But What If I Get Tired of It?

I hear this phrase all the time.

As many of you know, I took a second job at a high-end tile store. Every day I help people design beautiful homes. We talk about floors, walls, backsplashes, fireplaces, shower niches, and all the little details that turn a house into a home.

And whenever I pull out something with personality—a bold color, a unique pattern, a tile that makes a statement—I often hear the same thing:

"But what if I get tired of it?"

What if they spend twenty or thirty thousand dollars on a remodel and a few years later hate the blue? Hate the green? Hate the pattern? What if their tastes change entirely?

It's a fair question.

What's interesting is that many people respond by choosing something "safe." Beige. Gray. White.

They'll spend the same amount of money, but they'll spend it on something designed not to offend them.

And I always wonder...

Do they ever get tired of that?

Because styles change.

They always have.

The trendy gray floors of yesterday are already fading. The white subway tile that was everywhere a decade ago isn't quite as exciting today. Large-format tile is having its moment right now, while finding a tiny four-inch floor tile can feel like a scavenger hunt.

I know this firsthand.

I once had a slate fireplace that I absolutely loved. Today I have a black marble fireplace. One day, black marble will have its turn on the trend carousel too.

That's the nature of design.

Styles evolve.

Trends come and go.

The "perfect" choice today eventually becomes the choice of yesterday.

But portraits?

Portraits are different.

A family portrait doesn't become less valuable as the years pass.

It becomes more valuable.

You don't look at it ten years later and think, "Ugh, I'm tired of that."

Instead, you notice the things time has changed.

You smile at how young everyone looked.

You laugh at the hairstyles.

You remember the missing teeth, the little hands, the years before life became so busy.

You see people who are no longer here.

You remember moments you had forgotten.

The portrait doesn't lose meaning.

It gains it.

Every year.

Every memory.

Every person.

While many things in our homes depreciate in emotional value, portraits appreciate.

A tile is a design choice.

A portrait is a relationship.

A backsplash is a trend.

A portrait is a legacy.

One day you'll replace the paint color. You'll update the furniture. You'll swap out the fixtures.

But the faces of the people you love?

Those only become more precious.

So take a look around your home.

How big is your television?

How big is the portrait of the people you love most?

Are your children displayed on your walls?

Do they see themselves celebrated in the place where they live?

Do they see that they belong there?

When you look around your home, who surrounds you?

Design matters.

Beautiful spaces matter.

But don't stop at design.

Include something that never goes out of style.

Something that becomes more valuable with every passing year.

Something tangible.

Something irreplaceable.

Something worth keeping forever.