Georgina Wilson Reveals Five Instagram Design Myths That Could Be Ruining Your Home

Instagram may be full of dreamy interiors, but architect Georgina Wilson says what works on social media doesn’t always translate to real life.

As one of Australia’s most-followed architects, Wilson has seen first-hand how influencer-led design shapes—and sometimes sabotages—our homes.

From impractical layouts to fast-fashion finishes, here are five biggest myths she’s busting.

1. Form Over Function

That statement pendant light might rake in likes, but can you actually open your kitchen drawers?

Many influencer-inspired designs prioritise visual drama over practicality, sacrificing comfort, efficiency and long-term usability in the process.

2. Set Design, Not Home Design

Fluted cabinetry, curved walls, oversized arches—they look great in a styled shot but aren’t always built to last.

Wilson warns that these trends are often “set pieces,” designed for impact rather than daily living.

3. The DIY Myth

With time-lapses and tutorials galore, influencers make renovations look deceptively easy.

But Wilson says DIY often results in costly missteps: “Designing a great space requires experience, technical skill and planning—there are no shortcuts.”

4. Trends Over Timelessness

What’s hot today will feel tired tomorrow. Chasing viral aesthetics can lead to expensive regrets, especially if it means compromising on layout, materials, or functionality.

“Good design should outlast any algorithm,” says Wilson.

5. Influencer Projects Are Often Free – Yours Won’t Be

Wilson points out a crucial reality: most influencer renovations are heavily subsidised by brand partnerships.

Homeowners, meanwhile, foot the full bill—sometimes for design choices that don’t serve them long-term.

Social media is a powerful source of inspiration, but Wilson urges homeowners to think beyond the grid.

“A truly great home isn’t built for the ‘after’ photo,” she says. “It’s built to be lived in—comfortably, beautifully, every day.”

Product launches used to mean a store window and a press release. MAISON de SABRÉ has other ideas.

The Australian-born luxury house, founded in 2017 by brothers Omar and Zane Sabré, has opened a four-day Floral Atelier in the heart of New York City, transforming a stretch of Manhattan into what it calls an “overgrown botanical landscape” of craftsmanship, floristry, hospitality and music.

It’s the brand’s most ambitious physical activation to date, and the setting for the launch of its new Bloom Collection.

At the centre of the collection are three new SABRÉMOJI flower charms, named Wild Daisy, Sunflower and Cherry Blossom, each made entirely from upcycled leather offcuts and finished with ultrasonic embossing and embroidery.

There’s also the Floral Twist Handle, arguably the house’s most technically demanding piece yet, which takes 36 individual hand-tied knots to form six leather flowers, plus another ten structural knots that let it convert from a hand-carry to a shoulder strap.

A new Floral Wristlet debuts a leather-knotting technique developed specifically for the collection.

Between them, the pieces bring the brand’s product ecosystem to more than 10,000 possible styling combinations, all built from what would otherwise be manufacturing waste.

“Bloom is the latest evolution in the MAISON de SABRÉ product ecosystem, reimagining the handbag as a living canvas,” said co-founder and creative director Omar Sabré. He points to the smaller pieces as proof of intent rather than afterthought: “The smallest products demand extraordinary precision.”

It’s a strategy with numbers behind it.

The brand’s connected styling platform, of which Bloom is the latest chapter, has helped push MAISON de SABRÉ past $100 million in annual revenue and lifted average order value by 45 per cent, evidence that designing products to be added to and reinterpreted has become a genuine commercial engine rather than a marketing line.

The SABRÉMOJI charm platform alone has sold more than 500,000 units globally, with sold-out collaborations including Pokémon, Hello Kitty and Mr Men Little Miss.

For co-founder and managing director Zane Sabré, the Atelier is really about where the relationship with a customer begins.

“Retail is no longer just about selling products; there’s been a structural shift toward experience and participation,” he said.

“With Bloom, we wanted to create an environment where clients can experience our craft, understand our styling system and explore what is possible before they think about making a purchase.”

The Floral Atelier runs from July 3-26 in New York. The Bloom Collection launched globally today at maisondesabre.com, before rolling out to stockists including Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Net-a-Porter’s FWRD, Revolve, Farfetch, Le Bon Marché and Ounass.