The Rise of New Luxury

The Rise of New Luxury: How Interior Design Is Changing

The term has been thrown around a lot recently, and if you’re wondering what exactly this recent trending concept refers to. We see it as a reframe of what luxury means today: one that views luxury as editing, not adding. It emerges from the idea of restraint, uses fewer materials that are each used more deliberately, and allows key elements to breathe (a wood panelling, a centrepiece joinery moment).

This concept is especially close to home for us, as one of our recent projects has been featured in New Luxury (published by RIBA), the latest book by interior designer Dean Keyworth.

Instead of naming expensive things, talk about how materials are used:

Thickness, grain, finish, patina are all important words when it comes to new luxury – rather than a long list of different materials, the way that a material is used and how it is treated is important.

Case study

In the bathroom of the project featured in New Luxury, from our precise and modern renovation of a London penthouse, we used a rare Blue Calcite marble sparingly and thoughtfully, for the bespoke basin and vanity shelf. The rest of the space remained simple and calm: plain white walls, antiqued mirror panels, and a pair of elegant Tom Dixon brass wall lights.

By choosing one hero material and giving it the space to breathe, you create a room that feels intentional and timeless, one that you’ll want to live in for a long time.

Another aspect of New Luxury is sustainability: but as by-product rather than headline. The sustainability emerges from durability, repairability, timelessness – designing things that won’t need replacing, and choosing materials and layouts that age well. It’s an approach that feels more credible and less performative.

For me, what the new luxury movement means is I’m seeing clients ask for more thoughtful material decisions, and less visual noise. It means saying “no” more often to excess and inconsistencies, and saying “yes” to restraint and quality. The projects we have produced have been beautiful and fulfilling, and are long-term investments for our clients. New luxury is less what a home shows to the outside world, but how it quietly supports the lives unfolding inside it.