If you like your interiors to be as glamorous as you are, the glam style of interior décor is perfect for you. Glamorous style of interior decoration varies greatly from styles like rustic, country or shabby chic, but it steals a lot of design elements from art deco, mid-century modern, traditional, transitional and even industrial design. It’s difficult to tie it to one frame, but certainly, a glam style home exudes a luxe, high-end and elegant feel. A glam interior features plenty of glitz, sparkle and show-stopping elements.
Glam is an elegant interplay of the under and over-stated. It’s about showcasing your distinct taste and sense of self. It’s about reflecting your own glamorous personality to your home to make it enchantingly yours.
Since glam style overlaps with a wide range of interior styles, there are specific items and elements that are always present, thus making an interior glam. Here are some tips on how to achieve this design style:
1. Use timeless neutrals
To make the glamorous elements shine, a glam room should have neutrals as its foundation. Shades of white, gray, black, cream and tan make an alluring backdrop for other design elements. These colors are typically incorporated through walls, ceilings, curtains, and rugs.
With neutrals as a base, you can pick accent colors for your accent wall, furniture or accessories in three different directions. You can either go for opulent jewel tones, sophisticated monochromatic, or high-impact black and white.
Always remember the 60-30-10-rule: when using a three-color palette, decorate 60% of your room with your dominant color, 30% with your secondary color and 10% with the remaining accent color. Neutral shades are typically used as the dominant (base) color, but if you’re feeling bolder than that, feel free to switch it up. Just remember that if you choose a bold color as your dominant hue, add neutral touches to the rest of the room so the eyes can rest.
2. Go bold with colors and prints
Glam interiors are all about making a statement, so don’t shy away from bold colors and loud patterns. Start by picking a color or pattern that you love and build the rest of your design around it. Also, make sure that the other subtle colors compliment your bold hue or pattern. It’s best to choose a palette of 2-3 shades (including the neutral color) and repeat each one a few times throughout the room. Repetition helps bold hues feel easier to the eyes and prevent them from looking like an eyesore.
Patterns like damask, scales, quatrefoil and geometric prints are inspired by Art Deco influences on glam style. Modern patterns like stripes, clean geometrics, and chevrons also give off a glam feel. Animal prints like leopard, tiger or zebra can also be incorporated using rugs or pillows – these bring a Hollywood glam effect.
3. Incorporate shine and sparkle using metals, mirrors, and crystals
Neutrals, patterns and bold colors may be the base for a glam interior, but all things shiny and sparkly are certainly the heart of this style. Sparkle and shine is an absolutely essential component to catch attention, make a statement, and ultimately, make an interior glamorous.
Mirrored accent furniture is a staple in a glam style interior, and it is used as a vanity, console table or desk. Give your mirrored furniture ample light to play with by placing it near a chandelier or a window, mounting a wall sconce above it or top it with a metallic or lucite lamp. It instantly elevates a room, but it must be used sparingly since too many of them in one space can look tacky.
On the other hand, metallic pieces are fit to be used in heavy doses. Chairs or tables with metal frames, metallic surfaces, or metallic lamp, light or vases can be used to decorate your interior. Crystals can be used especially though installing crystal chandeliers.
4. Choose elegant and shapely furniture
An easy way to a glam interior is by investing in one large piece of upholstered furniture, ideally with tufting or nailhead detailing. A tufted couch for the living room and a tufted headboard for a bedroom is common in a glam home.
For other furniture, choose pieces that have organic shapes, sculptural lines and elegant color, pattern or fabric. Most glam homes incorporate mid-century modern pieces with glam elements like metallic frames, shine, or luxe fabric. Add furnishing with ornate detailing and trims that show traces of Old Hollywood and Art Deco.
5. Use dramatic lighting
Achieving a luxe interior is about setting the scene, and one way to do it is by adding dramatic lighting. As lighting serves as the jewelry of the home, any lighting that is opulent, dramatic, and stunning is the proper jewelry for a glam interior. Crystal chandeliers that reflect more light, metallic table lamps, and luxurious pendant light and sconces work well. Accessories like decorative and expensive-looking candles are also a must, as they give a soft aura to any room.
6. Bring in shapes
Shapes are a great way to infuse personality into a room. Boxy and modular furniture, as well as accent pieces that everyone has, won’t make your interior stunning. It’s best to hunt down pieces that are more unique and has more character. Light fixtures and accent chairs are a great way to incorporate shapes, but you can also use it through mirrors, wall décor, and rugs. But remember to pick only 2-3 of them and repeat them in various applications to keep your space cohesive in design.
7. Incorporate luxe and opulent fabrics
Texture is typically added in a glam interior through a fabrics. Luxe, plush and touchable fabrics like velvet, fur (faux or real) and sheepskin are used in upholstery, beddings, rugs and pillows. Anything luxurious and high-pile works on a glam interior.
8. Mix and match for a balanced look
As with other interior design styles, the key to achieve your desired effect is to keep it balanced. Pieces that are stunning, eye-catching, dramatic and full of character are a must in a glam interior, but having many of them will give an opposite effect. Create a balance to make the room look more unified.
Make sure bold hues or big patterns go hand in hand with a plain, neutral color. Mix clean lines with curvy shapes. If you’ve got a perfect statement piece for the room, make sure the rest of the area is a little bit subdued. Mix and match mirrored or metallic elements with neutrals.
Glam Style Types
There are different flavors and styles of glamorous design: Hollywood glam, Old World glam, Retro glam and Cutting-Edge glam. Here’s how they differ from one another:
1. Hollywood Glam
Also known as Hollywood Regency, this style celebrates the glitz and glamour of Hollywood rooted in the 1920s to 1950s silver screen years. This style is also greatly influenced by the Art Deco period. Hollywood glam interiors are plush, indulgent, elaborate and luxurious.
Design elements:
- Colors like cream, pink, green, blue, purple and red with depth coming from sharp black detailing
- Rich, polished wooden floors and/or furniture
- Velvet upholstery with fur throws and rugs
- Streamlined furniture
- Art Deco metallic light fittings
- Lush, potted palm plants
- Anything leopard or zebra print
- Black-and-white glamour shots of famous Hollywood icons like Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Sophia Loren or Audrey Hepburn
- Framed fashion magazine covers
2. Old World Glamour
Imagine a palace interior and you’ve got a basic gist of the Old World glamour style. This design is inspired liberally from Baroque or Rococo, Victorian and Gothic styles. It’s theatrical, elegant and refined.
Design elements:
- Colors like cream, ivory, tans paired with pastels and highlighted with gold (update the Old-World style with touches of the latest Pantone shades)
- Ornate and traditional-style furniture
- Grandiose and ornate chandeliers
- Floor-to-ceiling drapes
- Dark wood for trim and furniture
- Filigree or damask wallpaper
- Heavy gold candlesticks
3. Retro Glam
Retro glamour is a little bit mid-century modern, bohemian and vintage with a flair for the eccentric. Of course, the shiny and luxurious elements of a glam interior is still present. Imagine the groovy décor of the 60s and you’ve got a glimpse of a retro glam space.
Design elements:
- White walls and neutral floors, with bold colors, left only for furniture and accessories
- Chrome furniture
- Velvet upholstery, tufted chairs or metal-studded wingback
- Anything gold or silver
- Decorative lighting like arc lamp and quirky yet shiny chandelier
- Sheepskin or any shag pile carpets and rugs
- Enormous modern art pieces
- Flea market or vintage shop finds
4. Cutting-edge Glam
Cutting-edge glam is like the minimalistic version of the modern glamour interior design. Unlike Old World and Retro glam, there is no clutter and kitsch in this one – it focuses on clean lines and modern minimalism. This one’s a design for those who love glamorous interiors as well as modern architecture and style. It is sleek and polished while still giving off a luxurious feel.
Design elements:
- Neutral colors like white, chrome, gray and black with bursts of colors coming from furniture and designer home accessories
- Large, modern artworks
- Tufted upholstery
- Metal curtains or dividers
- Bright, color blocking items
- Geometric patterns and shapes
- Smooth surfaces with sheen
- Sleek, sharp-edged fixtures like a straight countertop or a cubed shower area