december 2025

Goodbye Beige: Why Unique Is the New Luxury

A few months ago I attended a presentation during which industry research was shared and the results were validating, to say the least.

A lifelong storyteller, I started Scheer & Co. to tell visual, liveable stories manifested in three dimensions. It’s the narrative that drives our work -- the character of our clients, their favorite memories, their daily routines, how they unwind, uncovering what they want to feel when they step into their homes. That’s not how everyone designs, and it's not the approach everyone hires designers for, so, to be frank, our value has been misunderstood on more occasions than I’d like to admit.

Clients who simply want a nicer kitchen than they have now, for instance, may find our process to be too involved, too detailed, or too expensive. And they’re not wrong. While we certainly CAN design a better kitchen than you have now (and you will love it!) our special sauce lies in the process of discovery. We can certainly right-size our process when it comes to designing singular spaces like a kitchen, a bathroom, or a bedroom (and we do!) but, overall, the journey looks the same. See how we begin our projects here!

It takes a special kind of person, looking for a special kind of service and a very special outcome, that places a high value on that approach. It takes longer, costs more and, sometimes, requires a little suspension of disbelief. But does it ever pay off!

So, you can imagine how uninspiring and disheartening the “beige-ification” of design has been for me and my fragile design psyche. Designing from social media and real estate listings, or using the same material over and over sure makes the game easier (and more profitable), but I didn’t get into this for easy; I got into this to tell stories.

However, the presentation I attended gave me rays of hope. The findings concluded that the meaning of luxury is shifting in significant ways.

Luxury means storytelling (I swear, their words, not mine, but I’ll take it!) People are prioritizing personality -- family, heritage, pieces from travel.

Luxury is no longer about the scale of a home but rather the pieces that go into it. The average new construction home size has decreased from 3,100 sf to 2,700 sf. This is driven, in part, by a younger generation who prefers smaller footprints with bigger impact -- beautifully detailed millwork, vintage finds, hand-crafted elements, and conversation pieces. Homeowners want to inspire guests to ask about unique pieces with conversation starters.

Luxury is elevating functionality to art. Homes have to be functional, but people don’t want to see all that function. What does this mean? Storage, for instance, can be beautiful and experiential: pantries with artful entries, cabinet doors that open to reveal not only shelving but a surprise pattern, color or finish. In older homes, or traditional architecture, homeowners want the maximized function of a contemporary home without sacrificing beauty, charm or style (I’m looking at you, stainless steel appliances).

And, music to my ears, unique is the new luxury. Perfection is no longer the ultimate goal; subtle imperfections, small-batch pieces crafted by hand are valued over mass-produced pieces, interesting arrangements and combinations

True luxury is designing for individual needs. It sounds so obvious, but I’m telling you, the number of ivory boucle living and bedroom suites, white shaker kitchens and overscaled black black and white modern farmhouses tells us individual needs were NOT the focus in recent years.

Celebrating individuality is on the rise. Dare I say it’s “trending?” That’s the kind of trend I can get behind!