One of the hardest interior decorating choices in American luxury homes, is whether or not to include upscale preppy influences. Is covering your walls with paintings of horses and dogs subtly nostalgic, or, is it tacky and fake? Anyone with old school preppy grandparents can tell you, it’s ok to be fake as long as…
Tag: quiet luxury
Decorating 101: what the best sheets are made of
The best bedding sets are expensive. Have you ever wondered why high-quality sheets and duvets cost so much? The answer has a lot to do with the raw cost of materials and there isn’t much that manufacturers can do to reduce the price. The bedding set in the picture is all cotton. The sheets are…
Great book: Soul of the Home
Some coffee table books are so great, that you don’t just decorate your coffee table with them, you read them cover to cover. Tara Shaw’s influential interior design book Soul of the Home: Designing with Antiques is a “must-have” for anyone who has inherited antiques or an interest in shopping for antiques. Unless you’re refurbishing…
How the Millennial Economy changed luxury
Since it’s the New Year, I thought I’d start the year off with a post about the Millennial Economy. The rise of quiet luxury doesn’t have much to do with budgeting, but it does have a lot to do with economics. Millennials have reimagined the design world, from fashion to interiors, in their efforts to…
Sewing 101: how to make luxury pillow covers
In interior decorating, if you want overstuffed luxury throw pillows, your best choice is to make them yourself. In the picture, I replaced a set of Armani silk and golden silk wool pillow covers with a custom Mood Fabrics screenprint and silver glow in viscose-linen blends. The cost of fabric for designer pillow covers is…
Sewing 101: how to bind a blanket
Sooner or later, you will likely have a blanket that needs to be rebound. My puppy loves Pendleton blankets, but the binding the blanket in the picture came with was not a puppy-friendly material. I rebound the blanket with a more durable binding and mitered corners. You don’t need amazing sewing skills to bind a…
Custom decor: the power of an exclusive book
A well placed coffee table book that is exclusive and meaningful both brings authenticity to a space and inspires conversation. My sorority recently published a special edition book as part of the Gamma Phi Beta 150th Anniversary Oral History Project 2024. The Gamma Phi Beta book, In My Words, includes stories and photographs from thousands…
#LKRB principle of design: waste not, want not
With a no-waste approach to interior decorating, environmental sustainability and financial sustainability go hand in hand. One of the primary reasons that glamorous historical properties are sold into trusts is because they were built without an eye to maintenance costs. A low-key luxury living space gives thought not only to day-to-day contemporary living, but also…
Furniture mods: upholstering like an expert
Upholstering your furniture with professional results does not require extensive interior design expertise. The papasan chair in the picture was transformed from a modern vibe to a rustic lodge aesthetic with a natural wool pillow cover. I used a wool wash with lanolin to soften the cover for an extra-cozy touch. Pillow covers versus upholstering…
Holiday decor: how to make gorgeous stockings
You don’t need to be a Martha Stewart to decorate your home with gorgeous, handmade stockings. Bucilla stockings are a beautiful do-it-yourself option that anyone can assemble. And, if you don’t want to DIY, there are a lot of mom-and-pop shops that will make custom stockings for you. When I was little, my mom hand…