Is “Luxury” A Worn Out Word?

The word ‘luxury’ seems inescapable in marketing. If a thing is any good, someone is trying somehow to associate it with luxury or luxury living.

Brands attach celebrities to sell products, ideas, experiences. Celebrities represent the soft life; primped, preened, elegant. This is the life we all long to live. By association you can be seen similarly; the same way you can look cool hanging out with your children. That works. 🙂 Be it through your car, watch, hand-bag, holiday or sunglasses; you can join the club.

But ‘luxury’ is really just a short-hand for rich, neither good taste nor good design necessarily. In fact, often it is the opposite. Luxury in terms of design often means simply gaudy, and usually gold-plated. Take the ugliest table, chair or anything – a toilet for example, wrap it in 18k gold, suddenly you are living the life of a king.

Watch Michael Jackson give a lesson in good-taste. Note his comments on the faux-finished ceiling, “Are you kidding?”

Has the word ‘luxury’ become or is it becoming a worn out cliche when used in marketing?

Give us your opinion.

Is there a word you find overused in Interior Design?

 

– From the half-serious department at Reflecting Design.