informed, more deliberate in their selections. I think they're thinking about the world in general. They're thinking about clean air, they're thinking about sustainability. They're thinking about durability. They're really trying to be more one with our world or our environment, and that's what I see. Even the elite client, they're looking for spaces that that make life their life easier. They want, as I said, dependability, sustainability, um, luxury. Shifting from the LOOK AT ME esthetic to this feels good and works beautifully for me and my guests in my home.

Angela Britt 17:39
Okay, that's good, that's good. So we're blending the the tradition of comfort with function durability. So we kind of what old is new again, right? With all but with all the modern amenities of a smart home, exactly?

Debrae Little 18:00
Well, yeah, because you can't get away from the technology, it is definitely here to stay, and that's something that people don't enjoy, because, as we said earlier, they want their lives to be made easier. And technology helps, whether it be that the lights turn on on your home while you're away, or whether or not it's security, and you have, you know, phone, a system that watches your porch or your backlight, or we have automatic lights that come on. There are all these things that people are trying to really enjoy their life and their time at home. And I think a lot of it came from when we had covid and the pandemic, people have decided that they really, truly want to invest in their home and make it that special place that they want to spend their time.

Angela Britt 18:49
Yeah, it's, you know, having a home office is almost absolutely necessary now to incorporate in the design where it used to be a home theater. Now the home office is just already on the list, and the home theater and some of the magazines that I've seen has kind of gone by the wayside, and people are using their family rooms to gather, and especially those that are raising children, and they're using that to stay connected.

Debrae Little 19:22
I agree. I think that they are. I mean, if you you have all this square footage and you're paying for it, you might as well use it in the best possible way that suits your lifestyle and your families. And so you're right all of those big industrial looking theater spaces, because it's been the technology has improved so greatly that you don't have to have a room that's totally insulated, and you don't have to have the official screen coming down. You know, it can be embedded in the wall, and actually you can project images on the wall now. So actually having a screen is almost non existent. The technology can. Changing, and so that changes what you will do and how you will live in your home, which is very good for us, because that allows us to come in and do upgrades or do some renovations to those standard theater rooms because, and in one instance, I know a client who wants to convert that to the gym, and the gym now becomes the office, but they'd like to make it, you know, more of a healing place. You know, people were involved in wellness very much, and they want Asana in their home. And they're also looking for the cold plunge pool in their home, and they want the massage table, and they want to have that spa experience at home, because once again, there was a time when we went through the pandemic that you weren't going out to have a massage, or you weren't going to your racquetball where you played, and everything had to be centralized and brought home because you weren't allowed to go In. And I think that that has is still at the forefront of a lot of individuals minds, and going into 2026 as well, I think those are the things that they want to do.

Angela Britt 21:10
Well, I think it would be interesting to hear from our audience, to have people you know, address the podcast, respond to the podcast as they're listening and let us know what they want to hear about for 2026 give you a call and say, you know, I want to hear more about what you were talking about. You know, can we have a guest about elevated lighting, or can we have a guest on about the new wallpapers that are coming out that are so fabulous, huge graphics and colors and textures that are coming out, wallpapers are fabulous now, oh yeah, offerings are just off the chart, so that would be great to hear from some of our listeners.

Debrae Little 21:54
Yeah, I'm asking you. Tell us what you want to hear. This broadcast is for you. We bring the experts and the expertise to you on interior design and and but we'd like to know what you're doing. What projects are you doing? Are you considering undertaking a renovation of your powder bath, but you want LED lights now on your to encircle your mirrors in your powder room. And so there's so many wonderful advances and so many changes and so many things that we do want to hear from you at Debray, at luxury living, at KU NV, and let me know what topic that we can perhaps discuss that would be helpful to you as you move ahead and make plans for 2026 so thank you for joining us for this special year. In addition of luxury living with Debray on KU nv 91.5 jazz and more, if you missed any part of today's episode, and if you'd like to explore past conversations. Be sure to listen on Apple podcast, Spotify, Amazon music or anywhere you get your podcast. I'd like a heartfelt thank you. I'd like to give it heartfelt thank you to our production manager, West Knight, for his technical expertise and for making each episode sound its best and so that I don't sound like a fool or either say all the time, I appreciate that, because he's it's wonderful at editing and special thanks to our general manager, Ashton Wrigley, and Operations Manager Jason Beatty for their continued support of the Show and the creative voices here at KU NB, we'll be back on air every third Sunday of the month with new stories, new inspirations and new conversations about design, lifestyle and the way we live beautifully from all of us at luxury living in Debray, thank you for listening. Warm Wishes for a joyful, inspired new year.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai