Historically, people have filled their homes with an assortment of objects that are both practical and personal: vinyl records, CDs, DVDs, books and photo albums. Today, as most of these taste signifiers have come to be consumed and stored digitally, more fluid, temporary interior design objects have swept in to fill the gap. Depending on your tastes, these might include rose-gold pineapples, drink trolleys, a bust sculpture, tiny vases or display trays—objects that don’t reveal personal preferences but rather convey identity based on in-group status. They’re objects that say, I’m in on the trend, while also, crucially, being swappable, as both trends and personal desires change. 

“There’s something interesting about the home being a space you actively ‘edit,’ with chan...