Home feeling too cluttered? 9 decor tips to tone down your interiors for subtle glam

Adding personality to your home by adding your favourite decor pieces is great, but going overboard can dilute the impact you had in mind. Too many items can make the space feel cluttered instead of curated. So how can you elevate your interiors from basic to quietly luxe, with a couture-like glamour? Good news is luxe decor doesn’t mean filling every corner. If you want to give your interiors a luxe makeover, you don’t have to add a lot, as there’s beauty in quality over quantity.

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Architect Kshitij Anand shared with HT Lifestyle how one can transform their home into a curated, effortlessly luxe space. He explained the rise of a new kind of minimalism, one that’s quietly glamorous, and said, “In recent years, there’s been a graceful shift in interior design, one where the spotlight moves away from loud statements and embraces a softer, more refined form of luxury. This trend isn’t about stark minimalism alone. It’s about blending simplicity with sophistication, where every piece feels curated like a couture garment.”

Here are the 9 tips Kshitij shared:

1. Restraint in decor

• Today’s most refined interiors don’t shout for attention; they whisper. Instead of over-accessorising or overcrowding a room, there’s a focus on restraint.
• A single sculptural lamp, a clean-lined accent chair, or a handwoven rug becomes the star because there’s room to appreciate it.
• Just like in couture, where the cut and fabric matter more than embellishment, interiors are becoming about fewer but better.

2. Subtle colour palettes

• Quiet glam doesn’t mean colourless, it just favours softer, more intentional tones.
• The colour palette includes warm beiges, gentle greys, dusty pinks, and muted olives.
• There’s often a play on tonal layering: ivory walls, cream furniture, and sand-colored flooring.
• Occasionally, a single deep accent, like a navy throw or a forest green armchair, adds contrast without disrupting the calm.

3. Quality over quantity

• In clutter-free glamour, materials do the talking.
• Rich textures like linen, velvet, oak, marble, and brushed metals are chosen for their tactile and visual appeal.
• Surfaces often have a matte or natural finish, avoiding glitzy shine but still exuding luxury.
• It’s less about ornamentation and more about honest materials used beautifully.

4. Add tailored lines and sculptural forms

• Furniture takes cues from fashion with its couture-like precision. Every curve, edge, and silhouette is intentional.
• Sofas have clean tailoring, chairs feel like art pieces, and cabinetry is seamless. There’s a balance between soft and structured, echoing the cut of a perfect blazer or a flowing silk dress.

5. Beauty in details

• A hand-stitched leather cushion, a ceramic vase with a delicate glaze, or brass hardware with a brushed finish: these details add richness without overstatement.
• The look is elevated but never loud, creating a space that feels quietly expensive.

6. Negative space as a design element

• Negative space plays a big role in this aesthetic. Instead of filling every corner, quiet glam allows space to breathe.
• Empty surfaces and open areas aren’t seen as lacking but as luxuries in themselves. Like white space in a well-designed magazine, it allows everything else to stand out more gracefully.

7. Quiet lighting

• In quietly glamorous spaces, lighting is mood-driven. Rather than bright overhead lights, there’s a mix of layered lighting, table lamps, floor lights, and soft wall sconces.
• Fixtures often double as decor: minimalist pendant lights, marble bases, or sculptural shapes that blend utility with art.

8. Curate with intention

• Everything is placed with intention. There’s still warmth and personality, books, framed art, fresh flowers, but nothing feels random or excessive.
• Each item adds to the story, not just the aesthetics. It’s about creating an environment that feels both styled and personal.

9. Mindful consumption

• Quiet glam often aligns with a slower, more thoughtful approach to consumption.
• Instead of seasonal overhauls or trendy impulse buys, the focus is on timeless investment pieces.
• A solid wood dining table, a handmade rug, or a vintage find, each object holds long-term value and purpose.