Sometimes this blog is just a place for me to rant, and this is one of those times. So strap in! I’m going to say something controversial, and I hope you don’t all run for the hills. 

 

I love wall-to-wall carpet. 

 

Yes, old-school, ultra-plush, hard-to-clean, wall-to-wall carpet! It’s soft underfoot, quiets a room, and cocoons you in comfort. It feels luxurious in a way that hardwood or marble tile just can’t.  So there, I’ve said it. My dirty secret is out. 

 

To no one’s surprise, most of my Austin interior design clients don’t rush at my suggestion to carpet their homes. (Some are on my side.) But why do so many people hate it? Maintenance. 

 

We’re living in an age obsessed with easy-to-clean, low-maintenance finishes. Americans, especially, treat cleanliness like a religion, and a very boring one at that. Somewhere along the way, design stopped being about beauty, comfort, and joy, and started being about how fast you can wipe down a countertop. How dull. 

 

My advice on how to design an easy-to-clean home? Don’t even bother. 

 

America’s Drab Obsession with Cleanliness

So, when did our country’s obsession with cleanliness begin? Well, you might be surprised (or not) to learn that the Industry of Clean was born from war. During the Civil War, the Sanitary Commission proved that soap and water could reduce the spread of disease and military mortality. By the end of the war, cleanliness was cemented as an American virtue. 

 

Soap became a commodity and grew as an industry alongside the rise of advertising. As culture began to shift in the early 20th century, Americans developed a growing sense of anxiety as many transitioned from farm to city life. Advertisers saw a marketing opportunity for a sale. Living in the city meant you had to make yourself presentable. It wasn’t enough to wash up. You also had to wear deodorant, have fresh breath, and, of course, keep a spick and span apartment. To fall short was simply un-American. 

 

The Low-Maintenance Home is a Killjoy

Of course, the American obsession with cleanliness has only continued to grow, so much so that cleanliness is a conversation point! Discussing the value of easy-to-clean finishes or the latest housekeeping hack can be quite boring. It instantly brings down the conversation. It’s like bringing up the subject of dieting at a restaurant. Can’t we just be quiet and enjoy the food? It is off-putting to say the least. 

 

The chase for a clean home is oppressive. It is mind-boggling to me the number of limitations people impose on themselves when it comes to design, all in the name of low maintenance. When clients say, “But how will I clean it?” I want to remind them that life is messy. Homes are meant to be lived in, not sanitized like hospital corridors. 

The obsession with low-maintenance cleaning poses absurd limitations on designs:

 

• “I can’t choose small tiles. They have too many grout lines to scrub!”
• “Decorative pillows must have zippers. How else will I machine wash them?”
• “Silk curtains? Impossible. They’re not practical to clean.”
• “Wood floors scratch too easily.”
• “Marble countertops stain and etch.”
• “We need to rip out carpet! Not install more.”

At what point did beauty and joy take a backseat to chores?

 

Design is Not a Housekeeping Strategy

Don’t design a house to clean. Design a house to live in. 

 

• Install the tile you love and stop worrying about perfect stainless grout.
• Get the fancy pillows that can’t go in the wash, and just clean them once a year with your upholstery. (By the way, what the hell are you doing to your throw pillows that they need to be baptized in the washing machine once a month, anyway?) 
• Silk curtains? Why not! They shimmer in the light, sing in the breeze, and outlast polyester knock-offs any day.
• Scratches on wood floors are not sins. They’re proof of life.
• Put in the marble and let it etch. Those rings tell the story of dinner parties, baked lemon tarts, and late-night cocktails. 
• Carpet your bedroom and sleep like you have been returned to the womb! 

 

It’s ok, I give you permission to be messy. 

 

Live a Little (and Let Your Home Live, Too)

Carpet can be replaced. Wood floors can be refinished. Grout can be steam-cleaned. But you don’t get a second chance at joy. When we design only for maintenance, we design the life right out of our homes. Perfection is not the absence of wear. It’s the presence of beauty, comfort, and memory. Your home should tell your story, not advertise your cleaning habits.

 

And just as a little reminder, the materials you install in your home are supposed to wear. And often, they wear beautifully. Like our own bodies, we pick up wrinkles and scars, but we mature with wisdom and perspective. (And we may even learn to enjoy life more as we go along.) Let your home age, too.

 

Life is messy, and that’s where the beauty lies.