Luxury living - the changing face of opulence by Dave Nemeth

The face of interior design and decor luxury has certainly changed over recent years and although many elite still spend a fortune on their abodes, the glitz and glam seems to be fading. Rich velvet drapes with Swarovski crystal embellishment, gold plated finials and opulent chandeliers have seemed to diminished in popularity and have been reserved for the outlandish lifestyles of the middle eastern oil barons and sheiks.

Tough times and worldwide recession, has had an impact on even the wealthiest and although they may still have their abundance of wealth, have decided to "play down" their unnecessary ostentatious ornamentation. This is a world wide phenomenon whereby the trend of individuality, tactility and technology have created a complete new aesthetic as well as new found appreciations.

A great example of this paradigm shift is the new found appreciation of solid wood in it's most natural form, mostly devoid of any carving or inlay, but rather the thickness and type of timber which will be dictating the price tags. A twelve seater, solid oak dining table can easily fetch upwards of R50 000, whilst a similar product in a rarer timber like walnut will fetch up to R200 000. With far more stringent regulations and a worldwide awareness on timber the prices overall have seen a dramatic increase over the past few years.

Many new homes currently feature cinema rooms, which are acoustically designed and include state of the art recliners, which are remote controlled, and some even feature temperature controlled seats and backs. The audiovisual elements alone can cost in excess of a million rand, before any furniture or finishes have been supplied. The splendors of these areas are often hidden away and not as noticeable as a living room or dining room. "Man Caves" have become equally popular and these can house everything from hunting trophies, to vinyl collections and even rare whiskey collections, with the emphasis being on the individual’s interests and certainly not trend driven.

This "new luxury" often includes elements not that noticeable, such as high tech automation, whereby the entire house is controlled from an electronic device such as a tablet or smart phone. This automation includes everything from security, to temperature control, lighting, irrigation and obviously all the audiovisual, which will be abundant throughout the home.

With eco consciousness deeply embedded in our psyches, those that can afford it will spare no expense in creating a self-sustainable abode. Features will include solar energy, harvesting of rainwater and even hydroponic plant features. Huge glass windows with electronic blinds are also very popular within new designs allowing for maximum usage of natural sunlight, within the interior space. These kind of financial outlays are so much more meaningful than gold plated taps or toilet seats.

The buying of genuine designer items, instead of replica's is an essential part of any elite space, with high end designer furniture and lighting still finding a market even though they are replicated by the East within weeks of being featured at the Milan fair. Reviving many lost cabinetry trades and crafts, the search for unique and bespoke furniture is probably the biggest luxury trend at the moment. Today a big part of luxury living is having ones personality and unique lifestyle brought to life through a completely unique living space. -SAHO