The Case for One Shiny Thing

Every room can afford one extravagant thing. Maybe it’s a smoked-glass table that catches the afternoon light, or a brass lamp that makes an ordinary Tuesday feel dressed for dinner. In a modern glam living room, these pieces work because the rest of the space lets them. A sofa in heavy velvet. Pale walls. A rug with enough texture to soften the shine. One mirror, not five. Modern glam interior design is at its most interesting where opposites meet: polished and worn-in, sculptural and comfortable, a little theatrical and entirely livable. Leave a few surfaces empty. Give the beautiful thing a chance to be noticed.