A Trend Isn't Your Identity – Create Spaces That Reflect Your Life Instead of Someone Else's Algorithm
I don't design around trends – I design around longevity, but that doesn't mean 'safe' or 'boring'
There is a curious contradiction at the heart of interior design.
We spend years creating homes that are intended to last for decades, yet we consume design through an endless cycle of interior design trends that refresh every few months. One season we're told that curved furniture is the future; the next it's chrome, then burgundy, then butter yellow. The algorithms move quickly. Homes, thankfully, do not.
As designers, we're often asked whether something is 'on trend.' It's a question I've never been particularly comfortable answering, because the implication is that our homes should somehow keep pace with fashion. But a home isn't a seasonal wardrobe. It should become richer with time, not feel outdated because a color has fallen out of favor on social media.
I often say that I don't design around trends – I design around longevity. That doesn't mean a home should feel traditional or predictable. Quite the opposite. The most memorable interiors often feel incredibly current when they're completed, but years later they remain just as compelling because they were never chasing a particular moment to begin with.
Timelessness is frequently misunderstood. People imagine it means safe. Beige. Minimal. Perhaps even a little boring. Timelessness has very little to do with aesthetic style and everything to do with intention.
A timeless room isn't defined by the color on the walls or whether the sofa has rounded edges. It's created through proportion, quality, materials, craftsmanship and the emotional response a space evokes. Those things don't age because they were never dependent on fashion.
Think about the houses we continue to admire over decades – or even centuries – after they were built. We aren't drawn to them because they reflected the trends of their era. We admire them because they possess qualities that transcend them – beautiful light, generous proportions, natural materials, thoughtful detailing, and an authenticity that can't be manufactured. Those principles haven't changed, even if our Pinterest boards have.
When I begin designing a project, I rarely start by thinking about colors or furniture. I think about architecture first.
How does the light move through the home? How will someone experience the space throughout the day? What should feel calm? Where should there be intimacy? Which materials will improve rather than deteriorate with age?
These questions have far greater influence over the success of a home than whether travertine or walnut happen to be enjoying a resurgence.
"The most memorable homes feel incredibly current when they're completed, but years later they remain just as compelling. Why? Because they were never chasing a moment"
Natural materials are perhaps the greatest lesson in timeless design. Stone develops character. Timber acquires patina. Linen softens with use. Brass wears in rather than wearing out. Their imperfections become part of the story of a home rather than flaws to disguise.
Contrast that with materials that rely on perfection. High gloss surfaces show every scratch. Synthetic finishes often look the same on day one as they do on day one thousand – except they're simply more damaged. They rarely become more beautiful.
I've always believed that a well-designed home should age in the same way people do – with character rather than perfection. That's one of the reasons I find trend cycles so fascinating. They encourage us to think that design is disposable, when the reality is that good interiors become more personal over time.
The homes I love most are never completely finished. They accumulate books collected on travels, antique vessels discovered at flea markets, artwork that wasn't purchased all at once, furniture inherited from family, objects with stories attached to them.
None of these acquisitions were made because they were trending. They were chosen because they meant something. Ironically, these are often the homes that end up feeling the most individual.
Of course, that isn't to say trends have no value. Trends can be incredibly useful. They reveal shifts in culture, new technologies, evolving lifestyles, and changing tastes. They introduce us to materials or crafts we may never have considered otherwise. The problem arises when we mistake a trend for an identity.
Instead of asking, 'Is this fashionable?' I think the better question is, 'Will I still love living with this in 10 years?' and this is the question I ask myself repeatedly throughout the design process. If the answer is "yes," then it doesn't matter whether it happens to be fashionable today.
Some of the strongest interiors quietly acknowledge trends without being defined by them. A contemporary silhouette might sit beside a centuries-old dining table. A modern light fitting may hang above reclaimed oak flooring. There is conversation between past and present rather than complete allegiance to one moment in time. That balance creates homes with depth.
Designing for longevity is, in many ways, the most sustainable decision we can make.
If a kitchen remains beautiful 25 years after it was installed, it is infinitely more sustainable than replacing it every seven years because tastes have shifted. If upholstery improves with age instead of requiring replacement, we reduce waste without sacrificing beauty.
Perhaps that's why I've never believed that timelessness means resisting change. Homes should evolve alongside the people who inhabit them. Layers are added, furniture moves, artwork changes, collections grow. Evolution is healthy.
But the foundation should remain strong enough that these changes feel like chapters in a story rather than complete rewrites.
When clients ask me what makes a home timeless, my answer is always surprisingly simple. Choose materials that improve with age. Prioritise proportion over decoration. Buy fewer things but buy them well. Collect rather than consume. And create spaces that reflect your life instead of someone else's algorithm.
Because trends inevitably come full circle. A home designed with authenticity never has to.
Interior designer Katie Harbison is one of Homes & Gardens' Editors-At-Large for By Design, where she shares her thoughts on decor. See the rest of her articles here.
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