First impressions in our personal lives are always important, but what about the first impression that our homes make? Your home is a reflection of your life, your story and the details tell everyone who steps through the doors about you. Making thoughtful decisions about form, functionality, and personality speak volumes. Whether you’re in the process of designing your log or timber frame home with Beaver Mountain, or if you’ve been enjoying the rustic beauty of your home for decades, you might be looking for a little interior design inspiration. One way that you can incorporate some modern flair into your interior design is by utilizing micro-luxuries throughout the rooms of your home to show off your personality and style without breaking the bank.
Micro-Luxury 101
The term “Micro-luxury” has been a buzzword popping up all over the internet and print publications recently, but what does it actually mean? Broadly speaking, micro-luxury refers to home decor indulgences that bring in a high-end luxurious feel to your living spaces while still being budget-friendly since it’s incorporated on a smaller scale. Micro-luxury is about creating a cozy and inviting atmosphere without having to make big investments in pieces that you will want to swap out for something else down the road as design trends ebb and flow. By choosing items that are smaller investment pieces, you can more freely play around with trends that are maybe outside of your comfort zone.
Micro-Luxury On A Whole House Scale
The key to incorporating micro-luxuries into your home’s interior design is to carefully and thoughtfully select items that will enhance the space in subtle ways- on a micro-level so to say. By doing so, you’ll be creating an overall modern and luxurious atmosphere throughout the home. Versatility is important when choosing micro-luxury items. You want your choices to feel eclectic and modern, while also feeling like essential components of whatever room they are in. Simple touches in each room make a big impact on the overall aesthetic of your home and help create an overall unified decor style.
Play Up Opulence With Fabric Choice
One of the first keys to micro-luxury is embracing texture in fabrics as well as bold patterns. Incorporating lush fabrics like silk, velvet, or linen around your home add a designer element, so look for those when you’re shopping for furniture your new home. Choosing high quality fabrics for pieces like bedding, blankets, drapes, or even throw pillows can give any space an instant face lift while also playing up the high-end feel. Timeless pieces made from genuine leather never go out of style and will last for years to come. Genuine leather pieces like sofas or chairs add instant luxury to any space.
Elevate Your Lighting Game
In addition to playing with texture of fabrics, playing with lighting is also an important component of micro-luxury. Natural lighting takes center stage and can really elevate living areas. Large walls of windows, carefully placed French Doors and strategic window placement throughout the home will make it feel larger, brighter and more open. Adding mirrors and other reflective surfaces to help extend the reach of the home’s natural lighting will do wonders on the overall aesthetic of a room. To add warmth and ambiance to a space, add more light. Current trends lean towards metallic finishes in gold for light fixtures. Incorporating antique or vintage pieces into lighting fixtures also elevates a space and adds design intrigue.
Smart Technology
Consider adding in smart technology to your home, making it easy to control everything from your thermostat to lighting to locks. It’s easy to do when designing your home, but also can be done in an existing as well. You can add a system such as Hue to control your lighting. Choosing the lighting color makes a big difference in the appearance of your interiors (warmer or cooler lights change how your wall and furnishing colors appear). Add in uplighting or underlighting around kitchen cabinets, stairs, motion sensors in bathrooms. You can even install lighting behind your television area that changes with the movie or show you’re watching, giving you a movie theatre feel in your living room. Security cameras and systems, motion sensors, adaptive lighting and smart locks are all part of the future of home technology.
Micro-Luxury Made Easy
Deciding how or where to include micro-luxury items throughout your home might feel overwhelming. Here are some examples of ways anyone can incorporate micro-luxuries in a simple and stress free way:
- In a master bedroom, pair a French linen duvet set with a cashmere throw blanket.
- In a living room, place a basket of alpaca or wool blankets in a location where they can be grabbed easily for convenient coziness while snuggling up in front of your fireplace.
- In a bathroom, add boutique candles or reed diffusers in calming scents.
- In the kitchen, add touches of olivewood in the form of cutting boards, add small marble pieces like salt cellars or soap trays.
- In a hallway, add an antique runner rug and a vintage mirror to create warmth and ambiance.
One of the best things about this design trend is that you can truly make it your own to best suit your unique personality and style.
There are a million ways to style your home but it’s always best to remember that your home is your own personal haven and should be a reflection of your unique sense of style. Embracing micro-luxuries is great for both the minimalist and maximalist. You can use it sparingly or go all in depending on your own personal aesthetic. Log and timber frame homes are truly living works of art, and adding luxury touches on a micro scale are a great way to showcase the natural beauty of the home while displaying your personality.
