Theodore Roosevelt is quoted as saying “Comparison is the thief of Joy”.  What can be worse than being robbed of joy? With today’s obsession with Social Media, I believe that this can be applied to many aspects of our lives. And I wondered if it can also be applied to Interior Design. Many times we talk about trends and a certain look when it comes to interiors. “This look is in” or “That color palette is hot right now”.  But does comparing colors and trends rob us of the joy of being happy and grateful with our own individual spaces? I think that it does. Design has evolved from a very personal platform, to one that has become homogenized. When I began my career, people who could afford Interior Designers hired us because they knew that each piece we selected would be custom made for them. They relished the wait for a hand-carved chair in a custom finish because they knew no one else would have that exact chair. They were proud of the fact that it took nine months to weave a custom rug, because it was unique and beautiful and their best friend wouldn’t have the same one. But in today’s world of instant gratification, the “art” of design has been replaced with a world where many no longer value individuality and do not care if their neighbor has the same production-made sofa.  This thought process is evident in the same “looks” that we constantly see repeated in post after post, magazine after magazine. We have begun to devolve from custom to common. Thus, the “joy” of individually designed spaces has been “stolen” by the need to fit in with the masses.  I say, embrace your individuality and don’t fall victim to this “thief”.