Award-Winning Luxury Interior, Kitchen & Bath design Expertise in New Jersey
Sharon L. Sherman
AWARD-WINNING INTERIOR DESIGNER
SPEAKER | AUTHOR | BRAND PARTNER
Creating Thymeless Luxury
From refined interior design in New Jersey and around the country to strategic business consulting on kitchen and bath design and dynamic speaking engagements nationwide, Sharon L. Sherman, ASID, CKD, CID, NCIDQ, brings award-winning expertise to every corner of the design industry.
As a Professional Member of ASID (American Society of Interior Designers), Certified Kitchen Designer (CKD), Certified Interior Designer (CID), and NCIDQ certificate holder fluent in construction, Sharon combines artistry with technical mastery to deliver residential design that is as functional as it is beautiful. For Sharon, exceptional design is as much about aesthetics as it is about creating an immersive, personalized experience where every detail is thoughtfully tailored to clients’ lifestyles and visions.
Blog
Our Next Call
Topic: Beautifully Functional: The Kitchens and Baths Clients Love for Years
Date: September 9, 2026
Time: 1:30-2:30pm EST
Location: Online Via Zoom
Kitchens and bathrooms reveal their qualities in the moments no one photographs. The reach for a pan while something simmers. The morning traffic of a family before school. The cleanup after a long day. The kitchens and baths that hold up to all of it are the ones clients love for years.
This month’s community call with Sharon L. Sherman examines the discipline behind that result: designing kitchens and baths that work as beautifully as they look. Sharon walks through how to plan a layout around the way people actually move, how to choose materials and finishes that wear well and hold their beauty, and how to place storage, lighting, and fixtures so the room performs without the client ever having to think about it. Function done well disappears into the experience of the space. The beauty is what clients notice first. The function is why the space keeps serving them long after the reveal.
This month, bring questions from your current kitchen or bath projects and work through them with Sharon and other designers on the call. A layout that isn’t resolving, a storage problem, a finish decision you keep weighing. Come with the challenge that’s on your mind and talk it through with a room full of people who know the work.
Sharon draws directly from her Interior Designer’s Ultimate System to Kitchen & Bath Business Success to show designers in this community how to deliver both on every project.
If you’re looking for a professional space where designers collaborate, challenge each other, and refine their industry toolkit—this is a conversation worth joining.
Questions? Email sherman@thymeandplacedesign.com
A monthly live conversation for design professionals who take their work seriously. Each call digs into the real stuff: design decisions, working with contractors and clients, business and admin, installations, tech and tools, ethics, growth, wins, and the challenges nobody talks about enough.
About Sharon L. Sherman
Her unique scope as a New Jersey interior designer, expert in luxury kitchen and bath design, and a licensed home-improvement contractor gives homeowners complete confidence in her ability to manage comprehensive home improvement projects from initial concept through final installation, all under the guidance of her trusted firm, Thyme & Place Design.
Sharon also leverages her holistic interior design approach to educate and empower fellow designers looking to grow their businesses.
Through Thyme & Place Design, Sharon elevates the entire interior design process by integrating kitchen and bath expertise into her design projects. Her designs feature USA-made custom cabinetry, innovative technology, premium materials, and carefully coordinated details that result in warm, inspired spaces built to last.
Thyme & Place Approach
By intentionally limiting the number of projects Thyme & Place takes on at one time, Sharon ensures clients receive her full attention, more dedicated time, and a seamless design journey from start to finish.
This highly personalized approach makes the design process as personalized and tailored as the finished rooms. Thyme & Place clients experience a curated, stress-free design process where every decision, material, and detail is thoughtfully managed by a single, trusted team.
Homeowners across New Jersey and nationwide trust Sharon and Thyme & Place Design for custom kitchens, bathrooms, and full-home interior design. By tailoring each project to reflect who clients are now and who they aspire to be, Sharon creates homes that tell their unique story while enhancing their lifestyle.
Design professionals turn to her for proven business systems, and leading brands seek her insights and thought leadership on today’s evolving design stage.
Our Philosophy: Thymeless Luxury
At Thyme & Place Design, Thymeless luxury is rooted in nature itself. We believe true luxury isn’t measured by pricing alone, but by the thoughtful curation of ethically sourced, natural materials that honor the world around us.
Our approach embraces the authentic colors of nature, the rich greens of fields and forests, the deep blues of the ocean, the rich warmth of natural wood, and the brilliant jewel tones of gemstones. These elements form the foundation of our design aesthetic.
Thymeless luxury means selecting materials built to last. It’s about superior craftsmanship and quality manufacturing that stand the test of time. Every choice we make reflects a commitment to beauty and design executed with care and intention.
From the thoughtful selection of materials to the skilled craftsmanship that brings them to life, to the cohesive aesthetic that ties it all together—this is the essence of Thymeless quiet luxury. It’s design that feels both current and enduring, sophisticated yet grounded in the natural world.
Discover how Thyme & Place Design can transform your home or your business.
Who We Serve
For Homeowners
Thymeless Luxury for Residential Homes
As one of Northern New Jersey’s leading interior designers, Sharon blends award-winning design with deep regional expertise. From full-scope interior design to custom kitchens and bathrooms, wine rooms, bars, laundry rooms, and mudrooms, we create inspired spaces tailored to your lifestyle.
With our dedicated team of construction professionals, you’ll experience true concept-to-completion service with exceptional craftsmanship at every step.
For Professionals
A Blueprint for Success for Remodeling & Design Professionals
Through Sharon’s workshops, consulting and signature framework, The Interior Designer’s Ultimate System to Kitchen & Bath Business Success, Sharon teaches designers how to elevate their positioning, expand revenue streams, and deliver more holistic value to clients.
With 40+ years of experience bridging both interior design and kitchen & bath specialties, Sharon’s guides help professionals grow their expertise, systemize their business, and increase profitability.
For Brands
Speaking & Brand Collaborations
Sharon partners with leading brands and speaks at major industry events including KBIS, NKBA, High Point Market, and TISE. As a thought leader featured in Forbes, The New York Times, Technology Designer, and Kitchen and Bath Business, she creates authentic content and compelling presentations that resonate with design professionals and homeowners alike.
From keynote speaking to educational CEUs, panel discussions to brand partnerships, Sharon brings inspiration and actionable insights to every engagement.
Trusted By Homeowners Across New Jersey
What's New
New Business Guide Available
Our Interior Designer’s Ultimate System to Kitchen & Bath Business Success is now available for design professionals.
Ready to Get Started?
Whether you’re planning a home transformation, looking to grow your design business, or seeking a dynamic speaker for your next event, we’re here to help.
Contact us with information about your project, and we will be in touch to book a discovery call.
Once a month I get on a call with a room of interior designers and we talk about the parts of this job nobody posts about.
For anyone new here, hello! I’m Sharon L. Sherman. I’ve been designing kitchens and baths in New Jersey for 40 years, and I host a free monthly call called Tips From the Trade where interior designers and kitchen and bath pros bring what they’re stuck on and we work through it together.
August was about process: how you screen a client in the first fifteen minutes, and the signs that tell you a project is going to go sideways before you move forward.
We also got into what to offer and what to charge when someone can’t fund the whole kitchen. Then a cabinetmaker walked us through the information designers routinely leave off an order, and how many weeks it adds to a lead time that’s already running six months.
Our next Community Call is September 9th at 1:30pm EST, and it’s all about being Beautifully Functional: The Kitchens and Baths Clients Love for Years.
The clients who brag about their kitchens years later still love to show off the design, but they can’t get over how the room actually works.
We’ll cover what gets you there, including layout planned around how people actually move, finishes that hold up under real use, and where storage and lighting go so each room performs without extra effort.
Then we open the floor. Bring a layout you need second eyes on, get ideas for a storage problem, or get help choosing between finishes you’re stuck on.
If you’re a designer, this is your room. Link in bio to sign up.
And if someone came to mind while you were reading this, send it on over. Let’s fill this FREE call with designers from all over the country.
#thymeandplacedesign #kitchendesign #bathroomdesign #functionalkitchen #timelessbathroom
The primary bath is the go-to spot for a towel warmer, and it should be. But it’s not the only spot.
When the wind’s blowing and the rain’s coming down, a heated towel bar in the mudroom means no wet coats shoved in a closet.
When the dog’s just been washed, a warming towel rack means the wet-dog smell doesn’t get to travel through the house.
And when you’ve got a pool or hot tub at home, a heated bar means post-dip warmth any time of year.
It’s one feature that belongs in more rooms than people think of.
Send this to a partner, friend, or client, or go grab one for yourself @ambaproducts
#thymeandplacedesign #interiordesign #mudroomdesign #heatedtowelrack #functionalmudroom
Next up in my Thymeless Picks series: Spicher and Company, out of Pennsylvania.
I love their beautiful, versatile pieces because they work across so many spaces and styles and they keep expanding what they offer.
It’s the kind of line that makes my job easier and my projects better. Watch the reel, then go see everything they do.
Have you sourced anything from Spicher? Tell me about it below, or save this for your next project if you need to check them out.
#thymeandplacedesign #interiordesign #homedecor #timelessdecor #designerfavorites
Would you believe the beautiful daylight flooding this kitchen used to be blocked off by a window that looked into a partially enclosed porch? Swipe to see.
Not only was this family missing out on natural light, but the room had almost no form, less function, and nothing inviting anyone to want to spend time cooking in it.
We took down the old exterior wall and pulled that hallway into the kitchen. That’s where the table lives now, giving room for an island that seats three more.
We also brought in top-of-the-line cooking appliances, a desk, custom storage, and a corner for the cat’s bowls that isn’t underfoot.
A few things other things worth pointing out:
• An included a pot filler above their induction cooktop, surrounded by custom-screen marble tile.
• A steam oven beside the convection wall oven (One of my favorite appliances).
• A mixer lift in the island, making it easy to pull out and put away.
• Rustic oak ship lap turned on its end around the island, paired with smooth painted cabinets for added interest.
• Nine inch molding at the ceiling.
You wouldn’t believe it’s the same space, both in form and function!
Share this with the friend who hates their kitchen so much they’re swiping real estate listings. And when you’re ready for a new kitchen of your own, you know who to call. The link’s in my bio.
#thymeandplacedesign #kitchenremodel #kitchendesign #kitchenrenovation #customkitchendesign
Here’s a throwback to insulation install at The Queen.
While it might not be one of those fun design decisions, what goes behind the walls impacts how someone lives in and maintains their home.
With a custom home build, the right approach means choosing the right solution for each situation, and in a house this size, it meant more than one product. Three went in here, and each one is doing a specific job.
Here’s the thinking behind what you’re looking at...
Spray foam in the attic/ceiling: Foam creates an airtight seal, which is what you want up top where you’re fighting heat loss, air infiltration, and energy efficiency. It is a pricier choice, and a permanent one, but the trade-off is worth it.
Fiberglass in the walls: We didn’t foam everywhere for a reason. Fiberglass hits the R-value we need and stays flexible for the life of the home. If someone has to open a wall years from now to run a wire or fix a line, it pulls out and goes back easily. Building for comfort and maintenance matters as much as building for day one.
Rock wool where fire rating matters: Anywhere we need a fire-rated assembly, we use rock wool. It’s fireproof and the right tool for those specific spots, not the whole house.
The lesson: luxury doesn’t mean going with expensive spray foam everywhere. It’s about knowing which product to select for energy savings, cost effectiveness, maintenance, and safety. It’s something you learn the more time you spend on job sites.
Sheetrock is next, and the interior spaces are about to come to life. Click “follow” for more updates on The Queen and share with that friend who won’t want to miss it.
#thymeandplacedesign #homeinsulation #behindthebuild #customhomeconstruction #energyefficienthomedesign
The real number is what everyone wants to know, especially once they start thinking about renovating.
Not discussing those real numbers, or leading with a vague budget, just moves the hard conversation to the middle of demolition, which isn’t the best way to approach a project.
Once the number is on the table, clients can make real decisions, allocating funds to something they can get excited about.
The number I left off the slides is in the full Substack, so click the link in bio to check it out.
#thymeandplacedesign #homedesign #designnewsletter #interiordesigninspiration #homedesignideas
I design bathrooms that cater to an experience. Bathrooms that aren’t just pretty to look at, but ones that wrap you in warmth.
Amba towel warmers are a big part of that. They dry things out between uses so nothing’s hanging there damp all day. And wrapping a warm towel around you after you step out of the shower, especially in the winter, is luxury defined.
Amba offers a variety of finishes and designs to blend with any aesthetic, making it an easy must-include in any bath project.
Save this for your next bath project, or go straight to @ambaproducts to pick something now.
#thymeandplacedesign #bathroomdesign #luxurybathroom #towelwarmer #spaexperienceathome
An awkward roofline is usually the thing everyone wants to hide, but we made this one a part of the design.
We let the ceiling set the height of every cabinet, bookcase, and piece of furniture, allowing your eyes to follow the lines when you walk in. It’s got a bit of a Guggenheim feel to it, don’t you think?
The rest of this home office was built around how the space will be used.
Swipe through. There’s a detail on every slide. And while you’re here, send this to anyone you know fighting a sloped ceiling.
#thymeandplacedesign #interiordesign #officedesign #homeofficeideas #workspaceinspiration
We worked with two opposing angles coming off one main beam, creating a design that complements the architecture instead of hiding or competing with it.
The cabinet was built right into the slope, where most people would frame a wall and lose the space.
Those nine squares are long file drawers storing all of their paperwork without looking like a file room. The runner is sized so the chair never rolls off it as an alternative to plastic or glass under the wheels.
This sofa is custom, measured to his wife so she can comfortably lie down and nap.
Art glass and a bronze lattice table add to the room’s personality.
Cabinetry in a room this size usually turns into the same door over and over until the whole thing looks like a fire sale on cabinets. Not here. And the bar? We built it right into that millwork.
No one wants to ruin a cellar-worthy bottle of wine with the wrong storage solution.
If you’re investing in quality vintages, you need appliances that protect what’s in the bottle, which is why I spec SKS.
Their engineering considers exactly what any true collector has in mind: stable temperature zones, vibration-free storage, and humidity control that protects the cork and the wine.
These are the details most people never think to ask their designer about, but they’re the details that matter.
Head to @sksappliances to explore their full appliance line.
#thymeandplacedesign #custominteriors #designinspiration #homedesignideas
It’s still summer, right? Because I feel fall creeping up on me.
So far, I’m looking at trips to three cities, two talks, and one very full September.
Here’s where you’ll find me:
DesignPoint · Carlsbad · Aug 23–26
CEDIA Expo · Denver · Sept 1-3
IDS Conference · Las Vegas · Sept 28–30
If you’ll be at any of these events, let me know which in the comments, and come say hello!
#thymeandplacedesign #CEDIAExpo #designindustry #designtechnology #industryspeaker
A heated towel rack isn’t usually the first thing clients think of when they hire me.
What they’re looking for is a professional designer who can create a specific feeling in their home, like calm and comfort. They want someone who thinks about how their morning goes, designing for function and overall wellness.
So before I spec a single bath fixture, I consider how my clients will feel when they step out of the shower.
Most people want to feel warmth, and that’s a decision that needs to be made on paper when we’re drawing up floor plans.
Amba doesn’t just create a warm, luxurious experience for my clients; they create products that look like they belong in a high-end home.
Do you have a towel warmer in your home? Tell me about it below.
#thymeandplacedesign #interiordesign #designprocess #materialselection #homedesignprocess
True story: Instead of questions about a finish or vendor, designers have been asking questions like, “What do you do when a client stops paying mid-project?”
Nobody teaches this in design school, and it’s some of the most important stuff you’ll ever need to actually run one. These are the questions I’m always happy to dig into, so keep sending them.
If you’d rather have something you can work through at your own pace, I’ve put a lot of this into my guides.
Just click that link in bio and head over to my resource tab under “Professional Guides.”
#thymeandplacedesign #designindustry #interiordesignawards #designleadership
I’ve been designing kitchens for 25 years and the best ones almost never start with a Pinterest board. They start with money.
Your budget is what everything has to fit inside, and the projects that turn painful are almost always the ones where money wasn’t brought up until later.
So I wrote it all down. Part 1 of my new series has the actual numbers, including why $80k in appliances is a waste if the cabinets underneath them went in badly.
It’s on the blog. Go check it out before you fall in love with that slab that’s half your budget. Link in bio.
#thymeandplacedesign #renovationbudget #designbudgetplanning #homeprojectplanning
Look at the empty towel wall in slide one, and then look at what happens in slide two.
That flat stretch of wall is one of the most overlooked surfaces in a bathroom. A towel warmer gives it a job: a little metal to balance all the stone and tile, and a place for your eye to land.
That’s the part clients miss when you just say “towel warmer.” The word sounds utilitarian. Show them the same room both ways, and they get it: function can be beautiful, and the space feels more finished.
Save this for your next bath project.
Featuring @ambaproducts
#thymeandplacedesign #bathroomdesign #towelwarmer #bathroomdesignideas
What’s more interesting: The beautiful after photos, or everything that goes on behind the scenes with the guts of the house?
With The Queen, you’ll get both, and this one’s a throwback to one of the many systems that make a home actually work. Isn’t it pretty?
Follow for more!
#thymeandplacedesign #plumbingfixtures #plumbingdesign #kitchenandbathdesign
You’re looking at two complete kitchens in one space, because this one’s kosher.
Since meat and dairy stay completely separate through cooking, serving, and cleanup, their space needed two sinks, two prep zones, and enough storage to keep things in their dedicated spot.
One of my favorite changes came after I talked the client into losing a window. It traded a view of the neighbor’s garage for the yard and gave us a full wall of tile straight to the peak, allowing us to make their vaulted ceiling an integral part of their design. (This is why you hire me.)
We worked in a beautiful rift-cut white oak, dark wenge veneer, bold purple wall, and yes, the coffee and wine bar the husband asked for.
The full story is on my website (Link in bio). For now, swipe for the before images.
#thymeandplacedesign #kitchendesign #kitchenremodel #beforeandafterkitchen #functionaldesign
There’s a difference between a beautiful bathroom and a bathroom that changes how you start and end your day.
That’s what Warm by Design is about. Over the next few months, I’m partnering with Amba to show you what intentional bath design really looks like.
Part of our job as designers is handing clients options they didn’t know to ask for. A towel warmer is one of them. It’s one of those small line items, but it ends up being the thing they mention to every guest.
See their product lineup at @ambaproducts , and when you put one in your next project, don’t be surprised when it’s the detail your clients can’t stop talking about.
#thymeandplacedesign #bathdesign #wellnesshome #luxurybath #Ambahome
The recliner debate has ended more than one design conversation in the past. Now with options like these, it doesn’t have to.
If one person wants comfort, and the other values aesthetics, American Leather has a modern take that caters to both.
Where do you stand on the recliner debate? Are you still a staunch “no,” do love them, or are you an “it depends” person?
Comment below and follow along for our next Thymeless Pick.
#thymeandplacedesign #furnituredesign #timelessfurniture #designerfavorites #luxuryleatherfurniture
It’s not just time, it’s overdue: the over-the-range microwave has to go, move it into the pantry.
Placing an actual hood above your range does more with visual weight, and you get real ventilation. It also serves as a better focal point, so you can stop looking at an eye-level black box every time you walk into the kitchen.
The same principle applies to every other small appliance living on your counters. Too many, and you get visual design chaos. Clearing them is the fastest way to make a kitchen feel elevated without spending a dime.
I talked to The Spruce about this, along with a few other kitchen things worth letting go of. The link’s in the bio.
#thymeandplacedesign #kitchendesign #timelesskitchen #kitchenremodel #kitchenupdates
This month’s community call is August 12th at 1pm Eastern, and we’re talking about process.
Think about a kitchen project: You’re holding the client’s expectations, the budget, the timeline, the trades, the lead times, and hundreds of decisions, and you’re doing it while three other jobs are running. That’s a lot to manage.
What I’ve found over the years is that a good process takes much of that weight off you. Clients tend to ask the same handful of questions on every project, just in a different order, so once you’ve built a structure for it, then you don’t have to rebuild your answers every time.
Set up a good system and the information will reach them in an order that makes sense, leaving them feeling looped in and confident while you get some of your head back for the design work.
Join us on the call, and we’ll get into the practical side: How to structure your intake so you learn what a client actually needs, how to sequence decisions to keep everything organized, and how to coordinate vendors and trades so the project holds at every stage.
I’m pulling straight from my Interior Designer’s Ultimate System to Kitchen Design for this one.
Come hang out with us; click the link in the bio to register.
#thymeandplacedesign #interiordesign #designprocess #clientexperience #projectplanning
