The Rise of the Anti-Algorithm Interior — Why We're Rejecting Predictability for Adventurous, More Personal Homes

Every Monday morning, my cellphone pings with a notification: your average screen time is xx hours, xx minutes. As if this figure — which I can't bring myself to share — weren’t shameful enough, my phone also helpfully informs me, in percentage terms, just how much it has gone up. Almost all of those hours (and yours too, I’d bet) are spent scrolling through social media — but has this endless exposure to images and ideas, far from broadening our minds, actually dulled our taste?

For better or worse, our idea of what makes a room beautiful is directly influenced by a supercomputer in Silicon Valley. The images that attract the most engagement win, and again and again, variations on that look keep appearing until they seem like the obvious choice. Press 'like' and the repetition ramps up. Don't be too hard on yourself, though. "People are busy and, frankly, have a lot of life going on, so it's hard to find the time for a deep dive or to figure out what you actually like," says New York-based interior designer Darren Jett. "The problem is that a machine is telling us what's tasteful, what's good, and what's right."

When our frame of reference is our smartphone, everything runs the risk of becoming standardized — and who wants to live in a space that could belong to just about anyone? By rejecting the safe option and swearing off the predictability of design trends, interior designers are fighting back.

Rooms Should Feel ‘Individual’

Less about minimalism versus maximalism, or decorating with colors and patterns that seemingly buck a trend, the anti-algorithm interior has something idiosyncratic about it. Speaking with industry leaders, 'individuality' was their constant refrain. There’s an appetite for homes that break the mold and take risks, yes, but only if they skip a paint-by-numbers approach to eclecticism.

As we all consume the same content and encounter similar types of spaces, though, distinguishing our own taste from what we’ve seen online becomes increasingly difficult — and so much more important. "People might think they're educating themselves by being on these apps and following lots of influencers," interior designer Leah Ring, who helms the Los Angeles-based studio Another Human, tells me. "In reality, this is just creating a homogenized look."

"People, whether they realize it or not, are starting to copy other people," says Leah. "This completely misses the point of what interior design should be about, which is reflecting your own life and personality."

The most successful spaces, then, are deeply personal. "You either walk into a room and feel something, or you don't," says Darren Jett, whose New York studio, Jett Projects, thrives on creating a sense of visual tension.

"To get the pulse quickening, there needs to be a point of view," he adds. "There has to be a sort of originality; a jumping-off point that spurs the imagination."

In a recent project for clients with Indian heritage, the interior designer upholstered a sculptural sofa using saris that had been given to the couple as a gift, and translated henna patterns from their wedding ceremony into wall decoration.

"We kept going and going with all of our ideas, but in the end it was all about telling their story," says Darren. "They point to pieces in their room, and they have a real connection to them. As a rule of thumb, I always look backwards and then forwards. I never look left or right."

Rely on Your Intuition

Terms like 'layered' appear regularly in design journalism, but there's always a danger that eclecticism veers into saccharine pastiche. Rather than creating a space that feels like it belongs to three different characters, you want it to feel like it actually reflects you and your own history.

"If you can't find an image that represents what you're trying to do, then that's usually a sign you're onto something really good," says Scott Maddux, a London-based interior designer who regularly juxtaposes different eras and styles to great effect.

Patience, he tells me, is a virtue. "When you’re furnishing a room, leaving space for serendipity is very important. Don't make all the decisions at once," he adds.

Some of Scott's favorite spaces are the ones that ended up surprising him most, where he's worked in tandem with a client to find pieces that bring everything together. "Oscillating between old and new always works, whether that’s discovering an artwork at a fair or going antique shopping in Paris," he says. "Suddenly, you’re giving a space its own narrative."

Scott Maddux

After fifteen years working collaboratively at the head of Maddux Studio, Scott set up his own design firm in 2025. Known for taking a joint approach with clients, he creates spaces that feel individual and irreplicable.

Broaden your vision by stepping away from the scroll and looking at the world through a wider cultural lens. Zero in on real-life details, pore over print magazines, obsess over set design, and look at exhibitions without placing a smartphone between you and the artwork — you'll gain confidence in your own instincts.

What is it about these things that you like? Which colors keep cropping up, which patterns seem to fit your style, and which shapes could translate to your space? Go from there — discovering and then honing your own sense of taste is an essential first step.

"Designers are constantly seeking different references, researching different periods and looking at the work of different artists," explains Melena Dirou from landmark Australian studio Greg Natale. "Fashion, art, and graphic design are hugely influential to our interiors, and when you weave in pieces reflecting these subjects, whether you’ve collected them over time or from different places, you’re avoiding tunnel vision and doing something an algorithm never could."

"It might be an individual trinket or even a record collection that becomes your reference point, but all the elements in your room will work much more successfully if they are authentic," says Melena. "Honor your taste in all the details."

Contrast Is an Art, Not a Science

A room packed with meaningful pieces and interesting objects isn’t automatically beautiful, though. "You have to know when to stand back, observe, and edit," says Melena. "You want your home to be a representation of you, but you don’t want it to feel anything like a museum."

To that end, a little friction is key. Contrast can come from furnishing your home with pieces from different eras, using an unexpected combination of textures and materials, or decorating with colors that don’t instinctively go together. "Even so, you want a dialogue between everything in your space," explains Tom Bartlett, founder of Waldo Studio.

"Look at the properties of different objects — rough, smooth, shiny, fancy, basic — and when the mix feels right, you've got your backbone," says Tom. "Although to some it might seem puckishly discordant, to us it’s all about finding balance."

The best spaces tend to combine this sense of restraint and contrast — they juxtapose and clash in a way that feels unpredictable but looks completely right. "You have to design with conviction," suggests Another Human’s Leah Ring. "The worst thing is to waver, as the half-step is where everything starts to go wrong."

Leah Ring

Leah works with custom furnishings, vintage pieces, and individual makers to craft spaces that disrupt any sense of predictability. With her instinctive approach to layering and decoration, Another Human has won fans across the United States and beyond.

Anti-algorithm interiors don’t eschew social media trends just for the sake of it. Interior designers have always been arbiters of style, so it makes sense that this role becomes even more important when we are collectively bombarded with inspiration from every corner. The very concept of 'taste' has become key.

This movement is less about rejecting the popular and more about embracing the genuinely authentic — put simply, the parameters of a well-designed home aren’t formulaic. "If you like it personally, and you’ve never seen it before, then great," concludes Leah. "Don’t worry about what other people are doing."

You can read the rest of our Style Pulse trend report online, now.