If there ever was a trend in clothing or accessories that felt like a natural transition into home design, it is quiet luxury, or a homeowner’s decision to focus on minimalist, high quality and timeless looks inside and outside of their house.
Interior design experts say the term quiet luxury started to gain popularity in spring 2023 with the debut of HBO’s family drama, “Succession.” People love to hate the Roy family, but their fashion choices in clothing, handbags and jewelry are, well, sublime.
Internet searches for fictional icons like Shiv Roy as well as real-life fashionistas like Gwyneth Paltrow or Tracee Ellis Ross started to trend. Designers including Gina Feldman Love took notice, writing blogs about the topic and adding this sleek, understated style to their mood boards.
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A Time for Minimalism
“In times of economic uncertainty, many people retreat to quiet luxury, stealth wealth fashion or some other form of minimalism,” says Love, the New York-based co-founder of fine jewelry brand Auvere.
Quiet luxury also connects with people who want to buy better as well as buy less, Love says.
“We are squarely in the middle of climate change. Adopting sustainable practices to living are important, if not critical.” Love says. “The simpler the aesthetic, the more timeless it will be. The higher quality the materials, the longer the item will last.”
How to Incorporate Quiet Luxury into Your Home Decor
Here are 10 ways to bring this classic approach to your home’s exterior or interior.
Examine every space. Your home’s focal points have a lot of eyes on them, so make them special, says Rotem Eylor, CEO and founder of Republic Floor in Los Angeles. “If you’re using tiles or hardwoods, consider intricate patterns or designs to add a touch of uniqueness. Herringbone, chevron or mosaic patterns can elevate the visual appeal of a space,” Eylor says. “Customized inlays, borders or medallions can make your flooring.”
Think about texture. By using natural fibers, homeowners add a subtle sense of sophistication to their rooms, says Debbe Daley, a Boston-based interior designer. “A soft plush velvet for throw pillows on a sofa or a window-seat cushion. A linen fabric for drapery panels. A wool area rug that lasts through the years,” Daley says. “Quiet luxury is creating an experience and not a showplace for brands.”
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Be neutral. Consider colors that are elegant and sophisticated for every room of your home, says Jess Onorato, in-house director of product and design for Habitat Home & Garden in Pismo Beach, California. “The must-have elements in a quiet luxury home include a minimalist, spatial approach to refined colors,” Onorato says. “The quiet luxury aesthetic embodies warm neutrals like beige and camel complemented by nature-inspired colors like sage green and muted blues.”
Go for contrast when appropriate. While neutral siding in grays and blues are best for a quiet luxury look outside, Sam Brubaker, vice president of marketing at Champion Windows and Home Exteriors in Cincinnati, says a contrasting detail can make your home stand out. “Darker accents that add contrast are another feature, like exterior windows in black or bronze,” Brubaker says.
Be personal. Shiv Roy may be cold, but that doesn’t mean your house must be. “Quiet luxury is not about chasing an aesthetic but curating spaces that resonate with personal stories. It’s about understanding the individual,” says Gideon Mendelson, founder and creative director at the Mendelson Group in New York. “The true essence of this ‘trend’ lies in the subtleties, the cherished heirlooms, and the intimate connection between a space and its inhabitant.”
Combine form and function. Everything should whisper sophistication, says Isabelle von Boch, an eighth-generation family member of the Villeroy & Boch brand. “To infuse your home with quiet luxury, opt for items with graceful contours and meticulous craftsmanship that can be used every day — like quality serveware pieces, premium dinnerware and flatware that can effortlessly align with the essence of quiet luxury — ensuring an environment that’s both functional and aesthetically pleasing,” von Boch says.
Invest in core pieces. That means buying the best couch or recliner when you can, says Todd Howard Ezrin, principal at TOBE Design Group in Bethesda, Maryland. “Invest in quality furniture that will last. Not only is it better for the environment, but it’s also better for your wallet in the end. Poorly made furniture needs to be replaced frequently but a quality made sofa or chair is worth reupholstering if and when you grow tired of the color.”
Pump up your landscaping. Add luxury amenities to your backyard oasis, whether it is a pool, a sauna or lavish plantings. This can mean topiary features such as sculpted hedges as well as flowering bushes like hydrangeas and peonies, says Jesse Sheldon, a broker and director of operations at Gordy Marks Real Estate for RE/MAX Northwest in Kirkland, Washington.
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Finishes are everything. In the kitchen or bathroom, consider running the countertop up the wall to the ceiling, Sheldon says. In the kitchen, that may mean marble or real stone. “You can do it for cost-effective alternatives that mimic marble or opt for the real deal if your budget allows,” he says. “The key is to prioritize quality over quantity.”
Take care of your investments. Auvere’s Love says a fantastic antique can last another century if it is properly maintained, just like the precious metals she works with daily. “I have pieces in my apartment that are over 100 years old sitting next to midcentury pieces that hang out next to hyper-modern furnishings,” Love says. “A good piece of antique or vintage furniture adds character to your décor, makes your home one of a kind and ensures we use less resources.”
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Homeowners Embrace Quiet Luxury Trend originally appeared on usnews.com
