Stop Letting Consumerism Design Your House

Have you ever walked into a brand-new home and felt…nothing? Everything technically looks nice and new — new granite countertops, neutral paint, the open floor plan, the “curated” theme decor — but something’s missing.  That’s consumerist design doing exactly what it does best: creating sameness; lacking soul.

Consumerist design in homes is driven by profit, image, and quantity over quality.  This results in unhealthy, unsustainable, and emotionally disconnected environments.  There are so many forces pushing people towards conformity in today’s world: mass production, resale value, Pinterest boards, HOA rules, TV shows, comparison, etc.  We are constantly bombarded with messages about what a home should look like.  Guess what?  Those messages have more to do with trends and profits than people’s lives. 

And I am so over it.

In the early days of human civilization, the design elements of a shelter that would keep people safe, healthy, and happy were closely tied to survival and basic well-being: a necessary connection to nature and the land, building with the site and the sun, using natural materials, etc.  It was so simple and effective.  Modern home design has moved so far away from the essentials of well-being and the simplicity that calms us, that we’re all now living in plastic, chemical-laden boxes with our windows covered, and the constant flicker of electronic screens slowly wearing away our happiness.  As a society, we’ve lost our connection to nature, are over-exposed to toxins, and are prioritizing our image over our health and well-being. 

Something’s got to give, and I do think more people are starting to feel this way; there seems to be a shift in the air recently, and I’m here for it.

Ask yourself, what do you actually want? Your home is not a product; it is your story and should be a direct reflection of you and the natural environment in which it sits.  It should evoke emotion, create a unique experience, promote better health, both physical and mental, all by designing with the most simple and fundamental principles; in this way it can, and should, be beautiful, layered, real — just like you.

Non-conformity does not have to be scary.  It can be deeply personal, freeing, and satisfying.  If you were to forget resale value or that mass-produced boxes even exist for a minute, what would your home look like?  What if it was designed for the way you live, with a kitchen built for how you cook, and not how the magazines tell you it should look?  What if you built with the land and didn’t level it to build something forced? What if you designed for an emotional experience where the sun shines in just right, and your material choices connect you back to nature?  You know what you’d get?  You’d get a home that’s deeply personal, soulful, story-rich, and warm.  

Now more than ever, there’s a need for our homes to feel alive and inviting; they need to center us, creating a sense of comfort and belonging. Our homes should be more than just a physical structure we enter and exit each day.

If you’re tired of following rules that don’t serve you, I’m here to help you break them — in a beautiful way.

If you’re starting to feel the itch for something different, something more real and more you, you’re not alone.  I’d love to help you design a home that doesn’t look like anyone else’s — because it shouldn’t.