The Style Guide · Hollywood Regency
Lacquered Hollywood Regency: How to Get Vivienne's Emerald & Brass Look
Vivienne has never been in a hurry, and she never will be—she's old Hollywood on a slow afternoon, where everything gleams because she expects it to.
What is Lacquered Hollywood Regency Maximalism?
Lacquered Hollywood Regency maximalism is glamour at its most unapologetic—high-shine walls in jewel tones, plush velvet seating in unexpected pinks, and enough brass and crystal to catch every ray of afternoon light. This isn't minimalism's polite cousin. It's maximalism in a silk robe, drink in hand, utterly confident that more is exactly right. The lacquer does the heavy lifting here: those glossy, light-bouncing walls turn a room into a jewelry box, making everything inside feel precious and intentional.
Hollywood Regency emerged in the 1930s and '40s when set designers like Dorothy Draper and William Haines brought movie-set glamour into actual homes. They borrowed from Regency England, Art Deco Paris, and Old Hollywood excess, mixing Greek key patterns with chinoiserie screens and mirrored everything. The look was theatrical, aspirational, and just a little bit naughty—designed for people who wanted to live like they were always ready for their close-up. Lacquer, originally an Asian decorative technique, became the signature finish because it photographed beautifully and signaled serious luxury.
People love this style now because it offers permission to be dramatic without being dark, glamorous without being stuffy. In an era of beige-on-beige safe choices, Vivienne's emerald walls and brass palms feel like rebellion and refuge at once. It's maximalism for grown-ups who know exactly what they like and aren't interested in explaining it. The lacquer finish especially appeals to renters and homeowners alike—it's transformative, surprisingly easy to achieve with the right paint, and makes even modest spaces feel like they cost a million dollars.
The signatures
- High-gloss lacquered walls in jewel tones, especially emerald, navy, or ruby
- Blush pink or cream velvet upholstery with tufting and curves
- Brass and gold accents in palm tree forms, sunbursts, and geometric shapes
- Black and white checkerboard or Greek key pattern floors
- Crystal chandeliers and lucite furniture for light-catching transparency
- Chinoiserie, mirrored surfaces, and bamboo details mixed fearlessly
Anatomy of the look
Color & Paint
Vivienne's walls wear that deep emerald lacquer like a second skin—the high-gloss finish makes the color shift and glow as you move through the room, creating depth you can almost swim in. This isn't flat paint pretending to be interesting; it's a wet-look shine that bounces light and makes the space feel twice as large and infinitely more expensive. The blush and brass accents sing against it because the green is saturated enough to hold its own.
Walls & Pattern
Beyond the lacquer itself, Vivienne layers pattern through chinoiserie wallpaper in powder rooms, Greek key trim along crown molding, or a single statement wall of palm frond or bamboo motif paper. The key is keeping pattern graphic and bold—nothing timid or country-cottage sweet. Black and white patterns especially pop against the emerald and provide visual rest between all that shine.
Furniture & Shapes
The furniture here is all curves and angles—never boring straight lines. Vivienne's blush tufted velvet sofa has a rolled back and sits on brass-capped legs, while her bamboo accent chairs and lucite coffee table keep things light enough that the room doesn't feel heavy despite all the drama. Look for pieces with Hollywood provenance: barrel backs, waterfall edges, X-base benches, and anything with a little Greek or Asian influence in the silhouette.
Textiles
Velvet is the queen here, especially in blush, cream, or even emerald to match the walls. But Vivienne also loves silk pillows with contrast piping, faux fur throws in white or pale grey, and the occasional leopard print (always chic, never kitsch). Every textile should feel luxurious to touch—this is a room that invites you to sit down and stay awhile, drink in hand.
Lighting
Lighting in Vivienne's world is pure jewelry—crystal chandeliers that scatter rainbow prisms across those glossy walls, brass palm tree lamps that cast exotic shadows, and sunburst mirrors that double as sculptural light reflectors. She layers lighting at multiple heights and never relies on a single overhead fixture. Every light source should feel like an occasion.
Collections & Accessories
This is where Vivienne shows her maximalist credentials: lacquered trays in black or tortoiseshell, brass bar carts loaded with cut crystal, stacks of art books with glamorous covers, and decorative objects in pairs or threes. She's not afraid of a good obelisk, a ceramic foo dog, or a vintage brass pineapple. Everything is curated but never precious—these are things meant to be used and enjoyed, not just looked at.
Plants & Flowers
Vivienne keeps her botanicals dramatic and architectural—a single bird of paradise in a brass planter, white orchids in lacquered pots, or a fiddle leaf fig in the corner. She's not running a greenhouse; she's adding living sculpture. Fresh flowers are always white or blush, arranged simply in crystal or brass vessels, because she knows they'll pop against all that emerald.
The recipe
The Vivienne Formula
- 160% one saturated jewel tone in high-gloss finish—emerald, navy, ruby—on most walls
- 220% soft contrast color in velvet—blush, cream, pale grey—for major upholstery
- 315% brass and gold metallics in lighting, hardware, and decorative objects
- 45% black and white pattern—checkerboard floors, Greek key trim, or graphic pillows—to ground it all
Paint picks
Emerald Lacquer #0E6B45
Main walls in living room, dining room, or bedroom—the star of the show
Blush #F2C4C8
Accent wall in bedroom, inside bookshelves, or ceiling for unexpected glamour
Brass #C9A227
Not for walls—use as metallic accent in hardware, frames, and accessories
Checkerboard Black #151515
Floors, baseboards, or single accent wall to ground all the shine and color
Room by room
Living Room
This is Vivienne's natural habitat—emerald lacquer walls, a blush velvet sofa as the centerpiece, brass palm lamps flanking it, and a lucite coffee table to keep sightlines open. Add a checkerboard rug if you can't commit to the floor, and layer in crystal and brass accessories on every surface.
Bedroom
Go full jewelry box: emerald walls, a tufted blush velvet headboard, brass nightstand lamps, and white silk bedding with contrast piping. A crystal chandelier or brass sunburst mirror above the bed makes it feel like a movie set every morning.
Kitchen & Dining
Lacquer the dining room walls in emerald and pair with a brass chandelier, blush velvet dining chairs, and black and white checkerboard floor (or a bold geometric rug). In the kitchen, add brass hardware, a lacquered backsplash, or just paint the inside of glass-front cabinets in blush or emerald.
Bathroom
A small bathroom is perfect for this treatment—emerald lacquer walls, brass fixtures and mirror, white marble or tile, and a crystal sconce. Add a blush hand towel and suddenly your powder room is the most glamorous four feet in the house.
Small Spaces & Rentals
Renters can achieve Vivienne's look with peel-and-stick high-gloss wallpaper in emerald, removable checkerboard floor tiles, and portable brass lighting. Focus your budget on one statement piece of blush velvet furniture and let brass accessories do the rest—the shine makes small spaces feel larger, not smaller.
Get it on any budget
Under $200
Under $500
Splurge
Renter-friendly
- Use high-gloss peel-and-stick wallpaper in emerald instead of paint—it removes cleanly and gives you that lacquered look without commitment
- Swap permanent checkerboard floors for large peel-and-stick floor tiles or a bold black-and-white geometric rug
- Invest in portable brass lighting (floor lamps, table lamps) and furniture rather than permanent fixtures—you can take Vivienne with you
- Add shine with removable brass cabinet hardware, stick-on mirror tiles, and plenty of lacquered trays and accessories that travel
Easy to avoid
- Using flat or satin paint instead of high-gloss—the whole point is the wet-look shine that bounces light, so don't skimp on the finish
- Choosing muddy or olive greens instead of true saturated emerald—Vivienne's green is jewel-toned and confident, not earthy or subdued
- Adding too many competing jewel tones—stick to your emerald and blush with brass accents; adding ruby and sapphire too makes it chaotic, not glamorous
- Forgetting the black and white grounding elements—without that checkerboard floor, Greek key trim, or graphic pattern, all the shine and color can float away untethered
FAQ
Is high-gloss paint hard to apply and maintain?
High-gloss paint requires good prep—fill any wall imperfections and sand smooth, because the shine will highlight every bump. Use a high-quality roller and work in small sections to avoid lap marks. Once it's up, though, it's actually easier to maintain than flat paint—you can wipe it down with a damp cloth, and it resists moisture beautifully. Just know you'll see fingerprints, so keep a microfiber cloth handy.
Can I do Hollywood Regency maximalism without emerald green?
Absolutely—the formula works with any saturated jewel tone in high-gloss. Try navy blue with coral and brass, deep ruby with cream and gold, or even black lacquer with blush and chrome. The key is that wet-look shine, the soft velvet contrast, and the metallic accents. Vivienne just happens to love emerald, but her sisters wear other colors beautifully.
How do I keep this style from feeling too formal or stuffy?
Mix in casual elements—a stack of books on the coffee table, a cozy throw over the velvet sofa, fresh flowers in simple arrangements. Use the brass and crystal, but let things be a little lived-in and imperfect. The lacquer and velvet bring the glamour; your actual life in the space keeps it from feeling like a museum. Also, blush pink is inherently friendly and approachable, which softens all that high-shine drama.
What if my room doesn't get much natural light?
Dark jewel tones in high-gloss actually work beautifully in low-light rooms because the shine bounces whatever light you do have around the space. Add plenty of layered artificial lighting—crystal chandelier, brass lamps, even LED strips behind mirrors or inside shelves. The glossy walls will multiply every light source. Just avoid going too dark on the floor and ceiling; keep those lighter to maintain brightness.
Where can I find affordable brass and lucite furniture?
Check vintage and thrift stores first—brass and lucite pieces from the '70s and '80s are everywhere and often very affordable. Online marketplaces, estate sales, and even big-box home stores carry brass-accented furniture now that the style is back. For lucite, look for acrylic alternatives at office supply stores (desk organizers, side tables) or budget furniture retailers. You don't need real brass or expensive acrylic—the look is what matters, and spray paint can turn any metal gold.
Some links may earn MAX by Design a small commission at no cost to you.
