Style Our Home | Spring 2024

Luxe for Less

It’s hard to hide from the social media shenanigans of the rich and the famous. From fast cars to decadent wardrobes and stately homes, the internet’s algorithms love dishing the details on every corner of their lives. The more personal, the better, and where better to snoop around than through their keyholes?

Thanks to IG, we’ve grasped every opportunity to step inside their homes and vicariously live out our ultimate interior fantasies.  

Indulging our desires for a life of luxury has never been more prevalent. With the cadaverous avenue of “quiet luxury” once again a path less trodden, marching to the beat of haute spending is back and luxe living is louder and prouder than ever before.

But the bleak reality for most of us is that an haute-home feels like a tepid dream, forever out of our reach.

Well, what if there was a way you could get an indulgent interior IRL without exhaustive expense? With our five failsafe style hacks, you can achieve opulent décor without the crippling price tag.

OG opulence

A majestic gift compressed deep in the earth’s crust; marble is the OG opulent addition to home interiors. From the atemporal allure of classic Carrera – pure of heart in all its stark white glory – to rare, rich, and sumptuous chocolate Emperadors, there are myriad mineral tones to suit every interior. And just when you thought marble couldn’t get any better, it pairs with virtually everything. Concealing details within a compendium of natural veins and mineral streaks, marble’s natural patterning effortlessly coordinates with every other material and finish you can think of.

Keen to marvel in the merits of marble but working with a lean budget? The Nerano Side Table by Gallery Living is the perfect opulent furniture piece without the exorbitant price tag. And it’s available in a range of tonal finishes, so, the only problem you’ll have is which one to choose.  

Feeling a little flusher? The Vincent Sheppard Marble Groove dining table is a chic statement centre piece made for evening soirees.

                                                   

Tall, dark & handsome

Deeply decadent, dark wood abounds elegance with a distinct air of antiquity. But swarthy salons threaded with cobwebs and peppered with dust remain in eras past. Today’s dark woods are as smooth as chocolate and as glossy as ice, with intricate inherent details and maximum luxe appeal.

With a subtle nod to the past, the raw finish of the Albiton Dining Table by Gallery Living is punctuated with decorative details. Turned legs are the main attraction and the slightly distressed, well-loved look is an ambassador for the modern rustic trend.

But if slick and sophisticated is more your aesthetic, the Accademia Collection by Alf Italia is the only direction you should be headed in. Architectural lines and Italian craftsmanship collude to create a suite of umber sophistication

                                 

Remain calm

Another trend caught in the net of algorithm-mania is neutral aesthetics. And no material object is exonerated from a fresh coat of nude – nails, accessories, homeware, furniture, clothes – the media loves a bold bland mineral finish. Largely connected with our ongoing quest for sanctuary and calm, neutral shades incite those dopamine hits we’re all jonesing for.

If you’re just jumping on the achromatic bandwagon, start simple with an unfussy statement piece and work around it. We love the Carmilla 4 Door Sideboard by Gallery Interiors for a warm touch neutral statement piece. The lighter wood is plain enough to coordinate other neutrals around, like the Astoria Sofa by Berkely Designs or the Faro Cream Armchair by Gallery Living.  Carmilla boasts an added sculptural detail that rightly feeds into another essential approach to luxe décor…

                                                 

Sculpted to perfection

For prestige purveyors everywhere, the devil is always in the details. Even when you’re wearing your money on your sleeve with high profile materials and unreserved affluence, it’s the intimate particulars that accelerate something from gaudy to gorgeous.

Just like the aforementioned Carmilla, with linear carvings resembling Assyrian architecture, the Dusk Dining Table by TemaHome offers a chunkier geometric form reminiscent of Bauhaus-type designs. Specialists in art-driven design, Richmond Interiors’ Fairmont Dining Table boasts hyperbolic sculptural details, refined by a monotone finish. And Porte by Gallery Interiors offers a more undulating sculptural detail with subtle nods to surrealist styles. 

                                                   

Touchy feely

Along with coveting comfort through an all-neutral palette, so we feel the need to envelope ourselves in makeshift cocoons, with a gravitation towards textured and dense materials. But, when it comes to luxe, there’s a knack to nailing this without turning your home into a giant bed: boucle. It’s the chic home’s holy grail of finishes and adds instant grandiose gravitas to any room (and there’s bonus décor points for neutral boucle).

Boucle almost demands to be wrapped around a statement armchair. Our favourites? That’s easy. Libra Designs’ Luna Occasional Chair in Ivory Boucle is a must for hammering home luxe sculptural elements alongside the textural wonder of boucle. And for the dining room, the Hamel Vanilla Dining Chair by Gallery Living is unreserved in elegant efforts as chic boucle is contrasted against an architectural matte black frame.

                                                   

So, while scrolling through the endless ream of #luxe tags on Instagram, and lusting over what feels like unattainable opulence, remember our five fail-safe tips for achieving a luxe look for less the next time you style your home.