Written by Matt Emma
For decades, from the excess-driven 1980s until recently, we’ve lived through an extended era where “luxury” was often reduced to performance – what photographs well, what gets noticed, what feels impressive on a screen. It became a kind of visual shorthand, meant to signal status.
Today, the tide of high luxury is turning away from that superficial aesthetic. Instead of flash and spectacle, people are seeking substance and meaning. What we see emerging right now is a more philosophy-driven vision of luxury, one taking root in lived experience.
This new vision is the defining approach of Stacey R. Carey, co-founder and president of design at the high-luxury lifestyle community, and co-founder of CIG Companies, a vertically integrated family office specializing in real estate, aviation, sustainable energy and high-tech U.S. manufacturing.
“High luxury is moving past a worn set of visual signals and returning to environments and experiences that feel refined and deeply personal– spaces that feel calm, welcoming, and lived in” explains Stacey from her office in Windermere, Florida. “Guests are pushing luxury toward culture, craft, even a renewed sense of formality – the small rituals that make people feel welcomed.” Consider, she says, such small details as a carefully set table, a handcrafted door antiqued by touch, or a quiet yet personal welcome ceremony. These don’t shout status, they communicate intention.
In fact, handcrafted is becoming synonymous with what feels intentional. In a world increasingly saturated by digital replication and mass production, the imperfect grain of wood, the weight of thrown ceramics or the patina of natural stone all communicate that something real is happening here. These accumulated details anchor luxury in the physical world and connect it to human labor and tradition. They remind us that true refinement, like a well-aged wine, takes time.
Stacey notes that this evolution is seen across hospitality, residential architecture and luxury aviation. These are realms where attention to design is capturing the attention of discerning guests. Of course, 800-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets and wild-harvested Alba truffles still have value. Yet across all categories luxury travelers want comfort to be intuitive, not theatrical, and for indulgence to feel special. More and more, it’s about creating a genuine sense of belonging.
In her concentric roles with Magnifica and CIG Companies, Stacey R. Carey is distinguished for her focus on creating that feeling of belonging in high luxury. “I think the best luxury feels almost familiar at first, so comfortable you barely notice the effort. Then, as you engage, it reveals layers and small surprises that further immerse you.”
Moving beyond bespoke, Stacey says the industry is embracing a more elevated standard of hospitality—one rooted in being known. It’s a philosophy she often summarizes as to know and to be known—spaces where people feel immediately at ease, without needing to announce who they are. Design is essential in creating that feeling—quietly shaping comfort, privacy, and belonging from the first moment.
Virtuoso’s 2025 Luxe Report reflects the same shift we’re seeing across high-end hospitality: a growing appetite for transformative experiences – travel that changes you – and a desire to forge deeper connections. Travelers are placing authenticity and a strong sense of place ahead of traditional status cues, leaning toward cultural exploration, holistic wellness and personal growth. These shape how high-end spaces as well as experiences are conceived and delivered.
Why is this happening now? In part, it reflects a rapidly changing world marked by global crises, environmental urgency, technological overload and status fatigue. With the building sector responsible for roughly a third of global carbon emissions, sustainability has moved from a “nice to have” to a moral and aesthetic imperative.
“Thoughtful design now means connecting people to nature using eco-friendly materials and integrating energy-efficient technologies that support both planetary and personal well-being,” explains Stacey. “But it also means building in a way that can be lived in, cared for and carried forward – sustaining a community and the culture that forms around it.”
Technology is also being further incorporated into high-end luxury, but in a quiet way. “When it’s done well, technology disappears into the background, making experiences more seamless, never intrusive,” says Stacey.
Predictive guest intelligence, supported by advanced recognition and AI are enabling environments to feel more responsive and intentional. From upscale resorts to private aviation, advanced suite and cabin systems remember returning preferences – temperature, lighting, scent profiles, etc. Technology doesn’t dominate – it enhances how hospitality connects with guests, so that every detail feels meaningful and human-centered, even when driven by data.
The valuation of meaning over spectacle welcomes a more profound standard in luxury. It’s about redefining the art of living well, and a curated sense of belonging, in symbiosis with the natural world. For Stacey Carey, this is the work: designing places that feel calm, intentional, and quietly personal – where craftsmanship supports comfort, and community is cultivated through belonging and connection.
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