I  painted the side porch last night. It's a temporary fix while I complete more urgent tasks, but I've finally tired of the previous owner's four different hues — tested in patches but never fully executed — on the pillars and railings. At least now, if everything is one color, maybe people will stop saying they noticed I started painting: No. This haphazardly placed riot of colors (nine total) on the exterior was not my doing.

Inside, on any given day I scroll through many blog and Instagram images, admiring the beautiful historic houses and picturing my own home just as lovely: simple, sound and ready to take on the next 130 years. In my mind, the house is already perfect — I can imagine what it will be — but back outside and close up, the rotted wood, alligatored paint and missing trim show a bleaker and truer image of the state of the house.

To some, the luxury industry is the same way: glossy in theory but gross underneath. Critics rail against the distastefulness of buying expensive products while other humans go without necessities; at the same time, purists mourn the era of masstige and luxury’s dilution.

Luxury can be controversial. Consumerism is gross. But true luxury brands put their customers on a pedestal and give them a product that works and an experience unlike any other. Read more in Luxury Reigns Supreme and Designing Immersive Packaging Experiences.

As a reminder, submissions to the Design Gallery (which are entered in the running for the awards as well as the December issue) are due August 31.

 Also, register for Packaging That Sells now to save $200: Curious about who attends or the topics discussed?