How to Decorate Like Aerin Lauder on a Budget

From the way she dresses to how she decorates her homes, beauty heiress and businesswoman Aerin Lauder is indisputably one of the 21st century’s most stylish tastemakers. If you’re like me, you’d love to have a home that looks as sophisticated and chic as Aerin’s, but are working with a far more modest budget. In this post I’ll dissect two of the designer’s gorgeous homes (her Manhattan apartment and her East Hampton estate) and share tons of suggestions on how you can get Aerin Lauder’s timeless decorating style for less. (photo: Hye-Ryoung Min)

Let’s begin in Aerin’s Upper East Side family apartment which overlooks Park Avenue. French interior designer Jacques Grange helped Aerin to decorate the stunning city space. My favorite spot is her inky blue library with its cozy upholstery and shelves upon shelves of books.

If you want to get a similar look in your own home, you’ll definitely need some lovely navy velvet pillows.

The spectacular amethyst and brass chandelier looks like the Heather Chandelier from Aerin’s collection for Circa Lighting.

A sofa like this Grady Sofa from Serena & Lily would achieve a similar, though more casual, look to Aerin’s below. More handsome blue sofa options can be found here, here, here, and here.

The library wall color looks very similar to North Sea by Benjamin Moore.

This chic little lamp is an absolute steal and similar to the small lamps on Aerin’s mantle.

In this shot you can see she has pillows made from her watersedge velvet fabric for Lee Jofa.

Above it also looks as though she’s swapped in two of the Warren Table Lamps from the Aerin collection on the mantle.

A pretty rock crystal votive holder sits on the mantle as well.

And a large round log basket sits by the fireplace. This version by Pottery Barn comes in different shapes and sizes.

You can find similar faux tortoise shells on stands here, here, and here.

And I love that she has a silk ikat pillow. Etsy is my favorite source for these.

(photo by Hallie Burton)

That looks like an Aalto vase holding the anemone on the coffee table.

Until your budget allows for original paintings, Etsy is full of affordable abstract art prints like the one above.

A similar brass base coffee table with a black marble top.

A view of the opposite side of the library.

A pair of these velvet accent chairs would be wonderfully chic in any home (they’re available in lots of other colors, too).

In both the library and below in the living room Aerin uses natural fiber rugs (sisal, jute, and seagrass are all great options). Pottery Barn, One Kings Lane, Overstock, and Serena & Lily are great sources for these. That’s a jute rug from Pottery Barn above.

(photo: Simon Upton)

Between the apartment’s library and dining room is the spacious living room. Despite its neutral color palette the living room still makes a statement thanks to two fabulous leopard print armchairs and a show-stopping iron floor lamp.

This cheetah print armchair by Annie Selke strikes a similar note (also this and this).

The iron floor lamp in Aerin’s living room was likely the inspiration for her Dover Floor Lamp pictured above.

(photo: Simon Upton)

And a classic rectangular log basket to go by the fireplace.

A view of the living room from the opposite direction.

The living room leads into the dining room which is painted a moody dark purple and has a glamorous chandelier.

A similar paint color is Benjamin Moore’s Deep Mulberry.

I’m guessing the antique chandelier in this room was the inspiration for the Jacqueline Two Tier Chandelier in Aerin’s own collection.

Lauder’s Manhattan dressing room has hand-painted Chinoiserie wallpaper from Gracie Studio (like her grandmother Estée once had) and tassel-trimmed silk curtains.

A mirrored vanity is a good place to start (another great option here).

This chinoiserie wallpaper on Etsy offers a very similar look.

(photo: The Coveteur)

A gorgeous gilded round vase similar to the one perched on Aerin’s vanity.

And a similar small brass stool.

(photo: The Coveteur)

Aerin often decorates with gold gallery frames. She designed the pretty wavy ones above for Williams Sonoma.

In the East Hampton sitting room a pale lilac covers the walls. Benjamin Moore Sugarplum is a close match. (photo: Hye-Ryoung Min)

The Chatham Sofa by Serena & Lily offers a similar look and can be upholstered in a variety of fabrics and colors.

(photo: Simon Upton)

Aerin decorated the space with classic blue and white porcelain on the walls. The reproduction ginger jar table lamp above evokes a similar style for a fraction of the cost of a real antique. Similar lamps here, here, and here.

(photo: Simon Upton)

Wall brackets like the fluted one above are affordable on Wayfair.

(photo: Claiborne Swanson Frank)

Aerin loves a skirted table like the one above for displaying family photos (I love the frames she designed here). Explore more skirted tables here.

(photo: Hye-Ryoung Min)

Etsy (especially this shop) is a great source for vintage and reproduction blue and white porcelain as is One Kings Lane. I love the blue and white jar above.

(photo: Aerin’s instagram)

According to this photo from instagram the East Hampton sitting room has since been painted white. I don’t know how much of this furniture arrangement is temporary (it maybe have been for a photo shoot), but it’s fun to see things switched up a bit. Do you prefer the lilac or the white walls?

Moving on to the living room, here Aerin strikes a moodier tone with dark walls and an animal print sofa.

This leopard print sofa by Annie Selke has a similar look.

(photo: Claiborne Swanson Frank)

For a similar paint color, try Benjamin Moore’s Tarpley Brown.

The similar green velvet slipper chair above is available in various colors and fabrics. I love this option, too.

(photo: Claiborne Swanson Frank)

Affordable classic chocolate brown velvet pillows.

(photo: Hye-Ryoung Min)

(photo: Hye-Ryoung Min)

(photo: Christopher Sturman)

(photo: Eric Boman)

The paint color in the dining room changes drastically from photo to photo, but Benjamin Moore’s Deep Ocean looks like a good match.

(photo: Hye-Ryoung Min)

(photo: Hye-Ryoung Min)

Moving on to the Master Bedroom, Aerin decorated her room in a graphic yet traditional palette of black and white.

A chaise is perfect for extra seating in a bedroom.

(photo: Christopher Sturman)

A reproduction Venetian Mirror like the one above is a must. Other options are available here, here, here, and if you’re looking for a really close match, I love this pricier vintage option here.

I believe Aerin’s bed linens are by the one and only Leontine, but Matouk also makes very similar design available here.

(photo: Claiborne Swanson Frank)

(photo: Simon Upton)

I’d love to own a similarly handsome mahogany or walnut wood dresser.

A great place for monogrammed Euro shams is Etsy. Get a similar look here.

This faux fur throw is perfect for autumn.

This lovely blue and white room originally belonged to Aerin’s grandmother, Estée. Pierre Frey’s iconic Toile de Nantes pattern is used on the walls, the upholstery, and even the bed skirt!

(photo: Simon Upton)

A glimpse of the nightstand.

Few things beat bedside blooms in a gorgeous glass Aerin vase.

The room was originally decorated by Mark Hampton in the 1970’s.

A gorgeous sunroom table setting in blue and white.

I love the casual bamboo folding chairs Aerin uses in her sunroom. They’re affordable, great for extra seating when you need it and easy to store when you don’t.

This Pottery Barn coral branch chandelier is similar to Aerin’s but a fraction of the price.

A pretty blue and white garden stool similar to the one on Aerin’s patio. Two extremely budget friendly options are available here and here.

Shop the Aerin Lauder look:

I hope you enjoyed this home tour! If you did, you may also enjoy “How to Decorate Like Tory Burch on a Budget.” And if you’d like to save this post to Pinterest to return to it later:

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