Something for Everyone

Ho-hum decorations for the home are as common as a cliche: They’re boring, predictable and completely unoriginal. But beyond the big box chains and mass-advertised stores are those specializing in high-end furniture and accessories that score top points in quality and uniqueness. Compliments’ new Scottsdale showroom is one such gem.

Life partners Scott and Ron Hunter spent two years developing Compliments’ retail concept by traveling the world, visiting countries in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. The duo has attended trade shows throughout the U.S. to learn what products are available already to the public and trade, so that Compliments’ products will be unique or hard to come by.

“We’ve always wanted to create and put into a single store an assortment of things that complement and accent the home and make customers feel special,” Scott says. “We are offering products on an exclusive basis that truly are the best of the best, from high-end, fine bedding and linens to home accessories and gift items.”

There are plans to open five more stores in the next 10 years; other locations include Phoenix or Scottsdale, Palm Springs, Calif., and Dallas.

Though Scott and Ron have no formal training in interior design and are not designers, they have decorated homes in 17 cities and won awards for interior design. They recognized their strong sense of style years ago and just recently decided to pursue their passion for it.

At the Scottsdale location, the doors to the showroom open to an expansive 1,800-square-foot space. A 380-yard, seven-color silk fabric arrangement created by a retired Hollywood set director sets a regal and sophisticated tone immediately upon entering.

“Our primary business goals are to violate the expectations of the customers in a positive way; provide a ‘wow’ factor; and offer the best of the best that we can get at a great price,” Scott says.

Compliments prides itself on offering hard-to-find luxury products, including authentic animal throws made of white fox fur or multicolored chevron mink to pair with bedding treatments. Bedding includes San Remo coverlets, shams and sheets by Dea, which are said to have found their way into the homes of popes, sultans and singer Celine Dion. Also popular are Victoria duvet covers; hand-beaded silk linens and bedding by Maestro Raphael; and embellished pillows, shams and spreads by Bliss Studio and Canaan Co. Finally, terry cloth robes by Maestro Raphael establish the bedroom as a place of pampering fit for royalty.

Compliments offers much more than décor treats for the bedroom, as it’s changing collection of accessories is eclectic enough to enhance contemporary and traditional décor alike: metal and glass vases, tasseled napkin rings, silver trays with handcrafted horn handles by Airedelsur from Argentina, and rosewood and lacquered pieces.

One of Compliments’ more unique accessories is an African ceramic bowl with an animal motif and hand-woven edges. Each piece takes 80 hours to make. Compliments donates 100 percent of sales from these bowls to the building of a medical facility for 150,000 HIV-positive orphans in Swaziland. The owners say their own life experiences have inspired them to contribute to specific charities. They make financial donations to causes and organizations dedicated to bettering the lives of children and people with cancer, HIV and Alzheimer’s disease.

Some products at Compliments are exclusively available through the store and are unavailable anywhere else in Arizona. A peek into decorative display cases at the rear of the store shows the Christina Ferrari Collection of picture frames, vanity mirrors, wine caddies and buckets made with sparkling Swarovski crystals and precious stones — a line available nowhere else.

The showroom is a feast not only for the eyes, but also the olfactory senses. Rancé perfume and soaps from France have a beautiful composition of May rose, hawthorn and jasmine — a scent created for French ruler Napoleon’s first and dearly loved wife, Josephine.

“We had to show the (Rancé) company executives our business plans and financial projections before they would allow us to offer (the perfume) to our customers,” Scott says.

Also available are hard-to-find lotions and soaps by Caldrea and Joseph Thomas, potpourri, room sprays, sachets and travel-size versions.

You don’t need to journey around the world to find treasures for your home. Compliments is a treat for design aficionados who are looking for collectibles and domestic items suited for the ultimate pampering experience. H&D

www.complimentsofaz.com