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7 Interior styling tips to add a luxurious vibe to your designs

Last but not least in the process chronology, interior styling can completely transform a space and bring it to life.

Atelier ND Interior
Design by Atelier ND Interior
7 Interior styling tips to add a luxurious vibe to your designs
Clara Carlino de Paz
November 8, 2022

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You’ve finished a project – all the hard bits anyway. The admin is done, the furniture and fittings are exactly where you want them, and you are at the point where the next milestone is showing the final space to your clients. But there is one more step. A step that will change everything.

Its name is interior styling, an art often overshadowed by its siblings “interior architecture” and “interior design”. Styling’s objective is to bring life and cosiness back to a space. After rigorous design, spaces can feel a little empty or flat, depleted from the charm of people living in them. This styling process can be done through details, e.g. the placement of coffee books, rugs, upholstery, blankets, art, trinkets and heirlooms, or by rearranging furniture to better suit the confines of a room.

When you’re styling a luxury, high-end high-budget kind of space, there is a special je ne sais quoi needed to bring the space together. In this article, we’ll go through 9 ways you can add an extra layer of chic luxeness to everything in sight – without going overboard.

01. Let furniture breathe

The first rule of styling club is you don’t style excessively. Corny but true, part of styling is knowing when to take away elements and work with negative space. Don’t be scared to let your room’s furniture breathe and take the visual space it needs without distractions. 

Interiors by Cláudia Varjão

02. Layer opposites

There is something incredibly chic in putting two things together that shouldn’t. It speaks to a sense of humour and charm, which breaks up over stylized designs. Don’t be afraid to have elements purposefully clash – if done tastefully, it will help each element stand out.

Interiors by Atelier ND Interior

03. Bring out your clients’ idiosyncrasies

For a space to feel truly lived in and a reflection of your clients’ wishes, it has to show their little habits and big passions. Try incorporating heirlooms, hobby elements and things they already had before the project to give the home that true, human look. You can’t replicate it, so use the real thing!

Interiors by Estudio Maria Santos

04. Show off natural textures

Stone, wood and rougher fabrics give rooms visual interest and a feeling of timeless luxury. You can do this in the styling stage with vases, rugs, and even trompe l'oeil.

Interiors styled by Kerrie Ann Jones

05. Highlight art and books

Your clients taste in art and books can be your greatest asset when styling a space. Incorporate them in the design as much as possible to imbue your space with colour and personality.

Interiors by Francis Sultana

06. Add metals with sheen and dimension

When interiors are looking a little flat, adding touches of metal or highly reflective materials can be a great way to bring back a 3D vibe. There are millions of ways to incorporate this, including tableside art, lamps, sconces, and framing in tables.

Design by Siriano Interiors

07. Embrace patterns

If you’re lacking that human touch in your design, adding patterned fabric is a great way to bring it back. You can incorporate it in blankets, upholstery, bedding and even lampshades.

Interiors by Elizabeth Hay

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