No. 3

Unpopular Opinion

“Timeless design” is one of those phrases tossed around a lot in the interior design world, but when you really sit with it… it is kind of a myth. Design doesn’t exist in a vacuum — it’s always influenced by culture, context, materials available, personal memory, mood. So something that feels “timeless” today may only feel that way because it taps into current ideas of calm, balance, or beauty — which will inevitably shift.

What people often mean when they say “timeless” is:

• Simple, not trendy (aka not fast-moving fads)

• Rooted in nature or traditional forms

• Built with care — materials that age well, design that wears in instead of out

But even those choices have context! Warm, lived-in, organic design for example, feels timeless to many right now — but that’s still a cultural aesthetic shaped by history, place, and philosophy.

It’s easy to use “timeless” as a comfort blanket — something to ease a client’s fear of investing in something that might feel outdated down the road. But the truth is, taste is supposed to evolve. That evolution is part of being alive, creative, responsive, human. The goal isn’t to freeze a space in time like a museum — it’s to let it breathe and adapt with the person who lives there.

Design is a living language, and it’s beautiful when someone wants to repaint a room, swap out a chair, or restyle a shelf because they’ve changed. That’s not wasteful — it’s honoring who they are now.

So maybe instead of chasing timeless, the goal is designing with longevity and authenticity. Choosing what feels good now and has space to evolve with you. That feels more real, more human.