Putting a contemporary spin on opulent style
When you think of luxury living in a historical sense, you might think of glittering ballrooms or humongous banquet halls, maybe a country estate with footmen and carriages. But what does luxury look like in this day and age?
Do we still value the old motto of ‘bigger is better’ or have we developed a more nuanced sense of sophistication? The answer lies in modern luxury interior design. Separating itself from the excesses of old, this contemporary style instead favours quality over quantity, understated refinement over gaudy displays of wealth.
And you don’t need to live in a palace to get the look in your own home. Interested? Then let’s plunge into this gorgeous luxury look…
What is modern luxury interior design style?
As the name suggests, modern luxury takes its cues from modernism, a style that developed in the late 1800s and remained popular all the way into the 1960s. The look of modernist interiors was characterised by sleek, crisp lines and minimal ornamentation.
Breaking away from the froufrou of Victorian aesthetics, modernism embraced simplicity and function, promoting a visual language of order and structure.
What modern luxury does is saturate spaces with high-quality materials, like marble, gold and velvet, taking a ‘less is more’ approach to ornamentation and statement pieces.
It also takes inspiration from the various sub-movements within modernism, whether it’s the geometric look of Art Deco or the abstractness of Bauhaus.
The end result is part old-Hollywood glamour, with a splash of 5-star hotel foyer and luxury penthouse. A style that talks through its finishes rather than lots of fussy detail.
Key style points of modern luxury
Keep to these key style points and your finished design will have that low-key sophistication you’re looking for:
Quality materials
This really is the crux of any modern luxury interior design. Opulent materials are the structure it’s built on. Think glossy marble, glittering brass and gold, real crystal chandeliers or leather upholstered chairs. It’s also important to keep in mind that quality materials and craftsmanship go hand-in-hand. Look for artisan retailers for those one-of-a-kind pieces.
Restrained style
With modern luxury interiors, you never want to go overboard with detail. Your furniture should be sleek and streamlined, not adorned with dainty, intricate flourishes. Be selective with any big statement pieces. This interior style is relaxed and not an excuse to be showy.
Innovative lighting
Slick lighting is such an important component of modern luxury style. The most common types used for this look are LED strip lights, pelmet and recessed lights, as well as spotlights. Being a more discreet light source, they provide a soft ambient glow, and are often used to highlight architectural features within the space.
Statement pieces
Though the amount of statement pieces should be kept fairly small, this is where we put the ‘luxury’ into modern luxury. Go huge, go ostentatious. Bring in giant ornaments or wall-to-wall works of art. These will make beautiful visual anchor points.
Reflective finishes
From glittering metallic accents, to polished mirrors, to sleek stonework. A modern luxury interior positively shimmers with reflective finishes. These glossy touches help to reflect more light around your space and catch that all-important ambient lighting.
Muted colours
No vivid tones here! In modern luxury design, muted shades reign supreme. Neutrals like soft greys and whites are common as a base colour, though also expect to see earth tones too, such as dark brown and anthracite. Any colour accents should be deep and rich rather than bright and perky.
Crisp lines
If there’s anything instantly noticeable about a luxury modern interior, it’s that everything is clearly defined. When selecting furnishings, always look for anything offering a crisp silhouette, whether it’s clean-cut and angular or with sweeping organic curves.
How to create a modern luxury interior
Creating sumptuous settings like these are easy so long as you follow a methodical design process. With our step-by-step guide, we’re giving you the building blocks to create your very own high-end, lavish design.
1. Invest in high-quality flooring
Flooring is the base of the whole design and sets the tone.
Ideally, marble-effect ceramic tile should be your first port of call but not every house will have flooring robust enough for a heavy floor treatment.
Alternatively, you can go for a luxurious herringbone wood floor, or opt for a super plush, high-quality carpet to sink your feet into.
But if you do go with carpet, make sure it’s nothing too colourful or patterned. A light neutral works best.
2. Your walls are a canvas
If you’re painting your walls, cool creams, whites and greys are wonderfully versatile when it comes to pairing with any type of furniture. But if you want to push the boat out and really make waves, it’s well worth exploring the world of luxury wallpaper and murals.
High-end wall coverings come in a wide array of styles these days, so you can create an accent wall with a dreamy marble pattern (yes, you really can’t have enough marble in this look) or create a luxe background with chic textures.
For a really crisp, modern aesthetic, try adding a feature wall with a geometric pattern with gold detailing - very avant-garde!
3. Cut down on clutter with luxury storage
One thing that can spoil the effect of a modern luxury space is clutter. This style is quite pared-back, where all of the items on display are carefully curated, so if you need to hide away any bits and pieces, it’s well worth investing in some bespoke fitted storage.
For this sleek, contemporary aesthetic, a style with minimal ornamentation will often be your first choice, such as our slab-fronted Manhattan, Milan or Fusion ranges.
Or, you could blend a traditional door front with a bold modern colour to bring a classic style up to date.
To increase the amount of reflective surfaces in your space, you can go a few different ways. Opt for a gloss finish door (look to our Pure or Cosmopolitan ranges for that) or ones that can be styled with glass panels, such as sliding doors. But you can’t beat a mirrored wardrobe for maximum reflection - a great option when styling a small bedroom.
4. Elegant accent panels
But we’re not done with fitted storage just yet. There’s one more thing you can do to them to give them some extra star quality…
Our wooden slatted feature panels transform fitted storage like media units and shelving into a vision of sophistication. Their crisp linearity makes them ideal for the look of a modern luxury interior, but they also bring in a touch of warmth with their natural finishes, making sure your space doesn’t feel too cold or unwelcoming.
Match it up with our built-in Vega Shelf Lights and you’ve got one showstopping room feature that definitely captures that understated luxury feel.
5. Sophisticated lighting
Keeping on the theme of lighting, it’s important to make sure that your space gets plenty of it, whether it’s natural or artificial.
Ideally, it should get plenty of natural light, but if not, that’s why it’s so important to add as many glossy or reflective surfaces as possible.
A common theme in modern luxury interiors is a huge statement chandelier, which gives rooms with high ceilings that big wow-factor you’re looking for.
You could go super modern and abstract or for a traditional chandelier dripping in crystal - it’s entirely up to you.
Not got a huge space to work with? Layer up your space with lots of different ambient light sources so you can create a soothing soft glow. Whether it’s downlighting to emphasise your favourite pieces or some elegant floor lamps, make sure you’ve got plenty of gentle, diffuse light for that low-key atmosphere.
6. Lavish statement furniture
Here’s where we can really start putting your own personal stamp on your design. Choose furnishings that have an eye-catching, unusual design, preferably accented with metallics. It could be a plush 5-person sofa or a minimalist stone-top coffee table.
Make sure you don’t sacrifice comfort either. Modern luxury isn’t about creating somewhere so clean-cut that it feels sterile - it’s about creating a premium feel on every level and that includes your own personal contentment.
Just keep in mind the golden rule - no vivid colours with your soft furnishings. You can always add in some light contrast with scatter cushions as the finishing touch.
7. Emphasise grandeur with more spacing
What better way to give your space that deluxe ambiance than by giving every item plenty of breathing room?
Nothing should be butted up against each other. The whole point is to accentuate the room available by opening everything out. This is a fantastic option for open-plan living spaces where you’ve got more free room to play with.
That being said, not every home has a rolling expanse of floor space to use! In this instance, try bringing in fewer accent pieces and increasing the negative space around them. Take a step back and if it still looks too cluttered, edit, edit, edit.
8. Decorate with unique accents
Time to choose your decor, and again, less is more here. Your space shouldn’t be saturated with knick-knacks. It’s all about a curated experience, where each piece is thoughtfully selected for its artistic merit.
In fact, you’ll often find that modern luxury interiors have a minimal amount of accent pieces. Maybe just some table decorations, plus some ceramics or sculpture to add interest to shelving.
Whatever you choose, make sure that it exudes a quality, artisan feel. Too many off-the-shelf pieces run the risk of cheapening your final look.
9. Personalise with statement art
A staple of the modern luxury look is a striking art piece, dominating the wall space to create a bold focal point. This is no place for intricate traditional paintings.
The art you choose should be abstract and contemporary, something original that breaks with convention.
It doesn’t even have to be an art print. A 3D wall sculpture can also bring much-needed texture and fluidity to the space, so don’t be afraid to look for high-concept pieces that are a bit different.
This is all about putting your own personal style into your luxury interior.
Dive into the extravagance of bespoke design
True luxury is tailor-made. At Sharps, all of the fitted furniture we make is completely bespoke to you and your home, where every piece is crafted to fit like a glove. If you want to discover what your perfect storage could look like, why not book your Free Design Visit today? Explore endless storage combinations that you can personalise to your heart’s content, created by the experts in bespoke design. Enjoy the 5-star experience that you only get with Sharps.
