Living Room Design Mistakes (And How to Fix Them!)
In this video, I review some of the worst living room interior design mistakes and how to correct them. This is part of my design mistakes series, where I go room by room, discussing the mistakes that you might be making. If that interests you, check out my other videos in the playlist.
What are some other living room design mistakes you see often? If I missed one, check out my previous video or leave a comment!
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⏱ Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:32 - Seating Placement
01:49 - Rug Position
02:59 - Uncomfortable Furniture
04:12 - Disproportional Furniture And Decor
06:12 - Same Sized, Cheap, Matchy, Throw Pillows
08:28 - Not Blending In Your TV
09:56 - Not Utilizing Natural Light / Views
11:13 - Always Choosing White Paint
13:32 - Too Much Art / Hung Incorrectly
14:45 - Too Much Open Shelving
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Primary function of living room for me: comfortable sofa to curl up on and take a nap, read, enjoy view out of window.
My dream living room
Same here, on every point.
For me it's space for kiddo to run around. Then comes sofa. We do not have a coffe table.
Same
Same here. No guests. I talk to the dogs.
Maybe I’m in the minority, but I rarely host guests - my living room hosts people maybe twice a year. On a daily basis, the living room is for reading, napping or watching tv with my partner. That, plus the small size of my living room, means that orienting it towards the TV makes the most sense for us!
Same here & when not watching tv , it is behind the closed doors of a wall unit scaled to our small room size . Not " on trend " for 2023 , but suits our lifestyle & I'm quite sure neither Nick or Architectural Digest will show up to pass judgement ! 😂
Who entertains guests frequently? Only on TV...lol
imo the photo examples of the tv being blended into a gallery wall are perfect for situations like this because god what a difference they made
@@alla9916 My middle class parents " entertained " but guests always contributed , even if it was to bring the dessert , but usually potluck dinners & cookouts were always potluck . Good memories !
@@deborahshipman8888 I think if you have a close knit family, they would be over all the time. When I was younger, we used to visit my mother’s family every weekend. Like it was an event every Saturday and in the summer, one of her aunts would host a cookout and everyone brought something. I love watching these videos, but honestly, people need to design their spaces to match their lives and what they like. It’s your home and I’m sure most people don’t care about interior design trends or rules.
For me, the living room is for stretching out on the sofa with my iPad and listening to Nick throw shade on my design choices.
One of my favourite lines from Friends: Joey finds out someone doesn't own a TV. "No TV...? What's all their furniture pointing at, then?"
Then furniture placement would be a "moo point." 🐮😂
That's exactly where my brain went, too!
Ha ha ha .... gotta love Joey! 💓😎🍹
I was asked that by a co-worker back in the early nineties. My answer? "At the fire!"
As a disabled person who loves design, i absolutely love how you bring up the accessibility of certain pieces! I SO rarely see that talked about outside of spaces focused on disability
Ditto!! 🙋♀️
Can I ask an opinion? For your disability, are there styles of doors you hate? Do you have strong feelings towards sliding doors? I partially just want to hear what more people think from a practical standpoint of their own experience, and partially I happen to be in a one floor house and would rather make choices that suit more peoples needs for when I'm not living here since my city is very lacking in accessibility. The bathroom is tiny, and it seems like the door (which knocks into another door when you open it) would be better off sliding instead of swinging. We expanded the bathroom as much as we could when we moved in, but I still doubt a wheelchair could turn around in it. If the door is lockable, and not challenging to grab and move (the hideaway sliding doors have always been difficult for me, I can't imagine using one of those) then it seems like a viable option, but I haven't heard people talk about doors a whole lot
I agree! I'm a retired PT, and I used to do home assessments making recommendations on chair height, bars in bathrooms, assistive equipment, etc....and a couple years ago a friend with mobility issues came over, and I realized I didn't have a single arm chair with standard 18" floor to seat height. Embarrassing. I do have one now. Next will be adding grab bars for the toilets and shower, before we need them.
There’s a reason that 98% of all furniture has certain dimensions. We’ve figured it out over the last 10,000 years.
It took me awhile to learn, but I’m figuring out: 1) don’t just shove furniture up against the wall, use seating and a rug to define the space and 2) more important than the furniture is the absence of furniture, give yourself enough space to move through the room comfortably.
I hear the whole rule about furniture not going against the wall so many times, but so many people have small apartments. I just don’t see any other options. I would literally be blocking the flow if I pulled my out from the wall lol
@@vacuumblink2300Apartments are stifling for interior decorating and so those of us who rent don't really get a lot of helpful advice. There's maybe snippets we can take away, but most things don't apply to us. I do find this a little funny given my generation and the next (I'm a millenial) are struggling to afford a house, so the amount of people that this advice can apply to is becoming less and less 😂
I'm with those who's living room is in the 10-15 squared range. It really can't be directed at us as it would look ridiculous to have just a foot or two of space behind the couch or the couch would be in the middle of the whole room blocking everything if there were enough room to walk around it. Plus I find the back of a couch boring to bother making visible...
Floating furniture is only applicable to larger spaces. Please, don't forget that if your space is small (mine is 12' x 16'), the furniture must sit against the walls in order for the space to function efficiently.
I live in 32 square meters and I have two big seats that I move around : in the 2/3rds of the room in order to watch a movie, or against the wall when I'm alone. They definitely belong in the 2/3ds of the space, because they are round white armchairs (scandi style) and easy to curl into or move ! Round furniture is my go to for a small space :)
He said not to put it on ALL the walls. He has said in videos before, you can have furniture against 1 wall but almost never against the walls next to that one (he brought up his one couch against the wall but the furniture on both sides are floating)
@@jmunt I can assure you, as a designer myself, my furniture is almost exclusively against the walls due to the size of my livingroom. One chair sits at an angle in a corner. I've maximized seating and the room is easy to move thru with visitors amazed at the spaciousness once inside. Floating furniture is very difficult in small spaces. I have been in many tiny rooms where the lack of space was emphasized by the owner attempting to needlessly float pieces because "designers say so." The photos Nick shows are for very open large spaces. They absolutely need to float furniture in order to create comfortable spaces.
Whether or not one can float furniture in a living room is dependent on a number of variables. The fact that designers voice an ideal or a preference doesn’t mean that every consideration should be subordinated to that concept. Furniture DOES look best when floated. That doesn’t mean every space looks or works best with floated furniture. Honestly, what is so difficult to understand about this? 🙄
@@jenniferlynn3537 Most of us in the design field are simply born with an ability to understand concepts such as scale and balance. We work easily with color, texture, sheen, etc. Those concepts are simple and easy. But many people do not have this ability and therefore seek out "professional advice" which they simply aren't able to understand and can only take things literally. Applying "rules of thumb" in this manner is quite often unsuccessful by those that are "design challenged".
Low furniture was the bane of my existence when I was pregnant. One friend had a couch that REALLY low because he broke one leg (so took them all off). I had to roll off of it to get up.
Nick, we do care (11.33). We tune in to see you and hear about your life - not just about your insightful content. You may not necessarily ‘want’ us as friends, but we all care. That’s why we watch you. Blessings and good wishes… Lois x
2:59 one possible benefit to having uncomfortable furniture is that guests don't stay too long 😜 P.S.: for those of you who are judgmental and need it explained because the 😜 wasn't a context clue.. THIS IS A JOKE.
Kinda weird attitude to have towards guests
@@vacuumblink2300 it seems to have become chic to hate other people and call it being introverted or having social anxiety. I have made it a point to cut those people out of my life that are scared to answer the phone or make me feel unwelcome if I stay more than half an hour.
😅😅😅
@@vacuumblink2300😮
@@vacuumblink2300i saw it as humorous.😀
Def. try out furniture before buying. I was in love with an armchair from Ikea because it looked great. Was head over heels for weeks and when I finally got to see it in the store, it was so uncomfortable!!!
“Think about accessibility issues…” Yeah!
You would hate my living room. 😂 I use a daybed instead of a couch. My living room doubles as my office. I use warm colors. It is the way I like it. :-)
Team Daybed as Couch! My boyfriend says no, it's weird. I say, it's a lifestyle! 😆
@@BeautifulSilence I couldn't find a couch I liked so I went the daybed route. I don't regret my decision at all!
I use a daybed as well
Another thing to be aware of: make sure your upholstered furniture is fade resistant. I loved having my blinds up to see a beautiful view. Unfortunately, it turned the back of my dark black and green herringbone loveseat white over time. It was worth the view, and now resides against a wall until it wears out.
Very good point. We don't consider enough how our belongings fare over longer periods of time.
Two thoughts… 1. I think the anti TV centered living room is not conducive for introverts. As an introvert, I hang out with people in public and my home is where I decompress. 2. With ADHD, out of sight with closed shelving can mean I forget it exists. Can you do a video with recommendations on that?
Glass doors on cabinets
@@AlexHider 😄
You can also make small labels on the cabinet doors or drawers, specifying their contents.
In regards to adhd, i've got a sister and mom who have it and it's made me realize everyone needs some closed shelves. Because by the time you reach 50-60 you have way too much stuff to have everything out in the open. My mom's doompiles became doomcountertops became doomrooms. And then it became overstimulating and she lost courage to clean or sort. Getting rid of things in time partially sorts out the issue of closed shelving since you wouldn't have to look long if you didn't have much. Second what helps is very fixed places, because having everything out in the open in any kind of place, means you never start linking certain kinds of items with certain cupboards because you never get used to things being there. Always dump keys on a plate on the table and you start looking on the table for your keys, not just any surface unless you misplaced it. Same methodology goes into the shelves. My sister labels or puts pictures on the outside of her boxes, shelves and cupboards. Might look a bit childish but it certainly helps her when she looks for something. Then if she enters a room she can quickly look based on words and pictograms. Another tip is glass, which reflects, so you see a bit but it is also more closed. Tinted glass as well. Lastly: it's never about open shelves being forbidden, but about balance. Have as much open as you need, just not all. Because if all is open you have too much visual clutter and will need a longer time to find something even if everything is out in the open. And to make the open shelves more organized: metal baskets you can see through or plates. It "bundles" stuff so it looks more organized 🙂
Clutterbug is great for tips re this.
I’m actually redoing the living room right now.When it feels overwhelming I say to myself “what would Nick think” and it’s an immediate yes or no decision
I measured all my furniture, drew them out to scale, laminated the pieces and tried them on rooms drawn to scale... and it still comes down to trying the furniture out, and moving it around. But this weeded out the less useful pices before moving. "Biggest help" award goes to our cat Sophie, who always jumped up on my room test drawings when everything was just about right. 😍
Sophie wanted to check if the chosen layout was comfortable to jump on before you committed to anything 😹!
@@reginosky. 😂🤣😎 and cats just love paper!
Cats always choose the best spaces. Quiet warmth and softness with exactly the right amount of sun, and no drafts.
I taught myself 3D modeling in blender just to figure out couch layout when I bought a house recently, and then as I wanted to see how I could change other things, I added more and more so now I almost have my whole living/kitchen (open concept) area modeled with all the changes I’m doing for a remodel lol
@@jmunt yes that's a great solution & you get the elevation as well as the layout. The weakness of my 2-D is just that, but I didnt have a laptop at the time. It adds to the tension when any moment Catzilla may jump into the scenario!
Your navy wall gave me lots of courage to paint my bedroom dark navy. After freaking out about a black bedroom when the paint was wet, I now love the (dried) navy walls!
I love dark rooms. They just require more attention to lighting. If you do a good job layering the lighting and nail the temperature of the lighting the darkness can be very dramatic and cozy. If you’re just going to leave the overhead light and a table lamp, even with great natural daytime light, at night it’s going to feel like a cave.
I’ve got a large living room. I broke all the rules by putting the rug long ways under the couch, with the coffee table in front of that, and the TV hutch in front of that. Behind the couch, I have the love seat. So they are back to back. The love seat faces the sliding glass doors that open up to the balcony, with an small ottoman in front of the love seat, flanked by end tables, so there’s plenty of places to put a drink, and the rest of the rug ends in front of love seat. Somehow, it ended up looking really high end while being unusual. The living room is large and tall enough for a tall dining room table with lots of seating for the rare conversation with guests. I’m such a rebel! 😎
Another thing to keep in mind with high LRV white is that it makes it harder to view art/photos. The white reflects so much light that your eyes can't focus as well and become tired. Thank you for addressing the too high TV's. The same goes for art hung too high. 💖
Those were some gorgeous illustrations you provided for us, Nick. I still think too many pillows are too many pillows.
agree!!
Right? Do people just dump their decorative pillows on the floor at night and then put them back on it again in the morning? Are they just constantly moving them to make room on the couch and then "restyling" them? I can't get into that! Just....why???
Only conversation that happens in my living room is me talking to the tv
"maybe you don't even NEED the teal throw pillow!" 😂😂 Omg I feel called out. Our couch situation is truly dire AND I have 1 teal pilow! 😂😂 Also one sad brocade one I made like 10 years ago.
When considering seating height, consider your view and the sill height of your windows. A friend purchased a high rise condo with a city view. He put in sleek, low, modern seating. When seated, you had to lookup to see out, so the city view became a view of the dark night sky. As for me, I prefer no art on the walls. I instead enjoy a 270 degree view of the British Columbia forest at the appropriate seating height. (A lucky rental find that fit my furniture pieces as well!)
Lucky you!!
Well yeah hahah BC views are art! Living in Ontario, I am finally moving into an outward facing apartment and get a view that isn’t another building! No more fireworks from my couch view but I get to see some hills in the distance from the downtown
Forget the furniture--can we talk about how GOOD Nick's shirt (color) looks on him today?! ❤
Agree!
But his hair seems weird?
Very good call on the benefits of testing furniture for comfort before buying. I bought two custom living chairs online that were donated a month later because they were beautiful and also the most uncomfortable things I'd ever sat on. $1400 later, lesson learned; I won't do that again. I bought their replacement locally after testing it in person.
Thinking about who will be using your furniture is so important! If you have disabled, fat, or elderly loved ones, please think of them. It is such a shame when I don't visit friends because I know their furniture won't accommodate me :(
I'd really love it if you could do a video on design tips for low ceilings. Low ceilings are common in a lot of older homes and I've been struggling to design around mine. For example, I'm limited to flush mount ceiling lights, I can't do any fun moulding or paneling, I'm not sure what color to paint the ceilings, etc.
How low are your ceilings?
@@Kathywake23 About 8 feet.
Make sure to take window coverings to the ceiling. Also, if you paint consider painting the ceiling, too. It depends on your lighting.
@@lap_of_the_goddess Those are actually standard height. If you are used to 10’ ceilings, 8’ can seem low. Does you ceiling have beams as well as being 8’? That will definitely make the ceilings feel lower.
I have low ceiling & crown moulding. Its fine
Your advice about moving/downsizing is spot-on. When my parents-in-law downsized from their house to an apartment, they kept furniture that was too big for the space. Practically, it didn't function well in the sense that there was always something in the way of whatever you were trying to do. Even worse, it looked so bad that it bugged my father-in-law every day for the last ten years of his life. So sad.
Decor tip of the day : “ No one wants to see your Shrek 2” 😂😂😂
This and all Nick's other surprise comments would make a hilarious video - just have all the snippets mashed together, with no context. It'd be very random, but dedicated Nick watchers would get it.
A friend of mine probably close to three decades ago said she _never_ buys full sofas (i.e., with three cushions)-she buys _only_ love seats, usually two, and has those face each other, with other chairs thrown in. Why? _No one_ wants to sit in the middle seat on a sofa so why have it. She’s right, I think. I’ve never bought a full sofa since.
How smart! The big two cushion love seats are super cozy anyway.
@@Josuperhero I think so. I thought it was a really good observation.
The only reason to have a three-seater is to be able to take naps on the piece.
Practically speaking, families rarely have face-to-face conversations these days. When they do, it's usually at the dinner table or in the family room (if they have one). Also, in reality, most people don't entertain guests in their everyday lives. Maybe once or twice a month? Most families live in single family homes where there's only one living room in which they use to hangout comfortably and watch TV. One suggestion for an episode would be how best to decorate a functional living room for real family living rather than a showroom for face-to-face conversations that happen twice a month. :)
Agreed! I think an average working family has very little time to sit around and speak and just want to use their spaces in ways they like it, which might be binge watching TV or playing video games on a counsel.
Ugh tell me about it. Most of these social media interior design people are designing for a beautiful photograph. The big comfy couch faces the TV at a reasonable distance. That's how 99% of people use their living rooms. Otherwise it becomes the "formal living room" that no one ever uses.
Our sofa faces the TV and then our accent chairs face the sofa. We do have family around a lot though and don’t usually all watch TV together (as we have different tastes). Do whatever works best for your family ❤️
@@alla9916 I watch on my laptop but same, I know one person my age range (20-30) that has a TV and it's not used very often, and a few that have very large extra screens for their computers but the big difference is that there is more freedom on what to watch rather than being spoon fed things you can't even interact with.
@@RandomViewerOnline They don't have time to speak but they have time to binge watch TV? Sounds like some people really need to make sure they prioritise the right things or they'll regret it later, but I've never really met anyone like that, maybe they feel fulfilled doing so. Either way, time is not the issue, choices are.
I wanted to pop in and say thank you for the suggestion of purchasing duck feather throw pillow inserts and changeable covers from Ikea. I bought four of them and they are an amazing value!
Love IKEA feather throws.
I prefer to change the pillow cases on my sofa instead of buying new pillows. There's only so much storage for pillows. Covers are easy to change.
I finally purchased a proper sized rug for my livingroom and I have to say it makes a HUGE difference!!
I loved when you talked about Access Ability of furniture
I've noticed sometimes at other people's houses that they will have lights/lamps right beside or behind the TV, so if you're watching the screen you have even more light blasting your eyeballs. Why do people do that. 🙈
I’ve never had a neutral wall in my life, unless olives and reds and golds are neutral. 😳
Your picture of pillows is hilarious!
Hey, thats my house!😂
I didn't really grasp how key that navy wall was until it was gone. Hope the sale goes well!
I'm from Europe and 90% of the time we sit and talk in the kitchen instead of loving room and when the weather is beautiful then we go to balcony, we must be the weird ones it seems 🤣
American here and we do the same thing. Conversations and socializing happen at the dinner table and on the patio when the weather is nice. If we are in the living room it is specifically to watch tv (sporting event or movie) or to open Christmas gifts.
I thought I was picking a cream color that was really a pale yellow for my living room. People thought it was surprisingly good. I was glad it turned out so well.
Thank you for mentioning seat height. My ancient knees appreciate it!
I dislike low sofas, low chairs and low beds. They are so uncomfortable. No open shelving for me, I hide my mess. Thanks ❤
Merch idea: remaking the Live Laugh Love poster but have it say “Tints Tones and Shades”. If you know, you know. Oh better yet make it a wall decal.
😂
Love it!
No. Word art sucks no matter what. Making it “quirky” isn’t gonna make it less terrible.
@@vacuumblink2300 hence the “if you know you know” comment. I was just kidding
Made me chuckle, thanks! 😆
Yeass!! Less TV & more centered space (more focused)!! I haven’t watched tv in a year & got rid of mine & it makes a difference in my furniture and apartment design , that i like !! Most stuff on cable is so Negative & Expensive Anyway!! Love this video !! Like 👍🏼 your style !! Keep going Nick !!
Thank you so much for reminding everyone that seating height for those with mobility issues.
Good video. Never stop emphasizing that TVs should never ever go above a fireplace. I know you mentioned TV height in the previous video but fireplaces need a special mention. If you hang a TV on the wall just above a TV cabinet or even on it's own it might be too high. But no fireplace has ever been constructed which would be an appropriate height for a TV. You need to really drive the message home at every opportunity, NO TVs ABOVE FIREPLACES!
Preach!
My living room has two focal points: one wall with the TV, and another wall with the fireplace. Both can be viewed from the sofa, even though my living room is small. I had to downsize from a sectional to a sofa to achieve this, but doing that made all the difference. The room feels larger and is more conversational in its arrangement.
Hope you are doing well, Nick. You are very informative and entertaining. 😊 No TV for 22 years so the living room looks modern and chic. Discuss the use of mirrors, pls.
Maybe if you love your artwork, cycle curated batches of it from time to time, so you get to see it all, and the changes make you appreciate the 'new' lot more.
I've been doing this for a few years and really enjoying it! I inherited a lot of framed prints when my photographer friend passed away. His art was just sitting in boxes in my basement for a long time, till one day I decided to give them the chance to shine! Now I rotate through the collection while my rooms get a refresh, and honoring my friend's work ❤
As a person who is slightly afraid of color, I recently embraced the color teal.🤨 I didn't go "Home Goods Crazy" and buy everything in teal. 😅
My spouse is pretty afraid of color, but slowly I brought her around on some dark earth tones. Forest green, terra cotta, browns, clay blues… in small doses.
An interesting color. What colors did you pair it with? I can only come up with pink, gray, and black.
@@sharoncontini3284 gold, white, terra cotta, wine, natural woods, taupe, dark gray, mustard yellow… teal goes well with lots of things
I'd love to see some tips on how to use really nice but small rugs that obviously cannot anchor a room.
I miss the navy wall. It added so much interest to the room. Good luck with the move.
Again, I just love your sarcasm.
I bought an Ikea sofa and then buy covers from Bemz. Its great because you can change up the colour or texture without replacing a whole couch ☺️
I find it hard when you have a doorway and two windows to figure out where to put the furniture
Showing off my Shrek 2 DVD is my love language
Making living room to suit your familys needs! Yes! The primary focus of our living room is to watch TV and relax, read, nap etc. We eat at the dining table and chat and play board games there ie socialise there. In our living room, our coffee table is beside the sofa and our floor is empty in front the sofa because my kids like lying on the floor to watch TV and relax etc...I love the huge open floor space in front of the sofa.. we use it for so many different things..eg crafting, sport etc. We rarely have guests and if we do, its a maximum of two extra people so we don't need loads of furniture and the 3er sofa, 1 arm chair and 2 bean bags are enough. I find the American style living rooms with multiple couches, chairs, big central coffee table and multiple side tables, a side board, shelves, big floor lamps, TV console etc just to much and to full and busy..totally claustrophobic. ..I love "less is more."
Living in the US & being a house & pet sitter , plus former interior designer , most middle & upper middle class homes are " less is more " & very much family oriented as you cited in your opening paragraph. The things shown in magazines & YT are " idealized " - staged , too impractical & too expensive for the average American home owner . 🥰
@nick_lewis, can you talk about how to introduce paint colors other than white for open concept floor plans?!
I completely understand the gallery wall advice but I’m a maximalist and I love the “too much” wall!! ❤️❤️❤️ but done correctly.
My mom loves lots of artwork on her walls as well, and I think it looks fantastic. Somehow she manages to make a gallery wall not look visually overwhelming. It's a real talent LOL.
Me as well. I thrive with lots of art and beautiful things. Only the ugly gets to be put away hidden, the rest can be all out.
I collect and create art. Best believe I’m rocking a gallery wall. :)
"No one wants to see your Shrek 2." XD love it.
On the topic of seating height, my partner is 6'3 and the low sofas don't work for him because, in order for his thighs to rest flat when seated, his legs need to be stretched out
Who else press the 👍before even watching,,,, we 💚 u Nick💫💥🌻
Yes to color on the walls! I don't WANT my house to look like everyone else's, and I love color! (In fact, as much as I TOTALLY love your videos, Nick, and really learn from them, if I am honest I have always thought that the room behind you is a bit....ummm...boring. Too each their own!)
I loved your navy wall and noticed when it changed, along with the sofa change, but the reasons bring new opportunity and excitement for what can come. I hope you will share your design dilemmas and choice possibilities and decisions for your new place, when it is found and the work begins! We would learn so much by being "at your side" for the design journey. Then you would not need to feel you have to show perfection, which most of us do not have. Instead we can see the possibilities through your eyes, and learn by example. Thanks as always for your positive mindset and teaching!
Yes ❤
The opening shelving thing is super helpful
Enjoyed. When you talk about art placement again, please show examples of art placement that looks right, has enough white space around the frames. Maybe I misunderstood but it seemed like you just talked about what wasn't appealing and you didn't show examples that you were describing. Thanks!
Youll have to pry my teal throw pillows outta my cold dead hands 😂😝 Teal haters aren't welcome in my home! 😉 (I use dif colours/textures of teal tho... im not a fan of a single colour and overly symmetrical matchy spaces)
This shirt is GREAT with your eyes!
Always appreciate the comments about sustainability and recycling/reselling furniture that doesn’t work for your space!
Love the brighter paint color in your place!!
Oh yes hadn't noticed till you mentioned but does look good😊😊
First rule of buying furniture: See it in person... sit on it, open it, touch it, and examine its quality, scale, and suitability. You may luck out once or twice with something online, but over the course of time, you WILL make expensive mistakes, and you WILL regret it. Second Rule: If assembly is required, it's best to avoid. Again... we can all point to an exception (Ikea's Billy Bookcase), but in the long run, it's probably a cheap overpriced import, so you're wasting your money.
I moved into my home almost 4 years ago. The house colors were so ugly with no rhyme or reason to them, glossy peach foyer, drab green, eggplant, Burnt Sienna focal wall in the livingroom, yellow focal wall in the master bedroom. The house itself is nice and the outside is beautiful. I finally finished painting and went with Bone White. Living with that many colors i needed to be void of color for a while. I love it!
Thank you for including traditional design style photos, also.
Measurements are so important. Rugs, sofas, etc. A lot of what you’re describing seems like common sense but I was looking at houses in an area and people really don’t seem to consider comfort and esthetics. I get why I love watching you.
While it is nice to have spaces for guests, a home should primarly be functional for its inhabitants. I found that while building my own house, everyone kept telling me to have a guestroom, a spare bathroom, a larger dining table, more seating in the living room and all these things that are essentialy only useful for guests. As an introvert germophobe I at most have people over maybe twice a year. That would have been a lot of wasted space. I'm glad I didn't listen to everyone. My TV-centric living room sure is great.
Thanks Nick. These are great tips. I don't have thousands to devote to furniture and decorating , but these ideas are helpful for any budget.
Please make a video about studio apartments
The TV in my home has always been the focal point. It's just my spouse and I; we talk all the time. The living room is the space where we can just relax and enjoy comfortable silence, watch something together, play games, or just on some music. As a result, the TV is the focal point and that just makes sense for us. This doesn't mean that our lives are TV-centered. As I said, we talk all the time; in the car, in the kitchen, the bedroom, when we go for walks, when we go shopping. Our living room is our "shared activity" space, not our "conversation space". I get that you want the living room to be the "conversation space" but that's just not something that works for us and, yes, I know you also say we can arrange or decorate our spaces however we like, whatever works for us; I'm just pushing back a bit on the idea that THE purpose of the living room is where conversation happens. I honestly don't know anyone who has ever used their living room in that way.
I will never buy furniture online. The day that online becomes the only option, I will stop buying furniture
You have the best "do" and "don't" photos. I have learned so much from you and the photos make it so clear. And let's be real, I love the "don't " ones for a few reasons, one of which is that it is such fun seeing what horrible mistakes others made. As bad as I may think I am at decorating others are always worse. I'm thinking of you and all you are going through! Thanks for all you do
Nick Nick Nick… I really loved your dark dining room wall. I really do care, who made you paint it. Do your next video on them. We all have those design bullies in our lives.
Nick is moving soon. Split with his relationship. No other details mentioned.
I moved into a tiny 700 sf cottage 20 years ago. I had a huge dark leather sofa. It was way too big for the room. I went on fb marketplace and bought a perfect loveseat for $50. It's a much better fit. You're so right again.
I love smaller homes and seeing what people do with the space. I find it more exciting than huge homes with tons of rooms.
I've raised 3 rambunctious boys currently in their teens. Thanks to them and the several couches they destroyed made me decide to choose something comfortable but not too comfortable where you want to sleep on it all the time. It's there to hangout spend time as a family but no sleeping, food, and drinks!
Love watching your channel. You always make me smile. I'm so excited for your partnership with Bootstrap Farmer. I'm excited to grow geraniums this year. I grew them last year but didn't have anything seed starting stuff I used old nursery cans, this would be a dream to have for this years seeds. Thanks so much Robbie. Hope you feel better soon. Karla
“Hog warts look”. Love it!!
I bought some beautiful boxes that sit next to the couch that hide the remotes, pens, paper, glasses, and various detritus that I don't always want to see. It's nice to be able to close the lid.
Been watching your videos for ages now, just wanna pop on to say thank you for frequently touching on accessibility issues in interior design! It means a lot when an influencer I love considers this and goes a bit further than 'sometimes people are old' to acknowledge that disabled people like, exist and visit friends. xoxo
I do care that you're selling your home. Can't wait to see what's next!
Really appreciate your point about accessible seating like higher seats are easier to get in and out of and leaving enough through way room for wheelchairs! 🤟🏼
I agree with your comment about comfortable sofas. I bought two 2 seater sofas, which are pretty and stylish , but too uncomfortable for my 2 tall sons who like to lounge about. I’ve moved them to another room where they are much more at home but had to invest in 2 more suitable and comfortable sofas to replace them in the original space.
I would like to see your shrek 2
I started painting my living room this morning, so this was very helpful! There is only one way the furniture can go in my living room, but now I have a better picture in my head as to how I can help make it look and feel better. Thanks!
Yes! I have lived in my house for 10 years and i have finally realized i need to buy furniture for this living room. Finally bought shelves that fit better and totally changed the feel of the room.
I totally agree that too much open shelving in a room looks cluttered and bad, but I've also seen the opposite where only have closed pieces makes the room look really boxy. I've made this mistake myself when, due to a lack of confidence in curating decor, I've hidden everything away and it looked boring.
When moving from a smaller place to larger, you can use different pieces to make multi-purpose rooms, or accents like rugs and curtains to make a larger space feel more like 2 individual spaces. Just make sure there's walking space or else it'll feel like you just crammed your entire house into one area
hi nick! would love to see a similar video for studios or open lofts 🙏
Oh lord. I have spent my whole life with white walls and open shelving (because they’re cheaper) and as soon as I can make it interesting, I never want those again. I like closing doors on my stuff and I hate white walls. No more. 😂
Mine is primarily for watching tv. Lol my kitchen is kinda where people gather to sit and chat. So I have to have all chairs facing the tv so you’re going to have a sore neck
Regarding living room seating - as a guest , please don't make me sit on an ottoman even if it's only for ten minutes while I'm waiting for you to get your coat before we go out ! Also , armless chairs or no chair-side table on which to put a drink is also not thinking of guests' comfort or needs . 🥰
😂 wait for me in the car!
@@hollyurband6769 😂😂