Flashy indicators of affluence are easy to spot. But these often-less-expensive decor items signal true wealth in more subtle ways. The quietly ultra–rich live with subtle indicators of affluence—and most aren’t actually that expensive.
Wealthy people don’t have “stuff”
The more money people have, the less cluttered their life is. Their homes are not filled with useless knickknacks. They can actually park their cars in the garage. Their homes are often downright minimalist. Look for unique and original pieces of art (not necessarily something well known or something very expensive). They opt for unassuming pieces and seemingly inconspicuous objects. These things are favoured not by the rich, but by the genuinely, generationally wealthy—forget trust funds, think family foundations. The textiles and designs are impeccable, the colours are neutral, and the finishes are subtle and logo-free. The biggest shift is toward what was once dubbed stealth wealth. Or “the classics.”
Its definition: the kind of interiors that don’t advertise their value in obvious ways (overdone decoration, logos, bright colours) but instead rely on plushness of fabric and rigor of line — on insider information rather than influencer information — to suggest value. That don’t shout, but whisper.
The superrich signal domestic chic with decorative details like a $220 light switch manufactured by the English company Forbes & Lomax.
Nothing should be noticed. Discretion is a key value. Wealth is noticeable, but only to those who know what they’re looking for. Greenwich Village house in New York by Steven Gambrel.
For the average home renovator, of course, a $22 Leviton light switch from Home Depot or Bunnings does the job just fine. The elegant 1930s-style switches made of nickel, bronze and brass are house jewellery. So subtle you only notice them if you already know how expensive they are.
Nothing should be noticed. Discretion is a key value. Wealth is noticeable, but only to those who know what they’re looking for. You telegraph status without seeming to do it. Light is always honeyed. Interiors are played down, low-key. Antiques date to 18th Dynasty Egypt. There are objects like a Gustav Klimt sketch study of a Gorgon. Chic but anonymous designs. The really wealthy want something that other people haven’t got. Something only one person on earth will have—something they can talk about at the Polo Lounge. It’s an immediate conversation starter for them.
A few witty touches? A work by Damien Hirst in the entry hall.
The status symbol has swung on homes. Flaunting wealth at the highest levels is frowned upon.The homes are extensions of the owners’ presence and persona. It’s on a much different level from posting your bling on Instagram. That’s not status. That’s showing off glitz. For the ultra-wealthy, discretion is the ultimate flex. The power move is knowing where to go first, what to buy first, pivoting away from the crowd, not in any way following it and not showing off.
It’s quieter. Because money is valued. Things are quality but not usually popular designer brands. The quality of things is recognised.
Real money talks in terms of quality and privacy rather than prestige. It’s not flashy. It’s the opposite. Greenwich Village house by designer Steven Gambrel, pictured.
Portraying how the ultrawealthy really live — with all their subtle signals and status cues —is not just about sprawling homes. Real money talks in terms of quality and fake money talks in terms of cost.
Their houses are not significant because they are so large and impressive, though they might certainly both, but because their extravagance has a subtlety that makes it almost understated. There’s usually a kind of quiet wealth embedded in the location that doesn’t necessarily scream at you. It’s not flashy, but it’s deeply exclusive — the kind of feature that signals a level of access and control money affords without ever needing to show off.
It’s not flashy. It is the opposite. It is more about quality and privacy than prestige.
The houses are often imposing, yes, but also strangely intimate — a place that could hold both grandeur and silence. They feel like they have a history, even if they are newbuilds.
Stone walls and cedar paneling to cover up some of the house’s bare walls, and he was responsible for details like art and furniture and a $300 toaster.
Most have no need to impress anyone. You’d be surprised how the very wealthy, live on a day-to-day basis. They have money and power and status, but their lives are more mundane and normal than you’d think. They’re eating from Ikea plates.
People who have a lot of money often have certain habits. They also tend to buy multiples of everything.
They just want to be sure that no matter what they need, it’ll be ready for them. Lots of plates. Lots of glasses. They might have the same plate in white and blue and striped — probably 40 or 50 of them.
On TikTok, moguls flaunt wealth conspicuously—the crystal is Austrian, the marble gleams so brightly you can see it from space. But the quietly ultra-rich live with subtler indicators of affluence—and most aren’t actually that expensive. Here, some comparisons.
You telegraph status without seeming to do it. Light is always honeyed. Interiors are classic. Greenwich Village house by Steven Gambrel.
Showy:
Sferra Giza 45 Egyptian Cotton Sheets, which range from $788-$2,713 for a single flat sheet, have garnered over 35.6 million TikTok mentions—more for their extraordinary price point than their softness.
Discreet:
For British royal residences, London & Avalon’s Heritage Egyptian Cotton Sheets ($204-$277 per flat sheet), and has them embroidered with a stripe across the bottom corner: red for king-size, blue for queen.
“True luxury is time,” said Charles, “so why not save it?”
Showy:
For $399, Venus et Fleur yokes 42-49 identical preserved roses into a branded satin box. Noted in a description of Paris Hilton’s home in Tatler magazine.
Discreet:
Buy any local flowers two days before visitors arrives so they have time to open and wilt a little. In her New York apartment, Fendi heiress and fine art adviser Paola Saracino Fendi apparently sets her humble bouquet in a vintage Roseville pottery vase ($200-$500).
Showy:
All-white Diptyque Gardenia candles ($76 for 6.5 ounces) boast the heady scent of the flower, as seen in Architectural Digest tours of Kim Kardashian’s home.
Discreet:
Soul Cycle founder Elizabeth P. Cutler tells us she stocks up on Flamingo Estate’s Roma Heirloom Tomato Room Spray ($58 for 4 ounces), a lighter version of Loewe’s cultish tomato-scent line, with notes of tarragon and citrus as well as the uncanny after-aroma of a tomato vine in summer.
The houses are often imposing, yes, but also strangely intimate — a place that could hold both grandeur and silence. They feel like they have a history, even if they are newbuilds. Greenwich Village house by Steven Gambrel.
Showy:
Hollywood types take to social media to tout the “electrolyte-balancing” benefit of cooking with Pink Himalayan Sea Salt.
Discreet:
“You know someone has a trained personal chef when there’s a giant box of kosher salt in the kitchen,” said Licia Householder, a trusted cook for Morgan Stanley VPs and their families during summer in the Hamptons. When working, Householder loads her car with boxes of stuff. Kosher salt which is less salty than other types, so there’s more control over the taste.
Showy:
Staged for real estate ads, the skyscraper penthouses on New York’s Billionaires’ Row sport vaguely art deco crystal chandeliers (those from Lalique run about $114,000).
Discreet:
Modernist metal lamps like those from Oluce (about $1,975) light the Miami Beach and Hamptons homes of Melissa Barrett MacLean, a partner at AOI Capital and former design director at Harper’s Bazaar and Elle Decor.
