For homeowners and professionals alike, embarking on a new project to design or renovate a home is a dynamic and expressive process. It’s also inherently personal, particularly when you consider the elements that will root each space in a certain lifestyle experience or aesthetic.
As consumers’ expectations rise, our offerings must not only keep pace but actually stay ahead of emerging trends. In challenging ourselves to anticipate tomorrow’s needs and overdeliver on suitable solutions, we can work to create entirely new dialects of design and construction that will, in turn, spin off new trends and further innovation.
One of the most exciting design dialects to emerge in the 21st century has been an evolving expression of “Lived-in Luxury,” which seeks to imbue high-end spaces with a sense of interactive and personalized charm. In contrast to the philosophy of “out with the old, and in with the new,” Lived-in Luxury embraces the juxtaposition of both old and new elements in an effort to reflect the best of both paradigms.
Defining the Dialect of Lived-in Luxury
By showcasing a range of alluring architectural styles and design choices, the dialect of Lived-in Luxury enables builders, remodelers, and other professionals to redefine the very concept of luxury with tailored solutions that feel both “cozy” and “couture” at the same time. Most importantly, this lifestyle-oriented approach refuses to discount the fact that homes are meant to be inhabited and not merely observed and/or photographed.
At the heart of the Lived-in Luxury dialect are three key attributes working in harmony:
Fresh, Bright Colors
There is a distinctive lightness to Lived-in Luxury that is expressed in the strategic use of natural lighting and in the incorporation of thoughtful contrasts throughout a space. This palette embraces the stark white and saturated darker hues that often characterize contemporary spaces, while adding an inspiring mix of energetic notes and warm accents that liven up the visual experience.
In terms of materials, Lived-in Luxury spaces pull in rich, multilayered hues of wood, metal, and stone to establish visceral connections between the built environment and the natural world. Specifiers should integrate lighter color tones by exploring entire color families such as creams, ivories and tawny eggshells, then accent those choices with intricate layers of greys, greens and browns.
For interior applications, utilize furnishings and finishing touches to add expressive pops of color that give spaces an engaging sense of personality.
Tantalizing Textures
Lived-in Luxury embraces rich textures that you can almost feel with nothing more than a passing glance. Create a visual feast that includes rustic walls and furnishings, semi-plush family seating areas and outdoor conversation spaces that beckon guests to sit for hours. Then liven up the ambiance with artistic embellishments that reflect the homeowners’ personalities and idiosyncrasies.
On the exterior, pair evocative roofing and siding materials with lush, living landscapes.
Meanwhile on the inside, incorporate architectural stone or brick profiles alongside artistic glasswork, live edge wood tabletops and unique lighting fixtures to give spaces a sense of “perfect imperfection” that underscores the lively atmosphere of a bustling home.
Utility and Usability
Homes are meant to be lived in, first and foremost, even in the luxury market. We’re seeing less emphasis on over-the-top elements, such as priceless artwork, gold and marble, with a more intentional push toward showcasing a home’s lived-in-ness. Alive in their own right, our homes serve as the anchor points of our experiences, encompassing everything from scribbles and stuffed animals to lively dinner parties as our families grow. As such, our homes deserve to evolve over time just as we do.
Lived-in Luxury accommodates the markers of an active lifestyle without losing the attention-grabbing allure of magazine-worthy design. This includes jaw-dropping dinner tables where meals are actually eaten and showpiece sofas you can literally sink into at day’s end.
As with other schemas and thought patterns in the world of building and construction, the primary aim of Lived-in Luxury as a design dialect is to create harmony between the design and functionality of life’s most expressive spaces. It’s beautiful blend of high-end design and homespun accessibility points toward a future in which exceptional aesthetics go hand-in-hand with the comforts of everyday living.
About Sarah Lograsso
Sarah Lograsso is the Director of Marketing and Product Design for Westlake Royal Building Products’ stone division of brands (Cultured Stone, Eldorado Stone, Kindred Outdoors + Surrounds, Versetta Stone, Dutch Quality, StoneCraft and ProStone), where she manages all of the brands’ marketing, advertising and promotional projects and objectives. She is well versed in manufactured stone and brick veneer, masonry techniques, biophilic design, fireplace surrounds, outdoor living, fire bowls, color and texture, and up-to-date industry and market trends.
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