Which is honestly a fair question here, because when you think of rural land, well, at least right now (and technically for centuries), it was very loud. Like all throughout the UK, there’s those giant manors, those giant estates, and the homes are quite large and ornate too. That’s probably the most classic example, but a more modern example would be what’s happen in states like Wyoming, Colorado, and Montana where it’s houses surrounded by mountains on a ranch, or a large house the size of a boutique hotel that’s placed close to a ski resort in a ski town (and most of them are becoming that anyways).
There’s a lot of questions on whether ot not it’s even worth buying a country home, and honestly, it’s absolutely worth it. Quiet luxury is basically the opposite of trying to prove anything, like loud luxury. It’s the kind of place that doesn’t need a giant gate, a ridiculous driveway entrance, or a house that screams for attention from half a mile away. It’s the property that looks like it belongs there, feels calm the second the car door shuts, and somehow gives “expensive” without doing the most.
But when it comes to quiet luxury on rural properties, what does that even look like here?
The Land Does the Heavy Lifting
Alright, it’s easiest to start right here because quiet luxury is way easier when the property already has privacy, good orientation, and usable outdoor zones, because trying to force that later can get pricey fast. It’s not just about acreage either; it’s about how the land sits. This is technically how it is already when it comes to loud luxury homes too.
Are there natural sightlines blocked by trees or hills. Does the house site get good morning light. Is there wind exposure that’ll make outdoor seating annoying. Is the driveway practical year-round? Unlike loud luxury where its like “Is it in front of a beach or lake?”, “Is it surrounded by mountains”, The perspective is a bit different. Plus, estate agents can help you look for what specific requirements you’re hoping to have, like maybe a stream, or maybe surrounded by some hills, or maybe a not-so-long drive into town.
Make Landscaping Look Like Nature
You could say that this is the sweet spot. So, the landscaping shouldn’t look like it fought the land and won. It should look like the land was always meant to be that lovely, and it just happens to be maintained by someone who’s on top of things. It’s usually things that people already do for their homes, like adding native plants, gravel paths, just cutting the grass on their lawn regularly, it’s not about being formal like those manor gardens you see at museums.
Honestly, even cottage gardens can work as long as it has a clean look to them (Martha Stewart’s gardens are all decent examples of this too).
Exterior Lighting Should be Gentle
For a lot of loud luxury homes, regardless of where they are, the lighting is bad; there’s a lot of lights around the gate, around the driveway, lighting up the house too, you could honestly deem it as tacky if you wanted. With quiet luxury, the lights are quiet, if you want to call it that, they’re subtle. Sure, they’re there, but not as much, not as bright, and not obnoxious (especially since you’re in a rural area and don’t want to effect th wildlife).
