11 Expert Tips for Building an Influencer-Worthy Glam Room

Because we all need to be camera-ready these days

11 Expert Tips for Building an Influencer-Worthy Glam Room

“I receive more requests for in-home glam rooms than almost any other type of personalized space,” Kathryn Rotondi reveals on a call earlier this Spring. A Los Angeles-based interior designer, Rotondi had just completed work on America’s priciest home, a $350 million dollar, 7-acre modernist oasis in Bel Air with 42 bathrooms, 21 bedrooms, a 30-car garage—and a full service salon. Such personalized primping spaces have become ubiquitous of late, she continues. “I designed an entirely pink onyx glam room for a particular client incorporating the exact mirrors, beauty products, and top-of-the-line equipment as her favorite Beverly Hills salon,” says Rotondi. Even the seating was customized for the client’s height, she elaborates. Obviously.

The clan Kardashian-Jenner are arguably responsible for the “glam room” trend— and the term itself, which was coined by designer Martyn Bullard, who has dreamt up such spaces for Kylie, Khloe, and Kris— but the concept dates back many years. Centuries even, according to fashion and cultural historian Laura McLaws Helms, who cites Marie Antoinette’s piece des bains, which was added to her petit appartement de la reine at Versailles in 1781, and featured a lace-curtained copper bath, silk daybed, and well-appointed vanity where she might have her signature face mask (a blend of cognac, dry milk powder, lemon juice, and egg white) applied. It’s a concept that was heartily embraced by old Hollywood, too, says Helms, detailing the over-the-top beautifying quarters of actresses such as Marlene Dietrich, Joan Crawford, and Mae West who enjoyed the comforts of luxurious dressing rooms on set and came to expect the same at home. (Jean Harlow famously had a lucky mirror in her glam room that she made sure to glance at before walking out the door). New Hollywood has followed suit. Who can forget the glam room tour Taraij P Henson gave her Instagram followers, welcoming them into her full-service home salon—or the one Laura Harrier recently granted Architectural Digest, showing off her own pink-themed glam space with vintage deadstock wallpaper and a deco-style Italian mirror? “At first I thought I was making an office,” the actress told the publication, “but this was actually more practical.”

“These rooms have become the requisite of a successful, glamorous person’s house,” suggests Bullard. But as remote lifestyles have made being camera-ready an essential job requirement for anyone logging onto Zoom, they’re also becoming a requisite for the rest of us. “What were once-luxury bonuses are now mainstream, and I think this is going to become more and more normalized,” adds Rotondi, who has been building out small vanity stations in master closets for clients without square footage to spare. To wit, search for “Glam Rooms” on YouTube and one of the most viewed videos (after Kylie Jenner’s home tour) is a glam room makeover by popular L.A.-based design duo Mr. Kate. The budget? $300. Here, the professionals weigh in on a DIY guide for tapping into the design phenomenon.

The first, and most important task is setting aside designated space for your glam area. If you have a big master bathroom, that’s the most obvious spot, says Rotondi. ”They’re already designed to enhance your wellbeing so with a few adjustments they can be transformed into a room for glamour pretty easily.” She suggests choosing an area that can be cordoned off with a recognizable “glam wall” product display. “A floating wall mount of lucite shelves is my go-to,” says Rotondi, who likes to add a pop of color or gloss for the containers and set them at different heights for visual interest. A walk-in closet is another option, she says: integrate a wall-mount mirror with a vanity table and small stool that you can tuck underneath, and, most importantly, swap out recessed lighting for a vanity bar above the mirror, or a “halo” mirror. And if extra space is really at a minimum, try a roll-away glam cart, says Rotondi: they can move around the house with you and easily tuck into a closet when not in use.

The Container Store Single Acrylic Wall Shelves

Bed Bath & Beyond Aluminum Alloy 32-Inch Round Wall Mirror

Kichler Tor 49" Wide Brushed Nickel Linear LED Vanity Light

Electric Mirror Trinity Lighted Mirror

Pottery Barn Teen Wood & Acrylic Beauty Cart, White

Good lighting is essential for a hair and makeup space to be effective. “You want it to be warm in a way that accentuates, highlights, and makes you feel more beautiful,” says Los Angeles interior designer Brigette Romanek, who cautions against putting any lighting directly above your head because it can make skin look washed out and cast unflattering shadows. In addition to cosigning on Rotondi’s nod to vanity bars and halo mirrors Romanek loves the hominess of the Tennessee Wall Lamp W1. ”It’s elegant and simple, made from a beautiful cloth fabric that lights in such a complimentary way,” she explains; for something a bit more dynamic, Romanek recommends the Gelule Wall Lamp.

Glenn Sestig By Ozone Tenessee Wall Lamp Wl

Joseph Dirand By Ozone Gélule Wall Lamp

No matter the size, your glam room is your own personal Shangri-La—and it should be decorated to reflect that, says Romanek. “Keep in mind what you want to feel when you enter,” she says suggesting fabrics, materials, and colors, that make your skin glow and that give you good energy. A wall covering, for example— in ultra-suede, if you’re minimal, or chinoiserie, if you’re not—can bring in personality and warmth, Romanek elaborates. The same goes for art, which can go far in setting the tone, says Rotondi who often sources work from Art Angels in L.A. for her clients.

Kravet Ultrasuede Fabric

If a custom built-in vanity is not in your budget, there are many freestanding tables at both ends of the price spectrum that make great substitutes. For a splurge, Rotondi recommends the Yves Vanity by Baxter, while Homary’s vanity dressing table with integrated swivel cabinets —or an IKEA white dressing table (just switch out the existing knobs for something with a bit more flair)—offer more affordable options. If you’re working with a higher table, pair it with a salon or barber chair from Minerva or Wayfair, and, if you have the room, consider bringing in a small daybed or couch—”something you can sink into and think about all the amazing looks you’re going to create,” says Romanek, who likes the shape and coziness of Gubi’s Stay Sofa.

Yves Baxter Dressing Table

Homery White Makeup Vanity Dressing Table with Swivel Cabinet Mirror & Stool Included

Ikea TYSSEDAL Dressing table

Minerva Beauty Emma Salon Styling Chair

Orren Ellis Hydraulic Hair Salon Spa Equipment Massage Chair

Gubi Stay Sofa

This story originally appeared on: Vogue - Author:Fiorella Valdesolo