Home Decor Items I Regret Buying and Would Never Buy Again
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 มิ.ย. 2024
- In this video, I go over some of my biggest interior decor regrets! These are the items that I would never buy again, either because they are low quality, they are impractical, or they no longer fit with my own personal style. I hope you enjoy this list of interior decor mistakes that I've made so you can learn from them.
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⏱ Timestamps:
00:00 - Home Decor Items I Would Never Buy Again
00:20 - Cheap Leather Couches
01:43 - Cheap Shag Rugs
03:48 - Glass Dining Tables and Coffee Tables
05:16 - Open Shelf Media Consoles
06:29 - Generic Art
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My husband fell in love with our glass dining table when we were furniture shopping. I couldn’t stand that thing the second I laid my eyes on it and I still don’t, but marriage is compromise. Yet, I do thank you for validating my feelings on it.
Letting the man choose, who has no taste, is a headache for sure.
I hate our glass table but my husband loves it!
Hope your husband is worth that ugly ass table.
Something that seems to totally transform a glass top table is a replacement table top in marble, especially black marble.
I don't like glass tables... It doesn't feel safe for me and I hate that feeling of the cold glass when you put your arms on it.
Agreed on all counts.
Plus, lesson I've learned: The clearance item from the best store will be better than the full-priced item from a low-end store.
💯💯💯✌️🌎
As an artist who makes pieces for the home, thank you for speaking out against generic art! It's worth remembering that there's lots of artists out there who would love to create custom pieces for you. I'm always honoured when someone chooses my work and invites my pieces into their space.
Yeah, people love my pictures on my walls, original art rocks!
Same. I gir back until my true love, art after I retired. I love to make something custom for someone! Anything from a painting to a custom lamp!
My grandfather was an artist and I'm so spoiled with all of his pieces everywhere. Plus, he was like my favorite person in the world and I get to be reminded of him all the time :)
Any tips for finding art/artists one might like?
Link a place where we can see your art!!
I agree that glass tables show up dust and fingerprints like nothing else,but I think there’s definitely a place for them in smaller homes and rooms as being able to see the floor through them really can give you some of that space back.
Especially if you have a beautiful oriental rug you love below
Alternate Title: Nick learns that you usually get what you pay for! Also shoutout to Arvin Olano for giving me the idea for this video!
Nobody asked, but he gave you the idea anyway hahah
I watch both of you! You both provide knowledge and entertainment !!!!
I love both of you channels so much
Please make another collab I love both of your channels 🥰
What would you classify as a decent quality leather? Which category do you think Article would fall into? The prices are relatively low and so the reviews are great... Do I trust that?
LOL. The rug part made me laugh. I live on a ranch (dirt. mud. unknown substances.) with 3 indoor/outdoor dogs (one is a 153 lb. Great Pyrenees) and 4 previously feral cats who decided they liked warm indoors rather than snowy outdoors. When people ask me why I have no carpet but lots of washable rugs in my home, I just tell them that none of my 4-legged family has learned to wipe their feet or leave their boots at the front door.
In my family we don’t even have rugs. Oh? Your feet get old when you get out of bed? That’s what slippers are for. Use them. Hahahahaha
@@saraangel6696 LOL. Very true.
Not to mention that, if you lived with shag carpeting in the 70s, you no longer feel the need -- EVER -- to buy it again.
@@saraangel6696 We had carpets all over the floors growing up. My brother loved to drag me by my legs from room to room - just sibling stuff, and one day my shirt rolled up and despite me screaming in pain, he did not stop. Couldn't lay on my back for quite some time. Its safe to say I hate carpets with passion. I wont even allow a bathmat at my place. :D
@@TristessaEm I grew up with 0 carpets, but a little bathroom carpet is handy, I always had to wipe the floor in the bathroom without it.
Funny, I do have a generic Ikea piece in the office. It means something to me, though, because it is an old photograph from my hometown, Albuquerque. I couldn't believe I was standing in Ikea in Germany and there was a picture of a place so familiar. I had to have it and I still enjoy it many years later!
That's really sweet!
Stopped been generic because it has personal meaning to you and that is one point of the "selecting non generic art" thing.
When we moved to Scotland, from Southern California, we made a point of going to get the giant picture of the restaurant on the pier in time to include it in our packing (we were told it wasn't sold outside the US), because it was a local place and we regularly ate there. Sure, I wish I could have taken the time to try to get as good a photo, but, I couldn't so this works.
❤
Sending you love from abq!
Absolutely Art, My partner and I buy a piece of orignal art every anniversary. We don't care about medium or size if we agree, we get it. After thirty two years we have quite a bit .Always local, and each piece holds a very special memory. I would highly suggest this for a couple, and if your single, ya got a birthday. Peace everybody.
Love this idea!
Going to do this, thank you, my wife will love this!
I went through my camera roll on my iPhone and pulled vacation photos of locations I loved and had them blown up and framed. Means more that I took the photos. I took a great off-kilter photo of the gates of Versailles that people always comment on when they come over, and it’s nice to say “I took that shot” instead of “I got it at IKEA”.
Wonderful idea
@@hothotheat3000 That’s great! I’ve been wanting to do this but am a bit tech challenged. Can u please share what service you used to blow up & print the pics, presuming you used one? Thanks & enjoy those special pics! 🌞✌️
A few to add:
1. Slippery floor tiles - dislocated shoulder and expensive to replace
2. Loud clock
3. Any even remotely furry outdoor furniture ends up filled with bugs
Also another vote for a video on furniture suitable for pet owners. Great dane eating all the pillows rn
Ouch!
Yes to all three
Tiles were expensive to replace or the shoulder? 😂
Yes! We pet owners need help!
Loud clock yes! Omg we recently stayed in a bnb and there was this clock on the bedside table. Who in their right mind can sleep with this torture machine in the room???
Nick you should make a video in how to keep your home clean when you have pets. The reason I don't invest in expensive home decor is our dog, so my house looks like a wearhouse :( I want style that is suitable for pets!!
Thanks for the idea!
Definitely avoid light colored bedspreads and couches. 😄 I pet sat for a couple with a white bedspread that the dirty doggo came in and laid on immediately.. 😳
Thankfully it washed out, but I imagine they probably have to wash it very often for that reason. And the light tan couch probably needs cleaning often as well.
@@Nick_Lewis Oh my gosh. I have a LIFESAVER!! I bought a Dupray steam cleaner and us it almost daily. Heck...I've even used it on pots and pans to loosen burned on bits of food. It's actually fun to use and gets things spotlessly clean. And the added bonus is no nasty chemicals.
@@icantthinkofascreenname3064 I used to think that white should be avoided as well. But I recently learned that white is actually a great choice because you can bleach it. That's why hotels use white bedding and towels, for example.
Omg yes, I'm so hesitant to buy any new stuff (even when the things we have are old, low quality, and beat up). The thought of getting some of my dream furniture and then have the dog destroy it is just unbearable. I've been thinking a lot about what kinds of materials are washable and mendable. Our dog is also attracted to natural fibres like jute and wool, so rugs, throws, etc. need to be cotton, linen, or synthetic.
I recently had a photo of a charcoal drawing my grandfather did in the 1950’s blown up onto a giant (4’x6’) gallery wrapped canvas. Best art purchase ever!
My husband and I have accumulated a lot of art over 40 years (too much my designer neighbour implies) but how we got some of the bigger interesting pieces was by asking the artists if we could pay for it over time. None of them ever said "no" and one shipped the piece before I had finished paying for it because she knew it was a gift for a certain date.
Oh wow. I should do this. I feel like it's time I have a piece of art I could commission and have this option coz...
Ok. I'm old enough to remember the shag wall to wall carpet of the 1970's. My boyfriend's after school chore , every day, was to vacuum - then Rake - the rug!
Ahh yes the raking of shag carpet. One of my first chores as a child of the 70's! 🙄
Omg...just wrote a similar comment...soourchildhood
My aunt and uncle had GREEN shag carpet, so it literally was like weird grass. I can only imagine how many years of stains were hidden in there.
A friend had a rug rake. I thought it was a fun job to rake the rug--that may have been a Tom Sawyer situation.
OMG, the shag rake!
Used to love to vacuum our "Brady Bunch" carpeting... then carefully rake it like a Japanese Zen garden!
Finally, get upset that anyone would dare WALK on it and leave footprints! 😠
Yeah, you could see where some of my OCD issues started! 🤣
Another option for great art: buy something you love from a professional artist at an art fair, gallery , shop, etc. 😉
👏👏👏 Local artists always appreciate the support from buyers. I agree with you.
I have one piece of generic art, and I love it. It became dear to me, I don't know why.
@@vg7985 hey , if it speaks to you and you love it - it’s a beautiful thing!
@@operalove7221 yes we do! 😃 🎨
I like the outsider art category on eBay. They have some really interesting and affordable work there.
We bought the shag rug from Costco a year and have two little kids. I can confirm that even our Bissel carpet cleaner was no match for that carpet. That being said, one of our children spent the better part of that year potty training so I’m glad we went cheap 😬.
OMGGG SAME. I don’t have kids it’s just me and my husband but let me tell you the shag rug was a disaster. I returned it after using it for sometime.
We bought 2 from Sam’s when our kids were little 😂 We got our money’s worth out of them, but I didn’t mind when they exited the house.
sometimes cheap is the way to go, the hard part is making yourself spend the money again in 'only' a year or two. Even when you know you intentionally bought with an expectation it would only last until some messy phase of life was over, and you intended to upgrade, it somehow can be hard to actually do it.
We have a kid and 2 cats, we don't have a shag rug, but we did buy a cheap rug for the living room, I am not prepared to buy a good quality rug that is going to get trashed, the cat vomited on the rub just this week.🙄🙄🙄🙄🤦
Wait??? Why were they peeing on the carpet ??? Didn't they have diapers ?
With this house, I ordered canvas prints of my favorite works of art. I worried it might be pretentious or that some of it was too weird, but honestly it makes me so happy to pass by it. Strongly recommend getting over the fear and just buying what you want. So agree with your art comment ♡
What you said about art was spot on. I am extremely picky about the art that goes on my walls. Ten years ago I picked up some beautiful oil paintings in Vietnam from an art gallery that was done by local artists. I also picked up two silk sketches from an old man on the street who was sketching them on the fly. I had them professionally framed and they are stunning. I wish that old man could see his work in those beautiful frames. He was selling them so he could buy food. I never ever get tired of looking at them. Art with meaning gives me great joy. 🙂
I've also had a lot of custom framing done. It is so worth it to enjoy items that would not be normally considered art. I've had my husband's NASA patch collection and my grandmother's marriage certificate professionally framed.
The advantage of creating your own "art" is you can also choose how to frame it- size/shape and frame. 😁
Years ago, my cousin as a child climbed on a glass dining table at his home. Not only did it break, but he now sports a 10 inch thick scar across his stomach. Fortunately, the shard of glass that cut into him barely missed his organs.
😬
WOW, I'm surprised that it wasn't tempered glass (safety glass) it should have broken into thousands of small pieces as opposed to jagged shards.
I knew a little girl who bled to death when the glass coffee table on which she was climbing broke. It cut the jugular and she was gone in couple of minutes. Sad and tragic.
Yikes, my boyfriend’s sister put a mug of hot cocoa on their parents glass dining table as a kid and the dog was sleeping underneath it. It was safety glass so it shattered into little pieces but it was all over the dog and he had thousands of tiny cuts. He ended up being okay but the poor guy was traumatized :(
Omg 😳
I am a quilt maker. I love to play with colour and design and the making of them makes me extremely happy.
I’ve filled the beds and family and friends beds long ago. 😊
As I get older I’m happier working on smaller pieces so now I fill my walls. I don’t have to worry about generic art because every room and every wall (kitchen and bathroom included) glow with colour and design works of art.
I never worry what other people think. They make me happy. And I do get lots of compliments.
So find your joy. Put in on your walls. Smile as you walk by. 🥰
Yes! Part two!
I have never understood the concept of putting a rug under a dining table. Kind of like putting wall to wall carpet in a bathroom.
I could understand if you had hard wood floors and wanted to protect them from chairs scratching the floors, but I get where you're coming from.
Yea I made the Costco shag rug mistake. And yes I not only have a DVD player I still have and use my VHS player 😆
Same except I wish I still had some VHS player :) Made the cheap shag rug mistake too, mixed feelings about it as... I didn't even like shag rugs to begin with :D Long story short: bought it to fully cover the (very hard) nursery floor when our baby began to crawl, turns out that it's not dense enough and had to "tile" the floor with blood-curdling-horrible foam tiles under said rug that at least hides them. Baby already puked on it several times. Good it was cheap? Bad it was totally useless and a pain to return?
A Dutch saying that I love is "goedkoop is duurkoop" which means to buy cheap in the end means to buy expensive, because of the quality. Perhaps it can apply to a lot of home decor!
Interesting - in the States we say, " buy it nice or buy it twice."
There’s that one Terry Pratchett quote about the boots
Lo barato sale caro.
"Buy once, cry once" and "I'm not rich enough to buy cheap stuff" are two other sayings.
My husband and I are HUGE nerds to different fandoms. We found beautiful subtle art prints and put them around the house, you'd only know what it is if you were a fan. Mixed with family photos, we love it. They mean more to us than any target art print
Sneaky fandom pictures are the best :) I'm planning on hanging some prints of video game maps in our home which just look like nice real maps but if you know the game it's awesome.
I need Star Trek Next Generation, 1995 Pride and Prejudice. What a combo! How are you doing this?
Same! It's the best!
Anything is better than LIVE LOVE LAUGH.
Hm, I really like this idea! Might do it for my office when I begin setting it up, as I want a space to finally put all my anime and video game nerdiness, instead of my bedroom. I have wallscrolls I've owned for a decade but here in my 30's, I think it's sadly time to retire them and, aside from maybe figurines, find more subtle or at least aesthetic ways to show my love for these fandoms.
We’ve got a glass dining table and love it. A wood one would get sun damage. Also our daughter has Irlens so every mealtime meant at least one spillage. It’s dealt well with glue, glitter and paint. What we did learn very quickly is whenever children visit we put a tablecloth on it. They just can’t see it and several have run straight into it. Lesson learned, but it’s so practical.
I adore how segmented the video is, if im on the go and want to skim through the video faster this allows for great navigation. Love the content, great editing and production value. Will subscribe.
me too
Awesome, thank you! I'm a big fan of timestamps as a viewer so I put them in all my videos.
Me three!
@@Nick_Lewis yes! Your format is perfect and info is well thought out and succinct. Thank you👍
All of my purchase regrets came from me buying a cheaper version of what I really wanted, in order to save money. Now I just wait until I've saved for the high quality item I really want.
Yes.
100% agree on the glass tables: as a former child, a parent, and a human with shins.
Also: Will you do a video on mixing metals?? Some say all warm tones, some say all cool tones, some say match the finish, some say never mix, some say do whatever you want. I'm lost 😂😂
Also drunk people thinking it’s a bench.....
I always hit my legs in tables in my childhood home, which is why all tables in my home are round. NEVER AGAIN.
Oh no , our table , it's broken...
Interior Designer here!! .........not important to keep with one metal.......go ahead.....use all of them.....the important element, is SHINE!!!
every living room needs shadows, reflections, and SHINE......there, I fixed it for you.....
I’ve heard that granny chic is back. That makes me glad because I’m, like, in porcelain figurines, crocheted details and Wiehler’s gobelins. I’ve actually being cherishing the thought of making one myself.
Yes! One of my “this drives me totally bonkers” is meaningless art. There’s no mandated law from the emperor of earth demanding objects on your walls, but if you’re gonna put something there, those things should tell a story and/or hold significance.
Edited Note: carpet density is key to lasting! Cheap usually means low density which means it’s gonna flatten out in short order since there aren’t enough fibers to keep the carpet fibers vertical.
Very true! Yeah maybe if I bought a higher quality shag rug!? Turns out, you get what you pay for!
Me too! My husband doesn’t get it- we’re decorating our new house right now and he just wants to stick any old picture where there’s room on the walls, but I refuse! I can’t STAND most home wall art on the market right now- it’s either expensive af or boring and meaningless.
@@tessmoffett5512 yes! I’m very lucky as my mom was an artist and so is my daughter. Think I have the opposite problem now, too much of a good thing. Good luck with your new home and husband!😂
I was stupefied when I found "decorative" books in an Airbnb we were staying in. Meaning, books with pretty covers and empty pages, used just for decoration... What is this world we are living in, people 😅
@@AceOfSpades6699 Honestly! 🤣 And thrift stores practically give real books away. And covering your books in coordinating paper to match room color is evidently a thing as well. What the!
My mom had a round glass coffee table thinking because it was round we still wouldn’t have bruises on our shins 24/7. And because it was across the sliding glass door in the living room the sunlight came through the glass and tinted the carpet this weird blue color over time 😳
That’s really interesting about the color change.
The shag carpeting in my friend's basement from 1976 still looks frighteningly new. It's actually a lovely olive colour, too. I get scared when I think about what might be living deep in that carpet from 1976.
One way around the generic art trap: a friend got old black and white photos from a local newspaper and had them blown up, then framed. Wouldn't suit every decor, but in her Bondi Beach terrace (Sydney, Aust.), they just seemed to fit in as they were pieces of local history. Also the scale of them was part of the attraction. They were big prints so made to standout.
A topic for later: how to decorate around a dominant piece of furniture that you love but which doesn’t fit in.
I have a gorgeous antique chandelier, and a baroque(!) carved cupboard but my general style is scandi-boho or Scandi-midcentury ... it takes a bit of adaptation
I have a similar style so I hope he considers this topic for a video! From my own experience I try to stick to a color pallete with major pieces. Ex: my mirror and bed are ornate gold while the rest of my room is mid century with gold items.
Sometimes you just have to love something and walk away. I had to pass once on a beautiful painting that I loved as my home is rustic cabin and the painting was more suited to a shabby-chic with its ornate frame. Couldn't change the frame either as it fit the painting too well. 😭. However I did once purchase a stained glass chandelier that will never work in my home. It lives in my husband's shop until I am ready to let it go. (It was a steal at $40 at a garage sale).
I hope you will have better luck at adding your favorite pieces to your decorating than I did.
Why not embrace the dissonance? Then it’s part of your style, and not dissonant anymore.
It’s for sure no other Scandi house will look just like yours!
@@llamasugar5478 I try to make those special pieces shine against a more neutral or restrained background.
You can definitely mix these styles. I have a French antique dresser and bed, and I love French styles, but my home is otherwise more modern. I also mix 1950s mid century and a little bit of boho/eclectic. I find that mixing pieces that are NOT so ornate, even which are very plain to look at, with the bolder furniture tones it down a lot and makes that piece the focus. I try to keep my color palette congruent too. So, if your cabinet is rich mahogany, stick to warm tones and colors that will flatter it, light, dark doesn't matter so much as long as the undertones go together. If your chandelier is gold, stick to gold or bronze accents. You wouldn't want to mix a rich mahogany shade with a lot of grey for example.. You can add boho flair through the art and decor you choose. Lots of greenery is very integral to Scandinavian style, in many cases the green is the only pop of color. A scandi style can lean very masculine with strong lines OR more soft and feminine, cozy and neutral. And with baroque furniture mixed in, I would go for the more cozy Scandinavian style and choose lots of natural colors of warm wood, light oak, ivory and cream, etc. Very neutral, and focus on creating lots of soft, fluffy textures with your fabric choices (think like "cloud couch" soft and fluffy?).. hope that helps somewhat lol
The only mistake I didn't make myself was the faux leather couch :(
Let me share with you something a did lately about my abstract art. I'm always taking pictures with my phone and I found that sometimes I have pictures of the moment when I'm putting it back in my pocket. Some of them turn out to be pretty interesting and definitely unique so I printed and framed a few of them and made my own abstract art.
Love this idea!
Brilliant!
Brilliant. And yep it's art.
Genius.
Owesome.
The 3 art prints I found at Ikea were actually only available for a short time and I have NEVER seen them in anyone else's house. So it looks nice and goes with my decor.
Here's one: I spent a whopping $500 replacing all my wall outlets with the modern, flat, rectangular ones. Shortly afterwards I appreciated the traditional ones because they have more of a mid-century look.
ouch! here's another expensive one: our contractor had already covered by mistake the bricks I had (painfully) exposed in our then guest room now nursery (tiny room, no other architectural features), we were renting at the time and they were pressuring not to redo the room so I said fair enough we'll do a strip of exposed bricks in our kitchen (open on living room, other architectural features). Not only did we pay for them to expose the bricks, I dislike them to this day as they distract from the original moulded ceiling.
Big fat AGREE on the glass tables. Hate them with passion!!
As a designer and art history minor, daughter and granddaughter of antique dealers, daughter and niece of artists I will NEVER understand generic art on walls. It’s you HOME not a motel! Take the time to get what you need, photos are great for the in between!
I think most people don’t trust their own taste and want to follow what’s trending.
Same. I really dislike those Ikea pictures but I´m totally down for ,,real" art prints (like a van Goch print or something).
I think people (like me!) just want to fill a spot and they don't know what to do! So they end up panicking and buying some generic art to just put something there.
For me if they make the room look good and complements the overall theme of the room, I couldn't care less what kind of art it is. It's all about overall result.
@@Nick_Lewis you are exactly right. I’m guilty of this.
Cable management is real. I love open shelving and I know that my husband and I game a lot so 3m tape, Velcro straps and cable clips are your friends. 😂
100% ! I have open shelves too with all my consoles and games, but all the wires are bundled and hidden and it doesn't look messy.
I can’t do closed shelving because the accumulated heat from my many devices would end very badly. Also, doors block reception.
I love that you think about people who have kids when you make these videos! I have watched other style TH-camrs who never give this any due! I noticed this in your rug video where you actually talked about durability and washable-ness, and again here! Makes your content so much more relatable and useful to more people- very thoughtful!
I hate glass furniture.. Square corners.. Also as someone who does house cleaning on the side, it has certainly changed my mind about certain designs.. Like don't buy stuff or install cabinetry that has lots of little ledges or edges that catch dust. Keep It Simple Stupid.. unless you want to clean everything every day 😆
I completely agree! I hate the previous owners of my house- they had to be all extra with the notches and junk on the caninets
Oh my gosh yes, anytime I’m thinking of buying ANYTHING I ask myself “how difficult/tedious will this be to clean?” If it’s gonna be a pain I’m not going to buy it
@@brook7365 Ha, me too, it's always one of the first things I think about.
Also, so often you see homes on youtube where you can tell that the person who designed it might be the one living there but clearly isn't the one cleaning it. Cringe.
All furniture has square corners ! Unless it is round of course
@@mandycook9037 I mean a hard corner .. Some furniture have rounded corners
4:19 .. we have *round* glass tables. they are the best material for arts & crafts, nail polish, etc .. wood tables absorbed the stains & were impossible to remove. glass can be scraped w/a razor blade.
Love your "tram art" with the story behind it. Very special.
As a quilter, my walls have one of a kind quilts on them. And family photos. No space left for generic art. 🙂
I full-on walked into a glass coffee table in a dim nightclub and it was SO PAINFUL. Why they had them is beyond me. I'm sure I wasn't the first or last person to hurt myself.
The one youtuber where I like the videos before I watch them because I'm just excited you posted 😂🙌
Awww so sweet thanks!
1 - Get generic art from IKEA.
2 - Get Silver and Gold pencil from a random store, and maybe some glitter pen.
3 - Lend two 10 year old girls from a friend when they are over for a cup of coffee.
4 - Give the girls the pens and the generic art and ask them to outline it and draw a princess and a unicorn.
5 - TADAA! Instant non generic art.
Never do this haha
I see no problem with adding your own touches to generic art.
Love it
Great,kids are better artists than we think.
LOVE that idea. But the art does not have to be generic - personalize your decor.
I absolutely love hearing your opinions on home decor. You're so smart and I appreciate you giving reasons for why you shouldn't do something in your home. You convinced me to not get a glass coffee table!
My grandmother's home was 1970s orange shag carpeting wall to wall... I remember the huge ants I found hiding amongst the fibers... not to mention the allergies! Shag carpet is never happening in my home haha.
Yikes!! 😳🐜
Yes I was a teen in tne 70s and my friends with young parents were getting red, orange and gold wall to wall shag carpet everywhere. My friend had to rake the rugs, with a shag rake. My parents were older so I just vacuumed. I thought we all knew shag sucked!
This is an excellent list of regrets to remember. It is so easy to buy those quick fix items that end up haunting us.
The way bad leather or faux leather wears drives me crazy!! The peeling!! 🤢
Same 😖
Same. That's the reason why I never buy (or, at least, not anymore) faux leather items in general (furniture or bags, belts, etc.)
We have bits of vinyl everywhere!
Thank you for saying walls don’t need to be filled with random art just because. I’ve always hated the judgement of others because a wall may be blank. It’s blank because I haven’t run across that piece of art that “spoke to me” yet. Maybe it’s from an art fair, maybe some travels, maybe when you least expect it - but it has to mean something to you or your surroundings. Thanks!
it's weird to judge someone else's decorations...
that being said, I hate the large blank walls in my own home, and I'd rather put some generic art up than keep them blank. Unfortunately, my bf doesn't "allow" any generic art, but doesn't help look for something meaningful. So the walls stay blank :-(
I might add that there is nothing wrong with an empty wall, either. 😊
Wow! My dad tells the story of riding the tram from New West out to Richmond when he was a young man back in the 40s. That sign!!! Wow. Meaningful art is the best.
On point as always!!! OMG- The glass coffee table is the worst. Every time I see one in someone's space I always think....That is the most dangerous thing in your house and you don't even know it.
On the leather couch mistake, here is a suggestion, I bought a very expensive white leather couch for $65.00 that was about 15 years old and in great condition. Then you can take that older couch that has a few scratches and whatnot, and clean it well and redye it. You can keep it white or if you are crazy like me you can redye it turquoise. That thing was so sturdy and beautiful, that I hated letting go of it when I moved across country, but to move it would have cost me way too much money.
On the Generic art, find a piece like a black and white print of Audrey Hepburn or Marilyn Monroe or James Dean or the likes. Take said piece home get some acrylic paint and then just add color to it. Personalize it for your space. Really well done abstract art isn't that easy to do, but some acrylic pours can be a really fun hoot to do and create some real interest points. You will need a space and some tarps to do it in. Go big or go home is what I say. The biggest mistake that I see amateur artists making is the scale of the art to the canvas and the scale of the canvas to the room. I have two art degrees, and I can hardly wait to get to space where I can do some personal pieces that are just poured in my favorite colors. If you are wondering what I am talking about as far as pouring? I am talking about acrylic pour where you literally pour from plastic cups fluid acrylic paint. Get the cheapish stuff for this. You are not trying to sell it anyways. I only invest in expensive pro-quality paint when I am going to sell the paintings.
If you have small children, go buy some artist canvas or just a painter's canvas from home depot that is the size you want. Throw a background down on it then take some paintbrushes and splash it with some colors. Then lay it on the ground and dip your kid's feet and hands in paint (non-toxic paint) and let them go on the canvas with all kinds of feet prints and handprints. Just have fun with it and then clean your kids up fast afterward. In this case, look for something that is kid-safe maybe in the latex interior paint section. Acrylic will dry too fast and I believe can be toxic. I don't know do your research! You will cherish this piece for your whole life! Then when you have grandkids you can rinse and repeat with grandbabies, but this time make one for your home and one for Mommy and daddy's home.
All that said, real art is expensive, but it is expensive for a reason. If you wouldn't work for free at your job, then don't ask me as a professional artist to give you free art or ask for me to discount my prices. I will laugh at you, and then unfriend you permanently. The last conversation we will ever have. Oh, and exposure doesn't pay my bills. So shove the exposure idea up your ass, I don't care what influence you think you have, I am not working for free!
I bought a shag style rug in a navy blue. Half of it is still wonderfully soft a puffy and what I wanted. And then you can see the exact path I walk every day as I walk across my living room. I wish there was a version that would stay puffy and soft forever.
We have to be careful with what we buy for our homes because, even though we buy something inexpensive, it will last for a long time, and after a while, we end up regretting our purchase.
Son still has a Harry Potter type scar on his forehead where he tripped and fell on the edge of a glass coffee table as a toddler when we were staying in a holiday cottage.
I did the same thing when I was a kid, 22 years later and I still have the scar under my eye. I also have a scar on that eyelid from where I got scratched by a dog. My right eye has been through a lot...
It can still happen with any material.
Expelliarmus!
For art I make collages of old Hollywood actresses in black and white and layer the pictures over colorful psychedelic backgrounds. Like literally cutting out the picture and placing it over the background with Elmer’s glue sticks....the one thing I wish I had was more wall space to cover.
@ _Ms Kelly_
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You should really think about joining a site like *Society 6* or *Facebook Marketplace* and start selling your work. I love the concept and I would buy it.
Have you tried ModPodge instead of Elmer’s glue? The Dollar Tree carries two different types of MP in the Crafters Square section, if you want to experiment with something small.
I love vintage oil paintings and I get mine from thrift stores or fb marketplace.
I found some great signed/numbered prints online during the pandemic, but my most amazing find was a signed/numbered lithograph I found last year at a thrift store. My mom has the same one at her house, and I'd always loved it. I have a serigraph by the same artist, so now I have a pair.
The way to go with tables is a big solid strong table but then use transparent chairs. It declutters the room and gives the table a strong presence
I love how you and Arvin are able to admit your decor mistakes and move on! I, too often, I just stick with my bad decision. No more!!
Just bought an original 80's oil painting from a local artist. It's pretty old school, but I love it.
I am so glad my husband's grandmother was a painter....no generic art in my living room...🥰🥰🥰
I really like your ideas and value your opinion!
OK, no naugahyde (or cheap leather), no glass, no shag ever again (especially after Covid, aaargh! We REALLY know about germs now!!), no media consoles (obsolete, but I did love my parents' 1950s hi-fi, now long gone), open shelving in general except for books (never, ever in a kitchen, no one wants to eat on your dusty dishes, who the hell thought of that?!), generic art (instead, buy from local artists please!) - I love that you preserved your grandfather's signs! Beautiful!
I have an indoor/outdoor black cast iron bistro set with a round glass table that I bought in the 90s. It’s fabulous. Sometimes glass table tops, especially on smaller tables, are less imposing and compliment smaller spaces better than something more solid.
I hit my shin on my wood coffee table too!! Maybe no to coffee tables completely?? LOL Another great video!
Nick I'm sure that you know those tram signs are now vintage & may be worth alot of money now. But it has relevance to your town, your grandpa, the era, & framework elevates & adds aesthetics. I'm getting something of an Industrial vibe.
I used to love the idea of a glass dining table. Then I discovered how much work it is to keep the fingerprints off them! There went that idea 😂
You also have to clean the glass underneath several times a year which entails getting underneath the table. Trying to get the streaking off is a nightmare. Nope never again
In the defense of glass coffee tables and dining tables - I live in an extremely small apartment, and swapping my wood coffee table with a glass one made my place look so much more spacious. Also, old apartments usually have ugly orange wood floors where I live - making it really hard to mix and match wood tones... and why would you want to if you are only renting? So having the glass also helps to avoid the ugly mix of lots of woods too
@@Yahsbsuq I can see how they serve their purpose. It's helpful if you have no small children 🙂
As someone who is married to a Brit I had to giggle every time you said "shag rug" 😄
Bow chicka bow bow!!
Bow chicka bow bow!!
I did too! He even said “cheap shag” [rug]. 🤭
Is for some strange reason, Brits laugh when I say I need to grab my fanny pack. 🤣
@@BradThePitts Yep, I would too! ☺️
I would love to see a video in which you talk more about art for your walls. I have several large walls that have nothing on them. Would love some inspiration! Thanks!
The topic of art struck home with me. You are so right and it took me a while to realize what my problem was. I hope your content will spare others this valuable lesson. Thanks for sharing!
We have comic book art and repurposed thrift store paintings on our walls. It’s silly up against our more modern furnishing and I love how all plays together. There is not one bit of generic art on my walls!
I think some store bought art is okay to own if it truly does speak to you and it's not just intended to be a wall filler. I was inspired by DIY with KB's channel during the pandemic to start making my own abstract art so now I have 40% store bought wall art that I really love bc it speaks to me and 50% of my own DIY art and 10% of some wall art pieces that I picked up on various international travels mixed in. It's a personal choice that works well for me bc it doesn't always have to be all or nothing.
I’ve had the same glass coffee table for over 20 years. But it’s round. I love it.
I have a round glass dinette table in my small space that I'm eyeing suspiciously 🤔🤔🤔🤔 Saw a wooden round table a couple of weeks ago that can replace it. Just need to save the money for it and whoosh! the glass table is gone! 😄😄😄
That's great! These are more my own regrets, so I'm glad you don't regret yours!
@@Nick_Lewis: You’re right. I’m sorry. Glass is not always the right choice. 💜
I had a round glass coffee table too. Fingerprints were always bugging me. And any table with frilly scrollwork is a PITA to dust. Straight leg furniture from now on. Oh, that round glass coffee table had metal scrolly legs (yes, I know 'scrolly' is not a word but you get the idea) ⚜.
options besides generic art: Print out a photo of your family/friends/loved ones stick it in a frame, frame a couple of nicely designed cards that your friends/family gave you, frame kids drawings, get together with some friends and have a DIY art night, if you get one of those bookshelves that you can hang from the wall you can display your books, movie/concert posters, etc. Your home is yours, so the stuff on the walls should make you happy.
The "clean your rug" made me laugh so hard, you have no idea 😂😂 the kind of advice my mother in law gives
I love the tram art ... the look and the meaning behind it
I learned from an early age that glass tables are not a good idea, I have a reminder/scar over one of my eyebrows 😅😂
@@NimmiCat I have a wooden coffee table that used to have a glass panel in the middle/top. Always smeary, always dirty-looking, no matter how many times a day I cleaned it. I learned to hate it. Of course it broke (houseful of boys). It was lucky that no one got hurt. I never even considered replacing the glass. I bought some slate tiles & had them cut to fit. It looks pretty & unique, and I get a lot of compliments on it. I'll never have any kind of glass table again.
Ooh I so dislike glass tables; my parents have a glass coffee table/TV stand (which sits in a place with not a lot of room to pass by); the table's glass edge isn't covered by anything, so throughout my entire childhood and teenage years I was bruised from hitting myself on that edge. Also, my current rental has a glass coffee table (it had some furniture when we moved in), which I will have to pay for, because I dropped a /drinking/ glass on it and the table broke 😅 and the glass itself was intact... go figure.
My work desk was made out of glass and it was really cool (however a little cold to rest your arms on in winter time) until a decade later it broke right on my lap. Didn't get hurt and I somehow managed to slowly put my two laptops and my screen to the floor while my lap being buried under big glass pieces that barely hold together by a safety film. What an experience ^^
@@SayuriYaki oh my goodness, I’m glad you were ok!
We had a neighbor who had a guest's son sitting on the floor next to a glass coffee table playing with Matchbox cars. He was at the perfect level to turn his little head and slice his cornea on the edge of that table. There was actually an eye doctor at the gathering who realized what had happened and the child was immediately taken to the ER.
I always thought glass tables were tacky.
I agree with this list. I never put generic art on my walls. It has to have meaning to me. I like to buy vintage and antique art from antique shops, consignment shops, or online for one of a kind, nice art pieces. It mixes up with my modern furniture and provides a nice balance for an eclectic look.
Thank you for all the great tips! I totally agree on the glass tables. We have the classic Le Corbusier Dining and coffee tables from Cassina and not only are they a pain every time we move, but they are loud when you place glasses and dishes on top. You can’t be without a table cloth or placemats to buffer the noise. Will be looking to sell those and replace with non glass!
oh my word, that peeling couch gave me traumatic flashbacks to my old furniture! Haha live and learn!
Remember that when shag rugs were a thing the first time around (70s? 80s?) people used to rake them with a spring lawn rake. Then vacuum them. That way it kept the fibers fluffed. My Mom was going to do our living room and dining room in shag, but changed her mind when she found out about the raking.
My mom used to rake our stairs. Wow. That just sounds weird. Gotta love the 70's, baby!
We had a lime green shag carpet with gold vinyl upholstered sofa and chairs!!! 😲 OMG!!
For the millionth time.
About 0.1% of the time when I watch a decorating show I look at what they designed and say "That looks horrible." I say "That looks beautiful!"
But quite often I say "It's not for my forever home."
Like I think log cabins are beautiful, but I don't want to dust or hire someone to dust.
I had a wooden coffee table with a glass top, and I would do it again. Because the legs and the edge going all the way around the table-top were both wood (so relatively soft), I didn't experience it as a hazard. And I found the glass easy to keep clean. Yes, fingerprints will happen, but they can easily be washed away, and you don't need to worry about drinks or flower vases leaving rings on the table.
Hey Nick. Thank you sooooo much for the time stamps! ❤️
Etsy is a good place to buy hand made art.
One of my dog-walking clients has a triptych of a photo of Mt. Everest -- which they took! It's beautiful, looks great in the space and is personal to their experience and vision. I used to work for the airlines and one year one of the Asian carriers put out a calendar that each month, had an even more beautiful print of birds in a flowering tree. I would stop and look at it all the time as I passed. As the year was getting on, I asked the supervisor of the department if I could please have the calendar when the year was up. She said yes. I took the calendar home, eventually cut out the prints and had them framed. When my husband and I bought a house a few years later, we used the prints as our artwork and as the palette for picking out the colors to paint our rooms. 18 years later, I still love them and get lots of compliments on them. One print was eventually washed out by the sun in our breakfast room and we had the print recreated by a local artist in glass mosaic. Two years ago at our holiday party, a Taiwanese friend translated the Chinese characters on each print and said that they basically describe the birds and trees in the paintings.
After 3 sofas and 10 years we finally purchased a top grain leather sofa. 22 years later it's more beautiful than when we bought it. It survived 2 children ( and many of their friends), and 2 dogs. A worthy investment.
Completely agree with all of these. As we get older we learn. I've replaced all my generic wall art with my own or I like to go to goodwill and try to find vintage floral pieces and fix them up and frame them nicely 🙂
With age comes wisdom (hopefully!). 😊
This is so well thought out!! I'm SO glad I found your channel!
Agreed on how glass dining tables show everything. Although for small spaces it makes the room feel larger.
Boy Nick...you are SO RIGHT on these!
DIY with KB is such a brilliant channel. Love it.
I had a glass coffee table in the past... I was so happy to get rid of it as you constantly have To clean it ! For the open média console, dust and cats' hair go all over the place, so same, not for me. I like my home clean but I don't want To spend too much time on it. So a lot of my choices are oriented To fit this requirement😄
I so agree with you on couch, glass tables & open shelving. But to each their own. Thanks for being honest about your purchase regrets. We all have them. Be well.
In the 70s, when we had shag carpets/rugs (I was a child, btw, lol), we also all had rug rakes! You’d follow up a vacuum with literally raking them regularly. I’d literally forgotten all about until I’ve been listening to you talking about them. It kept them looking fresh for a while.
“Omg, Amsterdam Art!!” hahaha You are my favorite.
I asked my friend if she has any art that she could get printed that I would purchase, and she was like "oh what do you think about this page?" And it was the exact page I really like. The perk of having an artist as a friend 😁
Loved this video as always! Your advice and experience with interior decor is exactly what I need for when I start purchasing more items for my current space. I've been thinking about buying an arm chair for my area, and really want it to last over time, so now I'm going to focus my search into a nice fabric one!
I got a condo full of used Gulden’s mustard gold shag carpeting given to me for my small home when I ran out of money when I built it. I had a sheltie that would rest and make crop circles on. Really weird looking but my floors were warm. The carpeting also went into my brother and sister-in-law’s trailer so we used everything.