Hutton Wilkinson: Live Lavishly in a One-Room Apartment if You Have To – But Live Lavishly

Hutton Wilkinson, interior designer, jewelry maker, and the CEO of Tony Duquette, Inc. gives his advice on how to live lavishly, using smoke, mirrors, and the occasional priceless item if you’ve got it.

[Pondapple]

Lavish, to me, also means outrageous. Here in South Florida 20-30 years ago a man who lived in an old trailer, passed away. His neighbors say he pretty much kept to himself. So when seeing the inside of the trailer, they were astonished. He had glued plastic things to the walls and ceilings, nearly every surface and then painted it all light seafoam green. Things like disposable plastic spoons, etc. Call it Folk Art. He amused himself and that's what counts. I don't think it was salvageable.

[davidcattin]

People really ARE afraid to express themselves. Here in small-town Indiana, social proof is strong. You don't DARE be unique because that's unusual, and then you aren't like everyone else, and so there must be something WRONG with you. Godforbid!!!

[patriciasalem]

I grew up in the '60s and '70s, and I miss the characters and greater freedom of expression too. New York City, for example, has become a playground for the ultra wealthy, full of vloggers and young women trying to recreate Sex and the City, rather than the crazy patchwork of one-of-a-kind villages it used to be.

I believe there are a couple of reasons why this change has happened in the US. One is the corporatization of America. Everything is owned by mega companies. They make all the stores and restaurants look the same and squeeze out all the mom and pop businesses. Slowly, they've made people believe that they need to be like everyone else, just like when you travel, every mall looks the same. It creates a nowhereness and robs people and places of their identity. And it's contributed to the dissolution of the middle class, with wealth gaps rivaling third world countries.

The second factor is social media. Rather than encouraging individuality, it has reinforced the former concept. Everyone wants to look and live like influencers. We have increasing celebrity worship too, which takes people out of their own lives and makes them live vicariously through famous people.

It doesn't help that we have less art taught in our schools now and that we are seeing a rise in cult thinking in politics that is spilling over into governing how people are allowed to live. College costs so much that kids are no longer studying what they want and going to school simply to make money and survive when they get out. It's all trickle-down economics, but not in the way people were (mis)led to think it would work.

[TheLearningLounge]

So many people are preoccupied with just finding an affordable roof over their heads, and providing food to put in their fridges, there isn't a lot of spare time or money to indulge in flights of fancy. Sadly this is the reality of the day. Instead of trying to help their community make things better, people like this, and there are thousands, are glorifying their own way of life, in their own little bubbles.

[Thomas-fuvp]

Tony Duquette bought, decorated & paid for that house.

[PATCARSON-lv]

I could not live here at all. I don't get it??