How Materials and Finishes Shape Light in Luxury Interiors

In luxury interiors, the interplay between light and material subtly determines not just how a space looks, but how it feels.

The materials you use shape light and create atmosphere. Light will reflect brightly off polished metals, yet diffuse gently through certain types of stone, or create soft highlights on brushed steel surfaces. The inclusion of any of these materials can transform an interior from simply functional into a space that feels emotionally resonant and comfortable. By designing with both light and material in mind, we make intentional choices that ensure homes remain inviting and timeless for years.

Consider how spaces connect: between rooms, between indoors and landscape, or among people and their environment. Materials affect these connections largely through their interaction with light. Architectural mesh or slatted screens generate patterns of shadow. Reflective surfaces guide your attention by redirecting views or increasing the amount of natural light in a space. Transparent materials, such as glass, can turn solid boundaries into visual frames for outdoor scenery. Each material you choose impacts how connections are made and experienced.

The Language of Reflection

Reflective surfaces in residential design are often associated with openness and brightness. Yet, while some simply bounce light, others completely transform it. Consider how polished stone, brushed metal finishes, and subtly textured glass engage light sculpturally, impacting the way a room looks and feels.

Marcus Piper, ‘Invenire 2’. At Useful Objects Gallery.

Industrial designer Marcus Piper's recent mirror works exemplify this perfectly. His mirrors are striking, abstract artworks that play with light and perspective. Yet they remain functional mirrors.

Object Density's 'Salt', an entry in the Rigg Design Prize, demonstrates how reflective materials can express multiple narratives simultaneously. Its slump-formed glass exterior panels contrast with laser-straight aluminium frames, while chrome fixings anchor the piece like pebbles, creating an organic sculptural form that captures and refracts light in unexpected ways.

Stainless steel, when brushed, gives a space a subdued shine that feels stable and restrained. When polished, it reacts differently, capturing and magnifying daylight and creating striking moments of brightness throughout the room. 

These choices are made not for decoration, but to intentionally determine the emotional experience of the space as light changes throughout the day.

 Image via Object Density’s Instagram. Photographed by Kyle Ford.

Metal finishes, whether brass, bronze, chrome, or steel, introduce a kind of visual temperature to a space. Warm metals such as brass have an inherent softness and a patina that will deepen over time. Cooler finishes like chrome or stainless steel bring clarity and precision. The choice between them isn't purely aesthetic. It's about atmosphere, about how you want a room to resonate with those who move through it.

Our Launceston House demonstrates this principle beautifully. The navy MDF joinery in the kitchen is a bold choice that could feel heavy. Instead, it's lifted by northern light and the Corian island bench, which catches and diffuses daylight throughout the space. The glazed porch acts as a threshold where interior and exterior light meet, softening the addition's geometry without compromising its architectural clarity.

The Language of Reflection

A new tension in luxury interiors embraces industrial design, but not its coldness. Soft brutalism, though it sounds contradictory, defines today's material thinking and how it contributes to the light and atmosphere of a home.

Soft brutalism reveals what's beneath: the honest texture of raw materials, the presence of geometric forms, and the emotional quality of spaces.. It's concrete and velvet, steel and warmth – strength without force. Crucially, it's about how these materials interact with light: how concrete's finish can be used to reflect light, how metal surfaces catch and redirect light, how raw textures create movement with shadows that shift throughout the day.

Take, for instance, pieces like Lachlan MacKay's Super Ambient light from Space Man Studios — a refined, elegant lamp with sculptural presence that holds its own. Its pitch-perfect combination of materials and exquisite attention to finishing detail exemplifies how soft brutalism manifests in individual objects: the interplay between metal structure and diffused light creates both industrial edge and atmospheric warmth.

 Photography courtesy of Space Man Studios.

In practice, this results in interiors where exposed concrete sits alongside textured timber, balancing natural light and organic forms. The Newtown House renovation is an example, using concrete bench tops for weight, but abundant natural light from the windows brings the concrete sheen to life. Timber panelling, painted brick, and shadows create a rhythm that feels structured yet deeply liveable.

This approach to materials represents a broader shift in what luxury means. It's no longer about surface decoration or ostentatious finishes. True luxury is found in materiality that ages well, in surfaces that tell stories, in finishes that respond to changing light conditions — the kind of refined restraint that allows a home to feel both elevated and welcoming as natural illumination transforms throughout the day.

Bringing Industrial Language Home

Industrial design vocabulary — metal frameworks, expansive glass, raw finishes—has migrated from commercial to residential interiors. Translating these elements, however, requires subtlety and restraint.

Jessica Moore, interior design director at Hindley & Co, speaking of a recent subterranean wellness space notes "restriction enhances the experience of the finish and the space itself." This philosophy extends across residential applications of industrial materials, and the discipline of restraint becomes the route to refinement.

The key lies in balancing scale and warmth. Industrial elements feel at home when softened by textiles, warm lighting, and materials that invite touch. A steel frame, paired with timber or stone, becomes sculptural rather than stark and brushed metal fixtures catch warm, indirect light, adding to the space's sophistication.

Light-filled interiors achieve this balance by looking at how different materials absorb, reflect, or diffuse light. Glass, whether clear, frosted, or textured, can separate spaces without fragmenting them and keep the light flowing through. Metal screens or slatted partitions can create rhythm and interesting shadows, adding depth to a space.

Kaynemaile, developed by Kayne Horsham, available from Austaron Surfaces. We’re using this as an exterior curtain in an upcoming project to create privacy and shadow play down the length of the ground floor living spaces. 

Innovative materials expand these possibilities. An example is Kaynemaile, a bio-circular architectural mesh that resembles chainmail. It can be used as both a privacy screen and a sculptural element, creating intricate shadow play while remaining sustainable. It demonstrates how industrial materials can serve multiple purposes without sacrificing the aesthetic.

Our design approach has always leaned into the idea that industrial materials gain their power when grounded in context and respond to how people actually live. The butterfly roof at Newtown House isn't merely a mid-century reference. It's a design that captures and channels light toward the view, enhancing the connection between interior and landscape while maintaining the home's sculptural clarity.

Ten Timeless Materials for Enduring Interiors

Trends come and go, but certain materials endure because they age beautifully and respond well to light. When we select finishes, we're thinking beyond today—considering how these materials will patina, weather, and reveal themselves over years of use.

Natural Stone: Not just a material, natural stone is living art. What draws us to silver travertine, for instance, are the beautiful organic layers that come through on the cross-cut, lending a sense of history to a space. 

Marble, granite, and limestone possess unique veining and tonal variation. They reflect light differently depending on their finish—polished surfaces create drama, honed finishes offer subtlety, and leathered textures add tactile depth. Sourcing the exact pattern and colour can take months, a process of hand-selecting slabs that express the aesthetic vision for each project.

Hardwood: Oak, walnut, and ash bring warmth through their grain patterns. Lighter woods amplify available light, while darker tones ground a space. The key is in the finish—matte oils preserve texture, while subtle sheens enhance reflection without glossiness.

Brushed Metal Finishes: Stainless steel, brass, and bronze in brushed or matte finishes strike a balance between presence and restraint. They catch light without competing with it, creating moments of quiet emphasis.

Concrete: Regardless of whether it is polished, sealed, or left raw, concrete offers thermal mass and an elemental quality. The finish will change the way light is absorbed or reflected, so it is versatile for both industrial and refined applications.

Glass: From clear expanses that remove boundaries to the outside world to textured panels of fluted or ribbed glass that diffuse light, glass will always remain an essential material in modern interiors. 

Leather: Full-grain leather develops character over time, with its patina deepening. When used in seating or upholstery, it provides tactile comfort that feels both luxurious and honest.

Linen: Natural linen adds warmth to spaces filled with harder materials. It softens light without blocking it, allowing gentle atmospheric shifts throughout the day.

Terrazzo: This composite material, whether traditional or contemporary, offers pattern and texture through its aggregate composition. It reflects light in fragmented, interesting ways while maintaining a cohesive visual field.

Blackened Steel: With its dark, matte finish, blackened steel creates dramatic contrast in light-filled spaces. It absorbs rather than reflects, providing visual weight and grounding.

Ceramic Tile: Subway tile endures because of its simplicity and light-reflecting qualities. Its uniformity creates rhythm, while variations in glaze—from matte to glossy—offer different relationships with light.

Venetian Plaster: One of the most versatile and dynamic wall finishes, venetian plaster gives full control over gloss levels, adding a sense of aliveness to otherwise flat wall surfaces. It allows the expression of handmade craftsmanship that underpins quality work, though it requires a level of skill beyond typical painting or plastering.

The exterior at Launceston House plays with material, light and shadow.

Atmosphere and Emotion

The technical considerations of material selection matter, but what transforms a space from well-designed to deeply felt is the emotion created when materials, light, and form align.

A home that feels welcoming isn't just about warmth in the abstract. It's about specific choices. The way morning light animates a textured wall, the cool touch of stone on a summer afternoon or the gleam of brass hardware from the sun.

These moments are not accidents but the result of understanding how materials behave in relation to light, how surfaces can be orchestrated to create atmosphere rather than simply fill space. It's about designing with feeling in mind, not just function.

At Launceston House, the extension's charred timber and cement render shift throughout the day. Morning light emphasises the timber's texture, while afternoon sun softens the render. These materials don't remain static—they create lived experiences that unfold as the house is inhabited.

The New Definition of Luxury

If there's a throughline in contemporary luxury interior trends, it's authenticity over artifice. Materials that reveal their nature rather than conceal it, with surfaces that interact with light rather than simply existing beneath it.

Good design has the capacity to alter perceptions and enhance the lived experience. This principle guides every material decision we make, every finish we specify. We're choosing materials that will support the rhythms and rituals of daily life—that will age gracefully, respond to changing light, and continue to resonate emotionally long after they're installed.

"Luxury is a bathroom that encourages our daily rituals beyond simply washing away the day," notes Jessica Moore. This philosophy extends to every room we design.  We look for spaces to become multilayered, purposeful rooms that support and encourage daily rituals of connection and self-care. Whether it's the way morning light animates a kitchen bench or how stone feels underfoot during an evening routine, materiality shapes these small but significant moments.

Soft brutalism, industrial design language, and timeless materials aren't separate trends but different expressions of designing homes that feel substantial, honest, and deeply connected to the people who inhabit them.

The most light-filled, welcoming, and luxurious interiors are those that understand this fundamental truth. Materials don't just fill space or reflect light. They shape experience. They hold presence. They make us feel.