Praise for Older Designers
UK interior designer Lyndall Fernie observed, “I feel that the older you are the more life experience you have and the better a designer you will be.”
Irwin Weiner - Society is slowly recognizing systemic problems with race, sexual orientation, nationality, gender, and other circumstances of birth. We have a long way to go to bring about tolerance and understanding in each of these areas, and it seems we have a long way to go when it comes to politics, religion, and other beliefs. But a glaring problem that I continually see is ageism. I see a number of older designers who feel passed by due to their age, feeling less than relevant in an industry that values youth and freshness.
“Ageism: prejudice or discrimination against a particular age-group and especially the elderly”
I’m one of the youngest members of the Baby Boomer generation, but I’m still old in comparison to the huge wave of younger designers that have risen to design prominence. Younger designers look good, they dress on trend (I used to prefer designer labels before I decided it was time to go more for comfort), and they make good editorial copy in design magazines and websites. I appreciate a young designer’s updated takes on residential living. Keep those new ideas coming - we can always use more voices and opinions.
This is a chill, relaxed me of today speaking these words. But two years ago, I used to feel that age was creeping up on me and I was in danger of fading into irrelevance. I feared ageism in the industry. I feared losing relevance and not being able to attract and retain clients. But that is no longer the case. Fine wines do age well, and I’m now more confident in my skin. Ironically, I have more clients now than I had when I was younger, even more than when I was trying harder and appearing more frequently in design media. I now have a waiting list. I can’t and don’t say yes to every new job. I enjoy the design process much more and the journey I get to share with my clients. As the design industry has become crazy-busy, I have become crazy-busy, too.
I know that not everyone who wants a designer will choose me, and for some people it might be because of an ageist orientation. I’m perfectly okay with that. Instead, I’m working with new clients of all ages who like my reputation for fair pricing, high-touch service without attitude, attention to detail, and flexibility in finding solutions that meet a client’s taste, needs, and budget. So even though the face of the interior design industry most certainly is a professional in her or his 30s, I recognize that most of my clients see “older me” as the face of the industry. Thank heavens for that - I’m really grateful to be working in a field I love, helping families create the home of their dreams.
Belgian designer/icon Axel Vervoordt said, “As I go further and get older … I realize the importance of the beauty of imperfection.”
In this post, I briefly looked at my place in the design industry through the lens of ageism. One could examine the industry through any number of points of view. Here is a great article from AD on the challenges facing black interior designers today. I like how the interviews focus on race but also from the perspectives of younger and older professionals. Bottom line: we all need to see life through the eyes of others and applaud the talent in all professionals.