Luxury vs. Longevity: Should Good Design Be for Everyone?

Rethinking Affordability, Craft, and the Meaning of Value

Luxury is often viewed as exclusive—priced high, kept rare, accessible to a select few. Objects sometimes appear behind glass in galleries or in homes where cost is no barrier. A different perspective sees luxury not as price or scarcity, but as lasting quality: an object designed to endure, to be used, and to be cherished. This idea feels increasingly relevant. Should good design be available to all, or does its luxurious reputation rely on remaining beyond reach?

The Illusion of Affordability

Mass production once promised good design for everyone by delivering more for less in the name of accessibility. This ideal often unravelled in practice. Cheapness did not raise design standards across more households; it introduced disposable items, fragile construction, and fleeting trends.

A low-cost chair may serve its purpose for a short time. Its construction, driven by efficiency and cost rather than endurance, eventually wobbles, cracks, or simply falls out of favour. Repair is uncommon, and replacement becomes the norm.

This cycle has consequences: wasted resources, a lack of attachment, and homes filled with items that remain only until convenience fades. Luxury has historically offered an alternative through durability, artisanal skill, and a perception that scarcity equals worth. Rarity alone does not always deliver true value.

Are Good Design and Luxury Always Linked?

Good design is frequently associated with luxury. Does that mean the two are inseparable? A well-made object that endures in both form and function can appear luxurious simply because it stands apart from disposable alternatives. At its core, good design emphasises thoughtfulness, usability, and material integrity.

Luxury has traditionally centred on status, exclusivity, and price. Good design has focused on enhancing everyday life—through comfort, efficiency, or visual harmony. Both share an emphasis on quality. High-end objects often gain prestige by prioritising longevity and experience, while accessible design can still feel luxurious when it remains valuable over time.

A narrow view of luxury positions good design as a distant aspiration rather than a daily reality. Broadening the idea of luxury to embrace meaningful, enduring design invites us to make it more widely available.

A Different Vision of Luxury

Luxury can be defined by longevity, with a focus on quality, taste, and the experience of living with objects that gather meaning over time. This approach does not fade with trends or rely on status for its own sake. It fosters deeper connections with objects that reward attention, improve with use, and feel purposeful rather than excessive.

A well-maintained bicycle, a favourite armchair reupholstered in a rich fabric, the pleasure of borrowed books on a quiet morning, or receiving an artwork from a friend’s sold-out show—these are everyday luxuries that derive from genuine appreciation. This kind of luxury involves thoughtful choices, an investment in lasting pieces, and a home enriched by objects that genuinely enhance daily life.

Making Longevity Accessible

Luxurious design that inspires lasting enjoyment can retain its integrity while finding its way into more homes. Several approaches support this goal:

• Small-Batch Production – Focus on limited runs with careful material selection, rather than chasing mass-market scale.

• Design for Repair – Create pieces that can be restored, refinished, or adapted, rather than thrown away at the first sign of wear.

• Material Honesty – Use materials that embrace the signs of age as part of their character, instead of erasing them.

• Collaborations – Partner with designers to highlight craftsmanship, share stories, and sustain small-scale production.

These methods shift the discussion from cost to value, from trend to permanence. They confirm that good design need not be exclusive or compromised.

Luxury as a Commitment, Not a Commodity

True luxury is never an impulsive purchase. It represents a commitment to preserving, caring for, and viewing objects as enduring companions.

This view measures luxury by what is hardest to part with. A chair that moulds to its owner, a ceramic vessel that carries memories from years of use, a woven textile that softens and adapts over time—these items become an inseparable part of a space and its story.

This perspective defines luxury not by price or scarcity, but by how well something integrates into daily life, how it evolves alongside its owner, and how it earns its place over time. Irreplaceability is the ultimate mark of true luxury.

Article by Ollee Means

Image by Mik Bakker