Little Details, Big Impact: 12 Finishing Touches to Add Luxury to Your Home

by Carlisle Homes

Looking to add true luxury to your interior? We offer a range of optional upgrades for you to choose from. Here’s all you need to know about the finishing touches that really make a difference.

When it comes to designing a home, those little finishing touches can make all the difference. Whether it’s beautiful benchtops, a sumptuous wool carpet or premium kitchen appliances, details like these will elevate the look and feel of your home to something truly special.

Your new Carlisle Homes abode comes complete with beautiful, long-lasting finishes and quality appliances. But if you’re looking to add true luxury to your interior, we offer a range of optional upgrades too.

Read on to find out more. 

1. Benchtops

Your new kitchen comes with durable laminate benchtops in a wide choice of colours, but for next-level sophistication, consider upgrading to luxurious 20mm or 40mm Caesarstone benchtops. This premium-quality surface feels beautiful to the touch, and it’s incredibly hard-wearing and easy to care for too. With many colours to choose from, including Calacatta marble, concrete and granite look decors, this finish is guaranteed to elevate your contemporary kitchen.

You can also use Caesarstone to create a sense of flow throughout your home – this versatile finish can be carried right through to your butler’s pantry, laundry, ensuite and bathrooms.

2. Kitchen appliances

If you enjoy cooking, you’ll want appliances that look great and perform brilliantly. To help you cook up a storm, your new kitchen comes with a 900mm stainless-steel Technika upright cooker, plus you have the option of an underbench oven and cooktop in all Affinity homes. You’ll also get a sleek rangehood to remove cooking odours.

If you’re looking to create the kitchen of your dreams, you may want to upgrade to premium kitchen appliances. Choose a sleek and energy-efficient induction cooktop, a built-in oven from Fisher & Paykel, or turn your kitchen into an entertainer’s delight with a built-in wine fridge. You can also specify a stylish canopy rangehood or a super-quiet dishwasher – ideal in an open-plan home where the kitchen is located near living areas.

3. Sinks

A generously proportioned double-bowl sink in stainless steel comes as standard with your new kitchen. But if you’ve got a large family or love to entertain, you may prefer to upgrade to a larger sink or one with a different configuration.

For a more streamlined and integrated look, consider an undermount sink to complement your Caesarstone benchtop. Or make a statement with a matt-black sink or a one and half-bowl set-up in stainless steel.

4. Cabinetry door finishes

Timber look doors in a natural finish adds warmth and flair to your kitchen cabinetry, and comes as standard with your new kitchen. For a serious style boost, upgrade to a premium finish such as Silk – a luxurious, semi-gloss surface available in a range of colours, including soft neutrals and grey, plus light and dark woodgrains.

If you prefer a matt look, consider AbsoluteMatte, a velvety smooth touch or even Chalk finish for a realistic timber look with texture. And for a super high-gloss effect, AbsoluteGloss has you covered– all available in multiple colours.

If you’re looking for something more high-end, upgrade to a two-pac finish or profiled doors with a FormWrap finish for a timeless, classic look.

5. Kitchen drawers and doors

Never underestimate the impact of those little details in a kitchen; upgrading to soft-close drawers and profile cabinetry doors adds subtle sophistication to the space, and the soft gliding motion is something you’ll appreciate every time you use them.

While you’re at it, you may also wish to upgrade your cabinetry handles – rather than standard stainless steel or chrome, try show-stopping bronze, copper or coloured handles for an Insta-worthy look.

6. Internal doors

Flush panel doors are included as standard throughout your new home in a colour to match your architraves and skirtings.

But your options don’t end there; consider upgrading to classic Shaker-style doors, Scandi-style timber doors or ones that feature frosted glass for light and privacy.

7. Tapware

A great-looking tap is like jewellery to your kitchen or bathroom, providing that perfect finishing touch. But in a busy kitchen or bathroom, it’s crucial that it performs well too. To help you find a style that’s right for you, we offer multiple tapware choices as standard for your kitchen and bathrooms, including a gooseneck tap and a pull-out spray mixer for your new kitchen, and sleek basin- and wall-mounted mixer taps for your bathrooms.

You can also upgrade to top-of-the-range contemporary tapware from brands such as Phoenix Tapware and Vito Bertoni, including matt-black and brushed-gold styles, minimalist tapware and kitchen styles that deliver filtered or boiling water.

8. Showers

Continuing the luxury theme throughout your ensuite and bathrooms, the showers in your new home come complete with a sleek microphone outlet and adjustable slide rail.

To create the ultimate spa-like retreat, you may wish to upgrade to a high-performance waterfall-style shower, a stylish set in black powder-coated steel or a ceiling mounted showerhead (ideal if you have tall members in your household).

9. Staircase design

A beautifully designed staircase adds grace and gravitas to your interior, and it’s one of the first things people see when they enter your home. The standard design includes round black balusters leading up the staircase. But if you’re looking to transform it into an eye-catching feature, think about upgrading to stainless steel, glass or kiln-dried natural timber balusters.

10. Hard flooring

Hardwearing and stylish ceramic floor tiles come as standard in your Carlisle Homes abode. They’re available in a range of on-trend finishes and sizes up to 400 x 400mm.

For added durability and an unmistakably elegant look, consider upgrading to porcelain tiles from Carlisle’s luxury collection for your entry, butler’s pantry, living and meal zones. Porcelain tiles are durable and water-resistant, making them a great choice for busy homes. There’s also a vast range of looks to choose from, including subtle neutrals, dramatic darks, terrazzo-, timber- and marble-look porcelain tiles.

11. Timber-look floors

If you love the look of real timber but not the idea of ongoing maintenance, timber-look laminate flooring is an ideal option, and it comes as standard in your new home.

For added warmth and natural appeal, you may want to upgrade to an engineered timber floor in your entry, living/dining zones and bedrooms. It’s more affordable than solid timber and nearly impossible to distinguish from the real thing.

There are several finishes to choose from, including pale Nordic oak, near-black and five beautiful herringbone-patterned engineered timber floors.

12. Soft flooring

When it comes to luxury, nothing beats the look and feel of wall-to-wall carpet. Add softness to your interior – and give your toes a treat – by upgrading to carpeted floors in your living/meal zones and bedrooms.

We offer a range of top-quality carpet types and colours for you to choose from, including hardy, stain-resistant solution-dyed nylon, sumptuous pure wool, and wool-synthetic blends that give you durability and softness in one. To prolong the life of your carpet and make it feel extra-soft underfoot, we also offer a selection of carpet underlays.