My sofa bed is AMAZING. I live in a small studio and wanted that versatility in my space so I wouldn't have a huge bed taking up all the space. I can also fold it to really make my studio into a big living room when I have guests and it's great. I did my research before buying and not only is it absolutely gorgeous (it's a navy velvet 3-seater sofa with a really clean and simple profile), but it's also sooo comfortable ! Every person that has ever slept in it tells me it's one of the most comfortable mattresses they've ever slept on, and even the sofa itself is really comfy. It was marketed as a bed for everyday use and it definitely is. I absolutely do not regret this purchase !
Twice I have reached out to artists whose work I loved to ask about pieces more in my price range. They were both so appreciative of my enthusiasm for their work. One gave me an amazing deal on a piece and the other did a commission within my budget!
Yes yes yes! So many people would be surprised that if you reach out to an artist with a budget that are willing to work within in 🥰 that makes me so happy
Barn doors are pretty awful. But what is also awful are louvered doors. A few years ago, I stayed in a hotel room in Key West where the BATHROOM door was louvered. Like, what genius came up with that idea? Fortunately I was traveling alone, but can you imagine having to share a room like that?? I could just imagine the awkward conversations. LOL
Oh yes! I used a powder room with a barn door, and that's when my dislike of them turned into absolute hatred. Not only are they ugly and belong on barns, but they are useless for any room requiring privacy. A ridiculous trend.
@williamsstephens nothing is a 100%, I suppose, but that scenario is less likely than a barn door on a powder room in a small condo... that opens up into the dining room. Not something I'd want to experience again. Still better was the French door with frosted MacTac paper lol Bad home plans are another subject..
We had to use a barn door for our home office because a pocket or swinging door weren’t viable. I would never use them for a bathroom….. honestly I wouldn’t use them anywhere if there is another option.
Awe thank you so much 🥰🥰 my walk in is filled with clothes I don’t wear that often, so I told myself no more excuses. I have a reason to wear anything even if I’m just going to the grocery store
As a stroke survivor i have had to finally accept the need to purchase a recliner sofa. All other sofas i have tried are too low or too deep for me to be able to get out of. They are unfortunately the highest 3:49 seat height which allows me to get out of them by myself. I love the look of those low and soft couches but i would never be able to use it if i didn’t have another person to help me get up. Wish i had another choice. So function had to supersede design. Just something to think about.
I'd never have one of those big recliners either, but I knew an old gentleman - no longer with us, sadly - whose last years were spent in this terrific nursing home with only 8 residents. Their bedrooms were laid out around a big central living room, in which eight recliners were arranged in a semi-circle in front of a huge-screen TV. Every time I'd visit, he'd be watching whatever sporting event was in season, with the other old guys, all enthroned like old kings.
Agreed. I have one that I use in the garage. It holds drinks and snacks and i can take a quick break from working on an engine or woodwork. Its cracked, stained, smells like tools and cigar smoke.
I worked on a building with 80 rental units in 2018-2020. ALL of the washrooms had barn doors installed. I wonder how much tenants love those barn doors now.
One thing I like about your videos DD is, you not only tell us what you don't like, but WHY, reminds me of the way a good friend would critique my work, if it was a piece of cr@9, not only would she tell, me, but she'd then tell me why it was a piece of cr@9. Also if I may add? when it comes to art, many living local artists also offer prints of various levels of quality. I have a couple $20 prints of a favourite artist on the walls in my shop, they bring me joy, they help support them, and they aren't so precious that I'll be broken hearted when they get dirty or damaged or whatever.
Thank you! 🥰🤍🥰 I always try to keep it real, and I understand sometimes my opinions are just that! But I like to back them with something factual, at least most of the time 🙏🏼 and yes to the artists prints. There are so many options out there
@@mrphoenixgrey I've come to design from a construction background and working for an art collector for many years. But I agree with everything you say pretty much. I think people are so affected by current trends that they don't even know it. While I want to know what the current trends are, I usually avoid most of them because I know they can put a time limit on my work. You don't go to a Frank Lloyd Wright or a Maybeck home and look at he finish on the faucets.
I agree with sofa beds being tricky to buy. I was searching for mine for couple of months, before I made a decision to purchase. However, now I am really happy with it, both as sofa and as bed. Easy to open, performance fabric, standard matress, not too big, comfortable to sit, great mechanism. It came at a price, but I do not regret. It will serve me for many years.
I love my pocket door! My sectional with a bed is used only for guests who have short stays. As a family we enjoy movie nights while opening up the sectional.
Phoenix has strong opinions, like many artistic people. But he excels in his ability to explain why he loves or hates something, leaving you with the knowledge you need in order to evaluate it for yourself.
Have you ever met a creative who doesn’t have strong opinions? ;) They’re pretty entertaining about it most of the time :). I love hearing them sound off about the latest trends ;)
I had to get rid of a glass dining table because my dog didn’t see it and kept bumping into it, and sharp corners are no joke. She’s a big girl and her eyes and snout were right on the level of the table top. And yes, cleaning dog drool and nose prints from the underside was not fun lol.
Phoenix, your channel is really fun and you seem very down to earth (despite your height). I enjoy your design advice and your lighthearted delivery. I also appreciate that you’re not mean or condescending even when you’re ruffling feathers on controversial topics like barn doors. Pun intended…
That means so much! Thank you 🥰🥰 I know my opinion is just that, and that the end of the day it’s each persons home for themselves. I try and have fun with it, and always come from a reasonable and practical standpoint 🙏🏼
i'm really glad you mentioned Etsy. i live in a college town, so there's no shortage of local art to choose from, but not everyone has that opportunity. Oh, and since we're in the season now, could you do a video on "Just say no pumpkin spice," please? i swear, that special kind of evil is everywhere this time of year 😱😱
Hahahaha! I’m adding it to my list for fun! And yes, the amount of times I’ve found a fellow artist on Etsy that I can appreciate will always be more valuable al than any stock art 🥰🥰
I love buying original art from Etsy. I found a few artists that I like in particular and I’ve bought a few pieces over time from each of them. I really can’t afford to spend more than a few hundred dollars on a piece, so most of them are on the smaller side. I’ve also bought prints from artists I love if I can’t afford an original. Each time I’ve bought art directly from a small artist, I’ve gotten a thank you note, which is nice knowing that the art was created by a real person. I also have a collection of vintage art; which can be really affordable and fun to collect and style.
You hate me. I’m convinced LOL. I ❤ my sectional and my olive and resin dining table, it’s high quality, and I ❤❤❤❤ my acrylic bench in my elevator because you can see the mural right through it! So I think it’s important to say it depends how you use the pieces. My entire house is art. To make you happy though my bulky recliners are in my media room where they belong 😉 and lawd, yes….no barn doors or mass produced art. 😘 😘
We share all the same hates. ❤️🥰 You also touched on two things I always think about that no one mentions : seeing everyone’s crotches through the dinner table and the sounds of hard things dragging across hard surfaces. I saw an Italian cooking show once where the host counselled people to take their plates to the stone yard and bang them against all the slabs of marble and granite for new countertop selection until they found one that sounded warm and not shrill, because that is going to be the sound of making dinner for the rest of your life. Also those live edge resin tables always make me feel like I’m looking at a diorama of a woodland river with a toxic DuPont or Dow chemical spill.
Ok - I’m with you on most things on your list - people just don’t seem to be able to think ahead or how each individual piece will or won’t marry into their space and with their other pieces. Gotta stop you though at glass topped dinning tables at least for those of us without children/grandchildren running around the house on a daily basis. There is a simple trick that has existed for centuries(#?) called a table cloth and another called place mats. If used properly these will certainly reduce much of the risk of scratching and the sound of glass dragging across class while, when not in use, leaving your dining table looking great, adding some bling to the space and not being a big chunky piece of wood taking up visual space in a smaller home like a condo. Coffee tables etc I’m not so big on with glass because they don’t generally get the same protective options and can look terrible in the right/wrong lighting conditions if not cleaned properly and often. I do enjoy your enthusiasm and humour and the less is more but nothing is far too little approach you take to design.
About soundscape. I hate the sound of objects landing on a glass table, I helped a friend cushion the noise on her table with a quilted top and a tablecloth. It hid the glass and provided a soft landing for plates and cutlery. I have a wood table but it is always covered with a tablecloth and a transparent plastic. My table has several uses, preparing food, eating, writing, coloring, sewing. I need the table protected. We meut think about soundproofing homes, soft furnishing, carpets etc. I noticed that home that have wood laminate have a harsh sound, I didn't noticed that with vinyl and carpets. We have enough noise in our daily lives, we need respite from it.
That was the absolute best, detailed and spot on description of why barn doors belong in barns, kudos! I incorporated 4 pocket doors into my new build and love them, they are night and day to barn doors (tho guests sometimes misname mine as barn doors 😳).
I covered my ikea sideboard with strips of plexiglas mirror, to reflect what was around it, that is mostly antiques. It seems to disappear into the wall. Reflecting surfaces can disappear or give the impression of being weightless. Two effects that I like very much.
Amen to the barn doors on a bathroom not being it! I need my big sectional, though 😅 For my dining room, I feel a glass table is necessary, as everything else blocks the view of the fireplace. 😕
I live by myself, so when I remodeled my home, I put a paned glass door on my master bathroom. That would make most people cringe, but my master bath is so small that the paned glass makes it feel roomier.
I make original oil paintings of cattle and horses for farmers and equestrians. I sit out in the field with their animals and a camera to get a shot that would make a great painting, using the photo as my reference image. I cringe at mass-produced art prints. A thousand other homes have the same exact "art" on the walls. Originals are the way to go. Support local artists!
I've always hated glass table tops, I feel like they make a space feel more cluttered. Kinda like how a mirror doubles the mess, the glass adds the table legs, and base of the chairs to the visual clutter whereas an opaque one hides it.
I'm 60 and I need a recliner. But I keep it in my den. I have 4 pocket doors in my current house and I hate them. They worked great when we first had the house built, but then the house settled. They always stick and they're a pain in the butt to slide back and forth and they have those little cup holes which are difficult for people with larger hands to lock. If we build another house, I think I'll pass on pocket doors.
I finally subscribed because I wanted to comment. Amen to those sofas that come with cupholders! I agree with your other items. I never understand why some other TH-cam designers use mass market art.
We opted for the barn door over the pocket door for our water closet and laundry room. The pocket doors were much pricier and if the mechanism breaks it’s not cheap to fix. I’ve never understood the separate room for the toilet, but to add maneuvering around a second door in the bathroom seemed silly, dangerous even if it swings inward.
The Hilton line of hotels now have barn doors on bathrooms! The ones that have been there a while get heavy and hard to move and can be extremely difficult to close. Very inconvenient when traveling with friends.
you are spot on every single point thank you for all the invaluable advise i would’ve included the potential hazard of breaking a glass table if you have kids or rumbuctous pets it’s happened to us , the corner chipped off and wasn’t pretty .
If you do go the pocket door route don't get regular glass. There was a pretty big problem with the glass breaking while the door was in the walls. You need to get something shatterproof.
QUESTION about barn doors, I would really appreciate any opinions: So, in my new house we have this wine cellar space in the foyer hallway which is about the size of an under-the-stairs closet except has a wide opening (about the size of two doors) in the horizontal center of it. I wanted to add double door barn doors to it, but in a modern style, non rustic, and create a temple within it. I was thinking double door barn doors would really ground the opening area and make the inside look more grand. The inside is only about 3 feet in depth and 10 feet in width. Since, it’s not a real living space, I don’t think it would compromise on privacy. Also, the type of door is a modern style wooden door broken up by square glass windows throughout the length. I wanted to remove the glass and insert rattan to pay homage to Indian temple windows. I think it will be really unique, and if I can get it in a hidden track that would be even better! But what do you think, is it corny?
I detest mass produced art and always buy from art fairs. Funny thing, I bought a photograph of a highland cow from an artist who had taken the photo on the Isle of Skye where I have also been. I had no idea when I bought it that it’s so ubiquitous. I still think my cow is cool because I saw them on Skye.
Thank you for bashing mass produced art. I hate it in hotels and seeing it in people’s homes is baffling. There is so much affordable art you can buy, and you can find original art for very little effort, too.
If you don't live near a large metropolitan area....finding art, much less affordable art is really difficult. Our high-school students are selling smaller pieces for up to 400.00 dollars.
I remember walking into a colleague home oncr and my first thought about her lounge was "you got everything from The Range" all the art and decor was noticably from there and it just didnt feel like a home.
I have a nasty habit of buying that corporate 'art' in thrift stores ($2.00 tops) and entirely painting something over them, giving them my own creativity.
I love pocket doors. Used them in my basement renovation. Love! Love! Love! As for wall art, I only use my own photos on canvas. They are my happy memories. They make me smile.
I’m fine sleeping on sofa beds. (The pull out kind, not the new modular ones.) Way prefer them to futons. Then again, I’m also the height of a tall fourth grader, so… Anyway, the sofa bed that I’m eyeing is because I’m not sacrificing an entire room of my house to guests that only visit for a maximum of a week each year. I want that room to be a useable space for me the rest of the time.
Glass tabletops- not only do you have to clean the top side, but the underside will need windex,d too, so much harder to do. Luckily, I just have a small end table so it's not too hard to flip to clean.
Design Daddy once again I agree with you on ALLL OF THIS Delicious 😋 advice!!! Especially the pockets doors!!! Soooo timeless, beautiful, and extremely functional. I have a live edge dining from Crate&Barrel that I love, but NO resin just seems tacky in my opinion!!! I do have an inquiring question about studying interior design though!!!
This is so important for saving people grief/money if you just didn't have time - see this list (sorry Felix - everyone should watch the whole thing to get the value of Design Daddy's comments and jokes which are hilarious) *I so regret the day I bought a genuine (gently used) very expensive Noguchi coffee table - it literary cannot be thoroughly cleaned or moved - God help me. 1 Huge pieces (like Lazy Boys) 2 Sliding Barndoors, especially for powder rooms - However pocket sliding doors are great! 3 Sofa beds 4 Live edge pieces with resin 5 Mass-produced artwork 6 Glossy painted/lacquered furniture 7 Glass tabletops
Haha, agree with each of the mentions 😅 I wonder if there’s a correlation between the men who put cars on pedestals at home and women framing Hermes silk scarfs on walls (some have like a full corridor with these) 🙈
Thank you for bringing these up! The barn doors drive me nuts! I blame the Wacko bigots for that trend 😒. Thank you for bringing up how much wall space they use! My partner and I get annoyed every time we see larger older homes flipped to be open concepted. They were large enough that it had good flow and now you take away valuable wall space! Then 75% of the time the flippers will add insult to injury by adding barndoors to their all white faux shiplap crap. I must admit I have a cheap pullout sofa from Ikea in our gameroom. I can justify that pullout because it isn't in the livingroom and we rarely have someone stay over. Then if you have someone staying over then you dont want them to get too comfortable 😂 well maybe an extrovert might. I haven't seen a resin table discolored in person but that was one of my concerns with those. I just imagine the discoloration like an old Nintendo console 😂. Also thank you for suggesting that people should support living artists. Many of the original pieces of art work were made by my mother (an arist) but then others I bought from small time local artists. My budget friendly suggestion for art is to see if the artist sells prints. Many artists will sell their work on sites that offer art prints and print on canvas. Look up artwork for sale locally 🙂 check out local markets & fairs! You can even find some fabulous pottery at renaissance festivals. My big suggestion when it comes to potter is to ask questions and their glaze and their training to make sure it is food safe. There are some fabulous potters that know their stuff but then there are those that never took proper classes about glazing 😱. A hint, if the pottery looks metallic and they say it is food safe 😒 do NOT buy! The only time I would suggest high gloss paint is on baseboards because it is more durable. Honestly 🫥 not only paint but other home decor can offset games for far pass a few weeks. Even new carpet off gases! With more and more products being man made/ altered 🤔 it is good to keep ventilation in mind. Glass/ mirrored furniture always looks dirty 🙁.
Also glass tables are dangerous! My son fell on one at my mom’s house when he was two. He needed stitches on his chin and around his lips. He has a big scar on his chin still 24 years later! P.S. you always make me laugh:)
Glass table tops are also negative vibes for Feng Shui, When I was young and energetic, I had glass living room tables, loved them for a few minutes,,,,until I was constantly cleaning them (kids, sloppy guests, dust)
I bought a glass dining table last year and I hate it! Every time we set a glass down the loud clank makes me cringe. I thought it was beautiful but it does seem to big for the space. Now I’m trying to figure out what to do with it.
Great to see you Daddy and double-breasted looks very good on you. I have seen these daybed type things that look more like a body sized bench or ottoman. Tufted and very simple, no arms, no back. Could well be wrong, but could be from the Barcelona line? Since you will only use these 1% of the time for sleep, they have to be used in a place where a sofa is not needed and still look good. Maybe against a wall or used like a temporary seating peninsula that you can at least sit either way, for a short time, and used rarely. MY 2 cents. I don't have kids or pets, so my glass table top takes me all of 30 seconds to wipe down, yes, daily. It is bent wood and bamboo, and the top edge goes toward the center about 6". It is great for projects like painting or whatever, because nothing sticks. A razor blade takes it all off. I have no scratches. Acrylic would be very bad. The rest, "Yeah, what YOU said."
What flooring do you recommend? I am looking to renovate my home and I am just so confused when it comes to choosing the most stylish flooring. Please help
I have a problem deciding on a tile floor for my house, do I choose what I like or what is best if I am selling later? I will eventually sell but I have to live with it until then. Can’t wait for your video on flooring. 😂
Can you please make a video about how to become an interior designer . I am in my 20s and I want to get into interior design but I don’t know where to start😅.
I spent 17 years "sleeping" on a sofa bed... they are evil. You could do a lot better with a Murphy bed. I live in a rental and my bedroom doesn't have a door. Design Daddy, what do you suggest? The open space aka doorway is 6'
This man is so nice. I have spent a lot of time reaching out to artists for commission work and.. well, most of them in my experience are stormy, unstable and unreliable. I'm looking forward to the day when I come across someone who appreciates my inquiry.
Is there ANY away that you could do just the mass-produced art critique portion of this video? Or create a hard-truth vid on this subject only. I would LOVE to be able to share a link to your expert opinion on the importance of buying original art. I bet so many artists would also link to it. BTW, I agree with all your other icks here, too.
I have a loft area and I need another bed for holidays but I don”t want the bed there all the time. What other option do I have besides a sleeper sofa?
Thanks DD! We are trying to achieve a multipurpose second living room with sleeping option for guests. Do approve of a quality Murphy bed, well integrated?
As a cabinet and furniture maker I really hate river tables. They have become popular because current trends have demanded so many of the large slab type wood dining tables, that we are now in short supply of many of the beautiful exotic woods. In most cases, the exotic woods that are left contain many defects. I believe the whole resin/river table trend started to make use of all the junky wood that we have left. The resin is used to hide these defects. River tables are basically tacky. And in a way thick solid wood dining tables are also a poor use of our limited supply of the beautiful woods left on our planet.
I love hearing all your great advise. Would you leave a link for the U.S in your drop down? It always wants to change my country when I click on it. Thanks Design Daddy.❤❤❤
I work for a supported live-in company Clients are in wheelchairs and have those sliding doors All of them are broken The landlord stopped fixing them as he blames staff of misusing them I broke one myself I was sliding it with no force and it stopped sliding so I used force and now it's messed up The client doesn't care but maintenance said they wo t fix again because it's been too many times
I won't defend the monster sectionals, but the recliners? oh, hell yeah. ESPECIALLY in the living room. Why the living room? Because THAT is the room for LIVING. It's right there in the name. It's not the display room or the design room, it's the LIVING room. Do I wish that my La-Z-Boy was a bit smaller in relation to the room? Yeah, I do. But, without MILLIONS of dollars, there's not a damn thing I can do to make my living room bigger (it's a smidge under 12'w x 14') other than moving. So I live with my Givens, not my Druthers. Interior Design is a CRAFT, not an ART. What's the difference? The difference can be seen in studio furniture. Studio furniture places the ARTISTIC aspects of the piece ABOVE the FUNCTIONAL aspects. Studio furniture is an ART form, not a craft form. GOOD interior design places FUNCTION first. It's ironic that DD goes after recliners because they're not "design friendly", then accurately identifies the interplay of form and function in his assault on sofa beds. Mind you, he's pretty much right on sofa beds. I wonder what his take is on futons....
I'm lucky to have curated some original art over the years. But many people use mass produced are to create a look they love, and it's okay, especially as you can replace it as you go.
Sofa beds are the poor man’s guest room. As a kid I never seemed to live in a space that had a guest room. Every house should have one! How hospitable can you be without one?
Ooooh…she’s 6’4? I love the subtle brag. So hot. I’m also 6’4 and have been crushing on this daddy since forever. Too bad he’s taken but glad he’s happy. 🥰
I find it categorically pigeonholes you in a very special interior design style. Gorgeous pieces, but unless you’re going for MCM or very contemporary, it sometimes feels out of place
![[#2024MAMA] BIGBANG (빅뱅) - 뱅뱅뱅 (BANG BANG BANG) + FANTASTIC BABY | Mnet 241123 방송](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EQsYfiPR9uM/mqdefault.jpg)
My sofa bed is AMAZING. I live in a small studio and wanted that versatility in my space so I wouldn't have a huge bed taking up all the space. I can also fold it to really make my studio into a big living room when I have guests and it's great. I did my research before buying and not only is it absolutely gorgeous (it's a navy velvet 3-seater sofa with a really clean and simple profile), but it's also sooo comfortable ! Every person that has ever slept in it tells me it's one of the most comfortable mattresses they've ever slept on, and even the sofa itself is really comfy. It was marketed as a bed for everyday use and it definitely is. I absolutely do not regret this purchase !
If you dont mind me asking what brand is it? Im trying to furnish my apartment and its small so Id love something like that
Oh I'd also like to ask you where you purchased your s bed. It is so difficult to find one like what you have described.
Twice I have reached out to artists whose work I loved to ask about pieces more in my price range. They were both so appreciative of my enthusiasm for their work. One gave me an amazing deal on a piece and the other did a commission within my budget!
Yes yes yes! So many people would be surprised that if you reach out to an artist with a budget that are willing to work within in 🥰 that makes me so happy
What a great idea!
picture lights with batteries
Barn doors are pretty awful. But what is also awful are louvered doors. A few years ago, I stayed in a hotel room in Key West where the BATHROOM door was louvered. Like, what genius came up with that idea? Fortunately I was traveling alone, but can you imagine having to share a room like that?? I could just imagine the awkward conversations. LOL
That hairy cow art is sold at hobby lobby in the cowboy art section. Its a Scottish cow! Not a Texas steer!😅
A Scottish cow is called a coo
A heeland coo, to be precise.
When I see a home with a barn door, I know that the home smells like pumpkin spice. Live, laugh love.
Hahahab dying at this comment 💀
Boom!
Omg, yeeeesssss!
Love pumpkin spice, but I despise most everything considered "farmhouse" decor!
I could live with that 😉😂
Oh yes! I used a powder room with a barn door, and that's when my dislike of them turned into absolute hatred. Not only are they ugly and belong on barns, but they are useless for any room requiring privacy. A ridiculous trend.
They're great for your bathroom in a fancy rehab after you break your leg and are in a wheelchair.
@williamsstephens nothing is a 100%, I suppose, but that scenario is less likely than a barn door on a powder room in a small condo... that opens up into the dining room. Not something I'd want to experience again. Still better was the French door with frosted MacTac paper lol
Bad home plans are another subject..
Love barn doors
Unnecessary barn doors are going to be the #1 dead give away you remodeled in 2010 and the joke Interior Designers make
We had to use a barn door for our home office because a pocket or swinging door weren’t viable. I would never use them for a bathroom….. honestly I wouldn’t use them anywhere if there is another option.
I have a barn door for my kids bathroom. There was no other option, but we ended up loving it! There’s privacy and it locks.
Tbh, I'm excited to see your outfits as much as I'm for your architectural content So stylish!
Awe thank you so much 🥰🥰 my walk in is filled with clothes I don’t wear that often, so I told myself no more excuses. I have a reason to wear anything even if I’m just going to the grocery store
@@mrphoenixgrey yes king 👑 Hopefully I can see your fashion content someday 😊
He really is 😀
I also came here to say how much I like your latest looks. Very classic and elegant…very appropriate for a design daddy.
And when he wears a muscle shirt I am not even seeing the room anymore. ;)
As a stroke survivor i have had to finally accept the need to purchase a recliner sofa. All other sofas i have tried are too low or too deep for me to be able to get out of. They are unfortunately the highest 3:49 seat height which allows me to get out of them by myself. I love the look of those low and soft couches but i would never be able to use it if i didn’t have another person to help me get up. Wish i had another choice. So function had to supersede design. Just something to think about.
I'd never have one of those big recliners either, but I knew an old gentleman - no longer with us, sadly - whose last years were spent in this terrific nursing home with only 8 residents. Their bedrooms were laid out around a big central living room, in which eight recliners were arranged in a semi-circle in front of a huge-screen TV. Every time I'd visit, he'd be watching whatever sporting event was in season, with the other old guys, all enthroned like old kings.
Those cup holder sofas and recliners are HIDEOUS! There! I said it!
Thank you!
Agreed. I have one that I use in the garage. It holds drinks and snacks and i can take a quick break from working on an engine or woodwork. Its cracked, stained, smells like tools and cigar smoke.
I worked on a building with 80 rental units in 2018-2020. ALL of the washrooms had barn doors installed. I wonder how much tenants love those barn doors now.
Yes, but I love my cupholders.
One thing I like about your videos DD is, you not only tell us what you don't like, but WHY, reminds me of the way a good friend would critique my work, if it was a piece of cr@9, not only would she tell, me, but she'd then tell me why it was a piece of cr@9. Also if I may add? when it comes to art, many living local artists also offer prints of various levels of quality. I have a couple $20 prints of a favourite artist on the walls in my shop, they bring me joy, they help support them, and they aren't so precious that I'll be broken hearted when they get dirty or damaged or whatever.
Thank you! 🥰🤍🥰 I always try to keep it real, and I understand sometimes my opinions are just that! But I like to back them with something factual, at least most of the time 🙏🏼 and yes to the artists prints. There are so many options out there
@@mrphoenixgrey I've come to design from a construction background and working for an art collector for many years. But I agree with everything you say pretty much. I think people are so affected by current trends that they don't even know it. While I want to know what the current trends are, I usually avoid most of them because I know they can put a time limit on my work. You don't go to a Frank Lloyd Wright or a Maybeck home and look at he finish on the faucets.
I agree with sofa beds being tricky to buy. I was searching for mine for couple of months, before I made a decision to purchase. However, now I am really happy with it, both as sofa and as bed. Easy to open, performance fabric, standard matress, not too big, comfortable to sit, great mechanism. It came at a price, but I do not regret. It will serve me for many years.
Which one did you go with?
A memory foam air mattress for sofa beds is a game changer. People will be fighting to sleep on your sofa.
I love my pocket door! My sectional with a bed is used only for guests who have short stays. As a family we enjoy movie nights while opening up the sectional.
Phoenix has strong opinions, like many artistic people. But he excels in his ability to explain why he loves or hates something, leaving you with the knowledge you need in order to evaluate it for yourself.
Have you ever met a creative who doesn’t have strong opinions? ;)
They’re pretty entertaining about it most of the time :). I love hearing them sound off about the latest trends ;)
I had to get rid of a glass dining table because my dog didn’t see it and kept bumping into it, and sharp corners are no joke. She’s a big girl and her eyes and snout were right on the level of the table top. And yes, cleaning dog drool and nose prints from the underside was not fun lol.
Haha! Yeah a dog would do it for ya 😭 poor thing I know mine would bump into my friends coffee table that was glass
And they’re LOUD! Fortunately, we learned that with a free table.
@@kathyballes4360 So are ceramic kitchen counters. Ear shattering.
I use 2 barn doors in our smallest bedroom to save floor space for the closet and half bath. They work perfect
Phoenix, your channel is really fun and you seem very down to earth (despite your height). I enjoy your design advice and your lighthearted delivery. I also appreciate that you’re not mean or condescending even when you’re ruffling feathers on controversial topics like barn doors. Pun intended…
That means so much! Thank you 🥰🥰 I know my opinion is just that, and that the end of the day it’s each persons home for themselves. I try and have fun with it, and always come from a reasonable and practical standpoint 🙏🏼
i'm really glad you mentioned Etsy. i live in a college town, so there's no shortage of local art to choose from, but not everyone has that opportunity. Oh, and since we're in the season now, could you do a video on "Just say no pumpkin spice," please? i swear, that special kind of evil is everywhere this time of year 😱😱
Hahahaha! I’m adding it to my list for fun! And yes, the amount of times I’ve found a fellow artist on Etsy that I can appreciate will always be more valuable al than any stock art 🥰🥰
I love buying original art from Etsy. I found a few artists that I like in particular and I’ve bought a few pieces over time from each of them. I really can’t afford to spend more than a few hundred dollars on a piece, so most of them are on the smaller side. I’ve also bought prints from artists I love if I can’t afford an original. Each time I’ve bought art directly from a small artist, I’ve gotten a thank you note, which is nice knowing that the art was created by a real person. I also have a collection of vintage art; which can be really affordable and fun to collect and style.
Yes! I should have mentioned that prints are another incredible way to support artists if you’re on a budget :)
You hate me. I’m convinced LOL. I ❤ my sectional and my olive and resin dining table, it’s high quality, and I ❤❤❤❤ my acrylic bench in my elevator because you can see the mural right through it! So I think it’s important to say it depends how you use the pieces. My entire house is art. To make you happy though my bulky recliners are in my media room where they belong 😉 and lawd, yes….no barn doors or mass produced art. 😘 😘
I would never hate you! Haha 🥰🥰
We share all the same hates. ❤️🥰
You also touched on two things I always think about that no one mentions : seeing everyone’s crotches through the dinner table and the sounds of hard things dragging across hard surfaces.
I saw an Italian cooking show once where the host counselled people to take their plates to the stone yard and bang them against all the slabs of marble and granite for new countertop selection until they found one that sounded warm and not shrill, because that is going to be the sound of making dinner for the rest of your life.
Also those live edge resin tables always make me feel like I’m looking at a diorama of a woodland river with a toxic DuPont or Dow chemical spill.
I swear by my pocket doors. Have three. So easy to section off parts of home when needed. Well worth expense
Yes! So glad there is someone else here to back me up 🙏🏼
Absolutely. My last house's bedroom wing was all good pocket doors. Fantastic.
Pockets doors are great. They're less disruptive to the space.
Ok - I’m with you on most things on your list - people just don’t seem to be able to think ahead or how each individual piece will or won’t marry into their space and with their other pieces. Gotta stop you though at glass topped dinning tables at least for those of us without children/grandchildren running around the house on a daily basis. There is a simple trick that has existed for centuries(#?) called a table cloth and another called place mats. If used properly these will certainly reduce much of the risk of scratching and the sound of glass dragging across class while, when not in use, leaving your dining table looking great, adding some bling to the space and not being a big chunky piece of wood taking up visual space in a smaller home like a condo. Coffee tables etc I’m not so big on with glass because they don’t generally get the same protective options and can look terrible in the right/wrong lighting conditions if not cleaned properly and often. I do enjoy your enthusiasm and humour and the less is more but nothing is far too little approach you take to design.
About soundscape. I hate the sound of objects landing on a glass table, I helped a friend cushion the noise on her table with a quilted top and a tablecloth. It hid the glass and provided a soft landing for plates and cutlery. I have a wood table but it is always covered with a tablecloth and a transparent plastic. My table has several uses, preparing food, eating, writing, coloring, sewing. I need the table protected.
We meut think about soundproofing homes, soft furnishing, carpets etc. I noticed that home that have wood laminate have a harsh sound, I didn't noticed that with vinyl and carpets. We have enough noise in our daily lives, we need respite from it.
That was the absolute best, detailed and spot on description of why barn doors belong in barns, kudos! I incorporated 4 pocket doors into my new build and love them, they are night and day to barn doors (tho guests sometimes misname mine as barn doors 😳).
I covered my ikea sideboard with strips of plexiglas mirror, to reflect what was around it, that is mostly antiques. It seems to disappear into the wall. Reflecting surfaces can disappear or give the impression of being weightless. Two effects that I like very much.
Amen to the barn doors on a bathroom not being it!
I need my big sectional, though 😅
For my dining room, I feel a glass table is necessary, as everything else blocks the view of the fireplace. 😕
I live by myself, so when I remodeled my home, I put a paned glass door on my master bathroom. That would make most people cringe, but my master bath is so small that the paned glass makes it feel roomier.
I make original oil paintings of cattle and horses for farmers and equestrians. I sit out in the field with their animals and a camera to get a shot that would make a great painting, using the photo as my reference image.
I cringe at mass-produced art prints. A thousand other homes have the same exact "art" on the walls. Originals are the way to go. Support local artists!
I've always hated glass table tops, I feel like they make a space feel more cluttered. Kinda like how a mirror doubles the mess, the glass adds the table legs, and base of the chairs to the visual clutter whereas an opaque one hides it.
Someone gets it 🙏🏼
They remind me of the 80’s. Along with the seafoam green and pink color pallet.
I agree for kitchen tables but like the coffee tables with the sculptural legs that are nice to see.
I'm 60 and I need a recliner. But I keep it in my den.
I have 4 pocket doors in my current house and I hate them. They worked great when we first had the house built, but then the house settled. They always stick and they're a pain in the butt to slide back and forth and they have those little cup holes which are difficult for people with larger hands to lock. If we build another house, I think I'll pass on pocket doors.
Of all the design shows I watch I have to say I agree with you more than anyone else with your observations.
I agree with your list of items, although I do have an attached set of recliners( with cup holders 😮), in my theatre room
I’ll keep your secret done worry 🤫
Say it, Daddy - barn doors are for livestock!!!
🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
I'm glad you mentioned glass top tables and your guests crotches.....also you can't play reachies under the table with glass tops
I finally subscribed because I wanted to comment. Amen to those sofas that come with cupholders! I agree with your other items. I never understand why some other TH-cam designers use mass market art.
With your preferences, it reflects your unique style and personality. Thanks for sharing! 🥰
Thanks for watching 🤍
I'm new to your channel, loving it! Your advice about, "living, local, artist" was awesome ❤
you always have the best videos! your so funny :) thanks for always making my sunday brighter
Awe thank you so so much! And thank you for always watching. It means a lot
We opted for the barn door over the pocket door for our water closet and laundry room. The pocket doors were much pricier and if the mechanism breaks it’s not cheap to fix. I’ve never understood the separate room for the toilet, but to add maneuvering around a second door in the bathroom seemed silly, dangerous even if it swings inward.
The Hilton line of hotels now have barn doors on bathrooms! The ones that have been there a while get heavy and hard to move and can be extremely difficult to close. Very inconvenient when traveling with friends.
you are spot on every single point thank you for all the invaluable advise i would’ve included the potential hazard of breaking a glass table if you have kids or rumbuctous pets it’s happened to us , the corner chipped off and wasn’t pretty .
If you do go the pocket door route don't get regular glass. There was a pretty big problem with the glass breaking while the door was in the walls. You need to get something shatterproof.
QUESTION about barn doors, I would really appreciate any opinions: So, in my new house we have this wine cellar space in the foyer hallway which is about the size of an under-the-stairs closet except has a wide opening (about the size of two doors) in the horizontal center of it. I wanted to add double door barn doors to it, but in a modern style, non rustic, and create a temple within it. I was thinking double door barn doors would really ground the opening area and make the inside look more grand. The inside is only about 3 feet in depth and 10 feet in width. Since, it’s not a real living space, I don’t think it would compromise on privacy. Also, the type of door is a modern style wooden door broken up by square glass windows throughout the length. I wanted to remove the glass and insert rattan to pay homage to Indian temple windows. I think it will be really unique, and if I can get it in a hidden track that would be even better! But what do you think, is it corny?
I detest mass produced art and always buy from art fairs. Funny thing, I bought a photograph of a highland cow from an artist who had taken the photo on the Isle of Skye where I have also been. I had no idea when I bought it that it’s so ubiquitous. I still think my cow is cool because I saw them on Skye.
Thank you for bashing mass produced art. I hate it in hotels and seeing it in people’s homes is baffling. There is so much affordable art you can buy, and you can find original art for very little effort, too.
Yes yes yes! Always support living artists creating 🙏🏼🤍🙏🏼
If you don't live near a large metropolitan area....finding art, much less affordable art is really difficult. Our high-school students are selling smaller pieces for up to 400.00 dollars.
Yeah because everyone has $100,000 for an art piece that could have costed $15 on Target.
I remember walking into a colleague home oncr and my first thought about her lounge was "you got everything from The Range" all the art and decor was noticably from there and it just didnt feel like a home.
I have a nasty habit of buying that corporate 'art' in thrift stores ($2.00 tops) and entirely painting something over them, giving them my own
creativity.
I could not agree more with every item on this list! Great job!
Thanks 😊 and thanks for watching
I love pocket doors. Used them in my basement renovation. Love! Love! Love! As for wall art, I only use my own photos on canvas. They are my happy memories. They make me smile.
I’m fine sleeping on sofa beds. (The pull out kind, not the new modular ones.) Way prefer them to futons. Then again, I’m also the height of a tall fourth grader, so…
Anyway, the sofa bed that I’m eyeing is because I’m not sacrificing an entire room of my house to guests that only visit for a maximum of a week each year. I want that room to be a useable space for me the rest of the time.
I had two glass top table and I agree never again!
Glass tabletops- not only do you have to clean the top side, but the underside will need windex,d too, so much harder to do. Luckily, I just have a small end table so it's not too hard to flip to clean.
Design Daddy once again I agree with you on ALLL OF THIS Delicious 😋 advice!!! Especially the pockets doors!!! Soooo timeless, beautiful, and extremely functional. I have a live edge dining from Crate&Barrel that I love, but NO resin just seems tacky in my opinion!!! I do have an inquiring question about studying interior design though!!!
Thanks for watching! And what would you like to know? :)
This is so important for saving people grief/money if you just didn't have time - see this list (sorry Felix - everyone should watch the whole thing to get the value of Design Daddy's comments and jokes which are hilarious)
*I so regret the day I bought a genuine (gently used) very expensive Noguchi coffee table - it literary cannot be thoroughly cleaned or moved - God help me.
1 Huge pieces (like Lazy Boys)
2 Sliding Barndoors, especially for powder rooms - However pocket sliding doors are great!
3 Sofa beds
4 Live edge pieces with resin
5 Mass-produced artwork
6 Glossy painted/lacquered furniture
7 Glass tabletops
Haha, agree with each of the mentions 😅 I wonder if there’s a correlation between the men who put cars on pedestals at home and women framing Hermes silk scarfs on walls (some have like a full corridor with these) 🙈
Here for the clothes! Kudos!
I came for the design and stayed for the DADDY! 😍
😉 😘
Just found you by algorithm...😊 You make me laugh! You are so funny, to the point and oh so stylish! ❤
Thank you for bringing these up! The barn doors drive me nuts! I blame the Wacko bigots for that trend 😒. Thank you for bringing up how much wall space they use! My partner and I get annoyed every time we see larger older homes flipped to be open concepted. They were large enough that it had good flow and now you take away valuable wall space! Then 75% of the time the flippers will add insult to injury by adding barndoors to their all white faux shiplap crap. I must admit I have a cheap pullout sofa from Ikea in our gameroom. I can justify that pullout because it isn't in the livingroom and we rarely have someone stay over. Then if you have someone staying over then you dont want them to get too comfortable 😂 well maybe an extrovert might. I haven't seen a resin table discolored in person but that was one of my concerns with those. I just imagine the discoloration like an old Nintendo console 😂. Also thank you for suggesting that people should support living artists. Many of the original pieces of art work were made by my mother (an arist) but then others I bought from small time local artists. My budget friendly suggestion for art is to see if the artist sells prints. Many artists will sell their work on sites that offer art prints and print on canvas. Look up artwork for sale locally 🙂 check out local markets & fairs! You can even find some fabulous pottery at renaissance festivals. My big suggestion when it comes to potter is to ask questions and their glaze and their training to make sure it is food safe. There are some fabulous potters that know their stuff but then there are those that never took proper classes about glazing 😱. A hint, if the pottery looks metallic and they say it is food safe 😒 do NOT buy! The only time I would suggest high gloss paint is on baseboards because it is more durable. Honestly 🫥 not only paint but other home decor can offset games for far pass a few weeks. Even new carpet off gases! With more and more products being man made/ altered 🤔 it is good to keep ventilation in mind. Glass/ mirrored furniture always looks dirty 🙁.
Also glass tables are dangerous! My son fell on one at my mom’s house when he was two. He needed stitches on his chin and around his lips. He has a big scar on his chin still 24 years later!
P.S. you always make me laugh:)
Awe thank you 🙏🏼 so happy to bring some good laughs and education into my videos 🤍
Sofa beds keep visitors from staying too long! 😆
You’re not wrong lol
Glass table tops are also negative vibes for Feng Shui, When I was young and energetic, I had glass living room tables, loved them for a few minutes,,,,until I was constantly cleaning them (kids, sloppy guests, dust)
Living in Texas I would never hang a cow on my walls.
New subscriber here! You had me at “Mechantisms”!
Hahaha. Gotta be able to make fun of myself 🤣🥰 thanks for joining
All the points are logical.
I bought a glass dining table last year and I hate it! Every time we set a glass down the loud clank makes me cringe. I thought it was beautiful but it does seem to big for the space. Now I’m trying to figure out what to do with it.
Great to see you Daddy and double-breasted looks very good on you.
I have seen these daybed type things that look more like a body sized bench or ottoman. Tufted and very simple, no arms, no back. Could well be wrong, but could be from the Barcelona line?
Since you will only use these 1% of the time for sleep, they have to be used in a place where a sofa is not needed and still look good. Maybe against a wall or used like a temporary seating peninsula that you can at least sit either way, for a short time, and used rarely. MY 2 cents.
I don't have kids or pets, so my glass table top takes me all of 30 seconds to wipe down, yes, daily. It is bent wood and bamboo, and the top edge goes toward the center about 6". It is great for projects like painting or whatever, because nothing sticks. A razor blade takes it all off. I have no scratches. Acrylic would be very bad.
The rest, "Yeah, what YOU said."
Love all your videos
“Hence, the name, Barn.” Hilarious!😂
Check your local papers for art-event! I go to art in the park near me and it’s great!
Yes! This is another excellent suggestion 🥰
What flooring do you recommend? I am looking to renovate my home and I am just so confused when it comes to choosing the most stylish flooring. Please help
Adding to my list for a video! I get many questions on flooring! So stay tuned
I have a problem deciding on a tile floor for my house, do I choose what I like or what is best if I am selling later? I will eventually sell but I have to live with it until then. Can’t wait for your video on flooring. 😂
@@mrphoenixgrey would love to see a video on wall panelling as well, which one is in style now.
Can you please make a video about how to become an interior designer . I am in my 20s and I want to get into interior design but I don’t know where to start😅.
Adding to my list 🥰
I spent 17 years "sleeping" on a sofa bed... they are evil. You could do a lot better with a Murphy bed. I live in a rental and my bedroom doesn't have a door. Design Daddy, what do you suggest? The open space aka doorway is 6'
This man is so nice. I have spent a lot of time reaching out to artists for commission work and.. well, most of them in my experience are stormy, unstable and unreliable. I'm looking forward to the day when I come across someone who appreciates my inquiry.
Awe thank you so much for watching 🙏🏼🤍 and I know some artists aren’t as reliable as others 🥶
Careful NOT to put too many restrictions on the artist. If you dictate too much of what you want, they no longer feel like an artist. Keep asking.
Is there ANY away that you could do just the mass-produced art critique portion of this video? Or create a hard-truth vid on this subject only. I would LOVE to be able to share a link to your expert opinion on the importance of buying original art. I bet so many artists would also link to it. BTW, I agree with all your other icks here, too.
Yes! Adding to my list :)
I have a loft area and I need another bed for holidays but I don”t want the bed there all the time. What other option do I have besides a sleeper sofa?
A Murphy bed I find works well to hide away and still have as a good bed
Try a day bed.
Thanks DD! We are trying to achieve a multipurpose second living room with sleeping option for guests. Do approve of a quality Murphy bed, well integrated?
I approve of Murphy beds 🤍🙏🏼
oh, thank goodness. Didn't have any other ideas @@mrphoenixgrey 😅
Recently at a hotel with barn door for bathroom. Chain hotel, otherwise nice, but ugh!
Barn doors are the worst IMHO!! My husband and I have used pocket doors in every home we have built.
Yes!! More justice for pocket doors 🤍
Great video! Ty
Oversized recliners are a hate of mine. Last recliner I purchased was from Ethan Allen and appears to be a regular chair.
All my chairs are recliners. All of them look like regular chairs.
Yes HATE mirrored furniture. I was a teen when one of my first boyfriend’s DAD told me the mirrored end tables were great for panty checks
Yes I cried and never went back
As a cabinet and furniture maker I really hate river tables. They have become popular because current trends have demanded so many of the large slab type wood dining tables, that we are now in short supply of many of the beautiful exotic woods. In most cases, the exotic woods that are left contain many defects. I believe the whole resin/river table trend started to make use of all the junky wood that we have left. The resin is used to hide these defects. River tables are basically tacky. And in a way thick solid wood dining tables are also a poor use of our limited supply of the beautiful woods left on our planet.
Apparently sofa bed is not same as sleep sofa. Murphy beds need more PR!
Agreed!
Any suggestions in a good mattress
Putting together a list for this 🙏🏼
No thanx!!! I use many different brands....they ALL have excellent qualities.
🙏🏼🙏🏼
I so agree with you about original art. You can buy original pieces from etsy sometimes less than you might pay for mass produced shitty art.
I love hearing all your great advise. Would you leave a link for the U.S in your drop down? It always wants to change my country when I click on it. Thanks Design Daddy.❤❤❤
For my Amazon? I’m currently in chat with them to get this rectified! I know it’s an issue 😭
@mrphoenixgrey // thanks..❤️❤️❤️
I work for a supported live-in company
Clients are in wheelchairs and have those sliding doors
All of them are broken
The landlord stopped fixing them as he blames staff of misusing them
I broke one myself
I was sliding it with no force and it stopped sliding so I used force and now it's messed up
The client doesn't care but maintenance said they wo t fix again because it's been too many times
You had me at Sofa Beds. And you Finished with Glass table tops. We should get Married.
Love you Mean It.
Love from Ottawa
🥰🥰🥰🥰
What about a pocket door.
Hence the name “barn” 😂
I’m so funny sometimes 🤣
Green wall and light grey sofa… should I use pink or rust as accent colour? Thanks.
Rust! 🥰😍
I’d use whichever one you like better. Those are all a good color combo.
I won't defend the monster sectionals, but the recliners? oh, hell yeah. ESPECIALLY in the living room. Why the living room? Because THAT is the room for LIVING. It's right there in the name. It's not the display room or the design room, it's the LIVING room. Do I wish that my La-Z-Boy was a bit smaller in relation to the room? Yeah, I do. But, without MILLIONS of dollars, there's not a damn thing I can do to make my living room bigger (it's a smidge under 12'w x 14') other than moving. So I live with my Givens, not my Druthers.
Interior Design is a CRAFT, not an ART. What's the difference? The difference can be seen in studio furniture. Studio furniture places the ARTISTIC aspects of the piece ABOVE the FUNCTIONAL aspects. Studio furniture is an ART form, not a craft form. GOOD interior design places FUNCTION first.
It's ironic that DD goes after recliners because they're not "design friendly", then accurately identifies the interplay of form and function in his assault on sofa beds. Mind you, he's pretty much right on sofa beds. I wonder what his take is on futons....
I like sofas that are lean, sharp, clean, stylish and angular.
Just like my men.
Hahaha! Excellent checklist 👌🏼
I'm lucky to have curated some original art over the years. But many people use mass produced are to create a look they love, and it's okay, especially as you can replace it as you go.
Pocket door instead of a barn door in powder room.
Sofa beds are the poor man’s guest room. As a kid I never seemed to live in a space that had a guest room. Every house should have one! How hospitable can you be without one?
Ooooh…she’s 6’4? I love the subtle brag. So hot. I’m also 6’4 and have been crushing on this daddy since forever. Too bad he’s taken but glad he’s happy. 🥰
Haha! Being tall has its downfalls…. Like not picking up anything up when it’s on the ground, it’s way too far 🤣
Sofa beds from Ikea my parents bought is the UGLIEST THING I have ever seen. Yes daddy not allowed to say beat that wood here... hahaha
🤣🤣🤣🥰
What do you think about usm ?
I find it categorically pigeonholes you in a very special interior design style. Gorgeous pieces, but unless you’re going for MCM or very contemporary, it sometimes feels out of place