Op-Ed: What’s the biggest mistake a designer can make?

“They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but I think that’s only true for words and actions, not for where we lay our bottoms.”

By Eli Bucksbaum

Do not buy “dupe” furniture. 

I get it—you need to have Ducaroy’s Togo and Eames’s Lounge Chair. Whatever it is you decide to buy, I think you can do better. When I moved into my Los Angeles studio I began my conquest in collecting vintage and eclectic furniture. Hours of time spent on Facebook Marketplace, at flea markets, and estate sales, I was on the hunt for superb pieces that scratched that incessant itch. 

There is a thrill to looking and seeking. Whether it be in design, art, architecture or all that falls in between. The practice of looking is where design starts. 

So why not spend the most valuable asset you have—your time—on furthering your aesthetic, learning about new items, and collecting original goods made by other talented individuals.

Dupes are the easy way out—a shortcut. Enzo Mari made his designs accessible in “Autoprogettazione.” 

Enzo Mari’s “Autoprogettazione” designs were made to be reproduced

“I want it now, but can’t, so I bought a dupe,” is not an excuse I can stomach easily. 

It’s not a question of price––It’s a question of priority.

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but I think that’s only true for words and actions, not for where we lay our bottoms. 

I question the contradictory abundance that good design proposes and pity the nature of the desires bad design promotes. 

We are offered many choices in design and all duplicates do is muddy the water. 

Do yourself a favor, and build yourself a chair.

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