Why interior design has an excess problem
And what we can do about it - especially in hospitality.
Step into any hotel during a renovation, and it’s the same story.
Rooms stripped bare. Furniture stacked in hallways, waiting for a one-way trip to the dumpster. Curtains, chairs, lighting, tiles — all torn out, often still perfectly functional. Why? Because the new concept demands new everything.
This is the design industry’s quiet crisis: We don’t just have a waste problem - we have an excess problem.
Not just too much stuff, but too many default choices. Too much pressure to go new. Too little imagination for what already exists.
What’s really being lost?
In every renovation, there are:
Materials with miles left in them
Furniture with timeless structure but outdated fabric
Stories, textures and histories that could anchor a guest experience - if we gave them a second chance
Instead, we design like everything starts from zero. But it doesn’t.
It’s time to rethink what we build with - and from.
As the founder of May Again, I work at the intersection of interior design, curation, and upcycled beauty. My mission? To turn excess into impact - by reclaiming high-quality materials from hotel renovations, production leftovers and even other industries.
This isn’t about patchwork solutions. It’s about high-end, context-driven design that begins with what already exists and ends with something that tells a better story.
What could this look like?
A lobby sofa reimagined with reclaimed textiles from a Belgian fashion house
Acoustic panels made from waste felt, designed to match the brand’s identity
Custom furniture created with wood left over from another hotel’s fit-out
Unique spaces built around curated excess, not catalogue copies
Interior designers and hotel owners:
If you’re planning a renovation, pause before you order from scratch. There’s a different path — one that saves material, adds character, and sparks real design innovation.
Because sustainablility isn't always about less - sometimes, it's about using what's already more than enough.
👉 Curious how excess could become your creative advantage? Let’s talk — or discover how we’re bringing new life to discarded beauty at May Again.
Header image made with Midjourney
