That 'New Home Smell' Isn't a Good Thing — This Wellness-Inspired Designer Explains Why Choosing Antiques Is Good for You

As you know, Livingetc has always been laser-focused on modern interiors. But in 2026, even the most contemporary designers are finding ways to fold antiques into spaces, adding character, storytelling, and a touch of lived-in charm. And it seems there may be more reasons to borrow from the past, aside from aesthetics.

Interior designer and wellness expert Lisa Sternfeld — who founded WLLW Studio to empower people to create spaces that nurture both their health and lifestyle — says environmental wellness is more connected to heritage design than anything like clinical minimalism. "My son developed severe respiratory issues, and in trying to understand it, I started looking more closely at our home," she tells me. "That shifted everything, and my work became as much about how a space supports the body as how it appears."

"Heritage design is what environmental wellness looked like long before we had a name for it."

Lisa Sternfeld

So, how can design and collecting antiques promote wellness? "Heritage design is what environmental wellness looked like long before we had a name for it," she says. "Materials are used more as they are: solid wood, natural fibers, and mineral finishes made by hand and built to last. The people who made them understood them over generations: how wood moves, how wool breathes, and how finishes weather. That knowledge is part of what you inherit when you bring an antique piece into a home; an approach that naturally aligns with environmental wellness."

Lisa Sternfeld's approach is timely. Many contemporary materials are engineered for high performance and efficiency, which means adhesives, coatings, and treatments are inadvertently becoming part of our interiors.

"When people describe that ‘new home smell,’ it’s actually these materials off-gassing as they settle," she explains. "Upholstered furniture often contains polyurethane foam, for example." Some paints release Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), and materials such as particleboard, MDF, lacquers, and glues can release toxic chemicals into the air.

Earlier pieces — now classified as vintage or antiques — were typically made with a simple solid timber frame and natural fillings, such as horsehair for structure, layered with cotton, wool, or feather down. "Unlike modern foam, heritage fillings allow air to circulate," Lisa explains.

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That 'New Home Smell' Isn't a Good Thing — This Wellness-Inspired Designer Explains Why Choosing Antiques Is Good for You