I've been a commercial designer for 25 years. Those large, sculptural over sized sectional sofas really were originally designed for commercial spaces.
Here’s the thing about glass coffee tables- if you have an intricate Persian (or other) hand knitted rug, glass tables are really cool because they emphasize the rug. Ironically these tables are usually paired with really boring rugs!
THIS! I collect antique rugs (they're all genuine and my house is decidedly a No Shoes Zone) and most of my tables are skinny-legged and glass-topped so the details of the rugs aren't obscured. It's very much not practical, and they do take a lot of cleaning even in a kid-free household, so it's decidedly *a choice*. But if you enjoy the aesthetic it's worth it! (I'm kinda torn between wanting persian rugs to come back in fashion but also wanting the prices for antiques and second hand ones to remain within my normal person budget tbh xD let the rich stick with their boring beige area rugs! xD)
@@quantumphysicax9004 Right?! I LOVE my woven wool rug (which I bought for a song) - the center medallion is exquisite and I don’t want it obscured by a tabletop. I, too, am praying these rugs remain unloved for the time being - at least until my decorating aspirations are realized!!!
As a young but poor bride a long time ago, when purchasing our first set of furniture, we opted for glass coffee table, why? Because if you live in a tiny space, the glass opens up the room. Visually it makes the room a lot more airy, and I enjoyed that. Just be sure not to buy anything with sharp corners. But I didn't find cleaning it to be a chore, even with a toddler around, a squirt of Windex and a paper towel and in under a minute it is clean. It is the easiest thing of all materials to clean.
Those vanity mirrors that utubers use. Firstly, a rechargeable mirror? And why can we not get the lighting right in any bathroom space. Why is it you enter some bathroom spaces with wonderful lighting so wonderful you’ll never want to leave, other lighted bathroom spaces are too dark or make it look like the life is drained out of you. Half the bath is cool lights, the other half warm. Still not right.🙄How to fix this?Video please!
The DS600 sofa has many wonderful features: it is great for hiding remotes, looking like a Bundt cake, playing "find the money game", looking for the Matzah on Passover, and resting tush cheeks very precariously.
I was taking care of an elderly man who just passed away and he left me his entire house of mid century danish furniture he bought in the 60s and 70’s. Tons of it so now I have to redo my new place using this amazing stuff! I’m so excited!
Sounds amazing, mid century modern is just so classic! We have a few pieces, but anything more modern is often in that kind of aesthetic. Done right, mcm mixes great with more antique pieces too...
Tastes are subjective, one can't really be objectively right nor wrong about someone's taste. I think at the end of the day it's their home, doesn't really matter what we think as long as they felt comfortable in it.
@@None38389Nope. Taste as in "I dont like lemon. But I acknowledge that it doesn't mean lemon taste bad" is indeed subjective & valid. A style taste is agreed upon as human beings & it has rules for it to work like harmony. Which means balance mainly. So if we agree as a majority that marble from floor to ceiling is in bad taste it is bc it lacks balance. In material, in color, texture etc. Do you love it ? Great, you do you do. It will still be considered bad taste by the majority of humans bc we strive for harmony. You can like a style & fail to pull it off but if you're happy with you got it's fine. Your stance is like these ppl who say "everyone is beautiful" No they aren't. You're giving lipservice or are virtue signalling. You can see the beauty in things but that's subjective. But it's toxic positivity to pretend everything is always good, pretty, nice just bc ppl tie their self worth to it. It should "Not everyone is pretty but that's okay. You can have value without being pretty. You can be many things" If everyone is beautiful than nobody is. And the word ugly wouldn't exist. Everything exist in poles & nuances in between. Light, dark. Rough, smooth. Sturdy, fragile. Kind, mean. Talent, unskilled etc Just bc ppl have attributed qualities to some & those are more desirable than others, doesn't mean you get to act like factual things of reality don't exist or aren't true.
I'm SO glad you mentioned the bowl full of lemons in every kitchen. Either they are fake, or the folks don't care that everyone can see the evidence of their lemonade addiction. Also loved the "let them eat bone broth" - the delivery was perfect.
or simply people who are cooking themselves and using fresh lemon juice for most recipes - it’s just giving every dish a great kick of a taste which is why I and most people i know have lots of fresh lemons in their kitchen - summertime hit: drizzle fresh lime or lemon juice on an ice cold watermelon - best summer refresher ever…
Here in New England old large homes (not mansions) often have fireplaces in almost every room. It’s cold here. They were necessary for heat in this cold climate before modern insulation, double pane windows, and central heating. We keep them because they are part of history and can make a room feel very cozy. I do love this video, though, and I agree with you on so many points. Maine is a very different world from California.
Says the person whomhasnt watched any news dor the last 4 months, with townsnthat have had 60 feet of snow fall on them in the Sierras. Yes that is in California. We are not all L.A.
It's the same in Philadelphia. Homes that predate central heating from the 18th to the mid to late 19th century often had a fireplace in every room possible based on the grade of housing.
@@jaimetarne9436 Very true. I often forget about Northern California. When I think of California I admittedly instantly think of LA, bikinis, and Hollywood mansions. California is a large state, though. I’m sure you also have older homes with lots of fireplaces where you are.
I think so many people bought that Tom Ford book just for the black and white cover. It fits the whole monochrome minimalist look that was so popular. I bet most people didn’t even crack the spine on it.
You know, if you wanna make a buck, I suppose you could start a side hustle selling book covers without the actual book. Get some stock patterns, some random letters, or change it to "Dom Fort" to avoid a lawsuit. This whole coffee table book thing is just craziness, wtf are people doing, buying big fat books just for the boring cover?
the book is indeed wonderful. you can learn about tf's career, his old folks, his internship in France, and all the great collections he created. anyone whose interested in culture would love to have it on hand, or in their coffee table, so it's always within reach
Always spot on with your awesome sense of humor. lol. ‘’Let them eat bone broth.” ‘’’It looks like a sharpe.” “Dorm room fancy.” “I love glass in windows.”
@sorscha I am waaaay late to the party watching this video but omg! your comment is gold!! I swear you would sell thousands of t-shirts and all art. I hope you follow through with this business idea. And….l really did laugh out loud when I read your text. Thanks :) !!
Every time I watch TH-cam videos of multi million dollar homes, I want to know who told super rich people that bookmatched marble on every surface of every kitchen & bathroom is chic. Congratulations: your house now looks like a hotel. You have achieved the cohesion of an upscale Marriott. I also don’t understand those weird giant pivot doors, and I roll my eyes when a kitchen has hidden cabinets. I live in an 873 sq ft condo & even I can’t find stuff in my organized cabinets. Why would I want to then look for the cabinets themselves??
I doubt they even use a quarter of their homes. So, I guess it doesn't have to be functional if it's basically just being used as some sort of museum to flex their wealth.
@@TheUpholsteryLibrary So many houses here look like that! I envision a future California where all these “homes” are turned into boutique hotels. “Ooh, all the marble matches!”
I just hate when something beautiful becomes a cliche-like the Noguchi table or Frieda Kahlo’s self portrait 😢. Most people wouldn’t know a Noguchi sculpture if it fell over on them.
Laughed out loud several times during this video...the Shar Pei dog sofa, the "let them eat bone broth" comment, and the Tom Ford book...spot on video! Thanks for keeping it real Nick!
Next to the TF book will be an orange Hermes blanket. I also dry heave at Tracey Emin neon wall text light 'art' and even funnier, anything "by" (😂) Damien Hirst. Sheep, so many sheep.
The Tom Ford book has become the design equivalent of the phrase “She let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding.” that pops up in way too many books. I’ve turned it into a game like Where’s Waldo, knowing it’s going to be there somewhere. I’m convinced it just a binding filled with blank white pages. 😂
The Tom Ford book looked at Gwyneth Paltrow through hazy binding and let out a breath of dust it didn't know it was holding 😅. Fun fact: books do in fact breath.
Everytime I see that book I die a little inside,,, at this point having that book says I don't care about books but I won't people to think I do so. And I have no original creativity.
it is actually. I just googled it's a "decorative book" and they basically just sell you an expensive journal with some famous persons name on the binding.
I grew up in Ireland in a terraced house with three storeys that was built in 1900. It had 6 fireplaces, one each in the sitting room, dining room, and all four bedrooms. That was how our house was heated until my parents installed central heating. I used to have a fire lit in my bedroom when I was a student. My parents bought the house in 1962 for £2000. We were middle class, definitely not rich.
For a while I lived in London in my FIL's house and it was in their family for 5 generations. It was Stone and the bathroom had been added in the basement. The back of the house had holes in the stones where it had been straiffed in WW2. It was cold & damp after living in a warm, cozy house in the USA.Anyway - it too was heated by fireplaces but my FIL preffered to burn coal instead of wood - smelled awful.
"no one has a bowlful of lemons in their kitchen." I did, for a little while last year. My lemon tree had a bumper crop, and it took me a while to deal with it.
My biggest problem with glass tables is that they’re super breakable. When I was a kid, my parents had a glass cafe table. One night I put both of my elbows on it when I was doing my homework and it broke in two. I got in trouble as if I’d done it on purpose. I’ve hated any and all glass furniture ever since.
I fell on a glass coffe table (i have very weak ankles and I rolled one over simply walking back to the sofa). I spent the night at the ER with doctors taking shards out of my back
My dog cries every time her balls go under the couch in an intense game of fetch. I can just imagine how annoying it would be to fish them out of those cracks multiple times per hour.
Totally agree! My mother was an Interior Designer in the 70's and 80's and she LOVED modern/contemporary furniture. All her furniture was low to the ground, very uncomfortable, and impossible to get in and out of. She also loved glass tables! My mom was always running around with a bottle of Windex and a wad of paper towels.
Gwyneth P is one of those PERFECT LIFE people who are so irritating. Martha Stewart was one but she had the good fortune to be sent to prison and is now fine. Anyway, nice that you’re over all the GP hatred 👏
I grew up with coffee table books on Pompeii. As a kid, I remember always opening them to look at pictures of the landscape and the ruins. It fascinated me and piqued my interest in ancient civilizations. Today, as an adult, my coffee table book is a gorgeous book of old maps of Manhattan, but I love the history of New York. I find it infinitely more interesting than these Tom Ford/Chanel books that are there because they were styled and not because someone genuinely likes it. I find my guests genuinely curious about the map book and they tend to open it. It always creates conversation about the history of Ny.
I'm Texan. MY coffee-table book is the Courthouses of Texas. I love looking at it. It has some great inadvertent humour for instance, The Bexar County Courthouse is the hysterical result of 3 warring architects and styles and WAY too much money..
My favorite thing to do when I see the Chanel book at someone's house is to bring up the 'fun' fact that she was a Nazi informant/sympathizer who used those connections to build the business. Usually shows how little they actually know about the person. Use books you actually know stuff about for your decor
Ya, but that was a lot of people in Europe at that time because they didn't want to be persecuted. Take Hugo Boss as well. I also read Chanels nephew was put in a camp and she was using her connections to get him out.
Hilarious. Every time I see a Chanel book or Hermes throw (your last video) I chuckle. Thank you for giving us your opinions in a snarky but relatable way. :)
I have a huge Aubrey Beardsley book I got for a buck fifty at a thrift shop. It has the Lysistrata illustrations, which are very naughty and hilarious. That is a coffee table book.
I felt same way about the Togo sofa until I ran into one at a furniture store. I still wouldn't pick it for me, but I was surprised by how well crafted it was and was comfy to sit upright in (just don't try reclining). One of those items that makes more sense in person than in photos.
Wonderful video as always. Love the comments about lemons used as decor. Whenever I like a kitchen that has prominently displayed lemons or oranges or a single magenta orchid, I’ve learned to put my finger over that spot of color. Almost always the kitchen suddenly looks sterile and generic.
OMG. That is such a simple litmus test hack to figure put whether a design inspiration would actually translate well into real life application! Thank you! Am currently trying to re-design my room and am soooo going to use this trick.
i tried the lemons in a bowl in my kitchen...once. I thought they would be fresh looking and fragrant. They got moldy and dried out in two, three days and into the trash they went. Wasted. I also have noticed the Tom Ford book, everywhere. So overdone. Love your channel Nick!!
How did they spoil so fast? I never had lemon spoil unless it was already cut into and think they generally last a long time. Either way, no reason to have lemons if you dont actively use them for something
Right!! Fresh fruit as decor. It does ripen, mold and it does rot. And if you're using it, the carefully crafted pile in the bowl rapidly shrinks and looks like what it is: fruit waiting to be used in a not-too-aesthetic way. Fake, faux, phoney is the only way to go. If you're going to use fresh fruit as decor, either have an unlimited budget to keep replacing it or be prepared to put up with the ever-shrinking supply in the artistically arranged vignette.
That is rare that lemons spoil so fast. Your house must be very humid or something. And in spiritual circles, they would say that means you have negative energy in your home.
Fake lemons in a sealed glass cannister. No mold, no food waste, no dust. Yeah it's not as nice as fresh produce, but definitely an upgrade from Mom's plastic fruit from the 70s.
That sounds weird. I live in a hot, humid, tropical climate and I've never had citrus go bad that fast on the counter. They last about a week at least.
I vote for Aesop hand soap for the next round of these videos. I swear I see it in literally EVERY SINGLE BATHROOM on any AD tour, magazine, catalog, etc. I'll admit i like the aesthetic but it's becoming like a drinking game for me. Which is great because I would need to take few shots before buying $45 hand soap.
I'm from Melbourne (where Aesop originated) and feel mostly the same - it's everywhere!! But I also feel a tiny bit of pride that something Aussie is desirable enough to make it to design mags 😊
And Hermes blankets. And even funnier, deVOL-style navy blue kitchen cupboards with gold fixtures and much white. People are so into sniffing everybody else's butts and then reproducing the odour so happily, so obediently.
My mom’s house in Brooklyn, built in 1892, for middle class folks, has 4 floors. Two fireplaces per floor, because it was built just before steam heat was a thing. The fireplaces used to be for coal or gas, but not wood. They’re closed up now. Mom bought it for $27k in 1968.
I fell in love with the Togo sofa, not knowing it’s a Thing. It’s super practical for small apartments because you can move it around if you need space. It weight nothing. But the price is steep for a glorified bean bag. And if I could afford a bigger space I would not even consider it as a sofa choice.
😂 'there's nothing more fun than class warfare' so true. There's a British TH-camr called shabaz says who leans heavy into that, with things like re-containering, decor and other nasty aspirational trends. I think you'd enjoy it! I think us brits particularly like to poke fun at rich people choices. Also, side note in England even tiny 2up 2downs have a fireplace in every room because they're victorian 😮
I always understood that so many weird things about English decor was due to the lack of heat and indoor toilets, which is why Brits are so full of themselves.
I mean that makes sense in the land of rain and fog, though. It’s cold and damp and you wanna fight that off and have every room be cozy warm. It does not make sense in someplace like Southern California or the Florida Keys where the coldest they traditionally get is 75f in the dead of winter.
What a great video! Not only was it entertaining, it made me laugh at myself! I bought the Chanel book and after a month I looked at it and said, “why did I buy this book”? Threw it in a drawer and now I display botanical books which I enjoy! Love your channel!
Listen, 😂 I'm from south Florida and the "too many fireplaces" thing is on point. There are so many overpriced new homes in Miami or Fort Lauderdale with fireplaces in cities where it never snows. They're pointless and completely impractical. They'll make your home unbearable in those climates. Someone needs to say it. I'm glad you did.
I grew up in Miami with a fireplace in our home. We actually did use it at least once a year to roast marshmallows and that primitive desire to stare into flames. Once my mom let us light it in the summer and yes, it was awful lol. But some days can get to 50 degrees and when you're used to 85°+, a fireplace is so fun.
I can't help but notice so many news items there are about the strangeness of Florida (vicious alligators on golf courses), I can't believe it is part of the United States. It does seem illogical to have fireplaces there. And elections.
My first reaction with the centipede sofa was how uncomfortable and precarious it looks. If I had to sit on it I'd be waiting for it to separate and land me on the floor. If it somehow managed to stay together then I'd still be sitting in a crevice. I didn't like doing that as a kid when I was stuck between the grownups at someone's house and I'm certainly not going to do it now that I'm the bleeping grown up.
So, you’re saying I shouldn’t have a Tom Ford book on my Noguchi table in front of my Togo Sofa?!?!?! 😜 Fine. I’m going to go take a bath in front of my bathroom fireplace! 😂
I love my Noguchi coffee table. 1. I like MCM. 2. My living room is on the small side so the glass keeps it open and airy. 3. I don’t hit my shins on short corners. That said I like quirky Italian design but I hate any furniture that takes form over function. If I need a cherry picker to get out of a sofa or chair it’s a fail.
It wasn't a Noguchi but back in the 80's my mom had a big glass coffee table in the living room mainly because she wasn't about to cover the beautiful rug she'd bought for the space. Also, as a kid, it was way too fun tormenting the cats through the glass. Worth it just for that.
I saw the weirdest fireplace the other day. It was double sided…oh la la…between the master bedroom and ensuite. Not showcasing a nice soaker tub or something, just the toilet. That’s right, anyone in the bedroom could watch their partner take a dump. But a fancy dump, over fire. 😂
Maybe you did this already, but a video in updating grandma’s home. I moved into a 18+ neighborhood that has a very high percentage of 75+ residents. When they moved in 24 years ago (late 1998-99) they brought in the 70s or 80s style that they were used too from their previous home. Lots of dried flowers, flower prints, flower furniture, etc., also pictures that consist of flowers or wild animals. They don’t want to spend money, so what are economical ways they can change to update and keep some of the things they love.
Maybe you can just sift through the decor to see what's worth keeping and sell or give away the rest? Especially the dried flowers that might not be in good shape by now. As for upholstered furniture, how about adding slip covers in a solid color? Or a large throw blanket?
The first piece of furniture my parents bought in 1959 was a glass top table. It is not a Noguchi, but it has a wooden base. It’s still in their house….with the original glass top. My mom loves it.
My MIL has a large living room glass top table from the late 50"s and I covet it. I also have a very small living room, so I find a glass top table makes the room feel less crowded than a solid topped table would.
For a while I was into mega-mansions. Here are two dangers I saw every time: 1. The front entry with no handrail for the stairs. 2. The freestanding tub with nothing to grab if you start to fall. Some are up a couple steps, so that in addition to falling next to the tub, you could crash down the steps, too. 3. Also, I wondered what a fire inspector would say about the magnificent, open main staircase.
“Let them drink bone broth” is hilarious 🤣. I am SO sick of seeing the Tom Ford and the Chanel books! I was waiting for you to mention the Hermes blanket. It is becoming just as ubiquitous. I think clothes, jewellery and home decor with luxury brand logos as the main design feature are just tacky and unimaginative and I hate them.
1. My Instagram targeted ads for Amazon were trying to sell me fake Tom Ford & Chanel books that were basically decorative cardboard boxes. So we're at fake LV sidewalk vendor level of knockoff with those 😂 2. The Togo couch is VERY comfortable. But the person I knew with one was a friend from highschool (re: a teenage boy) who's rich parents put one in his bedroom lmaoo
Living in the UK in a Victorian terrace house I have 4 fireplaces, including one in the bathroom. Lots of old property has fireplaces cos it was the only way of heating a home. They are an architectural feature and structurally important in weight bearing in properties - and many of the fireplaces are beatifully carved or with fine metalwork, marble and tiles.
I had a low-brow version of a glass coffee table growing up. My sister and I were playing “floor is lava” and she jumped through it. Needless to say, it wasn’t pretty. I have bad feelings about glass coffee tables too.
Every item of furniture needs to be at least strong enough to have an adult stand on it, or sit down on it suddenly. If it can't handle that, it's not safe to have in a house with people.
Nick, your deliciously snarky opinions are such a breath of fresh air! I really appreciate your advice and tips and how you remind us to not take design (or ourselves) so seriously!
I normally don't agree with these lists (from other channels) as I'm an incredibly picky and specific interior designer, but Dude.....YYYYAAASSSS!!!!! YOU. NAILED. IT!!!!!!! Oh my gosh, let's design a house together!! I think we're kindred spirits 😍😍😍
I'm a commercial interior designer, and have to admit I love the Noguchi table. Honestly, I see the Eames lounge chair and ottoman way more, but also admit to loving it and many of the classic mid-century pieces. Are they played out? Perhaps, but they are versatile, and they don't always have to be styled like you live in a DWR catalog. That said, in a home, the Noguchi table is better suited to rooms that don't see lots of activity. 100% agree with you on everything else.
Finally someone speak up about these “on trend” furnishings! It might have looked cool when it first came out, but seeing EVERY single blogger decorate their space with the same look, it’s just tedious and not original
I love that you confessed jealousy immediately in regards to the fireplaces. The very second you opened up with that I thought “jealous”, of course I was projecting.
I'm pretty sure the Tom Ford book belongs to the photo stylist and not the homeowners, but it gives me an idea for a new business: selling fake coffee table books that are custom printed in the style of the Tom Ford book, but with the owner's own name on the spine.
I agree with you on all. The only one I’m iffy on is the glass cocktail table. I think if you’re in a tight space or if you have a gorgeous rug, glass is a good choice.
I mean with fireplaces, it doesn't really stand out as someone in the UK, the 4 bedroom house I grew up in had 6 fireplaces (3 downstairs, 3 upstairs - 3 chimneys) my bedroom had a fireplace. So 9 across a whole mansion is actually not that many, I'd have expected 16. My sister lives in a really small terraced house (2 bedrooms, a house that a poor victorian family would live in) and had 4 fireplaces however the upstairs ones were removed before she moved in and it currently has 2. You don't have to be in a rich person's house to have lots of fireplaces If you're talking about old British houses, expect a fireplace in every big room - and so if someone were to convert a bedroom into a bathroom there's going to be a fireplace, or if you convert a part of a big room into a bathroom there may be a fireplace. I know that in North America fireplaces are often this statement piece because your housing is younger than 160 years old. So hard disagree that you can have too many, although considering that most fireplaces aren't used it is a waste of space. Also the lemons, if I were to go to my parents' house right now, it's not in a bowl but I'll be able to find at least 8 lemons on the counter (it's on this tree rack thing like what you would put small cakes on to display them, lemons on top with some veg and garlic under it). She loves lemons and I'm someone who can't taste sour and so it results in lemon itself tasting sweet, but paired with something savoury and it tastes bitter, my mum for the longest time dismissed it as not being a big deal because it's not that much lemon but it made her food have an earwaxy hint to it
I have a double sided fireplace and I love it. Unfortunately I live in CA and the green police will come take you away if you actually start a fire in it. Regarding the lemons....I have a nice bowl with fake lemons in my butler's pantry area. Maybe I should switch it out for peaches? Also fake of course. 🤣🤣🤣
As a joke, I would recover an S&M book or something crazy like that in that Tom Ford book cover, just to see who’ll actually look inside it and get a surprise 😂😂 I just don’t think anyone really reads those coffee table books, they’re just for looks which to me is even worse cause they’re so expensive for no reason.
Even just the old school "Joy of S*x" from the 70s would be an eyebrow-raiser and nervous-chuckle-inducing piece. 😂 Especially if you purposefully invite someone who's a perpetual pearl-clutcher. 😂😂
Oddly, coffee-table books are like tabletop roleplaying game books in that the company knows you're only going to buy a couple of these books over your lifetime, so they have a wild upfront cost cause they have to get the money from you somehow. But at least you can have fun with a Pathfinder or D&D book laying on your table lol
The English Arts and Crafts movement produced some amazing architecture. I would be very happy in a home designed by C.F.A. Voysey and decorated by William Morris.
I was thinking exactly the same about Togo sofa until I tried it! It’s very smart perfectly hug you it’s like someone is massaging you. It’s the most comfortable sofa I ever tried.
More of these please - I need the snarky advice on how to furnish my imaginary home. And I agree with GP knowing how ridiculous she is; no one would sell a candle smelling like _that_ without full awareness that she’s playing with us.
OMG I'm so glad you called out the Tom Ford book! I have a huge library of many gorgeous coffee table books and I have no idea who Tom Ford is or what its about, but wouldn't add it to my collection. I collect only books that resonate with my interest. Travel, architecture, gardening, a Day in the Life books, reference books, home decorating, Renaissance and other period specific books. I'm with you on the fireplaces! I'd really just love to have one! lol
I thought the white Togo looked like a strait jacket. Seriously. The other colors looked like gaming chairs, but at least they don't look like something you'd see in a locked ward.
Togo sofa is actually good and comfortable to sit on. Usually good in small places as it's light and you can move it easily. Also, it doesn't stuff the space. But it's mostly displayed in large rooms where it's just too small and looks weird.
I love my Togo armchair which has been in the family since the 70s and I've had it ever since my first apartment. I still sit in it every day and I'm in my 50s. It's also a perfect place for an afternoon nap. To each their own, if Nick doesn't like it he doesn't need to get one.
@@GordonGekkoo Haha the hell they don't and if they do it's a cheap copy of the real Togo. Haha everyone between 28 and 35 xD Stay grumpy like this old man in the video.
I was planning to put one of these (the smaller one/two seater version) in my new reading nook in the weird corner of my living room before I knew what it was and how much it cost. Could not believe it was 4k and not $400. Oof.
Thanks Nick. I really enjoy hearing your opinion and how you can say you dislike something without making it a personal critique. That must be an essential skill, along with gentle redirection, in the design business.
Oh Lord yes, that Tom Ford book! Why? There are so many amazing coffee table books. I have travel books I've picked up from thrift stores and they are lovely to look at and in.
Being someone who ignores trends and decorates my home to my own taste and comforts - these crazy rich folks can do whatever, does not affect me at all. When I was married 40 years ago we dug some furniture out of MIL attic that had belonged to my husband's grandmother. She was married in 1905 so I have almost all my home furnished in the mission style oak that was popular in 1905. I love the simple lines of it and I love the look of OAK. My husband loves living with furniture that he has lived with his entire life.
I love mission style so much! My house is a cool mish mash of things we really like. We are in a smallish 1925 house in Massachusetts. The house looks like it was built as things were moving from bungalow style to colonial-like the builder couldn’t decide 😂 So ya’ we are pretty eclectic. Jealous of your real mission furniture!
I've had my Noguchi coffee table in my modestly sized condo for decades and before they became overplayed. I'll have it for decades to come or until I die. I personally find its glass top more durable and easier to clean, plus with its shape and thickness, I also don't find it dangerous at all. To each their own.
I'm living in my first place on my own and my favorite piece of furniture we bought was a hollow coffee table with pull-up tray from IKEA so we can actually keep our art books safe lol
"Let them drink both broth" just made me choke on my decaf 🤣 The thing I hate most in rich houses is what I hate in general which is poor/ impractical design. For $Xmillion I want it to be gorgeous and practical and if it's not both why would I spend my hard earned lottery money on it!?
OMG! The Tom Ford book IS EVERYWHERE! 🤣So funny you mentioned that. (If you have a lemon tree, you DO have bowls of lemons around a lot!) Fun video. Thanks.
I like my dad's sofa philosophy that a couch must be good for napping as well as sitting. The DS600 fails that basic test, so it's a no go in a residential area. Also I grew up in Southern California, outside of LA, and my family never used the fireplace just due to climate, and legally we couldn't use the outdoor firepit thanks to wildfire risk. So it weirds me out when I see LA mansions with more than one fireplace, since they're basically not going to be used as it's so hot.
Your dad has a good take on sofas ! I worked in interior design many years ago , but still fondly recall the many clients who questioned their potential custom designed sofa's measurements to guarantee adequate " nap space " . And ... these were high end brands & wealthy clients who'd create a silent giggle in my mind while I'd envision them napping on their new luxury sofa ! 😂
omg loved the 'nothing more fun than class warfare' intro. Hot content tip for ya (like you hadn't figured it out): class warfare is the underlying social justice issue of our time, so folks will never tire of laughing at people who have no idea what the average worker's life is actually like. I also think you accidentally answered the age-old question of how much money is too much. It's when you can afford to buy a monster centipede-like sofa for your living room, that people are too scared to sit on.
"I think glass is a great material, I love it in windows" 😂
BIG FAN
Don’t you just love his dry sense of humor !
Yea, glass in windows is a trend that's here to stay, all the best designers are using it
I'm dying!!😂
😂😂
I've been a commercial designer for 25 years. Those large, sculptural over sized sectional sofas really were originally designed for commercial spaces.
Thank you! 👏
Yeah like airport lounges.
Or a resort lounge, while you are waiting to check in but still keep a fashionable distance from the other guests.
And they’re tacky!!
Imagine having to clean inside the couch folds of a Togo couch used in a public space 🤮
Here’s the thing about glass coffee tables- if you have an intricate Persian (or other) hand knitted rug, glass tables are really cool because they emphasize the rug. Ironically these tables are usually paired with really boring rugs!
THIS! I collect antique rugs (they're all genuine and my house is decidedly a No Shoes Zone) and most of my tables are skinny-legged and glass-topped so the details of the rugs aren't obscured. It's very much not practical, and they do take a lot of cleaning even in a kid-free household, so it's decidedly *a choice*. But if you enjoy the aesthetic it's worth it!
(I'm kinda torn between wanting persian rugs to come back in fashion but also wanting the prices for antiques and second hand ones to remain within my normal person budget tbh xD let the rich stick with their boring beige area rugs! xD)
@@quantumphysicax9004 Right?! I LOVE my woven wool rug (which I bought for a song) - the center medallion is exquisite and I don’t want it obscured by a tabletop. I, too, am praying these rugs remain unloved for the time being - at least until my decorating aspirations are realized!!!
As a young but poor bride a long time ago, when purchasing our first set of furniture, we opted for glass coffee table, why? Because if you live in a tiny space, the glass opens up the room. Visually it makes the room a lot more airy, and I enjoyed that. Just be sure not to buy anything with sharp corners. But I didn't find cleaning it to be a chore, even with a toddler around, a squirt of Windex and a paper towel and in under a minute it is clean. It is the easiest thing of all materials to clean.
They are very easy to clean, and durable, on the plus side.
Those vanity mirrors that utubers use. Firstly, a rechargeable mirror? And why can we not get the lighting right in any bathroom space. Why is it you enter some bathroom spaces with wonderful lighting so wonderful you’ll never want to leave, other lighted bathroom spaces are too dark or make it look like the life is drained out of you. Half the bath is cool lights, the other half warm. Still not right.🙄How to fix this?Video please!
“Just because you can, doesn’t mean that you should”. I think this quote can apply perfectly to design😅
Like people wearing tight leggings or pajamas in public. Should be illegal. Sadly, it is not. Ewwwwww
It also applies to artificial intelligence ;)
We use that a lot in the ICU as well. We see so many "shouldn'ts" it's very depressing at times. I loved this video!
This should be used world wide for everything
And to a lot of other things in life.
The DS600 sofa has many wonderful features: it is great for hiding remotes, looking like a Bundt cake, playing "find the money game", looking for the Matzah on Passover, and resting tush cheeks very precariously.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Looks like a puffer jacket.
the designated afikomen hiding place!
😂😂😂😂😂😂
@@jadea.2694 OH! it so does! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! 💕💕💕💕
I was taking care of an elderly man who just passed away and he left me his entire house of mid century danish furniture he bought in the 60s and 70’s. Tons of it so now I have to redo my new place using this amazing stuff! I’m so excited!
Sounds amazing, mid century modern is just so classic! We have a few pieces, but anything more modern is often in that kind of aesthetic. Done right, mcm mixes great with more antique pieces too...
I’m “jealous”
Togo = no go gotcha
Ooooooo well jel
🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣
Lucky you 💖
Just becasue we're jealous of their budget, doesn't mean we're wrong about their
taste. Love your takes, Nick!
💯💯💯
Rich people always have tacky taste.
Tastes are subjective, one can't really be objectively right nor wrong about someone's taste. I think at the end of the day it's their home, doesn't really matter what we think as long as they felt comfortable in it.
Tax the rich. The existence of "billionaire" on the same planet as "homeless" is an obscenity that needs to be abolished.
@@None38389Nope. Taste as in "I dont like lemon. But I acknowledge that it doesn't mean lemon taste bad" is indeed subjective & valid.
A style taste is agreed upon as human beings & it has rules for it to work like harmony.
Which means balance mainly.
So if we agree as a majority that marble from floor to ceiling is in bad taste it is bc it lacks balance. In material, in color, texture etc.
Do you love it ? Great, you do you do. It will still be considered bad taste by the majority of humans bc we strive for harmony.
You can like a style & fail to pull it off but if you're happy with you got it's fine.
Your stance is like these ppl who say "everyone is beautiful"
No they aren't. You're giving lipservice or are virtue signalling.
You can see the beauty in things but that's subjective.
But it's toxic positivity to pretend everything is always good, pretty, nice just bc ppl tie their self worth to it.
It should "Not everyone is pretty but that's okay. You can have value without being pretty. You can be many things"
If everyone is beautiful than nobody is. And the word ugly wouldn't exist. Everything exist in poles & nuances in between.
Light, dark. Rough, smooth.
Sturdy, fragile. Kind, mean.
Talent, unskilled etc
Just bc ppl have attributed qualities to some & those are more desirable than others, doesn't mean you get to act like factual things of reality don't exist or aren't true.
"You guys really loved this the first time, because apparently there's nothing more fun or funny than class warfare" I DIED 😂🤣💀💀
You can NEVER have too many fireplaces. 😍
That made me audibly lol
I'm with you. Ever since I replaced the cardboard in my windows with glass, I've got a new outlook! Love your channel!
😂😂😂
Nick, I need you to know that I cackled so loudly at 'Let them drink bone broth' that my roommate thought a bird had gotten into our apartment.
I love that! 🐦
Same lol
That is too funny! Thanks for sharing!
I did too! Scared the neighbours.
@@Nick_Lewis Beautiful understated delivery that could almost be missed. 🤣
I would put a Nick Lewis coffee table book in my home. The quotes that would be in that book - priceless.
Exactly entertaining and original
Yes! Please! We need a Dis on Design book!
Agreed!
My God… please make this book!! I’ll buy it!!
Yes please.
I'm SO glad you mentioned the bowl full of lemons in every kitchen. Either they are fake, or the folks don't care that everyone can see the evidence of their lemonade addiction. Also loved the "let them eat bone broth" - the delivery was perfect.
Best part, for my friend, they're fake _and_ she happily shows off her lemon addiction lol.
or simply people who are cooking themselves and using fresh lemon juice for most recipes - it’s just giving every dish a great kick of a taste which is why I and most people i know have lots of fresh lemons in their kitchen - summertime hit: drizzle fresh lime or lemon juice on an ice cold watermelon - best summer refresher ever…
Lol like who as it, Dakota Something, not the blonde one, and her bowl of limes. 🤣
It's for the lemon water breakfast. It's just mandatory.
Why is it weird to keep a bowl of lemons and not a bouquet of flowers?
Here in New England old large homes (not mansions) often have fireplaces in almost every room. It’s cold here. They were necessary for heat in this cold climate before modern insulation, double pane windows, and central heating. We keep them because they are part of history and can make a room feel very cozy. I do love this video, though, and I agree with you on so many points. Maine is a very different world from California.
That is what I say and I agree as well.
Totally agree. Keep the fireplaces, which I suspect are beautiful.
Says the person whomhasnt watched any news dor the last 4 months, with townsnthat have had 60 feet of snow fall on them in the Sierras. Yes that is in California. We are not all L.A.
It's the same in Philadelphia. Homes that predate central heating from the 18th to the mid to late 19th century often had a fireplace in every room possible based on the grade of housing.
@@jaimetarne9436 Very true. I often forget about Northern California. When I think of California I admittedly instantly think of LA, bikinis, and Hollywood mansions. California is a large state, though. I’m sure you also have older homes with lots of fireplaces where you are.
I think so many people bought that Tom Ford book just for the black and white cover. It fits the whole monochrome minimalist look that was so popular. I bet most people didn’t even crack the spine on it.
You know, if you wanna make a buck, I suppose you could start a side hustle selling book covers without the actual book. Get some stock patterns, some random letters, or change it to "Dom Fort" to avoid a lawsuit. This whole coffee table book thing is just craziness, wtf are people doing, buying big fat books just for the boring cover?
@@katego370 Yes.
I think that's a pretty genius business plan ;)
@@hypotheticalmoggy Aliexpress already sell those...
the book is indeed wonderful. you can learn about tf's career, his old folks, his internship in France, and all the great collections he created. anyone whose interested in culture would love to have it on hand, or in their coffee table, so it's always within reach
Always spot on with your awesome sense of humor. lol. ‘’Let them eat bone broth.” ‘’’It looks like a sharpe.” “Dorm room fancy.” “I love glass in windows.”
"Let them drink bone broth" needs to be scrawled across a line art print depicting Gwyneth skiing 🎉
Bowls full of lemons😅😅😅
Hahaha gold
I need it on a t-shirt in a really beautiful font with GP as Marie Antoinette, maybe in a quickly-drawn sketch style with watercolor.
@sorscha I am waaaay late to the party watching this video but omg! your comment is gold!! I swear you would sell thousands of t-shirts and all art. I hope you follow through with this business idea. And….l really did laugh out loud when I read your text. Thanks :) !!
Funfact. GOOD bone broth is actually really good for us. 😂. And I won’t say “no” to cake after 👍
Every time I watch TH-cam videos of multi million dollar homes, I want to know who told super rich people that bookmatched marble on every surface of every kitchen & bathroom is chic. Congratulations: your house now looks like a hotel. You have achieved the cohesion of an upscale Marriott.
I also don’t understand those weird giant pivot doors, and I roll my eyes when a kitchen has hidden cabinets. I live in an 873 sq ft condo & even I can’t find stuff in my organized cabinets. Why would I want to then look for the cabinets themselves??
😂
I doubt they even use a quarter of their homes. So, I guess it doesn't have to be functional if it's basically just being used as some sort of museum to flex their wealth.
@@TheUpholsteryLibrary So many houses here look like that! I envision a future California where all these “homes” are turned into boutique hotels. “Ooh, all the marble matches!”
I just hate when something beautiful becomes a cliche-like the Noguchi table or Frieda Kahlo’s self portrait 😢. Most people wouldn’t know a Noguchi sculpture if it fell over on them.
I love Noguchi’s art. It’s classic but has been over done.
Laughed out loud several times during this video...the Shar Pei dog sofa, the "let them eat bone broth" comment, and the Tom Ford book...spot on video! Thanks for keeping it real Nick!
Who is Tom
@@lynnesews9725 I don't know, but I guess he could only afFORD one book
The shar pei sofa and the earthworm chair.
People who think the 90's are cool, didn't live in the 90's. You are correct 😂❤
Next to the TF book will be an orange Hermes blanket. I also dry heave at Tracey Emin neon wall text light 'art' and even funnier, anything "by" (😂) Damien Hirst. Sheep, so many sheep.
The Tom Ford book has become the design equivalent of the phrase “She let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding.” that pops up in way too many books. I’ve turned it into a game like Where’s Waldo, knowing it’s going to be there somewhere. I’m convinced it just a binding filled with blank white pages. 😂
The Tom Ford book looked at Gwyneth Paltrow through hazy binding and let out a breath of dust it didn't know it was holding 😅.
Fun fact: books do in fact breath.
@@Kathywake23 …to cool her cup of bone broth. 😆
Everytime I see that book I die a little inside,,, at this point having that book says I don't care about books but I won't people to think I do so. And I have no original creativity.
it is actually. I just googled it's a "decorative book" and they basically just sell you an expensive journal with some famous persons name on the binding.
Someone should recreate the book cover with John Ford and see if anyone notices. And.. kerplunk.
With regards to the “centipede sofa” I wouldn’t want that many folks in my home all at once!!!🤣
And they are terribly ugly, too🫣
I wouldn't want to clean a house big enough for one of those sofas!
I grew up in Ireland in a terraced house with three storeys that was built in 1900. It had 6 fireplaces, one each in the sitting room, dining room, and all four bedrooms. That was how our house was heated until my parents installed central heating. I used to have a fire lit in my bedroom when I was a student. My parents bought the house in 1962 for £2000. We were middle class, definitely not rich.
I just told my son....a house is where you are comfortable living in.i dont follow trends,i like pieces that has characters and comfy
For a while I lived in London in my FIL's house and it was in their family for 5 generations. It was Stone and the bathroom had been added in the basement. The back of the house had holes in the stones where it had been straiffed in WW2. It was cold & damp after living in a warm, cozy house in the USA.Anyway - it too was heated by fireplaces but my FIL preffered to burn coal instead of wood - smelled awful.
Thanks for injecting some context into this conversation!
I'm so relieved Nick approves of glass in our windows 🤣❤️
I also hate the mini mansion itself. Who lives in them and aren’t they afraid to go to sleep at night with all those empty rooms?
LOL. They likely slink off to their cozy “garden” shed or walk-in closet with a fancy sleeping bag on the best cot money can buy 😂 👍😎
No.
“I was there…it wasn’t great” this is how I feel about early 2000’s fashion coming back lol
Yes!! When I saw my 22-23 year old cousins wearing Nike Dunks I about choked on my drink lol (not hating Dunks actually, it was more surprise ha)
They say "if you wore or did it first time around, don't wear/do it again😂
My niece had a 2000s-themed twenty-first. I threatened to come in a sequined apron top with visible thong underwear. Yuck.
As a former bio major, that first sofa just reminds me of a lipid layer 😅
🤣
Or streptococcus!
"no one has a bowlful of lemons in their kitchen." I did, for a little while last year. My lemon tree had a bumper crop, and it took me a while to deal with it.
Yes ... my neighbour gives me a bagful & they look beautiful 💛💛 & i eat one a day cos i love them !!
Fresh fruit is a less expensive alternative to fresh flowers.
I have a bowl of lemons in my kitchen now 😂😂
My biggest problem with glass tables is that they’re super breakable. When I was a kid, my parents had a glass cafe table. One night I put both of my elbows on it when I was doing my homework and it broke in two. I got in trouble as if I’d done it on purpose. I’ve hated any and all glass furniture ever since.
When you have kids, having a glass coffee table is not a good idea...
My family had a glass table when I was little. According to my parents, I crawled on top of it and broke it
I fell on a glass coffe table (i have very weak ankles and I rolled one over simply walking back to the sofa). I spent the night at the ER with doctors taking shards out of my back
I had a 150kg guy stand on my noguchi table 😄.
@@Cuiositycola I learned that the hard way back in the 80's. Not kid friendly.
just imagine the amount of stuff you can lose in the ds 600 couch cracks if every foot of couch has a couch crack
Oh the crumbs…
@@Nick_Lewis Oh, the loose change!!!
My dog cries every time her balls go under the couch in an intense game of fetch. I can just imagine how annoying it would be to fish them out of those cracks multiple times per hour.
The vacuuming!
I died at “couch crack”
Totally agree! My mother was an Interior Designer in the 70's and 80's and she LOVED modern/contemporary furniture. All her furniture was low to the ground, very uncomfortable, and impossible to get in and out of. She also loved glass tables! My mom was always running around with a bottle of Windex and a wad of paper towels.
Don’t forget constantly hitting knees & shins on them. 😬
Gwyneth being our modern day Marie Antoinette. Yes, exactly! 😂
This was the absolute perfect comparison!
Yeah and look what happened to her!😅
"Let them drink bone broth"
But saying everyone doesn’t like her is a bit pretentious itself 🤔 and then proceed to say he likes her as if it’s a privilege to her 😅
Gwyneth P is one of those PERFECT LIFE people who are so irritating. Martha Stewart was one but she had the good fortune to be sent to prison and is now fine. Anyway, nice that you’re over all the GP hatred 👏
Thank you for calling out the intestine sofa! It gives big anatomy class energy and that vibe only works at serial killer houses 👀
The one word you didn’t mention for that first sofa, it looks UNCOMFORTABLE
I grew up with coffee table books on Pompeii. As a kid, I remember always opening them to look at pictures of the landscape and the ruins. It fascinated me and piqued my interest in ancient civilizations. Today, as an adult, my coffee table book is a gorgeous book of old maps of Manhattan, but I love the history of New York. I find it infinitely more interesting than these Tom Ford/Chanel books that are there because they were styled and not because someone genuinely likes it. I find my guests genuinely curious about the map book and they tend to open it. It always creates conversation about the history of Ny.
People need GOOD coffee table books 💗💗💗
I'm Texan. MY coffee-table book is the Courthouses of Texas. I love looking at it. It has some great inadvertent humour for instance, The Bexar County Courthouse is the hysterical result of 3 warring architects and styles and WAY too much money..
My favorite thing to do when I see the Chanel book at someone's house is to bring up the 'fun' fact that she was a Nazi informant/sympathizer who used those connections to build the business. Usually shows how little they actually know about the person. Use books you actually know stuff about for your decor
Bravo!
I heard that recently, and did not know. You make an excellent point.
Wow! Thanks for sharing. I'm not into designer anything, but it's an interesting fact.
Ya, but that was a lot of people in Europe at that time because they didn't want to be persecuted. Take Hugo Boss as well. I also read Chanels nephew was put in a camp and she was using her connections to get him out.
@@thedoublea147 that's also an interesting point
"Let them drink bone broth" just killed me, I am now dead 🤣
Hilarious. Every time I see a Chanel book or Hermes throw (your last video) I chuckle. Thank you for giving us your opinions in a snarky but relatable way. :)
I have a huge Aubrey Beardsley book I got for a buck fifty at a thrift shop. It has the Lysistrata illustrations, which are very naughty and hilarious. That is a coffee table book.
Protest song: Hey hey! Ho ho! The Hermes throw has got to go, Hey hey! ....
I felt same way about the Togo sofa until I ran into one at a furniture store. I still wouldn't pick it for me, but I was surprised by how well crafted it was and was comfy to sit upright in (just don't try reclining). One of those items that makes more sense in person than in photos.
Wonderful video as always. Love the comments about lemons used as decor. Whenever I like a kitchen that has prominently displayed lemons or oranges or a single magenta orchid, I’ve learned to put my finger over that spot of color. Almost always the kitchen suddenly looks sterile and generic.
OMG. That is such a simple litmus test hack to figure put whether a design inspiration would actually translate well into real life application! Thank you! Am currently trying to re-design my room and am soooo going to use this trick.
i tried the lemons in a bowl in my kitchen...once. I thought they would be fresh looking and fragrant. They got moldy and dried out in two, three days and into the trash they went. Wasted. I also have noticed the Tom Ford book, everywhere. So overdone. Love your channel Nick!!
How did they spoil so fast? I never had lemon spoil unless it was already cut into and think they generally last a long time. Either way, no reason to have lemons if you dont actively use them for something
Right!! Fresh fruit as decor. It does ripen, mold and it does rot. And if you're using it, the carefully crafted pile in the bowl rapidly shrinks and looks like what it is: fruit waiting to be used in a not-too-aesthetic way. Fake, faux, phoney is the only way to go. If you're going to use fresh fruit as decor, either have an unlimited budget to keep replacing it or be prepared to put up with the ever-shrinking supply in the artistically arranged vignette.
That is rare that lemons spoil so fast. Your house must be very humid or something. And in spiritual circles, they would say that means you have negative energy in your home.
Fake lemons in a sealed glass cannister. No mold, no food waste, no dust. Yeah it's not as nice as fresh produce, but definitely an upgrade from Mom's plastic fruit from the 70s.
That sounds weird. I live in a hot, humid, tropical climate and I've never had citrus go bad that fast on the counter. They last about a week at least.
Your Gwyneth riff was too funny!! 😄
I vote for Aesop hand soap for the next round of these videos. I swear I see it in literally EVERY SINGLE BATHROOM on any AD tour, magazine, catalog, etc. I'll admit i like the aesthetic but it's becoming like a drinking game for me. Which is great because I would need to take few shots before buying $45 hand soap.
I'm from Melbourne (where Aesop originated) and feel mostly the same - it's everywhere!! But I also feel a tiny bit of pride that something Aussie is desirable enough to make it to design mags 😊
Then again we all know it’s just the bottle, refilled with soap from ALDI ;-)
And Hermes blankets. And even funnier, deVOL-style navy blue kitchen cupboards with gold fixtures and much white. People are so into sniffing everybody else's butts and then reproducing the odour so happily, so obediently.
I love my Aesop hand wash, treat to myself, yes I will refill it with other hand soap!
@@danadpt2012 The best hand wash in the world is a Sainsbury's supermarket own-brand one-- and they've gone and discontinued it. Story of my life.
My mom’s house in Brooklyn, built in 1892, for middle class folks, has 4 floors. Two fireplaces per floor, because it was built just before steam heat was a thing. The fireplaces used to be for coal or gas, but not wood. They’re closed up now. Mom bought it for $27k in 1968.
Wanna sell?
I'll double the purchase price 😂👍
Which neighborhood? If I may be so bold.
Will be hard to isolate😊
Yes, I love those old homes with a lot of fireplaces, bc they had a purpose. 🔥
Oh wow!!!! The house sounds beautiful!!!!!!!
I fell in love with the Togo sofa, not knowing it’s a Thing. It’s super practical for small apartments because you can move it around if you need space. It weight nothing. But the price is steep for a glorified bean bag. And if I could afford a bigger space I would not even consider it as a sofa choice.
This episode's particularly dry and I ADORE IT. Every other sentence you've said needs to be on merch 😂😂😂
Yes, my grandmother has a Brownstone in Brooklyn. There are 4 fireplaces...they work too!
😂 'there's nothing more fun than class warfare' so true. There's a British TH-camr called shabaz says who leans heavy into that, with things like re-containering, decor and other nasty aspirational trends. I think you'd enjoy it! I think us brits particularly like to poke fun at rich people choices. Also, side note in England even tiny 2up 2downs have a fireplace in every room because they're victorian 😮
I always understood that so many weird things about English decor was due to the lack of heat and indoor toilets, which is why Brits are so full of themselves.
I mean that makes sense in the land of rain and fog, though. It’s cold and damp and you wanna fight that off and have every room be cozy warm. It does not make sense in someplace like Southern California or the Florida Keys where the coldest they traditionally get is 75f in the dead of winter.
The Togo sofa reminds me of blow up pool furniture. Also, crumbs. Everyone has crumbs and dust and the Togo is a crumb and dust collector.
What a great video! Not only was it entertaining, it made me laugh at myself! I bought the Chanel book and after a month I looked at it and said, “why did I buy this book”? Threw it in a drawer and now I display botanical books which I enjoy! Love your channel!
"Some people are going to say I'm jealous, and yes, yes I am...but its still ugly"
Lmao THIS IS ME
Listen, 😂 I'm from south Florida and the "too many fireplaces" thing is on point. There are so many overpriced new homes in Miami or Fort Lauderdale with fireplaces in cities where it never snows. They're pointless and completely impractical. They'll make your home unbearable in those climates. Someone needs to say it. I'm glad you did.
My old Florida Home had a fireplace that was utilized once between 1998 and 2022 (25 years)!
My mom lives in coastal Texas and has used her fireplace exactly once in 23 years
I grew up in Miami with a fireplace in our home. We actually did use it at least once a year to roast marshmallows and that primitive desire to stare into flames. Once my mom let us light it in the summer and yes, it was awful lol. But some days can get to 50 degrees and when you're used to 85°+, a fireplace is so fun.
An average Florida home, has more fireplaces, than an average home in Minnesota. I’ve lived in both.
I can't help but notice so many news items there are about the strangeness of Florida (vicious alligators on golf courses), I can't believe it is part of the United States. It does seem illogical to have fireplaces there. And elections.
My first reaction with the centipede sofa was how uncomfortable and precarious it looks. If I had to sit on it I'd be waiting for it to separate and land me on the floor. If it somehow managed to stay together then I'd still be sitting in a crevice. I didn't like doing that as a kid when I was stuck between the grownups at someone's house and I'm certainly not going to do it now that I'm the bleeping grown up.
Or being the kid who had to sit between the seats in the car.
It reminds me of a package of brown and serve pull-apart rolls you'd pick up at the grocery store.
@@angelickaveachthank you for posting this as I was going to say the exact same thing! ❤
So, you’re saying I shouldn’t have a Tom Ford book on my Noguchi table in front of my Togo Sofa?!?!?! 😜
Fine. I’m going to go take a bath in front of my bathroom fireplace! 😂
In your carpeted bathroom!
Next to your Centipede sofa. @@nokateno
I love my Noguchi coffee table. 1. I like MCM. 2. My living room is on the small side so the glass keeps it open and airy. 3. I don’t hit my shins on short corners. That said I like quirky Italian design but I hate any furniture that takes form over function. If I need a cherry picker to get out of a sofa or chair it’s a fail.
Yup. I feel similarly. I enjoy the openness it provides, and the glass allows the Persian rug to be more visible.
I have a friend who has a Noguchi coffee table and I love it!
It wasn't a Noguchi but back in the 80's my mom had a big glass coffee table in the living room mainly because she wasn't about to cover the beautiful rug she'd bought for the space. Also, as a kid, it was way too fun tormenting the cats through the glass. Worth it just for that.
I love my Noguchi coffee table too!!
I love the table too.
I saw the weirdest fireplace the other day. It was double sided…oh la la…between the master bedroom and ensuite. Not showcasing a nice soaker tub or something, just the toilet. That’s right, anyone in the bedroom could watch their partner take a dump. But a fancy dump, over fire. 😂
H*ly sh$t. Well that stinks!! 😂. But for real, WTA. Heck?
I actually went into a deloitte office building once for a job and they had the togo sofa in the waiting area so you’re spot on hahaha
Maybe you did this already, but a video in updating grandma’s home. I moved into a 18+ neighborhood that has a very high percentage of 75+ residents. When they moved in 24 years ago (late 1998-99) they brought in the 70s or 80s style that they were used too from their previous home. Lots of dried flowers, flower prints, flower furniture, etc., also pictures that consist of flowers or wild animals. They don’t want to spend money, so what are economical ways they can change to update and keep some of the things they love.
Maybe you can just sift through the decor to see what's worth keeping and sell or give away the rest? Especially the dried flowers that might not be in good shape by now. As for upholstered furniture, how about adding slip covers in a solid color? Or a large throw blanket?
The first piece of furniture my parents bought in 1959 was a glass top table. It is not a Noguchi, but it has a wooden base. It’s still in their house….with the original glass top. My mom loves it.
My MIL has a large living room glass top table from the late 50"s and I covet it. I also have a very small living room, so I find a glass top table makes the room feel less crowded than a solid topped table would.
For a while I was into mega-mansions. Here are two dangers I saw every time: 1. The front entry with no handrail for the stairs. 2. The freestanding tub with nothing to grab if you start to fall. Some are up a couple steps, so that in addition to falling next to the tub, you could crash down the steps, too. 3. Also, I wondered what a fire inspector would say about the magnificent, open main staircase.
“Let them drink bone broth” is hilarious 🤣. I am SO sick of seeing the Tom Ford and the Chanel books! I was waiting for you to mention the Hermes blanket. It is becoming just as ubiquitous. I think clothes, jewellery and home decor with luxury brand logos as the main design feature are just tacky and unimaginative and I hate them.
He mentioned the Hermes blanket in part 1!
Can we add the Prada poster to this list or should it have its own category?
1. My Instagram targeted ads for Amazon were trying to sell me fake Tom Ford & Chanel books that were basically decorative cardboard boxes. So we're at fake LV sidewalk vendor level of knockoff with those 😂
2. The Togo couch is VERY comfortable. But the person I knew with one was a friend from highschool (re: a teenage boy) who's rich parents put one in his bedroom lmaoo
Books by the yard.
Living in the UK in a Victorian terrace house I have 4 fireplaces, including one in the bathroom. Lots of old property has fireplaces cos it was the only way of heating a home. They are an architectural feature and structurally important in weight bearing in properties - and many of the fireplaces are beatifully carved or with fine metalwork, marble and tiles.
I had a low-brow version of a glass coffee table growing up. My sister and I were playing “floor is lava” and she jumped through it. Needless to say, it wasn’t pretty. I have bad feelings about glass coffee tables too.
Every item of furniture needs to be at least strong enough to have an adult stand on it, or sit down on it suddenly. If it can't handle that, it's not safe to have in a house with people.
Nick, your deliciously snarky opinions are such a breath of fresh air! I really appreciate your advice and tips and how you remind us to not take design (or ourselves) so seriously!
I normally don't agree with these lists (from other channels) as I'm an incredibly picky and specific interior designer, but Dude.....YYYYAAASSSS!!!!! YOU. NAILED. IT!!!!!!! Oh my gosh, let's design a house together!! I think we're kindred spirits 😍😍😍
I'm a commercial interior designer, and have to admit I love the Noguchi table. Honestly, I see the Eames lounge chair and ottoman way more, but also admit to loving it and many of the classic mid-century pieces. Are they played out? Perhaps, but they are versatile, and they don't always have to be styled like you live in a DWR catalog. That said, in a home, the Noguchi table is better suited to rooms that don't see lots of activity. 100% agree with you on everything else.
Agree on the Noguchi. Its also extremely practical ans can fit in a variety of shaped and size rooms. Can also break up otherwise boxy, heavy spaces
The DS600 sofa is sooo creepy. It was perfect in The Hunger Games, again, creepy. It says, "Welcome to my home, please leave."
Yes definitely goes with the tone of that movie.
Finally someone speak up about these “on trend” furnishings! It might have looked cool when it first came out, but seeing EVERY single blogger decorate their space with the same look, it’s just tedious and not original
If I see don’t anymore chain links or strings of wooden beads on coffee tables or shelf units, I’ll die happy.
I 100% agree on the Tom Ford book…but I do have a bowl of lemons and limes in my kitchen at all times…but I genuinely use them in cooking…sooo 😅
My husband and I are into birding.......yes, we are " bird nerds"😂 so on my coffee table are beautiful bird books! love you, Nick❤
I love that you confessed jealousy immediately in regards to the fireplaces. The very second you opened up with that I thought “jealous”, of course I was projecting.
I'm pretty sure the Tom Ford book belongs to the photo stylist and not the homeowners, but it gives me an idea for a new business: selling fake coffee table books that are custom printed in the style of the Tom Ford book, but with the owner's own name on the spine.
Love this idea!
I agree with you on all. The only one I’m iffy on is the glass cocktail table. I think if you’re in a tight space or if you have a gorgeous rug, glass is a good choice.
I mean with fireplaces, it doesn't really stand out as someone in the UK, the 4 bedroom house I grew up in had 6 fireplaces (3 downstairs, 3 upstairs - 3 chimneys) my bedroom had a fireplace. So 9 across a whole mansion is actually not that many, I'd have expected 16. My sister lives in a really small terraced house (2 bedrooms, a house that a poor victorian family would live in) and had 4 fireplaces however the upstairs ones were removed before she moved in and it currently has 2. You don't have to be in a rich person's house to have lots of fireplaces
If you're talking about old British houses, expect a fireplace in every big room - and so if someone were to convert a bedroom into a bathroom there's going to be a fireplace, or if you convert a part of a big room into a bathroom there may be a fireplace. I know that in North America fireplaces are often this statement piece because your housing is younger than 160 years old. So hard disagree that you can have too many, although considering that most fireplaces aren't used it is a waste of space.
Also the lemons, if I were to go to my parents' house right now, it's not in a bowl but I'll be able to find at least 8 lemons on the counter (it's on this tree rack thing like what you would put small cakes on to display them, lemons on top with some veg and garlic under it). She loves lemons and I'm someone who can't taste sour and so it results in lemon itself tasting sweet, but paired with something savoury and it tastes bitter, my mum for the longest time dismissed it as not being a big deal because it's not that much lemon but it made her food have an earwaxy hint to it
I have a double sided fireplace and I love it. Unfortunately I live in CA and the green police will come take you away if you actually start a fire in it.
Regarding the lemons....I have a nice bowl with fake lemons in my butler's pantry area. Maybe I should switch it out for peaches? Also fake of course. 🤣🤣🤣
As a joke, I would recover an S&M book or something crazy like that in that Tom Ford book cover, just to see who’ll actually look inside it and get a surprise 😂😂 I just don’t think anyone really reads those coffee table books, they’re just for looks which to me is even worse cause they’re so expensive for no reason.
Even just the old school "Joy of S*x" from the 70s would be an eyebrow-raiser and nervous-chuckle-inducing piece. 😂 Especially if you purposefully invite someone who's a perpetual pearl-clutcher. 😂😂
If you do want a coffee table book I recommend thrift shops. They usually have at least a couple. And for less than five bucks.
Tom of Finland in Tom Ford covers.
Names being so similar it's an easy mistake to make
Oddly, coffee-table books are like tabletop roleplaying game books in that the company knows you're only going to buy a couple of these books over your lifetime, so they have a wild upfront cost cause they have to get the money from you somehow. But at least you can have fun with a Pathfinder or D&D book laying on your table lol
don't recover an s&m book, just double down and display Mapplethorpe and Helmut Newton books, lol.
My favorite coffee table book is William Morris: Artist Craftsman Pioneer. It's huge and beautiful.
The English Arts and Crafts movement produced some amazing architecture. I would be very happy in a home designed by C.F.A. Voysey and decorated by William Morris.
I was thinking exactly the same about Togo sofa until I tried it! It’s very smart perfectly hug you it’s like someone is massaging you. It’s the most comfortable sofa I ever tried.
More of these please - I need the snarky advice on how to furnish my imaginary home.
And I agree with GP knowing how ridiculous she is; no one would sell a candle smelling like _that_ without full awareness that she’s playing with us.
Yeah-but now she’s doing whackadoodle health advice. Not good. Sell your stupid candles. Don’t. Pretend. You. Are. A. Doctor.
OMG I'm so glad you called out the Tom Ford book! I have a huge library of many gorgeous coffee table books and I have no idea who Tom Ford is or what its about, but wouldn't add it to my collection. I collect only books that resonate with my interest. Travel, architecture, gardening, a Day in the Life books, reference books, home decorating, Renaissance and other period specific books. I'm with you on the fireplaces! I'd really just love to have one! lol
Money doesn't buy class or taste. I love Nick's style. Clean lines, warm mid century mod vibe.
The centipede sofa reminds me of a loaf of bread that got squished under all the other groceries. And the Togo looks like a tardigrade. Hahaha
In fur it would be the caterpillar sofa.
You just made made day with the tardigrade lol 😂
🤣 tardigrade?!? Good god, you're right!
I thought the white Togo looked like a strait jacket. Seriously. The other colors looked like gaming chairs, but at least they don't look like something you'd see in a locked ward.
Togo sofa is actually good and comfortable to sit on. Usually good in small places as it's light and you can move it easily. Also, it doesn't stuff the space. But it's mostly displayed in large rooms where it's just too small and looks weird.
I love my Togo armchair which has been in the family since the 70s and I've had it ever since my first apartment. I still sit in it every day and I'm in my 50s. It's also a perfect place for an afternoon nap. To each their own, if Nick doesn't like it he doesn't need to get one.
I'd love a togo two seater for a small apartment. In a fun but not crazy colour to match the room. Should be fine
Togo's are overpriced garbage. Everyone in Europe between 28 and 35 seems to have one at home now. It's becoming Ikea.
@@GordonGekkoo Haha the hell they don't and if they do it's a cheap copy of the real Togo. Haha everyone between 28 and 35 xD Stay grumpy like this old man in the video.
I was planning to put one of these (the smaller one/two seater version) in my new reading nook in the weird corner of my living room before I knew what it was and how much it cost. Could not believe it was 4k and not $400. Oof.
Thanks Nick.
I really enjoy hearing your opinion and how you can say you dislike something without making it a personal critique.
That must be an essential skill, along with gentle redirection, in the design business.
I have my grandparents’ Noguchi (vintage) and it fits so well in our 1950s ranch - the scale is perfect
Love the Noguchi!😍
Making fun of rich people? I’m here for it!
Oh Lord yes, that Tom Ford book! Why? There are so many amazing coffee table books. I have travel books I've picked up from thrift stores and they are lovely to look at and in.
I can relate, Nick. I, too, suffer from fireplace envy. 😂
Being someone who ignores trends and decorates my home to my own taste and comforts - these crazy rich folks can do whatever, does not affect me at all. When I was married 40 years ago we dug some furniture out of MIL attic that had belonged to my husband's grandmother. She was married in 1905 so I have almost all my home furnished in the mission style oak that was popular in 1905. I love the simple lines of it and I love the look of OAK. My husband loves living with furniture that he has lived with his entire life.
I love mission style so much! My house is a cool mish mash of things we really like. We are in a smallish 1925 house in Massachusetts. The house looks like it was built as things were moving from bungalow style to colonial-like the builder couldn’t decide 😂 So ya’ we are pretty eclectic. Jealous of your real mission furniture!
My favourite thing that rich people should get rid of, is greed.
SMH. THIS is my favourite quote. 100% agree.
I've had my Noguchi coffee table in my modestly sized condo for decades and before they became overplayed. I'll have it for decades to come or until I die. I personally find its glass top more durable and easier to clean, plus with its shape and thickness, I also don't find it dangerous at all. To each their own.
Absolutely! I think Nick was off the mark on this particular piece.
Me too, I have had mine for a while after saving forever for it. I just love it.
Yes, and let's note that the thickness of the glass is a significant part of its aesthetic appeal.
I have a real one that was donated by a rich friend. It’s a nice one!!!!!
Maybe there should be a Gwyneth Paltrow coffee table book. 😆
best comment here! haha
@@napoleonsdauphin Agree! lol!
And then there's Kramer's coffee table book that becomes...a coffee table 😆
Yes - a standby in case one should run out of kindling in the winter... 🤣
God no please don’t encourage her 😩
I'm living in my first place on my own and my favorite piece of furniture we bought was a hollow coffee table with pull-up tray from IKEA so we can actually keep our art books safe lol
"Let them drink both broth" just made me choke on my decaf 🤣
The thing I hate most in rich houses is what I hate in general which is poor/ impractical design. For $Xmillion I want it to be gorgeous and practical and if it's not both why would I spend my hard earned lottery money on it!?
"Let them drink bone broth." ☠
Nick, I can't stand you. Took me out with that one.
I know, right?!?!? 😂😂😂
OMG! The Tom Ford book IS EVERYWHERE! 🤣So funny you mentioned that. (If you have a lemon tree, you DO have bowls of lemons around a lot!) Fun video. Thanks.
I do have a lemon bowl in the kitchen. I live in the Mediterranean.
This is such a fun video, but I must be poor because I I’ve never even heard of most of these things 😂
*Googles DS 600 sofa. Doesn't understand the usage of it. Agrees with Nick.*
Don't worry. Old money rich people haven't either. Those are the tastes of new money rich.
Great then I’ll pretend I’m old money
That fireplace she had in the dining room is cool and the paper too. Loved it.
I like my dad's sofa philosophy that a couch must be good for napping as well as sitting. The DS600 fails that basic test, so it's a no go in a residential area.
Also I grew up in Southern California, outside of LA, and my family never used the fireplace just due to climate, and legally we couldn't use the outdoor firepit thanks to wildfire risk. So it weirds me out when I see LA mansions with more than one fireplace, since they're basically not going to be used as it's so hot.
Your dad has a good take on sofas ! I worked in interior design many years ago , but still fondly recall the many clients who questioned their potential custom designed sofa's measurements to guarantee adequate " nap space " . And ... these were high end brands & wealthy clients who'd create a silent giggle in my mind while I'd envision them napping on their new luxury sofa ! 😂
As someone who took a couch nap right before watching this video, I concur with your Dad’s priorities haha.
@@aday-su5om Just the idea made me sleepy ... Had a couch nap after reading these interesting & humorous comments . 😴
My cat would get lost in that sofa.
omg loved the 'nothing more fun than class warfare' intro. Hot content tip for ya (like you hadn't figured it out): class warfare is the underlying social justice issue of our time, so folks will never tire of laughing at people who have no idea what the average worker's life is actually like. I also think you accidentally answered the age-old question of how much money is too much. It's when you can afford to buy a monster centipede-like sofa for your living room, that people are too scared to sit on.
Nope my Togo chair is sooo comfy I love it! It’s in my reading corner!❤