As a family doctor I am SO glad you discuss safety! I have elderly patients every year who get banged up on their nice heavy wood furniture with sharp corners, and their skin just isn’t going to heal like a younger person’s would. And aging in place means really balancing safety with design.
I've been making my 640 sq ft retirement apartment my safe haven to accommodate my needs and pleasures. Livingroom is art studio + YT , small bathroom is a spa, bedroom cushy, adjustable bed, rejuvenation space. It's easy and inexpensive. Amazing what velcro, hooks, cane holders, Wheatgrass dishes do for safety so inexpensively, too.
06:29 Kiva “I don’t know who everyone is..literally no one comes at our house!I don’t know what I’m talking about” Laughed so hard with this😂😂😂Super honest!Love ya!
Omg thanks for touching on SCALE! Guilty AF! My weakness! I'm famous for trying to fit all my favorite pieces in one place and trying to call it maximalisism. Thanks for the reality check sis. So needed this guidance this morning!
I finally started buying lamps for most of my rooms and it has been the best thing EVER. I love how we can change the mood of the room based on which lights we have on. We can go from inviting/entertaining to cozy/theatre instantly!
“You can do whatever you want, you just have to be confident about it” This has been my fashion mantra since I read it in seventeen magazine like 20 years ago! I never really thought about how it carries over into interior design, but like, duh lol Thank you so much, Kiva! I’ve watched all your videos this summer and have learned so much from you. And if everything goes according to plan, I’ll be booking a design session in January 🤞 Be well, and rock on!
My design style is Grateful Poor, so I'm pretty sure I've made all these mistakes 🤣🤣🤣 I'm glad for lessons like these so that when I do pick something out I can be sure that it is by l beautiful AND functional (and cohesive!) 😁
Great video, Kiva. I am a Benjamin Moore girl and I have educated myself with their various sheens. My favorite is the washable matte for almost all of my rooms. I am also fortunate to have a great painter who is on the same page with me. The right paint and paint sheen is the foundation for everything else in a room.
Lighting "temperature" and window direction are also really important- can you address the different colors of lighting? Great and informative video as always.
Yeah, I feel like I could really use a video about that! And about how to style ceiling lights in smaller rooms so that it feels nice/warm, without the classic boob lights...
I thought I wanted a deep sofa, TOO, lol. But being 5’3” and trying a couple out in the store, I quickly realized they did not support my back unless I was practically laying down which was not comfortable for me... for sitting... which is why we get sofas. 🤣 Thank you for another great video!! ❤️
I love your disclaimer about being prepared to be offended. (lol) My mom bought a beautiful cream leather couch. It now graces my living room because it did not fit in her house. That was a very expensive mistake. I happily took over her mistake.
Lighting! I agree that people so often neglect anything that isn't overhead lighting; but as a renter, in the last coupe years I've encountered the opposite. So many apartments/houses/etc. I've lived in or my friends live in have living rooms with zero overhead lighting. It's so ridiculous to me. I don't want to need 6 floor lamps to be able to socialize in my living room after dark.
That's a bad trend here in Cincinnati, you start seeing it in homes or apartments that were built in the 70s and then the trend keeps going but they have gotten better. It's so inconvenient especially when moving in and moving out.
I have no overhead lighting! I have light switches on either side that turn on a light at the opposite end of the room. You can turn the lights on and off at either end of the room. I have 12 switches/outlets in this room. And the room is only 12 x16.
My last apartment was like that, just zero built in lights for the living room. WHY?! 😑 My brother and I were rooming together and after nearly five years, the one floor lamp we had died on us (it was a hand-me-down from our mom, and I can't remember how old it was). We ended up using a combination of the light at the TOP of the stairs (the one at the bottom had an electrical issue) and the dining room light. So happy my new apartment has overhead lights. I might not be crazy about the boob-light ceiling fan it's attached to, but at least it's a light!
Totally right on the paint sheen. I painted my nursery with gloss paint specifically because I want to be able to clean it easily. Kids are 2 and 4 now. It was a practical choice. I love being able to clean off milk spots, Apple sauce, finger splotches. Buuuut the gloss is ugly, every little bump and flaw in the wall texture is visible. The sunlight and lamp light reflect off the walls in weird ways. Maybe when they are school age I can repaint.
Love your vids! Sometimes it seems like you're the only designer on TH-cam who dispenses advice that is actually useful for normal people who get to live in their homes, not only spend time there:)
YES! I tried to get touch up paint from the store where the builders purchased it...WRONG! the builder told me straight up that their mixture was different and luckily they gave me a vat of the actual stuff!
Based on your earlier vids, I purchased the antique brass leaf lamps. LOVE them…but…after living with them for a while I decided that there was too much bling in my living room so I bought the same lamps in matte black. I’m setting them up right now. LIVE! Still love the antique brass so moved them to the dining area which has far fewer metallic accents. These lamps are so versatile that moving them is so easy. Thank you for this fantastic recommendation. Also I craved that RH mirror for years but another one of your videos talked about size and weight of those mirrors so I’ve put it on my “only buy when I inherit a French chateau.” Just to say that your content is the absolute BEST!
Bingo! Double bingo on scale! I learned that one when we moved into our last home which was very tiny with tiny rooms. Standard furniture didn’t work and it took forever to get the right size. Scale is everything!
I’m in an older apartment and it looks like they’ve painted the wall the same colour but used three different sheens. I’m with KB on the importance of light, but in my case it’s the importance of no light. My place at night only looks good in shadow, what you can’t see doesn’t drive you insane. Also lots of pictures on the walls in various heights to cover up the weird patches of shine. Fun not fun 🤩
Guilty on the scale thing. Bought a 5 foot long 200 lb marble dining table off Wayfair that is obviously too large in our dining area. It barely fits but it's staying 😂
Flow and consistency made a huge difference in my home! I'm waiting to invest in certain pieces, but it's looking a lot more cohesive and feels homey. Blues and greens with black hardware (and the occasional gold accents), industrial meets the water, I'm so proud! 😊
Oohh, I like that! I'm trying to do an industrial-esque theme for my living room as well. When looking up art, I kept wanting to save pieces that were blue since it's one of my favorite colors, but I already have a navy blue couch I love and that will be my one large piece that breaks away from the usual industrial colors, excluding plants (though also, my living room isn't industrial whatsoever, lol). I'll instead save the blue art I liked for my bedroom, which is already blue and white.
Yes! Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yessity, yessity YES! Finding chairs that fit my scale while not overwhelming my living room's scale is my current holy grail. The good news is that the struggle made me just stop and get real about what my style really is. Another thing I strongly relate to, here, is the consistency issue! After living here 20+ years, it has gone from bugging me daily to just not seeing it anymore. Your video reminded me of how badly it needs to move up on the fix list! I can relate to each of these seven to varying degrees, but those two really hit home. Thanks! You really are wonderful!
KB You are the designer that I would most like to hang out with and have to help me design a house. You are so relatable and have a great up, to the point attitude that is kind not abrasive. You keep it fresh and ageless! Good job!
You are soooo funny, I love you get to the point without losing time talking giberish. Your sense of decor is fantastic, you have become my guru. Thank you. Kisses from Miami.
I have always painted my own walls. But I think this was last time I’ll do it myself (did it in 2020). I’m getting too old! 🤣 It took a whole week and I was so sore from going up and down the ladder. I’m very nervous about choosing a painter. 😱
I’m about to paint our master bedroom this weekend, your tips and suggestions are so helpful! Thanks for saving me from making a terrible mistake. You always have such amazing suggestions and are always so inspiring. You are the interior design muse!
Like.. my spirit sister is KB! Have her call and act like me to bug them!!! Haha 😂 thanks girl. Just had surgery and this made me smile 😊 through the pain..
You are SO funny! 😂🤣😂 This is the reason you’re my #1 - thanks again! And for keeping me inspired to keep improving my decorating and hopefully stop making mistakes because of my impatience.
Benjamin Moore will come out to your house to do a consult if you are painting the outside of your house. Then you have to paint the inside eventually, right? Use the professionals! If BM doesn’t do this anymore, I’m sure a person from your local paint store can spend time with you as long as you bring written dimensions. Remember the height of the room too! And remind them how you’re using the room. Best of Luck. 😁😁😁. Kiva , I like how thorough and well thought out your vids are. I feel like I’m ready to go after I sit with you. Thanks! 💖
Brilliant, I'll just make it fit. Been there done that. So funny, really enjoy the way you put things. "Literally no one comes here", lol quite 😅😂literally.
Hi Kiva, love your channel. One thing that I have noticed is that many people who have stainless steel appliances in their kitchen don't seem to recognize that there is a one-way grain to their appliances, and that you should make sure that when you buy any hardware or outlet covers, or other stainless items for the kitchen, you should try to make sure the grain runs in the same direction on all hardware and appliances. I ordered stainless electrical outlet covers, rather than just buying them at the local big hardware store, just to make sure they ran the same way as my stove and refrigerator's steel, and when I changed knobs on my cabinets, made sure the grain ran the same way, when they were screwed onto the cabinets. Your point that repeating things in a home makes it feel cohesively styled is right on target, even if it is little things, like the direction grain runs in things.
Totally agree with you! The depth of a sofa needs to correlate to the persons who will use it. My husband is taller than me and that also means he has longer legs. A sofa which is comfortable for him to use is not comfortable for me unfortunately. A cushion usually helps to make it usable for me too, but this problem needs to be considered when purchasing a sofa.
Absolutely! My husband was 6’5”…I’m a foot shorter, when we bought our sofa I acquiesced to his height. I could curl up more comfortably than he could sit on a too small sofa. This also correlated to bed length. I cannot express his joy at a bed long enough for him.
Kiva: Don't do the thing that we all do where we're like, "Oh I want this so bad, I'm just going to ignore all the details." Right? Haven't you been there? You're like, "you know what? It doesn't matter. I'm going to ignore it. If it's meant to be, it will fit." ....Sometimes we want things and they just can't happen. Me: Okay, I know she's talking about interior design, but why does it sound like she's talking about my dating life? 🤣
I recall Queen of clean, Kim Woodburn, mentioning that one could have a small notebook as a "homejournal" where you have measurements of the rooms, size and place of windows, doors cupboards etc including coloursamples. This you carry always so when stumble into some superoffer in a store, a display item and such for something you've looked for you can see whether you can fit in the item and not risk bringing home something wrong size, wrong nuance etc.
Always go with the paint that weighs the most...the higher the quality (not necessarily cost) has more pigment and will weigh more. Great info on buying a sofa because I've made that mistake too. Being short and having very short legs, I need a thousand pillows behind me when I sit on it.
Scale of sofa was a BIGGIE for me. Not the size of the sofa but the depth. It took short lil’ ole me about 8 years to figure out that my back pain was due to the depth of our sofa. My feet didn’t touch the ground when I was sitting on it and eventually I started developing back pains. We just got a properly scaled sofa last week and I feel like I’m comfortable in our home for the first time in almost a decade.
The same fixtures thing was the tough talk I needed to hear 😩 I’m buying my first house and hate the chrome finishes but I should just go ahead and replace them everywhere
You need to make a money related channel! I’ve never seen an interior Designer so vocal about saving money and I’m here for it!!!! Yey 👏🏻🎊 usually I feel “bad” because I can’t have that designer stuff that I don’t even know about 😂
The more i watch these videos i realize your house should be filled with what you love safe and clean as well...these videos do motivate me to think outside the box.
We are building a house this fall and I am taking notes of everything. I have been watching your videos and Nick Lewis for awhile and planning my furniture accordingly. I have already shut my husband down about buying a huge sofa. Thanks for the tip on the paint. Here in Korea, wallpaper is used mostly. My friends all have the hardest time matching papers when their kids mess it up. I am definitely going to be asking our design team for that information. Plus~ the model house has like 10 different finishes on the fixtures and hardware. I was like... oh no. There needs to be consistency here. Change it. Thanks for another great video Kiva!
Love your channel and your candid approach. I have a burning question regarding mixing metals. Is flat black considered a metal? Our style is contemporary. We just bought a new home. The kitchen, dining and living area are all one open space. Our media unit, entry console and dining table are black. The house came with upgraded modern looking brushed nickel door hardware, bathroom and kitchen fixtures, curtain rods etc. I'm reluctant to go to the extra hassle and expense (we have 15 doors) to replace all the brushed nickel but want to add a mat black light fixture with a tiny bit of aged bronze over the dining table and black pulls to the white kitchen cabinets. Should I embrace the brushed nickel and keep all my metal finishes the same for a cohesive look or can I introduce black pulls and possibly switch out the curtain rods to match?
As usual love the video. Pls make Paint 101. You discuss things in your videos but don't go in depth-no whys or whens. I want to know: Why I should spend more on "good"paint (this was answered by some of your awesome viewers! thank you); When to use eggshell vs semi-gloss; What types of roller or brushes to use & when; What sheen for trim? Some I know, some I learned the hard way, and some I struggle with. Please help!
I didn't believe in love at first sight until I found this one specific vintage furniture set, and even though I KNOW I'm going to have to downsize when I move for grad school next year, I bought a few pieces, so I'm feeling pretty called out by "if it's meant to be it'll fit 😂"
We are DIYers and was working on other projects in our home remodel, so we needed to hire painters. We bought paint from a brand we know and trust and all the painters needed to do is show up for the labor! Most contractors hate this, but we got exactly what we wanted.
Totally agree on scale! I was so paranoid about buying a too deep/big sofa that I bought one that is too shallow and not that comfortable. My biggest and most expensive regret purchase.
Hi Kiva; what an enlightening video for me. We have an open floor plan, so you can see the kitchen from the living room area, and vice-versa. In the living room-dining room area we have copper accents; i.e. light switch covers, etc. BUT in the kitchen there are stainless steel appliances and cabinet knobs. Aaaahhhhh! I really have a problem if I want everything to look cohesive. Looks like a kitchen remodel is on the horizon… Sigh
wish i found your channel before i bought my first home a few years ago! Also been following you for a while now and just realized you're also Pittsburgh based! hope you take new clients again soon
Really helpful tips! I'm thinking about so many elements you mentioned that can be improved in my space like dimensions, scale, and consistency. Cant wait to get closer to a space where I can easily focus, feel inspired, and enjoy more fully.
Whew thank God for you. I have used a very affordable painter for 5years now and he always do fantastic job but I have been buying painting materials that I will paint my great room and formal dining by myself but Kiva just said don't do it.
Kiva, I like you more and more with each video. You are a joy to listen to and I appreciate your large vocabulary. I wonder if you would explain the background we see in this video. I'm finding things there at odds with things you talked about and it's confusing. The artwork is so close to the top of the console, so I guess it is leaning on it, but yet doesn't appear to be. I can't figure out what is to the right of it. Another painting perhaps, but they are almost touching. The scale of the items on the console compared to your tall ceilings, are also confusing to me, so I hope you'll talk about the styling one day and show this item from a bit of distance so we can understand the scale better.. I'm personally styling an open bookcase and I am finding the less items I put on it, the better it looks and that it needs varying height as your eyes move across it. I've redone it more times than I can recall! It's not easy!!!
I love the streetwear. You look so fly. I love that Im following a design person that has an aesthetic like they could actually be one of my friends. Love your authenticity. What are your thoughts on showcasing books? I have a few coffee table books(ie: an art book featuring the works of Gordon Parks) and zines. I have seen different types of shelving as well as the way you have yours set up behind you. I wanted to know what else you'd recommend. What do you recommend I do with the space over the fireplace, art or mirror? When I moved in there was a huge square mirror that I was able to remove.
I specifically got my real deep sofa. I love it lol. and wait the toothpaste trick... amazing! hanging art was tough in my apartment with all my exposed brick!
You are so right!!! I painted a beautiful gray paint color on the wall behind my sofa, but made the mistake of using a satin …and yes, it looks like I smeared Vaseline over it. Plus every tiny imperfection shows !!😕 Going to repaint but need advice regarding best paint to put over satin finish. Glad I just painted one wall.
Never thought about hardware having to match throughout your house... 😮 I like both nickel in the kitchen & bath and now gold in living room but I think it will be OK cause it's not an open concept home
On most frames I prefer eyes with picture wire on them, gauging the weight the wire will hold and the the picture hooks on the wall to hold it, the exception being small frames such as 8X10 or less or something very light weight, I dislike the sawtooth hangers sometimes found on frame backs-they always seems to give me problems. frames on wire can shift around but they have the little dots that can be applied to help with sliding. I always enjoy watching your videos, always full of good information!
OMG the scale of furniture was huge for my current place. I live in the second floor of a 95 year old house. The main staircase to get into my space is 2 feet (61cm) wide at the narrowest spot. Almost all my furniture has to be disassemble-able in order to get in it in space. There is a slightly wider back staircase (which requires you to snake through small spaces in the first floor) that we were able to use to get the couch in, but that took 4 people 2 hours to jimmy in.
Lol I was researching gas hedge trimmer and came across your video 😂 it was more interesting. Sadly I have yard work to do, but I'll be back to watch your other videos 😘
Kiva, I love your sense of design and really enjoy all your videos. I’m heartbroken, we found out last week that we can’t permanently remote work from Florida like we’d hoped, so we have to wait another 3 years until we retire. I was so excited because we wanted to hire you to help with our new house, but by the time we move from OK to FL you’ll be so famous you’ll be out of our price range. Maybe you’ll give us founding followers a discount in the future? 🥰
I feel so called out on my couch 🤣 I found it at a thrift shop brand new. Ashley Furniture couch that didn't sell so they donated. Giant, deep couch that doesn't fit at all.
Love your content, I’ve just bought a house am am trying to decorate, you have been a huge help! I would love to see a video on led lights that don’t look tacky, I want to have them and connect to smart devices but so may times it look tacky, o almost only see tech bros use them and there’s way to many colors to my taste. The photos you should were stunning, there not enough good examples out there. Just an idea ☺️
Kiva do you have any tips for the whole paint thing… in my case, what I discovered is that touching up eggshell paint is impossible and even when done using the exact same application method and the exact same paint, any touch up stands out like a sore thumb and looks like a different sheen once it dries. Help! I can’t afford to repaint and entire wall every time I have a small drywall repair (hanging things on the wall, kids, etc).
Try using flat paint. Benjamin Moore makes incredible washable falts. Regal ultimatte is a great line from BM. Touch ups disappear because there is no sheen unlike eggshell.
Repaint . Keep a 5 gallon can in the garage for touch up. Done. She is making this way too complicated go get some Ralph Lauren paint in the color you like . Or other high end brand. Dont get semi gloss lmao that's it. Done
@@raquellambropoulos279 i do keep extra of the paint, my problem is you can’t really “touch up” eggshell paint without the newest area standing out like a sore thumb :/
As a family doctor I am SO glad you discuss safety! I have elderly patients every year who get banged up on their nice heavy wood furniture with sharp corners, and their skin just isn’t going to heal like a younger person’s would. And aging in place means really balancing safety with design.
Thanks for the tips and confirmation
💯
I've been making my 640 sq ft retirement apartment my safe haven to accommodate my needs and pleasures. Livingroom is art studio + YT , small bathroom is a spa, bedroom cushy, adjustable bed, rejuvenation space. It's easy and inexpensive. Amazing what velcro, hooks, cane holders, Wheatgrass dishes do for safety so inexpensively, too.
Thx. True.
I would throw myself in padded cell in our local mental hospital when I turn 65.
06:29 Kiva “I don’t know who everyone is..literally no one comes at our house!I don’t know what I’m talking about” Laughed so hard with this😂😂😂Super honest!Love ya!
😂😂😂
Σωστήήήήή........και για πόσο ακόμα άραγε....
@rouman Είσαι true follower λεμεε!🤗🤗🤗
Definitely laughed hard when she said that...lol
Me too, I laughed so hard 😂😂😂
Omg thanks for touching on SCALE! Guilty AF! My weakness! I'm famous for trying to fit all my favorite pieces in one place and trying to call it maximalisism. Thanks for the reality check sis. So needed this guidance this morning!
We have all been there… I’m there right now! Excited to hear about the updates you make!
Hehehe, just make a wall of weird art
I finally started buying lamps for most of my rooms and it has been the best thing EVER. I love how we can change the mood of the room based on which lights we have on. We can go from inviting/entertaining to cozy/theatre instantly!
“You can do whatever you want, you just have to be confident about it”
This has been my fashion mantra since I read it in seventeen magazine like 20 years ago! I never really thought about how it carries over into interior design, but like, duh lol
Thank you so much, Kiva! I’ve watched all your videos this summer and have learned so much from you. And if everything goes according to plan, I’ll be booking a design session in January 🤞
Be well, and rock on!
My design style is Grateful Poor, so I'm pretty sure I've made all these mistakes 🤣🤣🤣 I'm glad for lessons like these so that when I do pick something out I can be sure that it is by l beautiful AND functional (and cohesive!) 😁
Girlie I don’t even own a home yet but I watch your videos religiously! Thanks for helping future me to not make these mistakes from the get go 😁
Great video, Kiva. I am a Benjamin Moore girl and I have educated myself with their various sheens. My favorite is the washable matte for almost all of my rooms. I am also fortunate to have a great painter who is on the same page with me. The right paint and paint sheen is the foundation for everything else in a room.
Lighting "temperature" and window direction are also really important- can you address the different colors of lighting? Great and informative video as always.
I despise blue, cold LED lights with a passion. So not cozy and doesn’t make a place feel like a home. I like warmer tones or daylight hues.
Yes anything below 2700 kelvin is a no no in most rooms
Yeah, I feel like I could really use a video about that! And about how to style ceiling lights in smaller rooms so that it feels nice/warm, without the classic boob lights...
@@zanesutherland406 Daylight bulbs are the bluest of all of them
@@zanesutherland406 Daylight bulbs are the bluest of all of them
I love how you dive right in and get down to business! Always lots of good info!!
Thanks so much Colleen! 💕
I thought I wanted a deep sofa, TOO, lol. But being 5’3” and trying a couple out in the store, I quickly realized they did not support my back unless I was practically laying down which was not comfortable for me... for sitting... which is why we get sofas. 🤣 Thank you for another great video!! ❤️
Right?? They look so good, but are difficult to sit on!
5’10” and finally a sofa the fits me. :)
I am 5 foot 1 and a super deep sofa is nice to snuggle on but at my size I will have to live in it bc I will never get out of it. ugh
@@kandyaxelrod8797 🤣🤣🤣
YES YES and YES. Story of my life lmao.
I love your disclaimer about being prepared to be offended. (lol) My mom bought a beautiful cream leather couch. It now graces my living room because it did not fit in her house. That was a very expensive mistake. I happily took over her mistake.
🤣🤣🤣 Heard that!
Lighting! I agree that people so often neglect anything that isn't overhead lighting; but as a renter, in the last coupe years I've encountered the opposite. So many apartments/houses/etc. I've lived in or my friends live in have living rooms with zero overhead lighting. It's so ridiculous to me. I don't want to need 6 floor lamps to be able to socialize in my living room after dark.
That's a bad trend here in Cincinnati, you start seeing it in homes or apartments that were built in the 70s and then the trend keeps going but they have gotten better. It's so inconvenient especially when moving in and moving out.
Most ceiling lights cast really bad shadows; they look just cheap. Except for my dining area I never use mine.
I have no overhead lighting! I have light switches on either side that turn on a light at the opposite end of the room. You can turn the lights on and off at either end of the room. I have 12 switches/outlets in this room. And the room is only 12 x16.
Except In the bedrooms.
My last apartment was like that, just zero built in lights for the living room. WHY?! 😑 My brother and I were rooming together and after nearly five years, the one floor lamp we had died on us (it was a hand-me-down from our mom, and I can't remember how old it was). We ended up using a combination of the light at the TOP of the stairs (the one at the bottom had an electrical issue) and the dining room light. So happy my new apartment has overhead lights. I might not be crazy about the boob-light ceiling fan it's attached to, but at least it's a light!
Totally right on the paint sheen. I painted my nursery with gloss paint specifically because I want to be able to clean it easily. Kids are 2 and 4 now. It was a practical choice. I love being able to clean off milk spots, Apple sauce, finger splotches. Buuuut the gloss is ugly, every little bump and flaw in the wall texture is visible. The sunlight and lamp light reflect off the walls in weird ways. Maybe when they are school age I can repaint.
Love your vids! Sometimes it seems like you're the only designer on TH-cam who dispenses advice that is actually useful for normal people who get to live in their homes, not only spend time there:)
YES! I tried to get touch up paint from the store where the builders purchased it...WRONG! the builder told me straight up that their mixture was different and luckily they gave me a vat of the actual stuff!
I’m so glad they were able to help you out!
Me too
Based on your earlier vids, I purchased the antique brass leaf lamps. LOVE them…but…after living with them for a while I decided that there was too much bling in my living room so I bought the same lamps in matte black. I’m setting them up right now. LIVE! Still love the antique brass so moved them to the dining area which has far fewer metallic accents. These lamps are so versatile that moving them is so easy. Thank you for this fantastic recommendation. Also I craved that RH mirror for years but another one of your videos talked about size and weight of those mirrors so I’ve put it on my “only buy when I inherit a French chateau.” Just to say that your content is the absolute BEST!
Spray paint, next time!!!
This woman is fantastic and real! The real deal
Thanks so much Kathleen! 💕
Bingo! Double bingo on scale! I learned that one when we moved into our last home which was very tiny with tiny rooms. Standard furniture didn’t work and it took forever to get the right size. Scale is everything!
I agree about the wrong paint sheen, it can so ruin an otherwise beautiful room. 💕
Right?!
I am a glossy paint hater 😬😬
@@MoonstoneAna same!
I’m in an older apartment and it looks like they’ve painted the wall the same colour but used three different sheens. I’m with KB on the importance of light, but in my case it’s the importance of no light. My place at night only looks good in shadow, what you can’t see doesn’t drive you insane. Also lots of pictures on the walls in various heights to cover up the weird patches of shine. Fun not fun 🤩
Guilty on the scale thing. Bought a 5 foot long 200 lb marble dining table off Wayfair that is obviously too large in our dining area. It barely fits but it's staying 😂
😂
You can resale it.
It’s staying lol girl been there
Just take out all the other furniture.
Flow and consistency made a huge difference in my home! I'm waiting to invest in certain pieces, but it's looking a lot more cohesive and feels homey. Blues and greens with black hardware (and the occasional gold accents), industrial meets the water, I'm so proud! 😊
Oohh, I like that! I'm trying to do an industrial-esque theme for my living room as well. When looking up art, I kept wanting to save pieces that were blue since it's one of my favorite colors, but I already have a navy blue couch I love and that will be my one large piece that breaks away from the usual industrial colors, excluding plants (though also, my living room isn't industrial whatsoever, lol). I'll instead save the blue art I liked for my bedroom, which is already blue and white.
Yes! Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yessity, yessity YES! Finding chairs that fit my scale while not overwhelming my living room's scale is my current holy grail. The good news is that the struggle made me just stop and get real about what my style really is. Another thing I strongly relate to, here, is the consistency issue! After living here 20+ years, it has gone from bugging me daily to just not seeing it anymore. Your video reminded me of how badly it needs to move up on the fix list! I can relate to each of these seven to varying degrees, but those two really hit home. Thanks! You really are wonderful!
Thanks so much Doug! So happy you found this helpful. 💕
KB You are the designer that I would most like to hang out with and have to help me design a house. You are so relatable and have a great up, to the point attitude that is kind not abrasive. You keep it fresh and ageless! Good job!
Congratulations on 200K! 👏🏾👏🏾
Thank you so much! 💕💕
As a New Yorker I appreciate the speed at which you speak. Also… “I know I said boo-boos” 😂 I’m dead.
😂😂😂
You are soooo funny, I love you get to the point without losing time talking giberish. Your sense of decor is fantastic, you have become my guru. Thank you. Kisses from Miami.
I have always painted my own walls. But I think this was last time I’ll do it myself (did it in 2020). I’m getting too old! 🤣 It took a whole week and I was so sore from going up and down the ladder. I’m very nervous about choosing a painter. 😱
It made me feel so good to see your banged up walls and trim and know I am not alone!!! Haha
We blue taped on the floor the size of the couch before buying one. It helped so much to actually have a blocked out visual.
Great tip
I’m about to paint our master bedroom this weekend, your tips and suggestions are so helpful! Thanks for saving me from making a terrible mistake. You always have such amazing suggestions and are always so inspiring. You are the interior design muse!
This video was extra funny.You never disappoint. Your design advice is great, but your sense of humor is my favorite part of your videos.
Love all your videos Kiva :) Have a happy weekend ❤️
You too, Pooja! Thank you 💕💕
Like.. my spirit sister is KB! Have her call and act like me to bug them!!! Haha 😂 thanks girl. Just had surgery and this made me smile 😊 through the pain..
This is the only channel worth watching, for home design. Excellent content.
You are SO funny! 😂🤣😂 This is the reason you’re my #1 - thanks again! And for keeping me inspired to keep improving my decorating and hopefully stop making mistakes because of my impatience.
Benjamin Moore will come out to your house to do a consult if you are painting the outside of your house. Then you have to paint the inside eventually, right? Use the professionals! If BM doesn’t do this anymore, I’m sure a person from your local paint store can spend time with you as long as you bring written dimensions. Remember the height of the room too! And remind them how you’re using the room. Best of Luck. 😁😁😁. Kiva , I like how thorough and well thought out your vids are. I feel like I’m ready to go after I sit with you. Thanks! 💖
Brilliant, I'll just make it fit. Been there done that. So funny, really enjoy the way you put things. "Literally no one comes here", lol quite 😅😂literally.
Hi Kiva, love your channel. One thing that I have noticed is that many people who have stainless steel appliances in their kitchen don't seem to recognize that there is a one-way grain to their appliances, and that you should make sure that when you buy any hardware or outlet covers, or other stainless items for the kitchen, you should try to make sure the grain runs in the same direction on all hardware and appliances. I ordered stainless electrical outlet covers, rather than just buying them at the local big hardware store, just to make sure they ran the same way as my stove and refrigerator's steel, and when I changed knobs on my cabinets, made sure the grain ran the same way, when they were screwed onto the cabinets. Your point that repeating things in a home makes it feel cohesively styled is right on target, even if it is little things, like the direction grain runs in things.
Totally agree with you! The depth of a sofa needs to correlate to the persons who will use it. My husband is taller than me and that also means he has longer legs. A sofa which is comfortable for him to use is not comfortable for me unfortunately. A cushion usually helps to make it usable for me too, but this problem needs to be considered when purchasing a sofa.
Absolutely! My husband was 6’5”…I’m a foot shorter, when we bought our sofa I acquiesced to his height. I could curl up more comfortably than he could sit on a too small sofa. This also correlated to bed length. I cannot express his joy at a bed long enough for him.
“Let me moisturize the wall as well!” Hahaha! 🤣🤣🤣How are you so funny?!! Haha I love me some Kiva B!
Everything coming up Rosie. BE CONSISTENT super sized advice. Thanks for these design tips. FIXING design Mistakes you do a GREAT JOB.
I like that large white bead necklace looking thing hanging from the side of that black bowl. Nice touch.
Kiva: Don't do the thing that we all do where we're like, "Oh I want this so bad, I'm just going to ignore all the details." Right? Haven't you been there? You're like, "you know what? It doesn't matter. I'm going to ignore it. If it's meant to be, it will fit." ....Sometimes we want things and they just can't happen.
Me: Okay, I know she's talking about interior design, but why does it sound like she's talking about my dating life? 🤣
😂😂😂
😂😂😂
Because it human nature.Ask yourself do you NEED it or do you just WANT it. Y'all need to purchase some good tape measures and keep one in your car.
LMAO!
I recall Queen of clean, Kim Woodburn, mentioning that one could have a small notebook as a "homejournal" where you have measurements of the rooms, size and place of windows, doors cupboards etc including coloursamples. This you carry always so when stumble into some superoffer in a store, a display item and such for something you've looked for you can see whether you can fit in the item and not risk bringing home something wrong size, wrong nuance etc.
Kiva: always amazing, educating, fun and heartwarming. Love you. 🌺
You’re so sweet! Thank you Juliana! 💕
Always go with the paint that weighs the most...the higher the quality (not necessarily cost) has more pigment and will weigh more. Great info on buying a sofa because I've made that mistake too. Being short and having very short legs, I need a thousand pillows behind me when I sit on it.
You are fantastic! Every time I hear your honest advices I really feel like if I am talking to a good friend.
Scale of sofa was a BIGGIE for me. Not the size of the sofa but the depth. It took short lil’ ole me about 8 years to figure out that my back pain was due to the depth of our sofa. My feet didn’t touch the ground when I was sitting on it and eventually I started developing back pains. We just got a properly scaled sofa last week and I feel like I’m comfortable in our home for the first time in almost a decade.
👏👏👏Wonderful to not need to reinvent the wheel! EXCELLENT advice!👏👏👏
The same fixtures thing was the tough talk I needed to hear 😩 I’m buying my first house and hate the chrome finishes but I should just go ahead and replace them everywhere
You need to make a money related channel! I’ve never seen an interior Designer so vocal about saving money and I’m here for it!!!! Yey 👏🏻🎊 usually I feel “bad” because I can’t have that designer stuff that I don’t even know about 😂
Your videos are a great balance of opinion and practically.
The more i watch these videos i realize your house should be filled with what you love safe and clean as well...these videos do motivate me to think outside the box.
Love the info! Thanks❤
A casual look that includes a blazer? Pro STYLE!
(And may I say, I just love your hands. Expressive and pretty. )
We are building a house this fall and I am taking notes of everything. I have been watching your videos and Nick Lewis for awhile and planning my furniture accordingly. I have already shut my husband down about buying a huge sofa. Thanks for the tip on the paint. Here in Korea, wallpaper is used mostly. My friends all have the hardest time matching papers when their kids mess it up. I am definitely going to be asking our design team for that information. Plus~ the model house has like 10 different finishes on the fixtures and hardware. I was like... oh no. There needs to be consistency here. Change it. Thanks for another great video Kiva!
Love your channel and your candid approach.
I have a burning question regarding mixing metals. Is flat black considered a metal? Our style is contemporary. We just bought a new home. The kitchen, dining and living area are all one open space. Our media unit, entry console and dining table are black.
The house came with upgraded modern looking brushed nickel door hardware, bathroom and kitchen fixtures, curtain rods etc. I'm reluctant to go to the extra hassle and expense (we have 15 doors) to replace all the brushed nickel but want to add a mat black light fixture with a tiny bit of aged bronze over the dining table and black pulls to the white kitchen cabinets.
Should I embrace the brushed nickel and keep all my metal finishes the same for a cohesive look or can I introduce black pulls and possibly switch out the curtain rods to match?
I CANNOT believe I had to wait eleven whole hours to watch this! Kiva👏🏻 is👏🏻 the👏🏻 best! 👏🏻
You’re so sweet!! Thank you Sheila! 💕💕
As usual love the video. Pls make Paint 101. You discuss things in your videos but don't go in depth-no whys or whens. I want to know: Why I should spend more on "good"paint (this was answered by some of your awesome viewers! thank you); When to use eggshell vs semi-gloss; What types of roller or brushes to use & when; What sheen for trim? Some I know, some I learned the hard way, and some I struggle with. Please help!
I didn't believe in love at first sight until I found this one specific vintage furniture set, and even though I KNOW I'm going to have to downsize when I move for grad school next year, I bought a few pieces, so I'm feeling pretty called out by "if it's meant to be it'll fit 😂"
We are DIYers and was working on other projects in our home remodel, so we needed to hire painters. We bought paint from a brand we know and trust and all the painters needed to do is show up for the labor! Most contractors hate this, but we got exactly what we wanted.
Totally agree on scale! I was so paranoid about buying a too deep/big sofa that I bought one that is too shallow and not that comfortable. My biggest and most expensive regret purchase.
Hi Kiva; what an enlightening video for me. We have an open floor plan, so you can see the kitchen from the living room area, and vice-versa. In the living room-dining room area we have copper accents; i.e. light switch covers, etc. BUT in the kitchen there are stainless steel appliances and cabinet knobs. Aaaahhhhh! I really have a problem if I want everything to look cohesive. Looks like a kitchen remodel is on the horizon… Sigh
Avoid boo boos, great advice to talk about safety!!
I got scale wrong when I fell in love with an art piece! I do love my ginormous focal point!
Love all your info, learning!😍
Thanks so much Janett! 💕
wish i found your channel before i bought my first home a few years ago! Also been following you for a while now and just realized you're also Pittsburgh based! hope you take new clients again soon
Really helpful tips! I'm thinking about so many elements you mentioned that can be improved in my space like dimensions, scale, and consistency. Cant wait to get closer to a space where I can easily focus, feel inspired, and enjoy more fully.
cindy's rule: if she can't pick it up & move it her damn self, she don't want it.
Off topic but this pistachio green looks so good on you 😍
Whew thank God for you. I have used a very affordable painter for 5years now and he always do fantastic job but I have been buying painting materials that I will paint my great room and formal dining by myself but Kiva just said don't do it.
Kiva please make video about how to choose nice color for different parts of the house❤
Hi Kiva!! Thank you for all this great content ! Can I ask you if you can make more videos of how you make your mood boards ! Thank you thank you 💓
Awesome video! I loved it. Just goes to show great minds think alike😀😀😀
We love you Garrett! Would love to see a kiva and Garrett colab 🥰🤘🏼
@@BoricuaGirl69 I’m open to that if Kiva is!
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Very useful tips. I’m so loving the gold accents throughout your home 😍 is there any way to make gold and silver work together throughout.
Yes spraypaint gold
Hi doll, love your content. Yes, paint sheen is very important. Take your time ppl.
Kiva, I like you more and more with each video. You are a joy to listen to and I appreciate your large vocabulary. I wonder if you would explain the background we see in this video. I'm finding things there at odds with things you talked about and it's confusing. The artwork is so close to the top of the console, so I guess it is leaning on it, but yet doesn't appear to be. I can't figure out what is to the right of it. Another painting perhaps, but they are almost touching. The scale of the items on the console compared to your tall ceilings, are also confusing to me, so I hope you'll talk about the styling one day and show this item from a bit of distance so we can understand the scale better.. I'm personally styling an open bookcase and I am finding the less items I put on it, the better it looks and that it needs varying height as your eyes move across it. I've redone it more times than I can recall! It's not easy!!!
I learn something from ever one of your videos and always leave smiling! You are a delight! ❤️❤️❤️
1,000% with you on the paint sheen thing. 🏡
You make some excellent points, some of them about things that never occurred to me!
I love the streetwear. You look so fly. I love that Im following a design person that has an aesthetic like they could actually be one of my friends. Love your authenticity. What are your thoughts on showcasing books? I have a few coffee table books(ie: an art book featuring the works of Gordon Parks) and zines. I have seen different types of shelving as well as the way you have yours set up behind you. I wanted to know what else you'd recommend. What do you recommend I do with the space over the fireplace, art or mirror? When I moved in there was a huge square mirror that I was able to remove.
I specifically got my real deep sofa. I love it lol. and wait the toothpaste trick... amazing! hanging art was tough in my apartment with all my exposed brick!
Never considered strip lights under furniture. Now, I wanna do it. Thanks.
16:09-16:17 I recognize Cara Delevingne's home there! It is such a personalized, confident design!!
"You're going to walk away offended, but you're going to walk away with tins of good info" lol this a a quote I want to use every day of my life
You are so right!!! I painted a beautiful gray paint color on the wall behind my sofa, but made the mistake of using a satin …and yes, it looks like I smeared Vaseline over it. Plus every tiny imperfection shows !!😕 Going to repaint but need advice regarding best paint to put over satin finish. Glad I just painted one wall.
Never thought about hardware having to match throughout your house... 😮 I like both nickel in the kitchen & bath and now gold in living room but I think it will be OK cause it's not an open concept home
On most frames I prefer eyes with picture wire on them, gauging the weight the wire will hold and the the picture hooks on the wall to hold it, the exception being small frames such as 8X10 or less or something very light weight, I dislike the sawtooth hangers sometimes found on frame backs-they always seems to give me problems. frames on wire can shift around but they have the little dots that can be applied to help with sliding. I always enjoy watching your videos, always full of good information!
OMG the scale of furniture was huge for my current place. I live in the second floor of a 95 year old house. The main staircase to get into my space is 2 feet (61cm) wide at the narrowest spot. Almost all my furniture has to be disassemble-able in order to get in it in space. There is a slightly wider back staircase (which requires you to snake through small spaces in the first floor) that we were able to use to get the couch in, but that took 4 people 2 hours to jimmy in.
Lol I was researching gas hedge trimmer and came across your video 😂 it was more interesting. Sadly I have yard work to do, but I'll be back to watch your other videos 😘
Kiva, I love your sense of design and really enjoy all your videos. I’m heartbroken, we found out last week that we can’t permanently remote work from Florida like we’d hoped, so we have to wait another 3 years until we retire. I was so excited because we wanted to hire you to help with our new house, but by the time we move from OK to FL you’ll be so famous you’ll be out of our price range. Maybe you’ll give us founding followers a discount in the future? 🥰
I feel so called out on my couch 🤣 I found it at a thrift shop brand new. Ashley Furniture couch that didn't sell so they donated. Giant, deep couch that doesn't fit at all.
Thanks, great advice!
Thanks so much Laura! 💕
yu r my best design teacher i have learned s much from u
You're cracking me up! "Dm me and I'll call them for you" haha!
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Thank. Love your server in back of you. It's beautifull!
Love your content, I’ve just bought a house am am trying to decorate, you have been a huge help!
I would love to see a video on led lights that don’t look tacky, I want to have them and connect to smart devices but so may times it look tacky, o almost only see tech bros use them and there’s way to many colors to my taste. The photos you should were stunning, there not enough good examples out there. Just an idea ☺️
Kiva do you have any tips for the whole paint thing… in my case, what I discovered is that touching up eggshell paint is impossible and even when done using the exact same application method and the exact same paint, any touch up stands out like a sore thumb and looks like a different sheen once it dries. Help! I can’t afford to repaint and entire wall every time I have a small drywall repair (hanging things on the wall, kids, etc).
Try using flat paint. Benjamin Moore makes incredible washable falts. Regal ultimatte is a great line from BM. Touch ups disappear because there is no sheen unlike eggshell.
Repaint . Keep a 5 gallon can in the garage for touch up. Done. She is making this way too complicated go get some Ralph Lauren paint in the color you like . Or other high end brand. Dont get semi gloss lmao that's it. Done
@@raquellambropoulos279 i do keep extra of the paint, my problem is you can’t really “touch up” eggshell paint without the newest area standing out like a sore thumb :/
Kiba I love all your videos! I love how you educated me and made me laugh through the entire video! You are awesome!