Luxury, what is it? How it is quantified in our homes.

Good Morning Everyone!

Last week I made a post about the "Disney Effect" I described. This was mostly influenced by the fact I was in Disney world all of last week, that weather was nice... a nice break from Pittsburgh. Anyway, last week got me thinking "What is luxury?" In the movies we see luxury as endless extravagance. In automotive design it is a mixture of power, technological features, and serenity. In fashion luxury is the bespoke. But looking at my life, what is luxury in living in the most basic sense?


I am sitting here in my front room looking at my multi-layered crown moulding, inlaid hardwood floors, special order German made leather sofa, and an abstract oil painting of Notre Dame above a set of wingback chairs. Now, reading that last sentence would make you think I have one luxurious living room, I do indeed, but that isn't the point. How do we quantify luxury in the most simple way, in your home it is not one thing rather a collection of items that create a feeling.

Personally luxury in my house is quantified by having a select few items in each space that have a great meaning displayed simply to capture their beauty. This allows me to see and appreciate the sculpture or painting every time. I have no extra things to clutter the spaces and try to only keep necessary furnishings. Now everyone will have different tastes, I have a very modern aesthetic, but there are basic principals that everyone can apply to keep their home feeling clean and luxurious.

Lets look at some examples I pulled from my favorite resource Houzz:

Beach Style Living Room by Manhattan Beach Interior Designers & Decorators Noelle Interiors

Traditional Living Room by San Francisco Interior Designers & Decorators ScavulloDesign Interiors

Contemporary Living Room by Las Vegas Design-Build Firms Blue Heron Design-Build

Ok, now that we have looked at these three living rooms. What are some of the common factors? All three have different styles, but all three are also minimalist in nature. Each of these spaces only showcases what needs to be seen. The third photo shows off the light fixtures and raw wood coffee table and that is about it. This works because there is enough to look at in just those two areas, combined with the soaring architecture this is space is luxurious and simplistic all at once.

The second living room is intimate and warm. I would not consider it modern at all, but yet it still has that simplistic feeling even though there are plenty of items in this space. Why does this feel clean and simple then? Organization is the word. Everything in this space is organized and draw focus to the items that are meant to be seen.

Lastly, the first photo merely shows off that beautiful beach view. That room screams serenity and doesn't need explanation. Just don't look at that chevron rug, you all know how I feel about those!

So, how does Disney World play into this? Everything down there is visually overwhelming and over stylized. I was looking up pictures of Cinderella's castle and was thinking if anyone could actually live in such sickeningly decorated house... personally I could not.

Luxury is the feeling my home gives me when each significant piece doesn't distract from one another in a space void of any clutter. To me luxury is simplicity and value of space.

What is your interpretation of luxury?


-Sean