The TikTokification of home design content, the glorification of staying in and hosting dinner parties, and filmed ‘Sunday Reset’ rituals are all traces of a rising trend of ‘domestic opulence’.
At its core, domestic opulence is a conscious elevation of everyday life to feel a little more, well, special. It’s where the home becomes a stage, a sanctuary and a modality for self-expression. It’s the investment of extra attention (and money) into your living space, rented or owned, before capturing images of that space for content’s sake.
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In ‘Generation Rent’, it appears more young Australians are sacrificing their potential savings in the name of domestic opulence. More of us are chasing the instant gratification of a fresh bunch of flowers, a Tomato Loewe candle burning at night and a growing ‘to be read’ pile of fresh books on our bedside tables (guilty!).
The mid-twenties shift to interior design
I’ve certainly fallen victim to that cliché thing that happens in your mid-to-late twenties, swapping fashion-obsession with home-styling-fixation. While I choose long-term pieces for my wardrobe, I’ve started to apply a similar rule to my shared space. Maybe it’s a reflection of my increasing aptitude for unwinding on the couch, feeling at ease under this roof and wanting to retreat from the chaos of daily life.
What was once four walls has since become a portal into my soul, a space filled with local brands made by friends, travel mementos, prized ceramics, stacks upon stacks of magazines and other things that soothe my brain.
I didn’t realise how many compliments a burgundy coffee table could attract and I’ll gladly accept them without getting awkward. I’m not worried about my interior design bits not ‘fitting’ me properly, feeling itchy or losing a button. I also feel more playful and perhaps free to express my taste in bold ways, like the latest addition of a lurid green bookshelf.
My boyfriend owns the aforementioned property but I contribute a monthly fee to support the mortgage repayments and associated bills. So it well and truly feels like ‘ours’ in both a literal and aesthetic sense.
A different kind of home ownership
Today, a lot more of us are renting than we were a few decades ago. A much smaller percentage of millennials and Gen Z own homes, according to the ABS, compared to the percentage of boomers reported to have owned property when they were our age.
This decline is attributed to skyrocketing house prices and broader affordability challenges, says Professor Stephen Whelan from the University of Sydney. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare further confirms this generational shift, noting the steepest declines in homeownership are among people in their twenties and thirties.
This cultural shift toward dressing our homes as we do ourselves (as an extension of personal style) doesn’t necessarily mean dishing out loads of coin, because what was vintage is in vogue again. Everyone is dusting off their grandmother’s silverware or rummaging through local op shops to source what is now à la mode, and rustic dining accoutrements are having a big renaissance.
When you’re renting, sub-leasing or any other sort of quasi-homeownership, imbuing your home with traces of you is the best way to give it that sense of ‘this is my safe space’. All the ephemera truly makes it yours, despite whose name is on the dotted line.
How home curation can connect you to a space
With Gen Z’s knack for tablescaping, thrifting, vlogging and hosting, you have a generation hungry for their own version of domestic opulence. But what exactly defines this opulence?
It’s hard to pinpoint because of its oxymoronic nature. The undone-done put-togetherness of it all involves a lot of thought, consideration and collecting, but appears as if it was a casual affair. Think hand-painted artwork, Marketplace finds, smatterings of chrome and anything with Scandinavian undertones.
The coolness is more about abundance and creative expression, rather than refinement or meticulous presentation. Consider your ‘home card’ another personal branding exercise in modern life.
Someone who embodies that idea is Nicole Williams, a photographer and visual director in Melbourne with a paradisiacal rental. She curates accoutrements with such precision and exudes personal style, so I was curious to understand her connection to her space as a renter. Is gradually filling rooms with a clear vision a tool for self-regulation and emotional grounding?
“Yes, completely,” says Nicole. “As a kid, I moved around a lot – many schools, many homes. Each time, we got better at it: boxes, beds and everything in between unpacked and ready by the next day, as if we’d lived there forever. When you’re a child, you don’t have much control over your home environment, so now, as an adult, I put a lot of emotional energy into creating a space that feels safe to me.”
“Why wait to buy a house to make it feel like a home, when you can make it feel like yours right now?”, Nicole imparts. “It’s 2025 and the opportunities to buy a home for many are quite slim. Painting, light fixtures, art, curtains and cabinetry are only some of the things you can do to your home that can be reverted back when you move out. We should feel proud of our homes, even if they are rentals.”
Power in uncertain times
It seems deeply caring about your home curation can provide you with a greater sense of ownership and familiarity, regardless of whether you own or lease. Digital creator Loui Burke is known as “your friend in home and hosting” on his various social media platforms, amassing a following of over 300,000 on TikTok alone. The Melburnian is rightfully house-proud, having chosen every addition to his latest rental property.
As a creator, he’s noticed a surge in home-design content online and traces it back to life in lockdown. “I think the idea of homemaking really came into focus for renters and young adults during the pandemic. People were suddenly spending more time at home — working, resting, socialising — and started paying attention to how their spaces made them feel. With international travel off the cards, some of that disposable income shifted to home-improvement projects.”
Yet even when we emerged, Loui says the rising cost of living meant an increasing number of young people started choosing nights in, over nights out. “That’s when you saw the table styling, themed dinner parties, DIY cocktail stations, the candles and playlists… people [started] wanting to create the same energy at home that they’d once looked for in a new restaurant or bar opening.”
The trickle-on effect of this, according to Loui, is that young people are taking a genuine interest in their spaces in a way we haven’t seen before. Forget nights out and reckless purchasing, now it’s about curation, getting the most out of your rent and investing in decor that will go the distance.
“Your home is the one place that’s truly yours,” Louis says. “No boss, algorithm or market trend can tell you how it should look. And that power to express yourself, especially in uncertain times, is priceless.”
For more on homeware trends, try this.
This article The rise of domestic opulence and why more of us are investing in our rentals appeared first on Fashion Journal.
2025-05-30 12:57:00
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