What Is Glam Interior Design?

Glam interior design is instantly recognizable for its luxurious and sophisticated appearance. From bold patterns on the walls to metallic tables and velvet sofas, glam interior design is all about putting on the glitz. Get to know the key features that make this style so iconic so you can put the look to work in your own home. 

Fundamentals of Glam Interior Design

At its core, glam interior design starts with a base of sophisticated neutral colors, such as white, ivory, cream, gray, and black. The look can be developed in one of two ways: soft and subtle or dark and dramatic. Soft pastels, like pink, blue, or green can be layered for a luxe look that isn’t overpowering. On the other hand, dark, moody colors, such as deep jewel tones, can add a luxurious touch to the space. These sophisticated color palettes create the perfect foundation to add iconic glam elements that complete the space and make it functional. 

Glam designs are known for their bold, large patterns. These are often found in predominantly neutral shades and consist of geometric shapes or art deco designs. It’s no surprise that glam and art deco are frequently linked together. Both design styles embrace rich colors, feature geometric designs, and delve into details. 

Key Characteristics 

Texture and shine work together to create a glam room. Mirrors and mirrored tables or decor items contribute to the space’s glitzy, upscale feel while luxurious fabrics, such as silk, velvet, and fur add texture and interest to the space. Window treatments, such as curtains, often drape to the floor in a pool. Accessories frequently have a shiny, metallic finish in gold, brass, or silver. 

Eye-catching lighting fixtures are another key feature of rooms decorated in this style. Think crystal chandeliers, metallic or sequin lamp shades, and even glitzy ambient light, such as metallic candlesticks. For maximum impact, light fixtures are often placed near mirrored items to add even more to their sparkle. 

While accessories featuring materials like crystal, glass, metal, and plush fabrics create a luxurious feel, the space should have smooth, clean, polished surfaces. This adds a refined, sophisticated facet to the space. Polished marble countertops, sinks, and tables are common and pair wonderfully with the texture and shine of the above-mentioned accessories. 

Variations of Glam Interior Design

The glam interior design style is widely versatile since it is not defined by any one-time era. Though this style is identified by its iconic features, as mentioned above, these features can be mixed and matched with different items to create uniquely different glam variations. Because of this, glam interior design has many variations—the most famous being Hollywood glam and modern glam. 

• Hollywood Glam: Also referred to as Hollywood Regency, this style is heavily influenced by the excess of the 1920s and 1930s and the movie industry during this time. Hollywood glam includes vintage items and often features Art Deco patterns with clean, geometric lines. Hollywood glam is all about glitz and doesn’t hold back with adding as many intricate details as it can. 
• Modern Glam: Modern glam mixes the sleek, clean lines and intentional forms of modern interior design with the luxurious, elegant aspects of glam. This creates a space that is a bit like minimalist glam. Think modern furnishings with gold accents or mirrored accessories, or a modern bedroom with a rich, dramatic color palette and a fur rug next to a streamlined platform bed. 

Style Tips 

Adding glam elements into your space can quickly transform any space, taking it to a new level of extravagance and luxury. When designing a glam space, be sure to keep in mind these key styling tips: 

• Keep colors calm or stick to neutrals. Pastels or jewel tones are used to add colorful touches to the space, though the foundation should be sophisticated neutrals, like white, ivory, cream, gray, and black. 
• Splurge on luxurious materials, such as crystal, marble, gold or silver, velvet, fur, silk, and other eye-catching items that add texture and an element of glitz.
• Don’t hold back on light fixtures. Choose large, showy, shiny pieces that catch both attention and cast light. A light fixture with mirrored elements or dangling crystals makes a perfect addition to any glam space. For the highest amount of impact, place other mirrored or reflective decorations near the light fixtures. 
• Feel free to mix and match! Because glam is a highly versatile interior design style, don’t be afraid to mix its elements into your existing space, creating a variation of glam all your own.  

Glam interior design isn’t afraid of excess, so feel free to add as many luxurious features as you like. Just be sure to keep the space elegant by not overcrowding the room.