The Plaza Suite Interiors Trend: How To Get The Look

Want to transform your interiors? Why not take inspiration from Plaza Suite, a three-act play set in a lavish hotel room at (you guessed it) the Plaza Hotel. If you’re looking to recreate this regal look at home, read on.

Plaza Suite Interiors: How To Style Your Home Like A Hotel

Plaza Suite by Neil Simon (c) Joan Marcus

What Is The Plaza Suite Aesthetic?

This opulent aesthetic takes inspiration from the set of Plaza Suite, which arrived in London this year after a sold-out run on Broadway. Split into three parts, the show stars real-life married couple Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, who each play three different characters staying at the Plaza Hotel in New York. 

As you might expect, the eponymous hotel suite is particularly luxurious, featuring antique furniture, gilded mirrors, pleated lampshades and huge flower arrangements – plus a rather regal colour palette of pale yellow, hazel and gold. 

It’s a look that calls to mind 19th century French palaces, with a touch of sixties glamour thrown in; John Lee Beatty, the play’s set designer, told Architectural Digest that his vision for the set began with the Plaza suite depicted in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1959 film North by Northwest. Think a mix between the sophistication of the quiet luxury trend and the extravagance of the mob wife aesthetic – resulting in a sense of grandeur that provides some serious interior design inspiration. 

Where To Start

A project.by Charlton Brown Architecture & Interiors. Photo: Dirk Linder

Restored Furniture

If you fancy adding a bit of Plaza Suite flair to your home, it all starts with a feeling of timeless elegance. According to the experts at architecture and interior practice Charlton Brown, a good focus is ‘restored antique furniture upholstered in sophisticated fabrics and passementerie, along with impressive chandeliers and wall lights – this has great significance in making rooms feel not only regal but also historic.’

Upcycling vintage pieces is a handy way of creating this ‘historic’ feel. Romanos Brihi, partner at Studio Vero, suggests ‘painting woodwork with either a distressed lime wash finish or an earthy coloured paint,’ which helps to ‘give intricate carvings a fresh identity.’

Plaza Suite by Neil Simon (c) Joan Marcus

Custom Pieces

If your budget stretches a little further, custom furniture can help achieve an ornate look: ‘Include bespoke beds, headboards, canopies and niches that bring back an element of “time gone by” in a fresh and eclectic way,’ the Charlton Brown team adds. In a recent project, they gave a period property in Belsize Park a maximalist, Plaza Suite-style makeover, adding antique French furniture pieces like 19th century gilt wall lights, carved rosewood sofas upholstered in bronze mohair velvet, and French Fauteuils armchairs in striped silk. 

Luxe Textures & Colours

It’s textures like velvet and silk that will make your space look particularly lavish – just take a look at the gold damask wall coverings in the Plaza Suite set. Sumptuous fabrics will also complement any high-quality finishes like marble and mahogany, adding to the maximalist aesthetic.

A project by architecture and interior design studio De Rosee Sa

If you’re not quite ready to go all-in with textures, however, you can channel opulence through colours instead, opting for pale yellow and champagne-toned pieces. These will provide a sense of grandeur even when incorporated into a more contemporary space.