How I Fell Into Luxury Modern American Interior Design
If youve ever wanted to do your house in that clean modern American look without spending a fortune, keep reading...
One thing about me, Im gonna make my space look good. I dont care if I have to shop at five different stores and return things three times, Im doing it.
Interior design is something I never thought about growing up. My childhood home had floral wallpaper in every room. EVERY. ROOM. My mom collected ceramic roosters and they were everywhere. The kitchen, the bathroom, even my bedroom had two of them on the dresser.
01. Origin Story
What Got Me Started
My best friend bought a condo last year. It was built in the 90s and had brass doorknobs, brass light fixtures, brass everything. She hated it but didnt know what to do.
I started looking at pictures online. Instagram, Pinterest, all of it. I saw these houses with white kitchens, gray couches, black metal light fixtures... and I thought, yeah, thats it.
American modern luxury style is simple. Its about having less stuff but better quality stuff. You walk in and theres not a million things on the walls or shelves or coffee tables.
My friend wanted help. I said sure. I had zero experience but I had opinions and apparently that was enough.
The Living Room Project
CASE STUDY 01We started with her living room. The walls were this weird cream color that looked yellow in certain light. We painted them gray. Sherwin Williams Repose Gray. $35 a gallon at the store near her house.
She wanted a new couch. We went to like six furniture stores. West Elm had one she liked for $2800. I said no way. We found something similar at Article for $1600. Same vibe, saved $1200.
The thing about modern luxury design, you dont need the most expensive version of everything. You need the right look. Clean lines. Neutral colors. Quality materials.
Her old coffee table was this dark wood thing with carved legs. traditional, not modern. We got a simple marble top one from CB2. It was $450 on sale. (Originally $650, always wait for sales!)
I learned real fast that modern American design is all about editing. My friend kept wanting to add more pillows, more decorations, more picture frames. I kept taking stuff away.
Less is more... I guess thats true but also its hard to convince people of that when theyre used to filling every space.
The Kitchen Transformation
The kitchen was my favorite project. American modern kitchens are like... they have this certain look. White cabinets, subway tile, either marble or quartz counters, and good lighting.
Cabinets
Her cabinets were oak. Dark oak. From 1995. We painted them white. Benjamin Moore Advance paint, the one made for cabinets. Took us two weekends and like 8 coats of paint because the oak kept showing through.
Cost for paint? Around $180 for all the cabinets.
Surfaces
The counters were laminate. Ugly brown laminate with a weird pattern. We replaced them with white quartz. Found a local supplier who charged $42 per square foot installed. The big box stores wanted $65.
Subway tile for the backsplash. Classic. Timeless. $3 per square foot at Floor & Decor. We installed it ourselves following YouTube videos. It took forever and we made mistakes but it looks good enough.
Lighting
New light fixtures. This was important. Lighting changes everything. We got these matte black pendants from Amazon for $120 for three. They look way more expensive than they are.
Financial Analysis
Total kitchen cost? Around $4500.
A contractor quoted her $12000 for the same work.
My Own Place
PERSONAL PROJECT
After helping my friend, I got obsessed. I started doing my own apartment.
I rent so I couldnt change too much. But paint is allowed. I did my living room in Agreeable Gray (everyone uses this color, its popular for a reason).
My furniture is from different places. Couch from Article. Coffee table from West Elm outlet. TV stand from Target. Rug from Rugs USA during a 70% off sale, paid $240 for it.
The key thing Ive learned... luxury modern American design is not about matching sets. Its about cohesive style. Everything works together even if its from different stores.
My dining table is from IKEA. IKEA. Its $199 and its solid wood and it looks expensive with the right chairs. I got black metal chairs with leather seats from Amazon. $89 each, set of four.
People come over and ask where I got my furniture. They think I spent so much money. I didnt. I spent time finding the right pieces.
What Makes It "Luxury"
01. Quality
The luxury part isnt about spending the most money. Its about Quality over quantity
02. Geometry
Clean lines and simple shapes
03. Palette
Neutral color palette (whites, grays, blacks, natural wood)
04. Light
Good lighting
05. Space
Empty space (this is hard for people)
06. Feel
Texture through materials not decorations
I see people trying to do modern design and they fill their shelves with 50 things. Thats not it. You put like 3 things on a shelf. A plant, a book, a candle. Done.
My mom still doesnt understand my style. She visits and brings me decorative items. Little figurines, picture frames with flowers on them, wall art with inspirational quotes.
I thank her and put them in a closet.
She means well but our taste is just different. She grew up in a time where having lots of stuff meant you were doing okay. I grew up with too much stuff and wanted the opposite.
The Bedroom Makeover
PROJECT 03Last month I redid my bedroom. This was the easiest room.
| Walls | Painted the walls a darker gray. Cityscape by Benjamin Moore. It looks almost charcoal in certain light but not too dark. |
| Bedding | White bedding. All white. Duvet cover from Target, $45. Sheets from Amazon Basics, $30. It looks like a hotel and I love that. |
| Art | One piece of art above the bed. Black frame, simple print. $60 from Society6. |
| Furniture | Two nightstands, black wood from Wayfair. $140 each. |
| Lighting | Two table lamps, gold metal with white shades. $55 each from Target. |
Thats it. The whole room. My mom said it looks unfinished. I said its finished, thats the point.
Shopping Strategy
Heres what Ive figured out about shopping for modern American luxury style:
Buy furniture from Article, West Elm outlet, CB2 sales
Get basics from Target and IKEA (their LACK tables are $10 and look good in modern spaces)
Amazon has cheap modern light fixtures that look expensive
Rugs USA always has sales, never pay full price
Wayfair for accent furniture and decor
HomeGoods for random finds (you have to dig but deals are there)
I spend probably too much time browsing these sites. My sister says I have a problem. I do but my apartment looks good so...
Mistakes Ive Made
- ✕ I bought a white couch. BIG mistake. Stains show up immediately. Get gray or dark colors for couches.
- ✕ I bought cheap curtains from Amazon that looked see-through when the sun hit them. Had to return and get blackout ones.
- ✕ I bought a gold mirror that looked good online but in person was too shiny, too much. Returned it and got a black frame one instead.
- ✕ I tried to install floating shelves by myself without a level. They were crooked. Had to redo them.
These mistakes cost time and return shipping but you learn.
You dont need a design degree to make your space look good. You need to look at a lot of examples, figure out what you like, and edit ruthlessly.
Modern American luxury design works for apartments, condos, houses. It works for renters and owners. It works on different budgets.
The most important thing? Dont overcomplicate it. Neutral colors. Simple furniture. Good lighting. Less decoration.
Im helping two more friends now with their places. One has a house built in 1978 that needs everything updated. The other has a new build but it came with builder grade everything.
Same approach for both. Paint walls gray or white. Replace brass with matte black. Get simple modern furniture. Edit out the excess.
My mom asked me the other day if Im going to do this professionally. I dont know. Right now its just something I enjoy. Plus I like helping people make their spaces look better without spending crazy money.
Ill start an Instagram or something. Everyone else does.
For now though, Im just gonna keep making spaces look clean and modern. Its my thing.