What Is The Ralph Lauren Aesthetic And How To Add It To Your Home

It's been over 40 years since visionary designer Ralph Lauren brought the quiet luxury and elite Americana vibes that define his brand into homes across the country. "Our homes are a canvas for living," Lauren wrote in his critically acclaimed book, A Way of Living: Home, Design, Inspiration. No longer confined to the runway, Ralph Lauren introduced four unique styles that reflected the preppy, equestrian, aristocratic, and jet-set lives of both his fervent customer base and the designer himself. It's easy enough to splurge on his classic home decor pieces, a Writer's Chair or a set of Oxford shirt-inspired bed sheets. But to learn more about the Ralph Lauren aesthetic and how to add it to your home, House Digest spoke with the Founder of Erika Dale Interior Design Erika Dale in an exclusive interview.

"A chic and effortless combination of old and new, this style expertly mixes preppy tartan patterns with vintage florals, stately stripes with southwestern motifs, English cottage coziness with masculine lodge vibes, and high-end accents with humble vintage pieces," Dale explained. "The layering of these seemingly contradictory looks is what makes the 'Ralph Lauren' aesthetic so interesting, visually dense, and design-forward."

Not unlike this fall's chocolate-inspired design trend or Pantone's Color of the Year 2025, Mocha Mousse, Dale says the Ralph Lauren aesthetic is decidedly masculine. She likens it to a more "upscale version of the Nancy Meyers interior style", popularized in movies like "The Holiday" and "Something's Gotta Give."

Ralph Lauren was the first major fashion designer to launch a home collection. In an interview with Forbes, Lauren said, "When Ricky [his wife] and I were creating our first home, we couldn't find the things we were dreaming of, not just the colors and textures, but the quality of things." He went on to explain that his goal was to connect home decor with the same lifestyle themes that inspired his fashion line: cabins in the mountains, charming New England homes, seaside cottages, and glamorous city lifestyles.

Even if you're just trying to figure out how to decorate your first apartment, you can add the Ralph Lauren aesthetic to your home. In her exclusive interview with House Digest, interior designer Erika Dale said the key is playing with pattern. "Look for plaid or tartan patterns in rich, masculine colorways to bring in the Ralph Lauren signature fabric look," she suggested. "Then soften the preppy look with florals or geometric southwestern prints."

The Ralph Lauren look is often described as cinematic. To capture it, understand the story you are trying to tell about your own life. This is especially the case when adding accessories. A Foo Dog Table Lamp looks all wrong in a lodge designed for Après-ski fun, and the coastal flat weave Cliff Rug isn't right in a glittering penthouse, even though both are popular Ralph Lauren Home items. To make your interior look more distinguished, Dale suggests mixing materials along with new and vintage pieces to add a layer of age.

Bold color, smart tailoring, and thoughtful layering are hallmarks of Ralph Lauren's style. Pattern often reigns supreme, but can be grounded with soft leathers, cut crystal, earthy wood, and breezy wicker. Deep tones of navy blue, forest green, and mustard yellow are tempered against crisp white. The look is grand, so there are opportunities to play with scale even in the smallest rooms. Not unlike a cozy cardigan at the country club, the Ralph Lauren aesthetic typifies the 'grandpa chic' decor trend.

In her interview with House Digest, interior designer Erika Dale said the style definitely has staying power "considering Ralph Lauren launched his interior stylings in the 1980s and we are still talking about it over 40 years later." And, according to the iconic designer himself, the brand will remain focused on inspiring people by combining aspirational elegance and style as we head into 2025.

Dale cautions that you'll need some patience to achieve the look in your own home. "The disadvantage of aspiring to a style that has such a collected aesthetic is that it can take some time to create the depth and variety of treasures," she explained. "The nuanced balance of all the varying elements can be challenging to get just right as well, so it has a bit of a learning curve that can take some experimenting."