Luxury
Margaret Everton
June 28, 2010
Luxury sounds elite and distantly enchanting, but everyone can enjoy luxury in their dwelling. Having just read another book on Coco Chanel, I choose to go by her definition, that "luxury lies not in richness and ornateness but the absence of vulgarity." Vulgarity meaning lacking sophistication or taste.
So luxury, that state of great comfort and extravagance, doesn't mean ridiculous opulence. It means going one step above practical function to create a feeling of abundance. It's deliberate living, designing for ourselves a higher state of existence and comfort. And, as Chanel said, it must be comfortable otherwise it's not luxury.
Create luxury for yourself, simply, in these FOUR ways:
CREATE FINE DINING, SANS STAFF. A simple room becomes the center of dining with the addition of subtle curtains, a chandelier, or anything that goes beyond necessity and understatedly refines the room. Set a tea/coffee service on your buffet. Add texture along your entire wall, quite cheaply, with the collection of platters. Cheap and very individualized white platters can be found anywhere from consignment shops and flea markets to garage sales and thrift stores.
CREATE A HOME SPA. So what if your bathroom isn't like the spa at the Broadmoor Hotel. Small details create a sense of refined pampering, even in the simple daily tasks of bathing and grooming. Keep a large glass jar (and scoop) of bath salts. Paint the bathroom slate and add a chandelier. Line up candles. Add art. Anything that ups that functional and much-used space a level.
MAKE YOUR BED A HAVEN. Take out the piles of old magazines, clear out any clutter, get the lighting right, and go from there. Add a reading chair and lamp in the corner, change out your bedding to something grown up and dreamy.
LIVE OUT LUXURY IN THE LIVING ROOM. This highly-functional room doesn't need to look solely functional. Get a sideboard or antique bureau to hide the necessities (the remote) but keep them at bay. Pare down the look and make sure that what is included beyond the furniture (throws, pillows, lighting, decor, art) adds to the sense of sophistication while inviting the onlooker to the most comfortable lounge ever.
So luxury, that state of great comfort and extravagance, doesn't mean ridiculous opulence. It means going one step above practical function to create a feeling of abundance. It's deliberate living, designing for ourselves a higher state of existence and comfort. And, as Chanel said, it must be comfortable otherwise it's not luxury.
Create luxury for yourself, simply, in these FOUR ways:
CREATE FINE DINING, SANS STAFF. A simple room becomes the center of dining with the addition of subtle curtains, a chandelier, or anything that goes beyond necessity and understatedly refines the room. Set a tea/coffee service on your buffet. Add texture along your entire wall, quite cheaply, with the collection of platters. Cheap and very individualized white platters can be found anywhere from consignment shops and flea markets to garage sales and thrift stores.
CREATE A HOME SPA. So what if your bathroom isn't like the spa at the Broadmoor Hotel. Small details create a sense of refined pampering, even in the simple daily tasks of bathing and grooming. Keep a large glass jar (and scoop) of bath salts. Paint the bathroom slate and add a chandelier. Line up candles. Add art. Anything that ups that functional and much-used space a level.
MAKE YOUR BED A HAVEN. Take out the piles of old magazines, clear out any clutter, get the lighting right, and go from there. Add a reading chair and lamp in the corner, change out your bedding to something grown up and dreamy.
LIVE OUT LUXURY IN THE LIVING ROOM. This highly-functional room doesn't need to look solely functional. Get a sideboard or antique bureau to hide the necessities (the remote) but keep them at bay. Pare down the look and make sure that what is included beyond the furniture (throws, pillows, lighting, decor, art) adds to the sense of sophistication while inviting the onlooker to the most comfortable lounge ever.
This living room is simple, but the stark details are carefully chosen and give the room a big grown bang for its buck.
This pleasant and symmetrical bathroom is hilarious with this functional and sensuous dual-head shower space. An unusual but not impractical touch.
This screams luxury, yet what makes this room is well-chosen paint on the walls and tub, curtains (rather than blinds or a draw shade), and two simple contrasting details of the framed photo and the chair.
Small details like the stack of books and the chrome bathtub rack in this elegant space mean luxury to me.
Breaking down the barrier between the bath and master bedroom opens this space up to a unique intimate suite.
A corner like this is easy to create and can revolutionize a bedroom. A floor task lamp would also allow for late-into-the-night reading.
This bedroom is luxurious not just because of what is included, but the details of those "whats." The colors and materials all work together to create an entire subtle palate. The daisies add the finishing touch.
Rugs can add a sense of luxury. The one here is a subtle addition but helps make the room what it is. Another example, like the ones above, where functionality and aesthetics come together to create luxury without opulence.
This is one of my favorite dwellings on house. This adorably titled Castleberry Hill Loft makes use of little space. Of course, there are great bones to work with (those walls! That floor! Those windows!) This small and simple space is grown, meticulous, and interesting.
The view of the other side of this glass partition, with great art, lighting, and details--and stylish and comfortable seating.
Even in the most functional spot in kitchen, a sense of that luxury can be achieved in attention to detail. This modern backsplash transforms this space without taking up any more room or being in any way opulent or impractical. I think Coco Chanel would agree that luxury is in the refined and minimalist details.
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