The Glam Room Is Ready For Its Close-Up

The devil, of course, is in the (many) details. “Custom drawers sized to perfectly fit makeup, brushes, and beauty tools are key,” Bullard says. For a client like Kylie Jenner, who spends a lot of time in her glam room, “incorporating hidden, prewired drawers with charging pads buried under marble or onyx counters is great for storing curling irons and hair dryers, just like at a salon.” Arnold is fond of central islands and welcoming entourage-ready seating so that the space “is where you would want to hang out and not just get ready in.”

As for materials and color palettes, a glam room need not exclusively be awash in Barbiecore and other overtly feminine-coded elements (although some cheeky irony can be fun). Farnham’s project, for instance, includes Calacatta Viola marble, velvet, bouclé, and brass fixtures juxtaposed with dark stained wood features, walnut mirrors, and a custom walnut tailor stand for a more unisex vibe.

The pandemic-born reality of residences supporting more functions than ever before means a glam room isn’t only for red carpet regulars. Spaces like walk-in closets, offices, and bathrooms can be adapted to house glam roomettes or at least a tricked out vanity. (For many—those YouTubers, for instance—a get-ready area is arguably an extension of the office.) L.A. real estate agent Daria Greenbaum reports that glam rooms are often seen in eight-figure price homes and increasingly at relatively lower price points. “It’s more common in image-conscious markets, where a lot of people might be in entertainment or related industries, or in the world of beauty,” she says.

Given the decadent vibe of these spaces, designers would be wise to avoid distracting cliché and ephemeral-feeling set decorating. “I think introducing a comfy space to gather helps to move this particular glam room away from parody,” Farnham says. “It is important for there to be a mix of styles, and typically that is directed by the past, while contrasting with something new and contemporary,” Arnold states. Connecting a glam room to the primary suite and pulling components from an adjacent bathroom, such as the honed rose onyx he used in a project, for instance, “is a great way for the space to feel refined, more feminine—while being elevated and not thematic.”

But sometimes it makes perfect sense to go big in these intimate quarters that often precede very public moments. “The feeling I like glam rooms to evoke is a nod to the golden era of Hollywood,” Arnold adds. This powerful mystique resonates for Bullard as well. “I adore the glitz and glam of Old Hollywood. It was all about drama, with fierce leading ladies oozing sex appeal,” he says. “I try to invoke that same feeling of ultra-luxury into all the glam rooms I design.”