Surprising Interior Design Trends That Won't Age Well
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 พ.ค. 2024
- In this video, I will review some surprising interior design trends that won't age well. If you want to create a home whose design feels timeless, you're in the right place. Remember that all trends, including interior design trends, are cyclical, so if you like these trendy home decor or design pieces, go for it!
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⏱ Timestamps:
00:00 - Surprising Interior Design Trends That Won't Age Well
00:35 - Non-structural Arches
05:15 - Ombre Tile
07:43 - Tile Countertops
09:58 - TV-Centric Homes
12:12 - White and Gray Overload
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Nothing says you don’t actually cook or bake like choosing to install tile counter tops 🤦🏻♀️
My grandmother always had tile countertops and she cooked and baked every day sometimes multiple times a day my entire life
Tile countertops have never stopped me from cooking and I make most things at home.
Tile countertops are used all over central and South America and they stand up to a lot use.
@@Lilacs4sure but it’s definitely more impractical for cleaning
We had small-tile countertops when I was a child. My glass would slide on it, then catch in the grout and tip over. If I had Kool-aid in the cup, it dyed the grout. I couldn't just put down dough on parchment paper and roll it out since it left a pattern in the dough. The tile had to be scrubbed instead of wiped off because crumbs stuck in the grout. The products they have for countertops now are so much better. I still cringe when I see tile on countertops.
My dad, 83, just decided to paint his interior a very saturated spring green! He loves it! My mom was always the decorator, with subtle classic colors but she is gone now and he's doing his own thing!😄
Sounds beautiful!! I just painted my living room a really saturated green and love it so much. I have lots of antiques and think they look fab against a dark colour. Would love to see your dad's rooms!!
@clarkpatient7950 yes the wood does look lovely against the green, he was tired of brown and beige furniture on beige walls
My home is all earth tones, but I’m helping my son paint his first home and he is going with bold colors - a golden yellow for the living room and a deep royal blue kitchen. Not my style but he loves it and I have to admit, it’s pretty damn cheery.
Green is my favorite color! My dining room is a bright spring green and I love it! Your dad has good taste!
Good for Dad!
I live in a desert area, sunny and hot pretty much year round. The interior of our home is painted in darker greens, giving the impression we are outdoors in a shaded or woodland setting. My husband and the contractor had huge misgivings but once it was completed (and we got rid of all the unnecessary "stuff" accumulated over years) they had to admit it was fabulous! Life is short -- go with what makes you happy.
We are minimalist because of the Arizona dust.
I wish I could see a photo of that. It sounds really cool!
This is so hilarious. The self awareness in "you've never met a hypocrite before?" 😂 is why I love Nick!
Arches in the suburbs of Atlanta ❤😂
I actually laughed out loud. This is the first video of his I have watched and he won me with that line.
First time here, great fun. I love your banter and wit, thanks 🤗
From someone who has lived in a home where the bathrooms have tiled countertops, it is so hard to clean them without making a big mess plus the grout becomes stained so easily. Whenever designing a home or picking interior furniture and fixtures, what is reasonable to clean should always be the top priority over design
FWIW, similar challenges exist in other areas of life. There's a saying in the car communities: Nobody should ever be allowed to design anything on a car until AFTER they've spent a couple of years WORKING on cars. As an example, replacing a windshield wiper motor on the VW Toureag requires removing the DASHBOARD.
In Indonesia, all we have are tile countertops, but each tile is HUGE and the grout is extremely thin, making it a lot more like granite. I absolutely LOVE my tile countertops here. They are so practical, easy to clean, and heat tolerant.
@@johnsanford3596 Son has been there on 4 different vehicles now.
The only positive I’ve ever seen to tile counters is if there’s a crack it’s easily to fix via replacing the tile.
This is my perspective even when buying small items. I’m surprised how much crap is being sold (and bought!) in stores that looks unnecessarily annoying to clean. People just don’t think in terms of practicality.
The reason I have a TV centric room is because I'm using that room to watch TV and play video games 10x more than I am using it for guests. I live in my home, I don't host parties often enough to design my space just for that purpose. And when I have guests over, we're actually in the kitchen eating and playing tabletop games. 🙄
I think painted arches are a little strange, didn't realize it was ever trendy. However I think arched niches are timeless and interesting. Arched doorways are pretty in the right places.
There are alternatives to soften the look of a doorway, like portieres (popular around the turn of the 19th/20thC) and timber fretwork.
I agree! I have an arched niche on one side of my fireplace and an arch hallway entrance on the other side. It’s almost 20 years old and I still love it! My niche normally has my small writing desk in it that goes to my bedroom so my Christmas tree can take center stage.
Yep, my parents did an arch back in the 90’s to connect the kitchen and the dining room and it looks perfect. Just an arch, after removing a door an the walls around it. I love it.
The multiple color wall tile looks pretty amazing. I think it just needs to be treated as a focal point in whatever room it is in so everything else needs to be more subdued or neutral.
Right, more like the issue here is if it is a well designed mural it’s great, but not everyone has the artistic skill to do it successfully
Yes! Like an accent wall; it can work if it's planned with the whole in mind but not just done "because it should be" or because it's trendy.
Bit subway station for me generally but there are many lovely exceptions. To me, these are more mosaic than mural.
Agreed.
I agree with all of these points but, one should always use a cutting board, regardless of which countertop they have. It pains me to see people cutting vegetables directly on their countertops!
Some counter tops can be used for cutting but I have rarely seen them in peoples houses.
@@Art-is-craft Butcher block counter tops.
@@druidriley3163
Rarely are they genuine butcher counters and tend to be fancy laminated wood that nobody would dream of cleaning like a butcher.
@@Art-is-craft If you say so, I never really looked into it.
I think the trend that I despise the most is no upper cabinets in the kitchen. People are really going to regret that one when they try to sale or even for themselves. I mean what a waste of space! Love you videos !
I didn’t get upper cabinet because my mother couldn’t use shelves beyond the first level. So I just use open shelf for easy reach. I do use tea towels to cover the dishes on shelf to dust proof.
As a tall person, I can't stand upper cabinets!!! We just redid our kitchen without any and cooking feels SO much better! When we sell in 30+ years, the buyers will want to redo the kitchen anyway. I think it depends on how long you are planning to stay somewhere and your own needs
@@erinsmith2589 As a not tall person I hated needing a ladder or standing on a counter to clean the top of cabinets.
I would like to see a return to the unfitted kitchen (pre-1940s). Done well, it’s both charming in a way the ubiquitous oppressive rows of upper and lower cabinets+countertops can never hope to be and flexible/functional.
@@ladycactus110 I saw one in an adobe house that was several brightly painted armoires in a row and then a big work table on either side of the stove, and a free-standing sink. It was totally removable and functional.
You can NOT easily install regular cabinets because adobe walls are just dry mud with plaster over them.
I was house shopping earlier this year and some of the listings my realtor would send to me looked like the pictures were monochrome instead of color but it was actually spot-on…going into these houses was like stepping into a B&W movie. All the flooring, walls, countertops, appliances…everything was white, grey, black and chrome.
I can’t wait for grey washing to go away. It’s so depressing.
sounds like my personal nightmare!!
Sounds like a horror movie
I completely agree with doing away with 100% white, gray, or beige rooms. I found that trend from the beginning to be so dull. If I’m visiting a home that’s all neutrals with no color or texture, then I want to go back to my own home.
😅
Every time I see such rooms, I think I’m seeing a black and white photo. Although I am red green colourblind
I could not agree more. I know this is harsh, but when I go into one of these rooms I think "Sheep". Have some style and make a statement. You can be warm and inviting without sucking all the character out of a place.
I manage a building that just had it's common areas done and here is my favorite quote from one of the owners steering the design. This is after the walls and trim were painted gray, then they wanted the floors to match. She asked me to put down some color samples on the floor and each was just a few shades of difference. "Can we go lighter on the last color? I don't want this too look like a prison". My thought was "Too late!!!". But since I am partial to living indoors and I love my job, I kept kept it to myself.
the problem is good taste is hard to come by and most people end up making ugly or gaudy design choices. neutrals when selling/buying is the safe choice. things can always be repainted later.
@@companyoflosers I get that, but few people bother to repaint.
"Arches squarely fit in that category for me."
I see what you did there.
I wondered if anyone else caught that 😂. Will we ever know if that was intentional. . .
@@jmitch8483 Oh, we know.
"You've never seen a hypocrite before" made me laugh out loud
Yes, I totally agree on the neutrals. It's like what a friend of mine said once at the car dealership where she was buying her new car. The salesman said "Look, it comes in all these different colours", to which she replied "These are not colours! This is a greyscale." We are so obsessed with resale value and 'timeless' looks nowadays that we reduce our options to just white, grey, and beige. And that is unfortunate. Have the courage to pick an actual colour, or a colour palette that you like, for your space (or your car).
The problem is not colour but the poor design of modern things such as cars.
@@Art-is-craft I hear you. They are poorly designed AND they only come in cherry red or greyscale.
I love arches in Spanish colonial revival or Mediterranean homes. My 1930 Spanish home has arches that I adore and look timeless. Like with any design choice, it needs to suit the architecture of the house or it looks dated almost instantly
When we bought our house eight years ago, all the kitchen countertops were white tile with white grout (that was not exactly white in some places). I couldn't stand prepping or serving food on those grouted tiles and I continually tried to whiten the grout without success. Our first project was getting rid of those tiles and installing smooth surface quartz countertops.
So impractical! I hate tile countertops!
We had a house like that. The previous owner raised 6 kids in that house. I don’t know how she cooked in that tiny kitchen with those 4x4 square tiles on the counter. They drove me nuts !
My house had the same thing! I despised it. Our kitchen remodel was spurred by that stupid tile countertop, lol.
How are you liking the quartz?
Love it. We've had it at two houses, Started with the tiles in one and Corian in the other, and once we made the change to quartz, I don't want anything else. No maintenance like granite. Beautiful patterns. We're talking about another move and I'm making sure the countertops throughout any house we get are quartz. @@TheAhhleena
I am never not over beige. 😂I’m also sick of gray. If I never see another gray floor or kitchen cabinet it will be too soon. 🙄. One color I never tire of is blue: light blue, navy blue slate blue; you can choose different accent colors and switch them out periodically if they get tired. Blue will always be my favorite neutral 😊
Farrow and ball blues. I love them
Love doing the walls and window treatments neutral, then using decor to add color, like paintings, pillows, throws, rugs, etc. Inevitably I'll want to change the feel of the space, so keeping the base of the room neutral means it's not as cost heavy or time consuming. It's also fun to change out colors depending on the season and/or holiday.
The trend that I thought would die sooner is barn doors. Unfortunately, instead of dying, it’s expanded to include glass and brass (because every barn looks normal with a modern touch 👌). I think someone is going to make a lot of money in five years by repurposing barn door hardware.
Part of why they are popular is they allow for reasonably easy introduction of doors in spaces that otherwise are awkward. I put one on my laundry room. It is much easier to open when I have a basket in my hands, and it takes no space inside the laundry room, or kitchen.
@@lilolmecj Yes, this. I'm building a home and while many doors will be standard, there will be doors hung on modern barn-door hardware simply because I want it to be a home where I can age in place. These doors will make it easy to move throughout the home if you need a wheelchair or walker. My late aunt had ALS, and her husband removed the door to her bathroom to get her chair through. It was also a struggle getting her into the shower - which is why mine will be a walk/roll-in shower without a door as well. I'm a proponent of function first, then as much form as you can muster.
@@CRTRRTinGA I'm working on that very same thing right now.
I wish pocket doors would could back, it would satisfy the same space saving desire without having the overdone copy + paste Joanna Gaines aesthetic that people are unfortunately clinging to.
@@dddakotarose Pocket doors take special framing, hardware and installation. We love them but it is also more work and cost to install or work on them.
Tile countertops? Oh my. We moved out of a house with tile kitchen counters in 1962, and I can still remember my mother trying to get stains out of the grout in the kitchen. I agree with you about the laminate counters. Just so long as the laminate isn't trying to imitate stone or wood. I'd love to see someone get creative with laminate counters in a kitchen.
I had old tile countertops for a while, and I had a love/hate relationship with them… they were such a b*tch to clean, but damn they were just so cute and charming 😭
When I first moved to London in the 90s the flat had tiled countertops. They were a nightmare to keep clean and some of the tiles had discoloured and chipped. It just felt gross all the time cooking in there.
I have a laminate countertop from Home Depot in a rental that looks like quartz and it’s great. Fit perfect with the design. I will eventually upgrade to quartz, but for a short term solution isn’t bad. It depends on the style.
My parents installed tile counters in their country house in the 70s. I live there now and it was a nightmare to clean. One of my first moved was to update the counters
I had laminate in my old house. We lived there 30 years and it still looked good. N
My home is 6 years old and was built with arched doorways and nooks, we are the second owners. It’s so funny to see it’s trending again. Our ceilings are between 10ft and 20ft throughout our home but I do think it adds so much character!
I would never remove it!
I LOVE arched doorways, I always have, and hope someday to own a house that has them.
I am looking for them in homes we are looking at buying now. It just is a hint that the builder/owner was willing to spend extra $ on little details.
I did just see one of his example photos and it was cringe.
Arches with tall ceilings is always a yes!
I think Nick was talking mostly about faux painted arches and doorway arches in rooms with low ceilings where they look height constrained. I love an architectural arch, when it looks like it conceivably belongs there. It's a nice transition to a room. He showed one example of an arched doorway in a low ceilinged room that made his point.
We gutted and restored an old farmhouse a couple years ago and added arched doorways to all four entries into the central room (dining room). It looks fabulous and really elevated the vintage charm. Everyone comments on them. However, we did make the doorways high, which draws the eye up and gives the small house a bigger feel. We had no idea this was any kind of trend! It just works really well in our situation in a way that traditional doorways couldn’t. And we won’t be regretting it. 🙂
I think a very smooth transition tiled ombre can be timeless if the colors really work together and the size of the tiles allows for a smooth ombre effect. I agree that a chunky/harsh ombre is probably not going to age well, it just looks awkward to me. Also agree on the painted arches.
The gray gradient one he showed toward the end of his examples looked fantastic
I think for the neutral colors you can add colourful accessories, like pillows, paintings, and rugs to change the look of the space easily.
Yes! That’s why I like neutrals, so each season I can add a fun pop of color
2:05 “and arches fit squarely…” Nice one Nick. Good turn of phrase, you rounded the square with that.
I'm not an arch fan, but I live in southern California and I do love the older Spanish-style homes here with the Mexican tiles and archways between rooms. So I agree that they just need to fit the overall design of the home so they don't look forced and out of place.
Arches only work when they are of the correct proportion. Those Spanish style building you are referring to are more than likely designed within a classical approach.
I absolutely LOVE California Spanish-Style homes - especially the ones that have the unique fire places and fun colorful tile work. But, yes, that would not work in a Lennar suburb new build community...then again I'd prefer a 100 year old run down house with personality and history over those boxes any day! :)
We were just house hunting. I loved the first place we saw because it had the Spanish arch aesthetic throughout the kitchen. It made it feel warm
Nick, what’s your opinion on open concept ? In or out? Personally I can’t stand it especially since I live in an apartment. I hunted for the perfect apartment that has a separate kitchen (small but plenty for a single girl). I resent relaxing in the living room and then seeing the kitchen stuff in my line of sight. Thoughts?
I agree with everything you’ve said! I think the problem is just going with a trend just because it’s a trend and not what you love! I bought my parents 1959 home and wanted it updated yet keeping with the designs I loved about it. So I had custom knotty pine cabinets with a bold wallpaper in the kitchen. My contractor rolled his eyes but the cabinet maker was excited because it was so different than what was always asked of him. It turned out super cool! Unless you are selling your home, you pay the mortgage, taxes, and insurance, do whatever YOU love and you’ll love it for years 😊
My brother called the spaces between tiles "cootie catchers." He did marble & granite installation and restoration; the countertops at his house were laminate.
Perfect phrase 😅
I grew up in a house with arched doorways and yellow tile kitchen counters BUT the house was built in the 1940s. Before making changes to a house a smart thing to do is research the age of a house and find if the change would be something that was original to that house. Great video, Nick! ❤
My Toronto house was built in 1946 (second owner here!) and has an arch from the front hall to kitchen and one from the living to dining room. Nine foot ceilings. So, by Nick's metric, they should not have been included in the design. But I am not changing them (lived with them for 30 years now) and kinda love them, although I definitely see his point about not putting them in contemporary homes. I certainly would not build a house now from scratch and incorporate them because I simply think squared off designs are more modern and clean looking and I agree with Nick that they can date a place. I agree with you, as well, about researching the age of a house before making changes!
😊
I agree. Know what you're buying and live with it for a while. I found that things I initially wanted to change are now some of my favorite features. Our 1940s home is aging well.
My home was built in '47 and has the arches from the front door to the kitchen too. I love them!
@c.m.4686 - at some point, I think we can recognize that a house from a given era Has its own authenticity even if weird things were added. After 20 something years in a newish home from a unique builder whose company no longer exists, I just decided to embrace what it is. in places it pretends to be traditional with crown molding. In others it is a plane box modern home with nothing special in the molding. It has a big hole for the TV under a mantle that also encompasses the fireplace, very 90s. The front is limestone and siding in a nouveau asymmetrical colonial sort of way and the backside is all siding, with beautiful eyebrow window above one of the bedroom windows. I called that upscale country. The point is, i’m just embracing what my house is and what it is not to a large degree. And hugely grateful that I walked past the Italianate design phase when we purchased this house and got to pick the interior finishes from the limited choices we had available.
I went with laminate when I replaced my kitchen countertops and I absolutely love it! Easy to clean and looks great!
The good thing about all-grey, all-beige trends is they are really easy to change up once you are sick of them, especially if your big items are good quality/natural materials 😊
I just love how frank and honest you are, even knowing you might get some backlash for it. I also appreciate that you are helping people like me who live in average, modest homes. Thank you! We like to live in comfy, pretty, joyful places too.
"What, you've never seen a hypocrite before?" 🤣
@@MsVorpalBlade• That cracked me up! 😂
@@MsVorpalBladethat was flipping hilarious 😆
It would be fun to see more of those design ideas - like arches - that have aged well for thousands of years.
mirrors come to mind. The frames are always different, but mirrors to bounce light around have never been out of style. Tiled floors is another. They cross cultures and date back centuries.
arches are great in older buildings where they are part of the structure, i think that is part of his issue, when you go above and beyond just to have arches. they should be integrated into the structure, not an add on. I lived in an old bungalow, there was a wide arched load bearing wall between the living and dining areas, very different from just sticking one in a hallway.
@@Chaotic_Pixie Mirrors go in all homes because you want to check how you look, but mirrors for decor, like tiled floors, and arches don't fit every structure.
@653j521 I have to laugh, I live in a 1950 built 1000 square foot house built of cement blocks with lots of arches and coved ceilings. Guess it depends on the house, this one is a Pueblo style in NM with a kiva fireplace.
@@Chaotic_Pixie I think natural stone is another design element that never ages. Some cousins of mine redid their kitchen about 30 years ago with black-and-white marble floor tiles and marble countertops. The room is still stunning and could have been installed last year, not three decades ago.
Nick, I just want to say thank you sooo much for being such a great teacher. You're the only interior design content creator I watch because You're so specific with your advice. I just finished decorating my new home 3 months after moving in and I've applied so many of your lessons. I binged through your channel the whole way!
1. getting rid of the arch in my house was such a pleasure - and we found an original beam, yay!
I agree with all your points, except the last one about beige. Since every look eventually goes out of style, either for years, or for a little while, neutral tones will die the least brutal death. With neutral tones you can always update with accessories. You're not locked in, because you have a neutral base to work with. The lower your budget, the more neutral your plan should be, at least on large pieces.
I think that makes sense, but only with personal neutral colours. For me deep jewel greens, reds, purples and blues are neutral. I love and always loved those colours. Beige, whites and grays have never felt comfortable for me and are really harsh for me.
So I think it's about personal neutrals rather than official neutrals make more sense
Your not wrong about it being a good wall color.
He wasn’t advocating totally against beige. He was advocating against beige with no other color or texture. Any room that has only one color and texture feels weird. I’ve seen it in someone’s home before. It felt more like a liminal space than a living room.
I agree. My bath and master bed are a vanilla color that I love. I enjoy that I can quickly modify color schemes without repainting the room.
@@orangeleprachaun4723Couldn't agree more ! My personal neutrals, the colors I always loved and always will, are NOT beige, white etc. 😆
I hate every shade of beige and brown, those are the ugliest ‘colours’…🫢
I’m guilty of so many things you don’t like one being white & greys etc but what I like to do is add colour via things like the books on my bookshelf & my vinyl collection. To me it makes more sense to have neutral colours for your expensive big items and add any pops of colour with smaller less consequential items 💜
That big neutral with pops of color has been taught relentlessly for decades.
I like white walls, though I lean towards warmer shades. But yeah, most of my color comes from lots of bookshelves and lots of art. Blank walls are not my thing. Fill them up with the things you love.
@@653j521 Yeh, never said it hadn’t… 🤷🏻♀️ Was just saying that’s what I like to do even though the current trends have been colourful everywhere or grey everywhere
I’m an interior designer too and HATE the white everything, especially walls and greys that are still everywhere and seem to be growing. I nearly ALWAYS use neutrals for big ticket items and permanent finishes such as bathroom fixtures/tiles and flooring- just not white walls or grey anything! It’s going to be the BURNT ORANGE of the future! Paint and accessories are cheap for people who need to change their color scheme periodically. I have ADD so I can’t really have too many things around me that catch my eye in the periphery and color draws my eye every 5 seconds! It’s EXHAUSTING! Taupe with clean line blacks and whites are basics in my house. Art and accessories can be colorful but change often.
That’s my style too. A neutral bright backdrop where the art and furniture/textiles can pop.
Nick is the KING of diplomacy. Instead of just saying, “Stop, stupid” the way most of us would, he masterfully weaves words together to make sure you know you missed the mark, but still are valued. Love it! And it cracks me up. The archway section was filled with beautifully hilarious one liners. 😅
I just love your sense of humor and snark.
I couldn't agree more about the arches.
In Australia we have (in the bigger "older" - as in Victorian) cities, houses with long hallways punctuated with an arch to break up the space between the narrow entry hall and the wider "leading to other rooms" hall. They look great, but the ceilings are enormously high, and being Victorian, the architects knew their classical proportions and got it right. Also, the arches are carefully separated from the vertical wall by a decorative moulded corbel.
However, in modern domestic architecture they look like gate-crashers at the party. Good pick, Nick.
One minor amusing point about classical architecture: the Parthenon has not a single arch in it, because the Romans were the first in Europe to utilise arches and the Parthenon is strictly post and lintel. The use of the arch allowed the Romans to build such freaking huge buildings as the Baths of Caracalla, but a Greek of the 5th century BC would have scratched his head and wondered what on earth these curvy things on the buildings were. And wondered why the Romans were so obsessed with - ahem - size.
If you're interested in more about the real structural masterpieces of physics that archways are, I invite you to read Stealing from the Saracens! Fascinating book about Gothic architecture and the origins of the arch.
Arches need to be of a correct proportion. Modern ceilings are too low for arches.
That’s why I think the painted arch, when used in the right space with the right proportions, is actually a great way to include more organic forms in your decor. The door thing is tacky, but people who use it as a frame imo looks great.
Haha I was gonna comment that the Parthenon is a lot of columns not so much arches! Of all the beautiful arches he could've picked... Oh well haha
@@biazachaproportions do matter. If the room is small or ceiling is to low the arches will not look natural.
I think the light in your home informs what colors are best. I am in LA near the coast and the light somehow says “white”, although I have punches of color with art, pillows, (rugs are not white) etc. I would never have done this palette when I lived in Chicago.
Very good point. Colors seem different across the country. My family moved to Phoenix and moved back to Chicago bringing their Phoenix rich golds and oranges along. Many years later, after several moves they were back to Chicago and blues, going with what was already in the house.
I can’t believe this is the first time I stumbling across your channel! I couldn’t agree more with what you’ve said in this video and trying to get clients to look beyond just what’s trendy right now is not always an easy task 😂 I love to see other designers embracing what’s timeless ❤
I love the arched/curved furniture options! Our home is a historic adobe church in a small southwestern town and there’s one gorgeous arched stained glass window over the main double doors leading from our foyer to our living room (the church sanctuary), probably an example of where it actually works because it’s original and we have very high ceilings. I’ve been looking at emulating that curvature with little touches throughout the house, so an arched mirror or cabinet is such a nice option that we can swap out in 10 years if we aren’t feeling it anymore.
I like the ombré tile idea under these conditions:
NOT in a kitchen backsplash since it will make the countertop look too busy/messy
In a largish place where it can be seen in its entirety (like the wall behind a tub or in a big walk-in shower)
In a small tile with lots of colour gradations so it truely blends and is not just huge blobs of colour on the wall
Oh and, about that ‘giving a neutral palette some personality’ thing. Isn’t that what art is for? My walls, furniture and floors are the the canvas…
I also keep most of my walls a neutral gray or light beige and rely on artwork and some of my upholstered furniture to put color in the room. Just rearranging pictures on a rainy Saturday can make a room feel fresh and new.
I think a tile ombre wall art piece could bring this in without commitment!!
2:56 "As much as you love it, this is just a trend that you might have to say: this is for somebody else. And that's ok, not everything is about us."
This is so true for *all* trends not just interior, it's equally important when it comes to fashion and grooming because we all have different body types, and to lifestyle choices like how to exercise, what to eat, where to live and how to work because we all have different personalities.
My last 2 homes had the tile countertops and I can not understand why anyone would choose them. You make a lot of very good points on this video, thank you!
Completely agree with the arch need high ceilings to emphasize their beauty. I had and will do again
Hi Nick, went to tour a house a couple weeks ago and it was literally the Land of Outdated Trends: beige travertine floors, the whole Tuscan kitchen with heavy woodwork, and orangey brown granite. You spend hundreds of thousands of $ on the house, and then you are probably stuck with those beige travertine floors which are EVERYWHERE. Unless you spends a couple hundred thousand more $ to “switch it out”. But there were plenty of offers right away on the house, so go figure.
Last pet peeve: someone asked about lighting temperatures/colors. The house had stark, white LED lighting throughout the house, like a hospital! Just…NO!!!
Travertine is pretty, though. I would not reject it out of hand.
I could live with beige travertine floors, it's everything else that's horrific lol.
I remember one TV presenter (in UK) who did their outside walls in an Ombré yellow thinking it looked like the sun hitting it, but complained that everyone thought she had rising damp. LOL.
"Haven't you ever seen a hypocrite before?" Oh god Nick I love you so much, you are the best!🤣🥳💖
Oh my goodness, I love this video! We did all beige/harvest straw color in our 2004 built home, and It faded around the windows to more of a pink color, so we likely won’t ever do that again. We did arches in that house too, but it was only in the living areas and only because we had 10 foot high ceilings. They were just sheet rock with rounded edges and it was a more flat arch that seemed really modern. I would totally do that again because I felt like it really elevated the builder grade finishes a little bit.
Never ever ever tile countertops!! And arches sometimes. I love arches, not painted, but the space that can handle an arch or two. Always love your commentary Nick.
Tile countertops: SEAL THE GROUT every six months without fail. It will prevent it from absorbing anything nasty. And use oversized cutting boards and trivets! Voíla.
By accident I found you. You are funny and I giggled throughout this video. Now I will look for you. ❤
thank you for mentioning the TV living room! It hurts me to walk into a space (or even see a space) that's meant to host social activities and/or relaxation but the entire layout is centered around the gd TV !! it's so drabulous
I think one way to subtly incorporate a trend to give it more staying power is to limit to one or two things. Maybe one shelf with arch detailing especially in a timeless material and colour can add interest beyond it’s time in vogue and your house isn’t time stamped to a specific year. Ex. A friend of mine has gone overboard with the rose gold and marble aesthetic which to me screams 2015. I have one rose gold picture frame now relegated to my 5 year old daughter’s room but because it’s used in restraint it works.
Oh no, I’d LOVE to have you come to my home, you would probably despise half of it, but I’d welcome your opinion! Who else looks forward to Saturday nooners with Nick! 😉 😂❤
Love what you had to say about tile counters, my dad put a tile counter in the kitchen of my childhood home about 20 years ago and those grout lines and the cleaning of them was a constant fight between my parents until they divorced(not just because of poor tile choice) about a year ago I got to speak to the people who bought that house and they barely use the kitchen because of that tile counter!
Perfectly (and fairly diplomatically lol) explained, totally agree! Also, I always love your example photos, they illustrate your points so well.
My son loves the white grey decor. I love the earth colours with burned orange because I’m… well I’m African and I grew up with that. When he came to visit me from Europe, he loved my colours but probably thought it was a bit too much. Now, he has incorporated some earth colours in his space like cushions and accessories and it looks beautiful.
I'm totally with you on the overwhelmingly plain neutrals, but I still think it's much easier to sparkle it up with a beautiful accent colour, than toning down a room full of raspberry/peach/citrus...... etc. And also Nick, I think you have such great taste that you know exactly when and how to break the rules.
Your opinions are fabulous and your mannerisms make this so much fun! “You will swap it out 17 minutes after you did it....” or “I don’t have a crystal ball, but for this one I’m pretty sure.” You also give really sound advice and solutions-not just critique. So nice! About TVs: ours is in the lower level, and we have had company (esp children) ask if we don’t have a tv! Glad it isn’t the main focus of our living room on our main level!
I love your posts - I agree with 99% of everything you say, and I laugh out loud so many times with your completely honest observations (like with your comment about tile countertops and people having amnesia by bringing back a trend that was awful to begin with🤣). You always brighten up my day with your friendly reality-check conversations and tips for doing better.
Arches meets history nerd: people forget that the Parthenon is an extraordinary building and isn't how people lived. They lived in simple structures. It's a bit like, I don't know, recreating the Sistine Chapel because ooh timeless. Maybe, it's beautiful and should be preserved, but it's not an example of a... dwelling?
I actually grew up without TV, so now as an adult with my own home we only have a TV in my husband's game room/office so he can play video games (and, rarely, so we can watch a movie or show together). Our main living room has no TV at all, and in fact is more of a library with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves! What I find interesting is how most people who visit comment on how much they like that we don't have a TV in our living room because it makes it easier to focus on the people who are actually present.
Your video style is kind of how powerpoint wants us to make presentations, very polished and well thought out.
Done right, the ombre tile is beautiful.
1000000000000% agree on tile counter tops. Lived in 5 different states across the US & while house hunting in each state 1 house would have them & it was always an immediate NO for me for all the reasons you stated!! Thank you for affirming my vote.😂😊
when my dad moved in with my stepwitch, he started putting butcher paper underneath is prep station when cooking. He'd never done that while I was growing up. I asked about it and he said tiles are so disgusting. The grout harbors bacteria, making it a wholly inappropriate counter surface. Now, this man is a plumber. He is the furthest thing from a germaphone, although he is a very clean & neat person. For him to be icked out left a lasting impression. I won't even have tiled counters in my bathrooms or as table surfaces because I have cats.
If you like the rest of the house, why not rip off the top and replace it with something decent?
@@kaasmeester5903It’s expensive. If the house has a backsplash, it’s even more expensive bc taking it out will ruin the backsplash.
I just bought my house, I had to come up with $10k for closing. Dipping into my savings for another $3k-8k to replace the counters isn’t feasible. I skipped houses that required any kind of remodeling or major upgrade. All homes with tile counters where a big fat NO.
Yeah some of the pics online look cool right now, but we know how this ends.
@@Chaotic_Pixie And cats don't ick you out? Interesting.
I'm not aging well either, so people won't notice the items in my home that are "past it"
Exactly. Also, who says I want to have people over? 😂
Love your points Nick! And you're so much fun to listen to!!! Yay 👏👏👏!
My furniture is probably 20 to 30 years old. My recent purchases are ten years old. Yet, my living room makes people almost faint as they don't expect this where I live in an over 55 community. It is Baroque style with a modern sofa, French pieces, and a collection of things I bought while touring this ole world of ours. Can change the pillows' colours when I get the urge, but the rest I leave alone. Love MacKenzie Childs and have these whimsical pieces spread throughout. Love my furniture even after 30 years and trying to teach my children how to select items they love and have fun putting them all together. I am now 81 and realize I don't take anything when I go, that is a realization which comes with age. My living walls are blue, rather a bright blue. With my darker wood furniture and my $Million view of the bay, it seems to extend the water all through the living room. The other rooms are a marine green (to transcend to the bright but).
I think it’s possible to have a comfy room for watching TV that’s also good for conversation. It’s when the TV is a monolithic 85” black void taking up most of the wall space in the room. Choose the right proportion.
:) I used to feel the same way. We bought a 50 inch. Then I saw a giant 65 inch TV. I would love the immersive wall size experience. 80inch even better 😂
@@MyFocusVaries haha, yes! I was just shopping for new TVs after our 52” died. Technically, we could’ve fit an 85” on our wall…but it would’ve been a giant black hole. We went with a much more modest 65” 😉 I was very proud of myself.
Love this! I can't wait to see the grey trend go away: cold, lifeless, dead. Warm neutrals are cozy. Grey decor reminds me of a morgue.
Gray does have different effects on people. To me, it is depressing. To others it is relaxing. Womb-like??
I think people should choose the neutral that is the same neutral they wear. If it flatters your skin tone, it will likely not be a colour that you'll get tired of. Beige and tan makes me look dead; I would never choose them as decor colours.
Just discovered your channel and fell instantly in love. All great advise to people like myself who has no sense of style for interior design. And a healthy dose of humour. This space puts me in great mood. Thank you! Greetings from Australia 😀
Agreed, I also hate barn doors!!
You are so hysterical!!! ("What, you've never seen a hypocrite before?") 🤣🤣🤣I love watching you for all the awesome design guidance but I so enjoy your personality. I feel like you would be someone that I'd love to get a cup of coffee with, or a cocktail!!!😊
I loved your video. Excellent explanation why arches do not work everywhere, and very reasonable way out for arch-lovers to focus on arched furniture instead. I not only loved your explanation but also the very fitting photos that really carried your points.
As an Architect i will resume all tips you need to make good any building/decoration/design (call it whatever you want) ....ready? here it goes: Don´t fake it.
Something that imitates wood is crap, imitate stone is crap, imitate arch is crap, etc etc, keep it real, all i'm saying and it's fine.
I need more videos like this! Why Nick doesn't get invited to anybody's home, lol 😂
One of my favorite videos from you of late. Very funny, honest and full of information! I just moved into my first home with my boyfriend and I am especially looking forward to the interior design aspect!
Interesting video, Nick! It would be great to hear your advice on how people who are renting can personalise the space. With buying a house becoming more difficult, people (me included) are finding they need to live in rented accommodation longer. Would love to hear your thoughts.
I remember looking at a house in the 70s that had tile countertops. It was ugly then, and hasn’t improved. It can be cheap to use the same tile you used on the floor, but I hate the grout lines! My husband built custom cabinets for forty years, and he still likes laminate. When we remodeled a house eight years ago, we went with laminate - a playful print that is reminiscent of mid-century (it’s a 50s ranch house). It’s not bold colors, but it makes me smile. If I get tired of it, it won’t cost an arm and a leg to replace.
I do wish people would take these cheaper options more seriously! They look pretty when they're new and they're super easy to replace. People will spend 50-100$/year to paint or contact paper the countertop over just replacing with decent laminate.
As usual love your video! You have given me a lot of useful advice on what to consider before I make a change to my home. I think a lot of us who are past the age of 60 have encountered some of these design trends at some point in our lives, either through our own choices or they were in homes we purchased. Designs change and evolve over the years. Comfortable, low maintenance and affordable is what matters to me now.
I'm glad you liked it!
I agree. It's interesting to me how people decide what is dated based on having seen it before. You live long enough and everything old is new again. :) The one I have yet to see come around is late 1930s-1940s dark, heavy woodwork and furniture, dramatic wallpaper, lush and insulating drapes, brass lamps, and a mixture of furniture and decor designs from the early twentieth century. It was a masculine aura, no doubt connected to soldiers and war. In the US that was purchased as the country emerged from the Great Depression, had cash in hand at long last, and there was something to buy before factories mobilized for war. In my extended family, that decor was in the background of every photo from the era. It was utterly different from the equally shunned these days postwar cheeriness of cherry red and metal in kitchens, Mamie Eisenhower pink and white in living rooms, light wood, odd colors in basement "rec room" floor tiles for some reason I can't understand, either Early American or Colonial styles mixed in, and an overall light and feminine aura, no doubt connected to the idea that a woman's place is in the home, not in the factories or military or MASH units. We seem to have rejected reviving the designs of the era surrounding The Great Depression and WWII like a bad memory, which it actually was for many people. I keep waiting for some influencer to "discover" those.
I like your couch. Where is it from?
@@653j521Finally! I never thought I would see this in any interior design videos. My house was built in 1930 and the Great Depression to pre-WWII (with a touch of Art Deco) motif is exactly the look I am going for. Among a few of my design items, besides furniture, is a 1935 Western Electric telephone, a mid-thirties Plymouth mantle clock, and today I just picked up a prewar art-deco-ish Trav-ler vacuum tube radio/alarm clock made with real wood and glass, not plastic. There's nothing modern in my home, at least downstairs, save for a few small appliances and other knicknacs. When I was a little kid growing up in the sixties we often visited older and elderly relatives and all of their homes were decorated like this as their home decor was old but not really that old at the time. I thought it was utterly fascinating never having experienced this before.
Same here, and I'm in my 50s. I don't want to spend all my time cleaning hard to clean counters, shelves or anything else. We have seen it before and know the good and bad. Clean, fresh, comfort is first with me.
You're telling it like it is without trashing anybody. Well done!
I'm so glad you said this about grays. I had a friend who inherited a beautiful post war timber cottage with wrap around verandahs. It had that lovely slightly tatty quality that some old houses have that's all about all the people who have gone before, memories, happy times. It was painted in traditional heritage deep yellows and ochres that had weathered beautifully, like the best chalk paints. Those colours might not be everyone's cup of tea, but this house wore them like a queen. Love, love, love. My friend, however, did not and she 'renovated' the house, stripping away all that vintage loveliness and painting it a bland arctic gray and white, like a doctor's surgery. I was really surprised. She's a very talented watercolour artist, so I thought she'd be all retro kitchenware, little flea market treasures, timeless mid century furniture, a big cheeky floral cushion here and there. But no, seems not. I can't help, but judge someone taking something with some history to it, a bit of spirit of times gone past, and then sterilising all the magic out of it. Just tragic.
Years ago I rented an apartment which had tile countertops. I thought it was brilliant, a durable heat proof surface. Then I tried to actually use it. As you mentioned, it was a pain to clean and I vowed I would never have tile countertops again.
Any chance we will get a tour of your place? I'm dying to see more than just the same background from week to week.
Nick doesn't want us to know that there's nothing behind that big silver wall clock😊
@@rosehughes599 yeah starting to think he's got a really good green screen 😁
I want to see his kitchen and this espresso machine he talks so much about. Does Nick believe in the judo chop for bed pillows or only couch pillows? We will never know without a tour.
There may be one coming in 2 weeks... Buuuuut I've also been saying that off and on for 3 years so 🤷♂
@@Nick_Lewis at least you're honest gotta love you for that 😜 anyone who hates those damn Tom Ford books as much as I do is someone's house I wanna see 😁
I love arches and they keep coming back over the years, they are all over the middle east.
One of my childhood homes has archways in some of it's doorways, and just last week I was visiting and was admiring how awesome it still looked, and I was thinking how I would incorporate into my own home if I was able to. Although the arches are not as prominent as the examples you are showing. It is funny that you posted a video on the subject not long afterwards.
I like gray better than beige (I loathe beige walls, always have -- the seventies was a traumatic time for me lol) but I don't do ALL neutrals anywhere except the bedroom, and then it's still not monochromatic. My partner and I were having a discussion just yesterday about how weird and uncomfortable monochromatic rooms were.
I am from the 70's as well and to me beige was always cozy. I don't like gray, too cold and stark for my taste.
I'm with you. But in my living room with gray walls I have wooden floors, a green sofa, a couple of purple chairs, and a rug that incorporates all those colors. So no monochromatic rooms for me either.
I've lived in too many beige box apartments to ever go with that as a main wall color.
@@lisaanderson3549the apartments I’ve lived in & have seen are white walls! I’d like beige over white any day. And most houses I went into had white walls, with the exception of our next door neighbour who had black & reflective gold flocked wallpaper. Ghastly! Some homes had saturated colours on their walls but never really saw beige in the area I grew up in.
@@texasnurse - Sounds lovely!
Wilsonart laminate is beautiful. We updated our kitchen on a budget and it looks stunning.
We have Wilsonart veneer countertops w/ a chunky edge. We've been in this house for 26 years, and there are only two tiny little nicks from knife drop accidents. I always use cutting boards and trivets for hot pans and casseroles. It is still velvety feeling and complete.
I just bought a home last year and personally could not understand or appreciate the predominence of grey in the places I viewed. I ended up painting almost every single surface after moving into my new home with rich warm colours (amber orange and dark sage green) balanced by a bright & warm white. Living in the place now feels like a cozy colour hug.
I 150% agree about tile countertops. I got caught up in the trend in the early 90's. Had this beautiful vision of cobalt blue tile countertops. Bought the tile, did all the work and they did look beautiful - for about a month. Even sealing the grout, it got stained and the uneven surface drove me crazy. NEVER again!
I don't think you can even imagine how strongly I hate beige. There is something about it… I don't know what kind of trauma it gave me, but it's definitely a huge one. I really prefer the gray background and then to play with color all around it, using not so large nor permanent pieces of decor.
Because let’s be honest if you like warm colors to play around gray, they match! If you like cold colors to play around gray, they still match! Buy when your background is beige… you’re much more limited in your choices. And I must confess my real trauma has to do with the whole brown palette, which is like the best beige companion (actually beige is part of it). I hate dark brown wood, so seventies’ (getting rid of it right now in my apartment), I haven’t been even born then yet. You see? I’m full of rage only thinking of it.
But still, I agree with you on all the rest. Thank you for all the content you create for us.
I am on the other side of this. I loathe gray, particularly the carrara marble look. Blech! I used to be kind of ok with it but the powers that be where I work decided to go all in on it a few years back and now I feel that, if I never saw carrara again for the rest of my life, that would be just fine.
I can't stand white or beige anything 😂
I actually really like the ombré tiles 😂 but all your other points I agree with 100%.
Re: arches, our home has original archway details from when it was built in 1930 that work with the Spanish style, and we follow two rules when introducing them to newer/remodel portions of the home:
1. Use the same style of arch (in our case a basket handle arch, no half-circle arches)
2. Use arches wherever there’s a defined opening between room that doesn’t have a door.
Because the arches are appropriate and consistent, they help tie the whole house together.
Omg I❤ “the jig is up” we know you painted the arch 😂 Nick you are awesome
So many haters of laminate, so glad you recognize it can be acceptable. It is easy to clean, does not require special treatment, lasts and lasts, and is affordable.
Totally agree on everything, including "Not everything is about us" and "You've never seen a hypocrite before?" You are absolutely priceless! Another awesome video, and thank you for keeping us under control, maybe.
Arched homes, ombre tile, and tile counter tops remind me of some of the over the top impractical interior designs of the 80s. When I walk into a home that still has remnants of that style, I instantly think, 80s.
On the subject of TV centric homes, I laugh. I have a sister who is the, 'I don't watch TV, I listen to NPR, person. Hilarious 😂