Can Fantasy Interiors Inspire Home Decor Ideas for the Rest of Us?

This is the time of year I see internet memes about January being a month of Mondays. Does it feel that way for you? For me, the month usually finds me in hibernation mode. I don’t sleep more hours, but I’m all snug under the covers earlier than usual. It feels as though I’m both recovering from holiday stress while also preparing for a new season. Most of us spend more time indoors in January making it an ideal time to collect inspiration. Today’s fantasy interiors just may inspire a clever or realistic idea for your home.

Fantasy Interiors Inspiring Everyday Home Decor Ideas

Layer Prints & Patterns to Increase Wonder

Even though the high end design (above) from Studio Peregalli can’t be duplicated, you can’t miss the effect of multiple prints and patterns together. While many Americans view open concept floorplans as ideal, there are design experiences those plans cannot offer.

Do you enjoy the experiential aspect of designing our interiors with mood in mind? Photos of fantasy properties are helpful because no expense is spared, and the mood more easily conveys in photos.

Dramatic Color Stories from Fantasy-Level Interiors

Are there design elements from the Élysée Palace you can apply to your rental in Ohio? OUI.

Maybe it’s the teal with gold combination that sings to you.

Or maybe seeing gilded details contrast with cool light grey marble offers inspo?

Over the top, nonexistent budget projects help us notice more readily what colors appeal or repel. Of course, self-awareness is always key to making personal design choices. Here’s the book these palatial images hail from:

PRESIDENTIAL RESIDENCES IN FRANCE by Adrien Goetz/Ambroise Tézenas

All photography by Ambroise Tézenas from Presidential Residences (Flammarion 2021).

What a rare treat to see the interiors shared in the book. (Don’t expect to tour La Lanterne when you visit Versailles unless the president of France invites you to this weekend retreat in the countryside!)

Notice the exquisite artistry of the painted mirror panels!!!

What realistic decorating moves could possibly be inspired from a mirrored room at Versailles? One that springs to mind immediately is stenciling a favorite quote or laurel wreath on a mirror or window. I have done this for years and never tire of this easy diy!

Curate Like Suzanne Kasler

If you don’t own a copy of EDITED STYLE…oh, design freaky friends! It lives up to all the fuss while its designs inside are anything but fussy.

Find Edited Style HERE.

I’m inspired to simply clear surfaces in my space and start fresh with an eye for restraint and new courage to live with only my most cherished belongings.

Why allow ourselves to get distracted by design rules that seem engraved in stone but may not apply to our particular needs?

Experiment and push the envelope.

Can we include a modern flat screen near the tub in an impeccably designed high end bath if it suits our lifestyle? Yes, m’am.

As far as a down to earth idea culled from the beautifully designed bedroom above? There’s a subtle understatement of mixing calm warm whites with just a bit of cool grey.

Have builder-grade sheet mirrors in your bath? Have you considered a simple ply or MDF sheet cut with an arch or other shape to suggest a custom framed mirror?

Ultimate Fantasy Baths Vs. Realistic Designs

It wasn’t long ago that we were gutting our own bath DIY style, and bath renovations are a high order no matter the design. Here are a few ingredients for realistic designs:

So much of the work gets hidden within walls! Also, making tile selections becomes incredibly important since you’ll live with your selections a long time. But if you are starting from scratch, you shouldn’t shy away from fantasy bath inspiration.

Barbara Sallick to the Rescue

If you love a softened, traditional, tailored effect for the window, think about floor length drapes. I love the softness and privacy they add in my own bath. Most of us require a bit of privacy unless the context is more like this:

Another idea here is layering a mirror on a mirrored wall for interest and maximum reflective light.

Find The Ultimate Bath HERE

(BTW, THE ULTIMATE BATH features luxuriously designed bathrooms from top architects and interior designers, including Nate Berkus, Ray Booth, Commune Designs, Drake/Anderson, Gil Schafer, Suzanne Kasler, Nickey Kehoe, McAlpine, Brigette Romanek, Miles Redd, and Summer Thornton.)

You’ll discover bath designs both understated and palatial to engage your senses and open your mind to the breadth of what’s possible. For example, even without a budget for walls of exotic marble…

Maybe you could incorporate a jib door like the one above to a closet or water closet. It’s a fun detail that may be possible with a remodel or new build. I love such whimsical gestures! And how about a powder room makeover?

Can you imagine giving yourself permission to go wild? Why not step outside your comfort zone and turn up the delight?

I’m signing your permission slip if you need one for delight. Powder rooms can be boring, and they can be a departure from the rest of your home.

Isn’t the fantasy floor inspiration above incredible? You could easily steal that tile pattern for your own project if it appeals.

Atmospheric Vision

Stephen Sills has an artistic voice all his own and creates these amazing atmospheric, luxuriously timeless interiors.

Find Stephen Sills: A Vision for Design HERE

But since you are not Stephen Sills, you can be guided to stretch your imagination a bit wider. You can gift yourself the spirit of liberty in which he moves.

He starts with mood boards, and you can too.

You are bound to have an epiphany moment or two from a book from this visionary.

Inspiration from Proper English Designs

British designer Emma Sims-Hilditch launched Sims Hilditch after a previous career in film production for Ridley Scott. What I appreciate about European designers and designs for European clients is how space at a premium is addressed.

Find The Evolution of Home: English Interiors for a New Era HERE

Quality and craftsmanship are a given in her designs, and it’s helpful to note how these fantasy-level rooms are laid out with every inch considered.

Another realistic design takeaway? These timeless designs don’t feel matchy or showroom-like. We Americans are shy with experimentation, clashing colors, and unexpected combinations of materials.

Yet such imaginative play yields a pleasing, unique look that feels as though it evolved.

What a brilliant idea to use sconces at the bench in a boot room! Those cozy lights are going to glow beautifully in the evenings to greet you when you arrive home.

Does the high end room above simply give us permission to fulfill slightly formal yet still comfy symmetry dreams? BOOM.

Have space under the stairs? Sometimes those spaces become awful catchalls for storage or junk so you never want to open the door. Should you lack storage elsewhere, maybe it’s the only option for luggage and sports equipment. If not, maybe you could dream up a custom space.

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A post shared by Emma Sims-Hilditch (@emma_sims_hilditch)

PARISIAN Taste & Getting Real

No added commentary is necessary for this first idea. Gather all your framed favorites and make the powder bath a gallery.

Even if you feel insecure about the drama, steal one of my moves and congratulate yourself: how very evolved and Parisian of me!

Find Parisian by Design: Interiors by David Jimenez HERE

One of the bonuses within PARISIAN BY DESIGN is the help choosing chic paint colors. And paint? Now there’s something we can all afford.

Also find inspiration for setting an elegant table and where to soak up the best design in Paris!

I independently selected products in this post—if you buy from one of my links, I may earn a commission.

Peace to you right where you are.

-michele

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