Whether you’ve just moved into a new house or you’re in the market to buy new furniture, we’ve gathered some expert advice on styling a luxurious home. Luxury, like style, is subjective and difficult to define. Many will think a luxury home consists of marble tabletops and sleek sofas. Others will think an antique French chaise and a chandelier.
Interior stylist Sarah Yarrow says luxury is less about one particular aesthetic and more about tailoring comfort to your lifestyle – i.e. a home that fundamentally provides a lovely space for rest and relaxation. “So much about luxury is about having time, particularly time to enjoy your interior spaces,” Sarah finds. “Luxury could be having a comfy armchair to sit and enjoy a coffee, or being able to have a rug underneath so you can walk around with bare feet and have it feel cosy and comfortable.”
Luxury is dependent on your home and personal style. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy
Her advice for styling a luxury home is to seek out quality pieces, pay attention to light and smartly incorporate the things you love. Here are five tips on how to pull it all off.
1. Buy quality items
“I’m a big believer in buying the best quality you can afford,” Sarah says. There are multiple benefits to buying quality furniture items for your home. These include the longevity of your item, the premium look and the personal value it has for you. “Luxury to me is having those quality pieces which you can pass on through generations,” Sarah adds.
Beauty is in details. Furniture by King is Australian-designed, sustainably produced and built to last a lifetime. Picture: King Living
“Don’t buy stuff just to fill the room or to have it now. If it means waiting six months to get a really coveted piece, then I always encourage clients to do that rather than getting something you don’t completely love. You’ll never value that item.” King has an extensive range of high-quality, Australian-designed products that are built to last a lifetime like their Quay Table which is flexible in both length and style.
2. Luxury is more about ‘feel’ than ‘look’
You may think luxury is an aesthetic but experts tend to disagree. Luxury is more about comfort, feel, texture and multi-sensory satisfaction. Think about the quality of your fabrics and furniture, as well as their comfort level. “Consider linen cushions that feel really lovely and tactile, or a pure wool blanket you can cosy up to,” Sarah says.
3. Think about the light
Light is particularly important when it comes to choosing colour schemes. Sarah encourages thinking about the orientation of the room before committing to a palette. “If it’s a west-facing room, it’s going to get a lot of hot sun in the afternoon,” she says. “If you’re using oranges and really warm colours in that room, it’s going to feel even hotter than it actually is. Equally, if it’s a south-facing room, it’s generally going to feel quite cold and dark as it gets less light, so you’ll want to warm it up.”
If you want a large dining table in a dark timber, you may want to make sure you have the right light and space to accommodate it. Picture: King
4. Work with the existing space
Speaking of light and space, don’t work against the natural or in-built elements of your room. Unless you’re renovating, you may be limited by certain features and, of course, the dimensions. Take measurements and make plans to ensure everything fits properly. “A lot of people make the mistake of falling in love with a piece in the showroom or online and it doesn’t work with everything else they’ve got,” Sarah explains.
5. Be selective
Clutter is the enemy of luxury and, as Sarah points out, “there’s a difference between clutter and showing your personality”. If you want to display personal memorabilia like photos and souvenirs, be selective and smart about your styling. “For instance, if you have shelving, just make sure it isn’t cluttered with ‘stuff’ — only show things that are meaningful to you,” she says.
Just because you have a lot of ‘stuff’ doesn’t mean it needs to look cluttered and daggy. Picture: Pexels
“You might have a lot of inventory, but the way it’s displayed in terms of scale and proportion, the colour palette and the shape or form [of the items], is key to ensuring you’re connected with those items and that space. It’s not just stuff on a shelf.”
In conclusion, styling a luxury home is all about creating a space that provides comfort, relaxation, and a sense of personal style. By following these five tips – buying quality items, focusing on feel rather than look, thinking about light, working with the existing space, and being selective – you can create a luxurious home that reflects your personality and provides a sense of tranquility. Remember, luxury is not just about aesthetics; it’s about creating a space that feels like home.
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