The quiet luxury shift: why buyers are choosing luxury new builds in 2026

Traditionally, quiet luxury is a design aesthetic to create personal, thoughtful spaces using enduring materials and subtle details. It’s about taking care of the small elements that make a space feel luxurious, from good quality furniture to muted colours and beautifully dressed walls. But while quiet luxury has its roots in interior design, it’s an ethos that many people are taking far beyond a single room.

A genuinely luxury experience is about more than interior design; it’s about the way everything in and around your space comes together, creating a feeling of calm and quality throughout. That’s the approach that defines everything we do at Brookworth Homes, making quality the thread that runs through every development, every decision and every home we create.

The evolution of luxury: from style to substance

Even just 20 years ago, our collective idea of luxury was very different. In the age of the iPod and its distinctive white earphones, luxury was largely performative – a way to show our aspirations and stand out from the crowd. In terms of our homes, that meant an interior design sensibility that was all about showing off on the surface, through attention-grabbing features like lots of metals, contrasting colours and cluttered picture walls.

Today, we’ve all moved from ostentation to subtlety and, most importantly, simplicity. The digital age has led to lives defined by experiences, with seamless, frictionless technology that just works. We’re more focused on the experience of luxury than ever before: data from Simon Kucher highlights experiential luxury as an area of significant market growth.

So what does this mean for our homes? It means that, in 2026 and beyond, luxury isn’t something you necessarily see on the surface – it’s something you feel through considered, eco-conscious design, sustainability and innovation.

Changing buyer demand for quiet luxury

For many years, the idea of a luxury home meant a slick city centre space with convenience and a busy, well-connected lifestyle with everything close at hand. According to Coutts’ most recent London prime property index, prices for these types of properties in London continue to increase, but general demand and market activity is down.

Instead, homebuyers are turning their attention to countryside living and locations across key commuter belts including Kent, Surrey and Sussex. At Brookworth, we’ve seen strong demand for our luxury new build properties in developments across these areas, as people focus on elegant homes with meaningful features as opposed to location alone.

What makes a quiet luxury home?

In the words of one US property CEO: "Quiet luxury is luxury that makes you happy. Buyers are seeking homes that require less maintenance without sacrificing those high-end finishes we all love."

The idea of quiet luxury is highly individual, particularly when you consider the breadth of luxury buyers, from young millennials to growing families and older downsizers. But there are several key elements that typify the trend – timeless features that make a home spectacular, whatever your age or requirements.

Understated design with care in the small details

There’s no denying the relationship between interior design and quiet luxury. Part of creating that luxurious feel will be in how you personalise your home with the elements that make it feel individual. But achieving quiet luxury starts with the right canvas to paint your personality onto. 

This includes:

• Spacious, open layouts to create a seamless feel

• Neutral colours including white and grey

• Ample light – Brookworth homes include premium bifold doors to bring light in

• High-quality interior materials, especially internal doors

This care in the small details should also extend to the aspects that make your home a pleasure to use. Some key design features in Brookworth homes include strategically located plug sockets, spacious fitted wardrobes and concealed storage.

Sustainability and eco-friendly features

YouGov data from 2024 shows that some UK consumers equate sustainability with luxury; 21% of people are willing to pay more for eco-friendly features. This affects our expectations for property, with 84% reporting that EPC ratings are important when choosing a home.

Sustainability features are a key marker of quality and luxury, as well as an effective way to reduce home running costs and energy bills. That’s why, at Brookworth Homes, we continually invest in the latest sustainability features for our developments. Across our locations, our homes include A+++ rated air source heat pumps, a more energy efficient alternative to gas boilers, and underfloor heating to maximise their performance. Significantly, underfloor heating also feeds into the experience of luxury, with a warm, even heat distributed evenly throughout your home.

Seamless technology and smart home features

Smart home functionality is closely linked to sustainability. Many of the most common smart home features like automated thermostats and lighting contribute to reduced energy consumption. Uswitch estimates as much as a £311 saving every year on energy bills. 

At the same time, smart tech around your home is also a vital element of that quietly luxurious experience. If the entire trend is based on the small-yet-impactful details that make life more pleasurable, smart home technology is key. There’s nothing more premium than automated blinds that open to let in the morning light, or lights that quietly flick on when dusk begins to fall.

Brookworth’s smart home features are all driven by best-in-class technology, including:

• The Control4 Smart Home Operating System, so you can personalise and control your technology from your smartphone or a discreet wall-mounted touchscreen

• Lutron automated blinds that can be controlled at the touch of a button or through a personalised schedule

In our Framfield Road development, in the village of Blackboys just 10 minutes from Uckfield, these intelligent details are thoughtfully integrated into homes designed for modern living, blending traditional character with contemporary comfort in a truly effortless way.

The changing definition of a luxury location

While traditional prime property areas may be seeing reduced demand, location is still key. It’s just that what we think of as a luxury location has changed.

At Brookworth, we carefully select the best places for new build developments based on community feel, local amenities, schools and more. We diligently consider all the factors that influence that experience of a given home, so you can be confident that you’ll be joining a welcoming community where everything you need is close at hand.

Gallica in Sissinghurst is a unique level of luxury in Kent, with meticulous attention to detail and exceptional specifications. In Welford on Avon, Braeburns is surrounded by endless countryside and some of the country’s most desirable and highly regarded schools. And our new development in Battle, East Sussex, brings you closer to a rich sense of history without compromising on access to gourmet restaurants and connections to the capital.

Meet the new paradigm of luxury living with Brookworth Homes

The idea of quiet luxury might be gathering pace in 2026, but we’ve been focused on everything that feeds into a premium experience for decades. With our range of specifications, there’s also an opportunity to set your own standards in luxury, based entirely on your own tastes and preferences.

Quiet luxury is timeless, enduring and focused on quality. And our emphasis on traditional craftsmanship, locally sourced materials and low-maintenance design speaks volumes.

For more immediate availability, explore our developments or get in touch with our experienced sales teams for more help.