Forget Trends – Whoever I Am Designing for, the Goal Is Always to Design a Home That Could Never Belong to Anyone Else
I don't design for trends, I design for people
One of the questions I am asked most often is, 'What trends are you seeing right now?'.
The truth is that interior design trends are one of the least important considerations in my work. While they often reflect broader shifts in culture, fashion, and the way we live, I have never believed a home should be designed around what happens to be popular at a particular moment. I start with people.
The homes that resonate most deeply are built around personality, lifestyle, memories, collections, and aspirations. They reflect the people who live there, not the moment in which they were designed.
One project that immediately comes to mind belongs to a client with a lifelong fascination with Marilyn Monroe.
Over the years, she has assembled an extraordinary collection of photographs, memorabilia, and artifacts connected to the actress.
Rather than treating the collection as something to display after the design was complete, we made it part of the design conversation from the very beginning.
The home's entryway creates a sense of anticipation before revealing a dining room anchored by a striking portrait of Marilyn and black-and-white photography from the collection.
The raspberry velvet chairs, dramatic lighting, and graphic black-and-white floor treatment were chosen because they reflected the glamor and confidence that drew the homeowner to Marilyn in the first place. The room feels personal because it was inspired by her passions, not a trend report
When a room reflects someone's personality, it naturally becomes more interesting than one assembled from a list of current trends.
This is why I believe we are moving away from the era of perfectly coordinated interiors. For years, many luxury homes followed a formula of coordinated finishes, carefully controlled palettes, and furnishings selected to create a seamless look. While beautiful, those spaces could sometimes feel interchangeable. Today, clients increasingly want homes that tell a more personal story.
One of my favorite recent projects illustrates this perfectly. At first glance, the living room feels calm and sophisticated, with soft neutral upholstery, dark wood beams, and a restrained palette. And then your eye lands on a large-scale artwork featuring vivid pinks and dramatic contrasts. That piece wasn't chosen because it was fashionable. It was chosen because it spoke to the homeowners. It introduces energy, personality, and a sense of individuality that no trend forecast could ever deliver.
One of my favorite details in a recently completed home is hidden in plain sight. An intricately carved antique door functions as both artwork and entrance to a concealed wine room.
Its craftsmanship and history create a sense of discovery that no newly manufactured element could replicate. Moments like these make a home memorable because they reveal something about the people who live there.
Timeless design does not have to be neutral. Some of the most enduring rooms I've created are among the boldest: an oxblood velvet library with a dramatic ceiling treatment, or a room wrapped in dark walls and metallic details that feels cinematic and enveloping.
Neither was designed to fit a trend cycle. Both were designed around the people who use them.
The irony is that when you stop chasing trends, your work often feels relevant for longer. Colors, materials, and aesthetics inevitably cycle in and out of fashion, but homes that genuinely reflect their owners rarely feel dated in the same way.
Whether I am designing for an art collector, a passionate entertainer, or a family creating new memories, the goal is always the same: to create a home that could never belong to anyone else.
That, to me, is the foundation of timeless design.
