Posts tagged 'Timeless Design'

Founding father and renowned penny-pincher Ben knew what was up 250 years ago when he said: “The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.” Interior designer Tiffany Cassidy updates that axiom for anyone buying furniture in the 21st Century like so: “The thing about fast furniture is you get what you get and you don’t get upset.” Caveat emptor — let the buyer beware — was coined for products exactly like fast furniture. There is a hidden price to pay for lower-cost flash, especially when we’re talking about items you live with, interact with and rely on every day. 

America is throwing away furniture at a disturbing clip. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 12 million tons, 450% more per year than in 1960, now finds its way into landfills. 

The problem accelerated with the arrival of Covid. That event seemed to trigger consumers’ willingness to make larger purchases online, leading to a rapid rise in “fast furniture” — relatively inexpensive, trendy, made from substandard materials and designed to catch your eye, last for a year or two and then fall apart so you must buy again. It has given a whole new meaning to “one nightstand.”

Want a dresser shaped like a milk carton? With hardware that looks like it came off a barn door? If you’re in the market for something wildly faddish you can find it. Just not at Gat Creek. 

“Our design emphasis has been on the beauty of the wood rather than some carving or adornments," Gat Caperton said. "The things we tend to love the most are traditional in overall form but made more contemporary by simplifying.”

In the language of interior designers, Gat Creek’s look is “timeless,” said Katy Anderson, whose boutique design firm serves clients in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia. She specializes in creating elegant, functional spaces that are practical and highly fashionable.