I avoided the flat bottom sink but bought a pretty flat topped faucet/tap for the sink. Every drop of water that dries on that smooth shiny surface leaves a mark! I've got a cloth hanging at the side of the sink so I can wipe it dry every time I use it, but of course the rest of the family can't be bothered. And I chose those for 3 bathrooms. At every stage of designing our apartment, i asked, "how hard will that be to keep clean?" It annoyed my husband and architect daughter, but I'm 60 and raised 5 kids. I'm tired of cleaning!
Color of grout for (particularly) bathroom tile. As part of considering using a darker shade of grout you should also consider minimizing grout altogether by using larger sizes of tile and narrow grout lines.
I was told in bathrooms thin grout lines on the floor are a recipe for slips and falls. The grouted area is what allows the foot to grab rather than slide on the smooth tile.
@@TheDriftwoodlover Why would you use smooth tiles on bathroom to begin with? There are many variants of textured or anti-slip tiles available especially for outdoor and wet areas.
@@TheDriftwoodlover the grout is mostly to let the undertile area "bterathe" and also allow tile to get bigger and smaller when they are warmer and cooler, therefore the larger grouts are required especially if you use floor heating as the tiles may change the size quite a lot, and with thin grouting they could even break
I'm an engineer, and definitely appreciate function over form... Of course, I follow your channel because you provide knowledge on how to do both! Great video!
I agree with all of these except the laminate - vinyl flooring, there are some great quality products out now which are hybrid wood laminate & thick laminate which are definitely water resistant- but that's here in Australia. Very popular here & looks exactly like timber
Good information thank you. I think vintage carpets are the way to go if you can. I have my grandparents rugs. Guess all the shedding happened 75-100 years ago. New mass produced wool carpets and rug do shed a lot! But it is a natural fiber and shouldn't have Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) which are a concern for families
Before I owned a restaurant, I agreed that open shelving in the kitchen is a bad idea. After watching a few chefs work, I changed my mind. Sometimes you just don't want to open a door to get to something. When I designed my new kitchen, I added a stainless steel shelf on either side of the cooktop. One holds a stack of tea towels, a small microwave and has space for the tea kettle and a small skillet.. The other holds a small toaster oven, a kitchen timer, a stack of 8" plates, a small bowl of salt, sugar, flour and a pepper mill. Everything else is in cabinets or the pantry. Every item on those shelves is used every day. It's not the prettiest kitchen, but it is totally functional and easy to clean.
Agreed. I'm planning a new kitchen now. Much of it will be open shelves, with only the rarely-used items behind cupboard doors. It's just better when you cook a lot. And cleaner - because when you're doing things like kneading bread dough, but you forgot to get out the loaf pan, you can just go grab it without leaving doughy handprints all over a cabinet door.
The turnover of kitchenware is much higher in a commercial/professional kitchen than in a home kitchen, everything has to go way faster with as few steps as possible. So you rarely find commercial kitchens with cabinets or drawers since time literally is money there.
Yes! We have steel chef’s shelving in the kitchen along with cabinets. The items on the shelving are the items used daily - plates, mugs, spices, towels, etc. a quick dust of the shelves when I do weekly cleaning and I’ve never had a problem with mess. People who don’t have open shelves talk about grease, dust and grime. How would you know? I don’t have grease anywhere in my kitchen except on the stove before I wipe it down. I’m not dirty just because I love the convenience of easy access.
A restaurant kitchen is TOTALLY different from your home. It makes sense there, But you don't spend 8-10 hours cooking and needing access to everything easily at home, at least I hope not .
My open shelves mean that I spend less time in the kitchen. It doesn't matter if it's a 10 hour day or a 10 minute day. I don't need easy access to everything--just a few things that I use frequently. Not a day goes by that I do not use every one of those items on the open shelf. On the other hand, things that are occasionally used (like pickling spices and cordial glasses) are behind cabinet doors.
The open shelving in general is a huge one! I barely have closed cabinetry in my apartment(except for the kitchen, luckily)at the moment, and the dust really gets everywhere… Gonna pick up a couple of IKEA Malms though soon!
definitely! plus, to make open shelving look unclutter and aesthetic, you can only place things sparsely, and in matching containers. It ends up being a display rather than functional storage.
Open shelves for the win. You can say something with authority, but it doesn’t it make it the truth. Just one truth. He’s right about the sink thing, though.
That's a good point, sometimes cheap imitation makes all the difference - in each choice. I commented similarly about the coating on the furniture. Sometimes it doesn't even evolve around price, like with countertops. Or tiles. Just the certain type of material, certain quality or small but significant changes in the design.
@person1894Y49 that may be true, but what does "the other stuff" mean? When I mention Persian rug I mean the wool is from Iran, the colors are natural, and they are woven in a way that makes them last for decades or centuries being used under the foot. We had many Persian rugs. The only rugs that I have seen shed are the majority that are being mass produced. Basically, you get what you pay for
The one thing you spoke about that we did when remodeling a bathroom was picking one of the flat bottom sinks. We regretted it almost immediately for 14:15 all the reasons you mentioned.
I like your points, just wanted to point out for wallpaper in the bathroom look for moisture proof wallpaper. For light couches, go for leather if you can and either way there are great sprays out there to keep stains of your couch and make them very wipeable. I've had a white leather couch for 10 years and I've spilt wine, coffee and all sorts of things on it. They wipe right off and don't stain at all.
Yes, I have a white leather settee in my bedroom and a damp microfiber cloth does the trick. I do condition the leather twice a year but it takes about 20 minutes, smells amazing and keeps the leather soft and beautiful.
Sorry about your experience with wool carpets, but my own experience with 2 different versions of wall to wall wool Berber is that there really was no shedding. And it feels great and sheds stains fairly well.
yes, and also - we found our polyester rug particularly hard to vacuum compared to all the wool ones we had - even if they weren't 100% wool the natural fiber blend really helped with it not grabbing onto dust and other debris as much
I have black grout in my bathroom and it’s a pain to keep black. It sucks up limescale and all kinds of dirt really fast. So it’s not just pale grout that’s difficult to maintain imo
I painted my grout with Groutin (dark grey) and it's held up really well. Looks great and stops the grout absorbing stuff. Easy to apply too. The white one is a bit meh though.
Matte Black furniture can be fine if the texture of the surface has some grain to it, smudges don't shop up as much, then you're just seeing dust (which you'll see on most surfaces that aren't dust grey-brown). Totally agree with avoiding it in kitchens though, since the material is smooth.
Re. laminate. I have cork-backed vinyl laminate and I love it. I am now a senior and I've had carpet, sheet vinyl, ceramic tile, first generation laminate, pre-finished hardwood and finished in place hardwood. The cork backed vinyl laminate wins hands down. Quiet, water friendly, cushioned, warm, attractive.......best.
Thank you for talking about wallpaper in bathrooms! I've always been so confused how people are using it in bathrooms due to the humidity but no one seems to talk about it!
Great video and I agree with almost everything except the matte black ban. It’s the glossy piano black that I feel shows every speck of dust and every fingerprint. I painted my desk and a drop down kitchen breakfast bar in matte black and find it very easy to clean with one swipe of a moistened micro fibre cloth, no surface cleaner or chemical of any kind required. Unlike a high gloss black granite finish I lived with for a couple of years that drove me insane, and I never wanted to even use it, because even touching it walking by would show a fingerprint. And it needed paper towel and a quality chemical surface cleaner to make it look clean, and the entire surface had to be done. This doesn’t happen with matte in my experience
I once installed shiny black countertops in a kitchen remodel, it was a nightmare to keep clean, every fingerprint and spec of dust would show up on it seconds after cleaning 😱🤦 and I rented an apartment while renovating mine, it had matte navy blue kitchen cupboards and they were a nightmare to keep clean as well. I am so glad that I choose white cabinets and countertops, super easy to keep clean.
It's not about matte dark colors but about the type of coats (painting in your case). I have matte dark everything in my house 💀 and find the "cleanableness" of the surfaces extremely varied. The painted finish is really easy to clean 😊 what would not be my guess, comparing it with professionally sprayed doors. Apparently it's about the texture. The smoother the more difficult to clean which is also counterintuitive for me. But glossy/ matte doesn't really matter that much.
👏👏👏 excellent suggestions. I love my handless kitchen cupboards, my mom regrets all the pulls in her kitchen. Something that I did when I remodeled my kitchen and a bathroom was to choose extra large tiles, I hate cleaning grout lines, grout in the same colour as the tiles and the thinnest grout lines possible. It makes the floor look like it's a continuous material. Installation usually costs more, but I think that it's totally worth it.
The moment you mentioned tab handles, I felt it on a spiritual level. I really dislike those. I also agree that function should be prioritized but without leaving form out. They are not mutually exclusive or opposing forces, both can be factored into product design.
Very good video as always but I have to disagree about the dark kitchen units. I use to have a dark brown slightly textured IKEA kitchen with a matching countertop in my previous house and I had absolutely no issues with the problems you mention here. I now have a glossy white kitchen and it’s an absolute nightmare! Also, wool rugs and carpets are great! They shed a bit at first but it eventually stop. They are far better than synthetic rugs full of polluants in my opinion. For the rest, I agree!
The slightly textured might be what's saving it. I also have textured black cabinets and no problem at all, but I imagine the sleek ones are more annoying
@@Emma-dh7by yeah, I was about to say that too. I see the same in my slightly textured dark brown billy bookcases vs smooth dark grey kitchen cabinets that get scuffed and smudgy so quickly
I have kitchen handles from Superfront that look a bit like tab handles, but are in a half circle kinda shape that bends slightly downwards. I think they are still relatively slim and unobtrusive, but also nice to grip and without sharp edges. And they’re really nice subtle accents! I think that’s a much better solution that rigid tabs
@@The_Real_Mier or more accurately, things you will regret buying once you have kids and are too busy to curate your space or care for anything that prioritises form over function, something every parent knows about. 😂
The advice about sink forms was really valuable to me because I'll have to buy a new one shortly, thanks! Only point I don't agree with is the last one about closed kitchen cupboards. Opening doors and shuffling through stuff dozens of times to get to the most basic things just isn't worth it. IMO, the statement that shelves are for displaying things is oversimplified, they're for having easy access as well.
Mostly agree. However I have had high-end laminate that was more forgiving of water and didn't scratch like hardwood. It was also better cushioned/more comfortable to walk on. You pay as much for that as for hardwood, however, without the resale value.
Also, another thing about dark surfaces; they can sometimes be hard to get completely clean. Maybe more so if they have a pattern on them. I find myself having to look really close to make sure I haven't left a spot of something because it can be hard to see. On the one hand, if you can't see it it might look tidier, on ther other, it's still dirty.
It was my problem because I used wrong cleaning chemicals for the type of coating. Since I wash the units with the dishsoap and a little bit of vinegar + use suitable cloth, I clean it very quickly without any struggles. First with a bit of the mixture and then I rinse the cloth and wipe out any foam. At the beginning I was terrified because I tried to use dedicated cleaners and all I was left with were smudges all over, the grease was there no matter how many times I would go through and getting rid of the cleaners was a nightmare. I used to clean the front doors 3/4 times and they looked even worse with each time. I had to ask my carpenter what the hell. He told me to use window cleaner. Well it leaves the surface without smudges all sometimes I do use it but it's faster to clean with the dishsoap as it involves grease. And the solution involves a certain cleaner (I don't know where you're from, here it's called clin) because other didn't work. The cloth also does the job, I tried many different and I keep the one that makes it really fast and easy to rinse out of the soap. Hard to tell what it is (it has many little holes in it and it's not microfibre).
when we bought our house, the kitchen cupboards had handles shaped like chillis... they looked quite cool but were basically metal hooks so after snagging countless woolies on them they had to go... :)
Thank you for your attention to the design of items. Would love for you to discuss things to look for in appliances, outlets, fiixtures, cabinet designs, especially about ease of cleaning. Wood countertops in kitchens, especially around the sink are awful. They stain so easy. I have to sand and re sesl the countertops every 3-5 months just to keep it looking sanitary. Have open shelving in my kitchen, HATE it. Yes I am shouting. If a fly or fruit fly gets in the house, I have to wash every dish before I use it.
Omg the thing you said about matte black is so true! I'm already going nuts with something as small as the all black keyboard of my Mac because it's constantly dirty/dusty 5min after cleaning it whilst the ones that still had some silver in-between barley looked dirty for weeks.
I once sublet an apartment from a very short couple. When cleaning the kitchen, I was surprised to discover the refrigerator had a matte, textured top surface. I had never seen that before. Imagine my shock when a corner broke off and I realized it was just the congealed, dusty top of a kitchen appliance which had likely never been cleaned in years.
@@StarlightUnderDaSea I was sub-letting the apartment and met the tenants. They were a very nice, young couple but they were, in my opinion, short. I think they were both under 5’ 5”.
I used high end laminate floors and have been great. I have saved a full box of the flooring to patch floor if I need to. I have allergies and have less dust than I would with carpeting.
Yes, people do need to keep spares. I know someone who didn’t, because they thought it had a long guarantee. What they didn’t realise was that it didn’t cover deliberate damage (another story), and also that it still does show occasional contrasting nicks and cuts through to the dark backing. And, of course, that colour has long been discontinued. Another problem with that type of flooring is they advertise it as being easy to fit yourself, but that doesn’t account for skirting boards which either have to be moved, or if you use the matching skirting strips they provide, it is only glued down and thus tends to dislodge in the long term - plus also absorbs water and swells.
Can you please do a video for lazybones who hates dusting, cleaning and mopping and what types of Ikea furniture fits someone like me? 😅 I need to buy furnitures that won't accumulate dust. Also, a video for people who are off grid, or when were on budget cuts, be stingy with electricity bills, anything to have money on utility bills by buying furnitures that saves money on the long run, also what and where we can add lights and live during blackouts Thanks.
Everything gets dusty, but paler woods and light finishes won't show it as much. Quentin Crisp famously said that dudt gets no thicker after a few years, so why worry about it?!
Dust is caused by skin shedding, so you can't eliminate it completely, but it is caused also by fabrics shedding. Avoid using too many fabrics in your furniture. Leather sofa or chairs for example will cause less dust to form in your living room than cloth covered ones. Keep your clothing in wardrobe, don't leave it lying around the house. Vertical window slats instead of cloth curtains. Things like that. I have several small solar powered lights by the windows during the day, and move them to other parts of the house at night, which saves on electricity bill.
I have found that luxury vinyl planks make a terrific alternative to laminate flooring. They can be mopped without fear of water destroying them. They are softer under foot, quieter than both laminate and wood, and they can look quite brilliant these days!
Vinyl is great for getting the look of wood without the price tag, but the one real downside to them that not many really talk about is off gassing. Vinyl floors off gas phthalates for decades, these are endocrine disrupting molecules that can cause issues in pets or babies/ young children playing on the surface. (What happens is the vinyl off gasses the phthalates to the dust a dirt that lands on it, then when you walk or raw around on it the dust gets kicked up and inhaled and gets into your body). With that said, I have vinyl in some of my rooms in my current house (tile in main areas, vinyl in bedrooms), and it does indeed look great and is super wear resistant. But for the next house I build I’ll be going with engineered hardwood throughout instead of vinyl to avoid some of that issue.
Replaced carpeting in our great room with an engineered wood floor. You are right. Go top of the line. The floor we bought was designed to take spills and even pet accidents (even though we have no pets). The cost was comparable to getting new top quality carpeting.
Just realized the new vanities we ordered for our house are trough sinks 😫 As for wallpaper in the bathroom. I think it looks best in a powder room. Big impact in a small space that doesn’t get too much moisture.
Trough sinks are fine if you have a moveable tap and brush debris into the strainer once the waters out - i dry the dishes then give the sink a quick going over,, dump the strainer contents in the compost bin, job done. Once you're used to doing it, it's not really an issue, quick to get used to doing. I also have smooth matt, dark grey kitchen cabinets, bit of rain-x on them when cleaning once a week keeps most of the greasy finger marks at bay, works as well for the outside of the oven, extractor, and fridge which are shiny black.
My grandmother’s powder bath was wallpapered and the paper probably cost 50 per roll (in 1990s money) It was gorgeous jewel tones with ceiling lights, and every time I went it there I felt like a princess 😂. It was gorgeous
The wool rug fibers I knew about, and was ready to deal with the carpet brush, but here’s the reason I ended up not buying a wool rug: my 2 adorable cats! I bought a 2x3 foot sample of the rug to see if it was the right colors and if I liked it. Great colors, low pile, just beautiful; I loved it. My cats thought so too. They DESTROYED it! It became their newest, favorite scratching spot and they shredded it to bits. Wasn’t going to spend $1200 on a cat scratching post! Sigh…I can never have nice things. 😢
This has made me feel SO much better about our bathroom sink! (We’ve got the rounded bottom). Have you got any more of the Architect Redesigns in the works Daniel?
Silk rugs are the best. Very soft and cozy and I got mine at a very reasonable price at bed Bath and beyond. Crazy huh. I washed them in the washing machine and they come out great. Very happy.
I feel like the absolute best option for flooring is porcelain tiles. In this day and age, they can perfectly mimic any surface or finish and yet, they come with the guarantee of strength, durability, and beauty without the worry of mopping with too much water, or spills, or stains, or lifting or ANYTHING.
If you actually think this mostly depends on the architect, you either don't understand capitalism or an architects job. The client asks for style but still want they want and often other than taste they want cheap but looking luxurious. And they have a very subjective definition of what high end means. It often means what I see in magazines, social media, imitate what is expensive or ''what bettany has but why can't you make it look the same with my small amount of money, and my different sun orientation and my different structures and not in this colour but it has to match the rest, and and and'' you gets the picture.
@@greyscalesx at the same time, let's celebrate that people who can't afford high end furniture and materials, can afford an assistance to help them make their home beautiful and functional. Because our spaces create who we are. I love your comment. We shouldn't be judging. There is an artistic aspect to architects job but it's also a service job, helping people.
All my shelves are open shelves in my kitchen I love them. Stuff gets dirty inside cabinets as well. I also cook a lot and I don't have this grease and dirt problem of which you speak. However I do have a pantry for storing crap and the lowers are cabinets. The solution to the carpet problem is to have no carpets lol. They just get dirty and you have to clean them why bother. I have Mexican tile everywhere. I don't even have a bathroom rug.
Hey Daniel, Our son has a black (he loves black) desk and we placed a plexiglass plate on it. That helps enormously and looks fab too!!! We placed plexiglass on all our desks afterwards (different colors). LOVE IT!! Maybe you can talk about that in one of your videos? Warm greetings, Pinkie
I loved my laminate (middle of the road price wised) that I put in about 20 years ago...4 years ago I replaced with premium vinyl wood look tile. yuck. It does not clean as easy and the furniture scratched it almost right away ( I have since put felt on everything) so I disagree. I also like my open kitchen shelves. I put stuff I use often in regards to plates, and the upper shelves are just decorative so not as big a deal that gets cleaned at christmas and spring (when decor is moved around) I agree that stuff does get dirty, but above the stove I keep the oil (used often) in decorative baskets, and the breakfast booze above the coffee station. easy to wipe off. It definitely helps with keeping my junk to a minimum! I agree completely on the flat sink. I put in a stone sink in the kitchen, and even with the spray hose, it is hard to keep the corners clean. Plus it is too flat to drain well. But it is huge, and I like that.
At some point our wool rugs (floor to floor) stopped noticeable shedding. When they were new and shedding it seemed within the norm for a new rug. Ours are 20 plus years old - so they have held up pretty well. Great video!
But sitting on a wool rug will leave you with plenty on your clothing you’ll have to remove. Have one in my bedroom. Agree with you that the big shedding dissipates when the rug is new.
Maybe it's because I hate cleaning but each time I buy something, it's always the number one thing on my mind: how easy is it to clean? I even plan to change our kitchen pending lights because it's literally a dust catcher. One thing I bought that I hate is our bathroom faucet, it's not long enough and it's really hard to clean our hands without touching the back of the sink.
I’ve had light colored fabric furniture in every home for 30 years and have never been anxious about it. If your fabric is that vulnerable it’s not well made furniture (even if expensive). You can also treat fabrics to avoid problems from spills or choose pieces with washable slipcovers.
So releaved I found you this morning I would have made really bad mistakes on my holiday home renovation, like I did with my pale floor grout in my powder room ugh. Thank you I’ll keep watchingching and learning
Thank you so much for the lesson! I really appreciate learning from your experiences. Some of these tips make total sense now but somehow I didn't see them before.
Use a grout sealer over it and it doesnt absorb anything and stays white. I reseal it about every 3-4 years. On my next remodel i will be using non-absorbant epoxy grout. That grout doesnt need to be sealed.
Thanks for validating my “mentalness” (as husband/ ex flatmates call me out for!). Most of these seem to fall under, “why reinvent the wheel, designers?!” Classics become classics for a reason.
I chose edge pull handles for my kitchen doors. It’s a good compromise between handleless and a C-pull, with a minimum visual impact. And very very rarely snags something.
I tried a wool rug once because I was told they would clean up easy. A dog (not mine, I board dogs at my house) peed on it and the stain would not come out. Rug ruined in less than a week. I love how wool rugs look and feel but they are not the best choice in every situation. I like my machine washable rugs the best but outdoor rugs work too. I actually like open shelving in my kitchen but I don't cook often, I don't cook anything super greasy and my shelving is a bit away from the stove. Yeah stuff can get dusty but only if it sits for a while. Plates, bowls etc get used daily so its not an issue with everything. I love having all my dishes on display (I have studio pottery dishes, vintage corningware etc that I want to see) and the extra storage makes my kitchen so much more functional. I do not have a large kitchen and my cabinets would be packed without the shelving.
- Stone countertops. Say hello to your new life of needing to regularly needing to buy new glassware, and googling "ring stain removal". - Lightweight rugs that are huge. Vacuuming them is infuriating, and carrying them outside for beating is not as "lightweight" as you'd imagined. - Polished bathroom fixtures & glass shower doors. Stains instantly. Pretty much standard in every Swedish bathroom...
I like our matte black worktop. it forces you to wipe it at least once a day to keep everyting clean and tidy. and it only takes a couple seconds to wipe
The key to pokey drawer/cabinet handles is to have the counter top lip jutted out enough to protect you from the handles. Otherwise, the handles are a hazard. I'm very conscious of that because of the scratches and ripped pockets/clothes I've accumulated over the years 😂
Totally agree, I do not miss the collection of bruises I used to receive from pokey out handles. Ikea used to do flush flip out handles which were great but collect crumbs if you're not careful (toothbrush needed to clean),. When i upgraded the kitchen in my next place, i went for push open/close, much prefer that so i don't break my rubbish nails when i accidentally slam fingertips into the recessed handle - i'm a clumsy oaf so I was very excited when I got push fittings.
I had a co-worker who did not like any colour in her home and everything was white including her sofa and dining rooms chairs. She was a neat freak so was constantly cleaning! And she almost never had people over to entertain at her home. I will never understand folks who treat their houses like museums. I like stylish stuff but I am also very practical and don't intend for the epitaph on my grave to read, "She kept a super clean home" would prefer to be remembered for who I am and how I treated people. In the end no one will care that you had a spotless white sofa!
I should start off by saying I really enjoy your videos! Today, I have a comment about sofas. I’ve had white or off white slip covered sofa for years. I waited until my kids were grown and gone, but I do have dogs (they’re small, don’t shed but can still be messy). I use throw blankets in the same or similar color as the sofa. That has been enough to delay cleaning the slipcovers. (Please note: I’m sitting on the sofa drinking coffee!) Darker sofas might seem like a solution, but they can show dirt that light fabric does not.
That was an excellent and useful video, Daniel! Some excellent comments there. And what a smooth segue into your sponsorship segment. And I mean that. It was the best sponsorship inclusion I've seen for a long time as most content creators don't convey much sincerity. I actually watched it rather than fast forwarded! And I have no association with Bellroy in case anyone thinks that 😆
I agree with everything you said except for laminate flooring. I installed high end laminate which is water and scratch resistant. Very durable, looks absolutely gorgeous. So there's a quality difference with laminate flooring, and i wouldn't install a cheap type for sure.
I can't get enough of your smart advice since I want to feel relaxed at my home, stay in clean environment but do as little as possible. Also, I really don't want to pay for anxiety. :) Thanks.
This was a good watch! I caught a couple traps that I totally would have fallen into (I.e. tab drawer handles and flat basin sink). Makes a lot of sense, just things I hadn’t considered
A couple of comments on this list 1. Wool rugs with tightly knotted/Berber weave don’t shed 2. Epoxy grout solves all problems - it looks good, its easily cleanable and in my experience its the only type of grout that doesn’t discolor or gunk up. 3. Engineered hardwood floor is a great middle ground between actual hardwood and laminate.
I don’t really see a problem with trough sinks. You got that cup for when you are brushing your teeth, right? Just fill it with water and swirl around the sink a couple of times to clear out the debris. I mean, I find myself having to do this to sweep things down the drain in my “regular” sink anyway.
Ugh. Those tab drawer pulls are the worst! My cousin renovated her bathrooms and put in cabinets and drawers with those metal tabs as handles. There’s nothing quite like getting out of the shower and walking over to the sink, tearing open the skin of your thigh because you can’t see without your glasses on and you didn’t see the little tabs sticking out of the bathroom cabinets…
Thanks, Daniel! I so appreciate your videos.This was excellent information (which I could have used a few years ago before I made some of these mistakes). But I am now rethinking buying tab handles and will probably go with your choice. Can you tell what brand you purchased?
Agreed on the pale grout! We've been renting for the past 7 years. Lovely bathroom with pale green tiles and... pale grout. Floor and walls. The cleaning of that bathroom has put me off grout for all eternity. There's just no way I'm going to scrub every single line of the floor and walls often enough for it to look good, I swear I have other things to do.
I understand that open kitchen shelves cause visual clutter, etc., but imo they are kind of necessary for creative cooking at home. It's like a visual board made of jars and ingredients. You can put appliances away, but I want to see all my ingredients at hand at a glance. Then I can make delicious food. And that _is_ function.
Thanks for the advices i completely agree, sometimes we can be tempted by beautiful designed things but in the end functionality wins...then if White and black colors suffer the same problem of dirt are we right only when choosing the traditional wooden tones? Bye
I agree about "cheap" laminate floors, but we have had good quality name brand laminate floors in 25 years worth of homes and never regretted it. They have stood up to children, dog nails, mopping, you name it. The only issue we had was a big earthquake which sent a lot of items to the ground and some heavy, sharp object made a dent. I recommend them.
Rather than using wallpaper in the bathroom, I recommend hiring a skilled fresco artist, preferably from Minoan Crete or Renaissance Italy. You'll also need to include a time machine in your budget.
My apartment kitchen has tab handles and I hate them with every fiber of my being 😭 they are SO hard to open and I’ve hurt myself on them countless times. It’s a pretty short term situation though, so I think we’ll just tough it out 😖 but thanks for the tip on how to fix them!
Daniel, could you please explain, what exactly do you mean by "cheap laminate"? Is there a price margin you have in mind or any other criteria you would use to choose a good quality laminate?
I think his referring to laminate like when you go to Wickes or B and Q and choose cheapest ones that are not designed to be waterproof and designs change every few years. I’ve been sold that branded stuff like Quickstep rarely change their design and you can still buy flooring bought 10 years ago so maybe try branded stuff?
Hey Daniel- what to do to change open kitchen shelves to cover up the clutter? I cook often and using the shelves for storage not display. It does make the kitchen looking busy and clutter in my rental unit. Any recommendations would be appreciated 🫰🏻🫰🏻🫰🏻
How do you keep a tiny kitchen feeling open with upper cabinets? We have a small farmhouse where the front door opens straight into the kitchen. I insisted the upper cabinets be taken down because that was the first thing in my face when opening the front door. Is it best to get shallower cabinets or no shelves/cabinets at all? Storage is a struggle.
Love your concept as always! Shower screen doors often has mold inside the silicon after some time, especially in tropical humid countries. Any other alternative designs in bathrooms? Go without doors? Another problem to resolve ~ wet floor 😅
I don’t have any neat designer/architect solutions, but I do have a low tech tip that’s made a huge difference in my bathrooms - use a squeegee after every single shower to sluice the water off all the walls/doors/floors, because it drastically cuts down the amount of lingering moisture and means the whole place will dry out more quickly, and as a bonus will leave the place looking cleaner without as many water streaks and spots! It might seem like a tedious task to have to do every time at first, but it only takes a few seconds - get a squeegee that lives permanently in your shower that you can easily use with wet hands to reduce any resistance or barrier to completing the task, and it soon becomes a habit and means much less time in the future with bleach sprays scrubbing at mould 😅 My flat has a fixed glass screen and a walk-in shower, with the whole bathroom designed as a wet-room (unfortunately also making it unsuitable for the cat litter box, as well as it also being too small!) but with my squeegee sluicing habit there aren’t any wet floors (beyond them being slightly damp initially) 😊 I’ve lived here nearly 3.5 years now and the only sign of any mould is in the far corner of the shower floor, and that’s my fault for not getting an in-shower storage solution sorted out for my shampoo etc bottles, so water has the chance to pool underneath them!
@@EmmaVB82 Thank you so much for taking the time to share your tips 😃 Really appreciate it! Have started the squeegee habit and also increase the ventilation in the house, even though there are dehumidifiers in the house. Too much rain at times 😅
@@EmmaVB82 I also use a squeegee and a microfibre cloth to remove water from the shower glass and tiles. It’s been seven years and I only have mould under the silicone at the junction of walls and floor. The glass screen looks virtually new, and I don’t ever have to live with any buildup of water scale on the glass. You’re right, once you have done it for a while, it becomes automatic. Yes, it is probably a greater total of labour than once a week, but it is lesser intensity.
Always take a sample of tiles, kitchen fronts, fabric, countertop,... home for extensive testing before ordering. Most of the time shops can give you a scrap piece that is a lot bigger than those little display samples.
I very much enjoyed your video and agreed with the majority of your advice (absolutely no pale furniture or cheap laminate) but I disagree with a couple of points. First off, I would never get anything but a wool rug or carpet. The shedding, which I haven't experienced much of, is well worth the durability, the warmth, and the color fastness. Plus it's not made of whatever horrible petroleum product synthetic fibers are. And secondly, I inherited my parents home with wallpaper in the kitchen, half bath, and full bath. That stuff lasted from when they put it up in the early 70s until the 2010s when I took it down. The full bath had a bit of separation at one seam but no mold or any other issue. I plan to put up wallpaper in all those spaces because minimalism is not my jam and I don't have any worries about it.
Good comments but I do disagree with the opens shelved kitchen. I have done 2 now. Completely open shelved above and below benches. They are the best kitchens I've ever had. I have cane baskets for kitchen utensils and some baking items and overhead shelves are full of glass jars with all food items and all different teas and 2 rows of herb and spice jars. Everything is easy to find and it stops you having junk in your kitchen. I got cheap zinc pipes with joiners to make shelf rails etc and it functions so well. I'm never having cupboards ever again 😂
A kitchen needs balance between open and closed storage. Look at professional kitchens as the best example. Pots, pans, ladles and everything else hanging somewhere from a hook and being easy to access. For someone who is adamant about form over function with regards to the bathroom it is an impossible contrast to go with fully closed kitchen cabinets. A kitchen needs function as the absolute highest priority if you want to find joy in cooking. 12:56 is the look of a kitchen that's never actually used in real life and you know it. But I agree 100% on the pale sofa. Grey is the brightest I'm willing to go.
Got a big wool carpet and it's pretty true that it sheds quite a bit. Although it's a really fluffy deep-pile carpet so that's not a surprise. It's still managable so I don't mind too much.
The bathroom sink idea also saves you money. If you need 3 inches of water to have a wash that's a lot more water on a flat bottom sink than a curved one .
Any advice on wool mohair upholstery? In a nearby consignment shop, I’ve seen some sofas in mohair (almost velvet-like appearance) and wonder if it’s going to be hot, attract lint, wear well in a room I use daily. I’ve heard it wears like iron but not about other aspects of it.
If I weren't already subscribed, this video would have had me doing just that. You mentioned the matte black and fingerprints and I can see that. I like the dark look, would a semigloss type finish still have this issue? I really am a fan of black.
Thanks for this, came in a good time. I wanted to add one thing though, some laminate floors can handle water. They’re not as cheap but they’re a great alternative to hardwood floors. We’re putting it on the kitchen too. But again it has to be suitable for that. In case it helps anyone!
We once rented a vacation condo that was all white. White carpeting, white furniture. We spent a part of every day cleaning, and I went into a panic when I spilled apple juice on the carpet. As for open shelves in a kitchen, maybe one small shelf for the things you use every day is OK. I live alone, so I use the same coffee cup, the same cereal bowl, etc. every day. A quick rinse and they're good to go, though they go in the dishwasher for its infrequent runs. Everything else needs to be protected from grease and dust in a closed cabinet.
Try this: wool carpet + black floor tiles in the bathroom. You are going to curse yourself every day. And speaking of light colored boucle, this is what I had on the dining chairs when my son was born....never again!
I regretted buying a dinner table with square corners. I always bumped into it so my legs were always black and blue in the same spot. From now on only tables with rounded corners for me! 😊
“your home is meant to be enjoyed, not admired.” that’s a good quote, i feel like it summarizes the entire video
What if i enjoy admiring it???
@@TimeQuxxnit still applies then..? You're enjoying your home
@@TimeQuxxn
Then it’s a win, win 😊
I'm totally enjoying the fact that you are promoting practical considerations over "aesthetic" ones.
I avoided the flat bottom sink but bought a pretty flat topped faucet/tap for the sink. Every drop of water that dries on that smooth shiny surface leaves a mark! I've got a cloth hanging at the side of the sink so I can wipe it dry every time I use it, but of course the rest of the family can't be bothered. And I chose those for 3 bathrooms. At every stage of designing our apartment, i asked, "how hard will that be to keep clean?" It annoyed my husband and architect daughter, but I'm 60 and raised 5 kids. I'm tired of cleaning!
Anyone who rolls their eyes at questions about maintenance is very short sighted. That should be priority number 1
Color of grout for (particularly) bathroom tile. As part of considering using a darker shade of grout you should also consider minimizing grout altogether by using larger sizes of tile and narrow grout lines.
Grout is horrible. Mold is their friend.
I was told in bathrooms thin grout lines on the floor are a recipe for slips and falls. The grouted area is what allows the foot to grab rather than slide on the smooth tile.
@@TheDriftwoodlover Why would you use smooth tiles on bathroom to begin with?
There are many variants of textured or anti-slip tiles available especially for outdoor and wet areas.
@@nntflow7058Almost all new grout is mold and mildew resistant. This is an 80s problem. Any newer bathrooms won't suffer from this.
@@TheDriftwoodlover the grout is mostly to let the undertile area "bterathe" and also allow tile to get bigger and smaller when they are warmer and cooler, therefore the larger grouts are required especially if you use floor heating as the tiles may change the size quite a lot, and with thin grouting they could even break
I'm an engineer, and definitely appreciate function over form...
Of course, I follow your channel because you provide knowledge on how to do both! Great video!
I agree with all of these except the laminate - vinyl flooring, there are some great quality products out now which are hybrid wood laminate & thick laminate which are definitely water resistant- but that's here in Australia. Very popular here & looks exactly like timber
Good information thank you. I think vintage carpets are the way to go if you can. I have my grandparents rugs. Guess all the shedding happened 75-100 years ago. New mass produced wool carpets and rug do shed a lot! But it is a natural fiber and shouldn't have Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) which are a concern for families
Before I owned a restaurant, I agreed that open shelving in the kitchen is a bad idea. After watching a few chefs work, I changed my mind. Sometimes you just don't want to open a door to get to something. When I designed my new kitchen, I added a stainless steel shelf on either side of the cooktop. One holds a stack of tea towels, a small microwave and has space for the tea kettle and a small skillet.. The other holds a small toaster oven, a kitchen timer, a stack of 8" plates, a small bowl of salt, sugar, flour and a pepper mill. Everything else is in cabinets or the pantry. Every item on those shelves is used every day. It's not the prettiest kitchen, but it is totally functional and easy to clean.
Agreed. I'm planning a new kitchen now. Much of it will be open shelves, with only the rarely-used items behind cupboard doors. It's just better when you cook a lot. And cleaner - because when you're doing things like kneading bread dough, but you forgot to get out the loaf pan, you can just go grab it without leaving doughy handprints all over a cabinet door.
The turnover of kitchenware is much higher in a commercial/professional kitchen than in a home kitchen, everything has to go way faster with as few steps as possible. So you rarely find commercial kitchens with cabinets or drawers since time literally is money there.
Yes! We have steel chef’s shelving in the kitchen along with cabinets. The items on the shelving are the items used daily - plates, mugs, spices, towels, etc. a quick dust of the shelves when I do weekly cleaning and I’ve never had a problem with mess. People who don’t have open shelves talk about grease, dust and grime. How would you know? I don’t have grease anywhere in my kitchen except on the stove before I wipe it down. I’m not dirty just because I love the convenience of easy access.
A restaurant kitchen is TOTALLY different from your home. It makes sense there, But you don't spend 8-10 hours cooking and needing access to everything easily at home, at least I hope not .
My open shelves mean that I spend less time in the kitchen. It doesn't matter if it's a 10 hour day or a 10 minute day. I don't need easy access to everything--just a few things that I use frequently. Not a day goes by that I do not use every one of those items on the open shelf.
On the other hand, things that are occasionally used (like pickling spices and cordial glasses) are behind cabinet doors.
Hand-knotted rugs (such as Persian rugs) don’t shed fibres, even from day one. The wool is already straight and there are no loose, short fibres.
Separations at the base of the screen with each subjects would be a great addition to your interesting videos.
The open shelving in general is a huge one! I barely have closed cabinetry in my apartment(except for the kitchen, luckily)at the moment, and the dust really gets everywhere…
Gonna pick up a couple of IKEA Malms though soon!
definitely! plus, to make open shelving look unclutter and aesthetic, you can only place things sparsely, and in matching containers. It ends up being a display rather than functional storage.
@@doctordonnanoble Exactly and that means keeping everything on the shelf looking Pinterest perfect! 😂
Open shelves for the win. You can say something with authority, but it doesn’t it make it the truth. Just one truth. He’s right about the sink thing, though.
@@timothybrown9449 I guess it's all about the balance
In my experience, a good quality wool rug, like an authentic Persian carpet, does not shed at all.
That's a good point, sometimes cheap imitation makes all the difference - in each choice. I commented similarly about the coating on the furniture. Sometimes it doesn't even evolve around price, like with countertops. Or tiles. Just the certain type of material, certain quality or small but significant changes in the design.
@person1894Y49 that may be true, but what does "the other stuff" mean? When I mention Persian rug I mean the wool is from Iran, the colors are natural, and they are woven in a way that makes them last for decades or centuries being used under the foot. We had many Persian rugs. The only rugs that I have seen shed are the majority that are being mass produced. Basically, you get what you pay for
@ Payem GH Correct but who can afford those these days
@@expatmoose yes, good point!
@@expatmoose people used to save for investment pieces. Most people nowadays dont want to do that so we get poorer quality stuff
The one thing you spoke about that we did when remodeling a bathroom was picking one of the flat bottom sinks. We regretted it almost immediately for 14:15 all the reasons you mentioned.
I like your points, just wanted to point out for wallpaper in the bathroom look for moisture proof wallpaper. For light couches, go for leather if you can and either way there are great sprays out there to keep stains of your couch and make them very wipeable. I've had a white leather couch for 10 years and I've spilt wine, coffee and all sorts of things on it. They wipe right off and don't stain at all.
Yes, I have a white leather settee in my bedroom and a damp microfiber cloth does the trick. I do condition the leather twice a year but it takes about 20 minutes, smells amazing and keeps the leather soft and beautiful.
Sorry about your experience with wool carpets, but my own experience with 2 different versions of wall to wall wool Berber is that there really was no shedding. And it feels great and sheds stains fairly well.
yes, and also - we found our polyester rug particularly hard to vacuum compared to all the wool ones we had - even if they weren't 100% wool the natural fiber blend really helped with it not grabbing onto dust and other debris as much
I agree. Not all wool carpets are made the same way. But more and more clothes and carpets are made to look good but their quality is terrible.
I have black grout in my bathroom and it’s a pain to keep black. It sucks up limescale and all kinds of dirt really fast. So it’s not just pale grout that’s difficult to maintain imo
I painted my grout with Groutin (dark grey) and it's held up really well. Looks great and stops the grout absorbing stuff. Easy to apply too. The white one is a bit meh though.
Matte Black furniture can be fine if the texture of the surface has some grain to it, smudges don't shop up as much, then you're just seeing dust (which you'll see on most surfaces that aren't dust grey-brown). Totally agree with avoiding it in kitchens though, since the material is smooth.
Re. laminate. I have cork-backed vinyl laminate and I love it. I am now a senior and I've had carpet, sheet vinyl, ceramic tile, first generation laminate, pre-finished hardwood and finished in place hardwood. The cork backed vinyl laminate wins hands down. Quiet, water friendly, cushioned, warm, attractive.......best.
Thank you for talking about wallpaper in bathrooms! I've always been so confused how people are using it in bathrooms due to the humidity but no one seems to talk about it!
Great video and I agree with almost everything except the matte black ban. It’s the glossy piano black that I feel shows every speck of dust and every fingerprint.
I painted my desk and a drop down kitchen breakfast bar in matte black and find it very easy to clean with one swipe of a moistened micro fibre cloth, no surface cleaner or chemical of any kind required. Unlike a high gloss black granite finish I lived with for a couple of years that drove me insane, and I never wanted to even use it, because even touching it walking by would show a fingerprint. And it needed paper towel and a quality chemical surface cleaner to make it look clean, and the entire surface had to be done. This doesn’t happen with matte in my experience
Totally agree!! Shiny black granite kitchen drove me nuts, current dark matte surfaces are fab 🎉
I once installed shiny black countertops in a kitchen remodel, it was a nightmare to keep clean, every fingerprint and spec of dust would show up on it seconds after cleaning 😱🤦 and I rented an apartment while renovating mine, it had matte navy blue kitchen cupboards and they were a nightmare to keep clean as well. I am so glad that I choose white cabinets and countertops, super easy to keep clean.
It's not about matte dark colors but about the type of coats (painting in your case). I have matte dark everything in my house 💀 and find the "cleanableness" of the surfaces extremely varied. The painted finish is really easy to clean 😊 what would not be my guess, comparing it with professionally sprayed doors. Apparently it's about the texture. The smoother the more difficult to clean which is also counterintuitive for me. But glossy/ matte doesn't really matter that much.
👏👏👏 excellent suggestions. I love my handless kitchen cupboards, my mom regrets all the pulls in her kitchen. Something that I did when I remodeled my kitchen and a bathroom was to choose extra large tiles, I hate cleaning grout lines, grout in the same colour as the tiles and the thinnest grout lines possible. It makes the floor look like it's a continuous material. Installation usually costs more, but I think that it's totally worth it.
The moment you mentioned tab handles, I felt it on a spiritual level. I really dislike those. I also agree that function should be prioritized but without leaving form out. They are not mutually exclusive or opposing forces, both can be factored into product design.
Very good video as always but I have to disagree about the dark kitchen units. I use to have a dark brown slightly textured IKEA kitchen with a matching countertop in my previous house and I had absolutely no issues with the problems you mention here. I now have a glossy white kitchen and it’s an absolute nightmare! Also, wool rugs and carpets are great! They shed a bit at first but it eventually stop. They are far better than synthetic rugs full of polluants in my opinion. For the rest, I agree!
The slightly textured might be what's saving it. I also have textured black cabinets and no problem at all, but I imagine the sleek ones are more annoying
@@Emma-dh7by yeah, I was about to say that too. I see the same in my slightly textured dark brown billy bookcases vs smooth dark grey kitchen cabinets that get scuffed and smudgy so quickly
Try the premade rain-x on your shiny or matt smooth cabinets. It reduces the greasy fingermarks and makes it easier to wipe them off.
@@Emma-dh7byHe was speaking of black cabinets.
It’s the gloss that was a mistake. We got an all white kitchen in matte and it’s great
I have kitchen handles from Superfront that look a bit like tab handles, but are in a half circle kinda shape that bends slightly downwards.
I think they are still relatively slim and unobtrusive, but also nice to grip and without sharp edges. And they’re really nice subtle accents! I think that’s a much better solution that rigid tabs
Do you have a link to these handles?
title should be "9 Popular Home Furnishings I DEFINITELY REGRETTED Buying" 😆
Lol
That’s exactly why he wants to (with a clear explanation) prevent others to regret those too.
Which makes the title correct again. 🫤😉
@@The_Real_Mier or more accurately, things you will regret buying once you have kids and are too busy to curate your space or care for anything that prioritises form over function, something every parent knows about. 😂
@@sventer198 😂😂😂😂😂😂
@mcheddadi more like "watch an adult man whine about those 9 pointless things"
I want those 3 minutes of my life back...
I'd rather have a wool rug than an artificial fiber one shedding microplastics everywhere. Other than that, I love your suggestions.
It’s only the cheap, machine made, wool rugs that suck. I’ve had high end hand knitted wool rugs for a long time and I’ve never seen this pilling
@@FormerLeashKidAndProudthank you! My rugs have never noticeably shed.
The advice about sink forms was really valuable to me because I'll have to buy a new one shortly, thanks!
Only point I don't agree with is the last one about closed kitchen cupboards. Opening doors and shuffling through stuff dozens of times to get to the most basic things just isn't worth it. IMO, the statement that shelves are for displaying things is oversimplified, they're for having easy access as well.
Mostly agree. However I have had high-end laminate that was more forgiving of water and didn't scratch like hardwood. It was also better cushioned/more comfortable to walk on. You pay as much for that as for hardwood, however, without the resale value.
Also, another thing about dark surfaces; they can sometimes be hard to get completely clean. Maybe more so if they have a pattern on them. I find myself having to look really close to make sure I haven't left a spot of something because it can be hard to see. On the one hand, if you can't see it it might look tidier, on ther other, it's still dirty.
It was my problem because I used wrong cleaning chemicals for the type of coating. Since I wash the units with the dishsoap and a little bit of vinegar + use suitable cloth, I clean it very quickly without any struggles. First with a bit of the mixture and then I rinse the cloth and wipe out any foam.
At the beginning I was terrified because I tried to use dedicated cleaners and all I was left with were smudges all over, the grease was there no matter how many times I would go through and getting rid of the cleaners was a nightmare. I used to clean the front doors 3/4 times and they looked even worse with each time. I had to ask my carpenter what the hell. He told me to use window cleaner. Well it leaves the surface without smudges all sometimes I do use it but it's faster to clean with the dishsoap as it involves grease. And the solution involves a certain cleaner (I don't know where you're from, here it's called clin) because other didn't work.
The cloth also does the job, I tried many different and I keep the one that makes it really fast and easy to rinse out of the soap. Hard to tell what it is (it has many little holes in it and it's not microfibre).
when we bought our house, the kitchen cupboards had handles shaped like chillis... they looked quite cool but were basically metal hooks so after snagging countless woolies on them they had to go... :)
Thank you for your attention to the design of items. Would love for you to discuss things to look for in appliances, outlets, fiixtures, cabinet designs, especially about ease of cleaning. Wood countertops in kitchens, especially around the sink are awful. They stain so easy. I have to sand and re sesl the countertops every 3-5 months just to keep it looking sanitary. Have open shelving in my kitchen, HATE it. Yes I am shouting. If a fly or fruit fly gets in the house, I have to wash every dish before I use it.
Omg the thing you said about matte black is so true! I'm already going nuts with something as small as the all black keyboard of my Mac because it's constantly dirty/dusty 5min after cleaning it whilst the ones that still had some silver in-between barley looked dirty for weeks.
I once sublet an apartment from a very short couple. When cleaning the kitchen, I was surprised to discover the refrigerator had a matte, textured top surface. I had never seen that before. Imagine my shock when a corner broke off and I realized it was just the congealed, dusty top of a kitchen appliance which had likely never been cleaned in years.
Argh! I am very short too, but I climb on a stool to clean the fridge top :)
😱😱🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮 gross!!!!
That's disgusting!!!!
Ok so people who can’t see the top of the refrigerator are very short? 😮
@@StarlightUnderDaSea I was sub-letting the apartment and met the tenants. They were a very nice, young couple but they were, in my opinion, short. I think they were both under 5’ 5”.
I used high end laminate floors and have been great. I have saved a full box of the flooring to patch floor if I need to. I have allergies and have less dust than I would with carpeting.
Yes, people do need to keep spares. I know someone who didn’t, because they thought it had a long guarantee. What they didn’t realise was that it didn’t cover deliberate damage (another story), and also that it still does show occasional contrasting nicks and cuts through to the dark backing. And, of course, that colour has long been discontinued. Another problem with that type of flooring is they advertise it as being easy to fit yourself, but that doesn’t account for skirting boards which either have to be moved, or if you use the matching skirting strips they provide, it is only glued down and thus tends to dislodge in the long term - plus also absorbs water and swells.
Can you please do a video for lazybones who hates dusting, cleaning and mopping and what types of Ikea furniture fits someone like me? 😅 I need to buy furnitures that won't accumulate dust. Also, a video for people who are off grid, or when were on budget cuts, be stingy with electricity bills, anything to have money on utility bills by buying furnitures that saves money on the long run, also what and where we can add lights and live during blackouts Thanks.
Everything gets dusty, but paler woods and light finishes won't show it as much. Quentin Crisp famously said that dudt gets no thicker after a few years, so why worry about it?!
Dust is caused by skin shedding, so you can't eliminate it completely, but it is caused also by fabrics shedding. Avoid using too many fabrics in your furniture. Leather sofa or chairs for example will cause less dust to form in your living room than cloth covered ones. Keep your clothing in wardrobe, don't leave it lying around the house. Vertical window slats instead of cloth curtains. Things like that.
I have several small solar powered lights by the windows during the day, and move them to other parts of the house at night, which saves on electricity bill.
I have found that luxury vinyl planks make a terrific alternative to laminate flooring. They can be mopped without fear of water destroying them. They are softer under foot, quieter than both laminate and wood, and they can look quite brilliant these days!
Agreed!! I love mine. Best flooring choice!
Vinyl is great for getting the look of wood without the price tag, but the one real downside to them that not many really talk about is off gassing. Vinyl floors off gas phthalates for decades, these are endocrine disrupting molecules that can cause issues in pets or babies/ young children playing on the surface. (What happens is the vinyl off gasses the phthalates to the dust a dirt that lands on it, then when you walk or raw around on it the dust gets kicked up and inhaled and gets into your body).
With that said, I have vinyl in some of my rooms in my current house (tile in main areas, vinyl in bedrooms), and it does indeed look great and is super wear resistant. But for the next house I build I’ll be going with engineered hardwood throughout instead of vinyl to avoid some of that issue.
@@DrWarBear Well, I'm retired so no worries here.....
For how lonf does it offgas?@@DrWarBear
Replaced carpeting in our great room with an engineered wood floor. You are right. Go top of the line. The floor we bought was designed to take spills and even pet accidents (even though we have no pets). The cost was comparable to getting new top quality carpeting.
Just realized the new vanities we ordered for our house are trough sinks 😫 As for wallpaper in the bathroom. I think it looks best in a powder room. Big impact in a small space that doesn’t get too much moisture.
Trough sinks are fine if you have a moveable tap and brush debris into the strainer once the waters out - i dry the dishes then give the sink a quick going over,, dump the strainer contents in the compost bin, job done. Once you're used to doing it, it's not really an issue, quick to get used to doing. I also have smooth matt, dark grey kitchen cabinets, bit of rain-x on them when cleaning once a week keeps most of the greasy finger marks at bay, works as well for the outside of the oven, extractor, and fridge which are shiny black.
My grandmother’s powder bath was wallpapered and the paper probably cost 50 per roll (in 1990s money)
It was gorgeous jewel tones with ceiling lights, and every time I went it there I felt like a princess 😂. It was gorgeous
The wool rug fibers I knew about, and was ready to deal with the carpet brush, but here’s the reason I ended up not buying a wool rug: my 2 adorable cats! I bought a 2x3 foot sample of the rug to see if it was the right colors and if I liked it. Great colors, low pile, just beautiful; I loved it. My cats thought so too. They DESTROYED it! It became their newest, favorite scratching spot and they shredded it to bits. Wasn’t going to spend $1200 on a cat scratching post! Sigh…I can never have nice things. 😢
This has made me feel SO much better about our bathroom sink! (We’ve got the rounded bottom). Have you got any more of the Architect Redesigns in the works Daniel?
Silk rugs are the best. Very soft and cozy and I got mine at a very reasonable price at bed Bath and beyond. Crazy huh. I washed them in the washing machine and they come out great. Very happy.
I feel like the absolute best option for flooring is porcelain tiles. In this day and age, they can perfectly mimic any surface or finish and yet, they come with the guarantee of strength, durability, and beauty without the worry of mopping with too much water, or spills, or stains, or lifting or ANYTHING.
Love the porcelain tiles in my kitchen. Bought them for a song 15 years ago before they became popular.
They aren’t very friendly to dropped items. And cold unless you have underfloor heating, or live in the tropics.
Excellent advice - now if only architects who design these new apartments to see this video - especially the sinks and cheap flooring.
If you actually think this mostly depends on the architect, you either don't understand capitalism or an architects job.
The client asks for style but still want they want and often other than taste they want cheap but looking luxurious.
And they have a very subjective definition of what high end means.
It often means what I see in magazines, social media, imitate what is expensive or ''what bettany has but why can't you make it look the same with my small amount of money, and my different sun orientation and my different structures and not in this colour but it has to match the rest, and and and'' you gets the picture.
@@greyscalesx at the same time, let's celebrate that people who can't afford high end furniture and materials, can afford an assistance to help them make their home beautiful and functional. Because our spaces create who we are. I love your comment. We shouldn't be judging. There is an artistic aspect to architects job but it's also a service job, helping people.
All my shelves are open shelves in my kitchen I love them. Stuff gets dirty inside cabinets as well. I also cook a lot and I don't have this grease and dirt problem of which you speak. However I do have a pantry for storing crap and the lowers are cabinets. The solution to the carpet problem is to have no carpets lol. They just get dirty and you have to clean them why bother. I have Mexican tile everywhere. I don't even have a bathroom rug.
Hey Daniel, Our son has a black (he loves black) desk and we placed a plexiglass plate on it. That helps enormously and looks fab too!!!
We placed plexiglass on all our desks afterwards (different colors). LOVE IT!!
Maybe you can talk about that in one of your videos?
Warm greetings, Pinkie
I loved my laminate (middle of the road price wised) that I put in about 20 years ago...4 years ago I replaced with premium vinyl wood look tile. yuck. It does not clean as easy and the furniture scratched it almost right away ( I have since put felt on everything) so I disagree. I also like my open kitchen shelves. I put stuff I use often in regards to plates, and the upper shelves are just decorative so not as big a deal that gets cleaned at christmas and spring (when decor is moved around) I agree that stuff does get dirty, but above the stove I keep the oil (used often) in decorative baskets, and the breakfast booze above the coffee station. easy to wipe off. It definitely helps with keeping my junk to a minimum! I agree completely on the flat sink. I put in a stone sink in the kitchen, and even with the spray hose, it is hard to keep the corners clean. Plus it is too flat to drain well. But it is huge, and I like that.
At some point our wool rugs (floor to floor) stopped noticeable shedding. When they were new and shedding it seemed within the norm for a new rug. Ours are 20 plus years old - so they have held up pretty well. Great video!
But sitting on a wool rug will leave you with plenty on your clothing you’ll have to remove. Have one in my bedroom. Agree with you that the big shedding dissipates when the rug is new.
Maybe it's because I hate cleaning but each time I buy something, it's always the number one thing on my mind: how easy is it to clean? I even plan to change our kitchen pending lights because it's literally a dust catcher. One thing I bought that I hate is our bathroom faucet, it's not long enough and it's really hard to clean our hands without touching the back of the sink.
If you use wallpaper that's specifically designed for bathrooms you can do it. There are companies that offer such products.
I’ve had light colored fabric furniture in every home for 30 years and have never been anxious about it. If your fabric is that vulnerable it’s not well made furniture (even if expensive). You can also treat fabrics to avoid problems from spills or choose pieces with washable slipcovers.
So releaved I found you this morning I would have made really bad mistakes on my holiday home renovation, like I did with my pale floor grout in my powder room ugh. Thank you I’ll keep watchingching and learning
Thank you so much for the lesson! I really appreciate learning from your experiences. Some of these tips make total sense now but somehow I didn't see them before.
Use a grout sealer over it and it doesnt absorb anything and stays white. I reseal it about every 3-4 years. On my next remodel i will be using non-absorbant epoxy grout. That grout doesnt need to be sealed.
Thanks for validating my “mentalness” (as husband/ ex flatmates call me out for!). Most of these seem to fall under, “why reinvent the wheel, designers?!” Classics become classics for a reason.
I chose edge pull handles for my kitchen doors. It’s a good compromise between handleless and a C-pull, with a minimum visual impact. And very very rarely snags something.
I tried a wool rug once because I was told they would clean up easy. A dog (not mine, I board dogs at my house) peed on it and the stain would not come out. Rug ruined in less than a week. I love how wool rugs look and feel but they are not the best choice in every situation. I like my machine washable rugs the best but outdoor rugs work too.
I actually like open shelving in my kitchen but I don't cook often, I don't cook anything super greasy and my shelving is a bit away from the stove. Yeah stuff can get dusty but only if it sits for a while. Plates, bowls etc get used daily so its not an issue with everything. I love having all my dishes on display (I have studio pottery dishes, vintage corningware etc that I want to see) and the extra storage makes my kitchen so much more functional. I do not have a large kitchen and my cabinets would be packed without the shelving.
- Stone countertops. Say hello to your new life of needing to regularly needing to buy new glassware, and googling "ring stain removal".
- Lightweight rugs that are huge. Vacuuming them is infuriating, and carrying them outside for beating is not as "lightweight" as you'd imagined.
- Polished bathroom fixtures & glass shower doors. Stains instantly. Pretty much standard in every Swedish bathroom...
I like our matte black worktop. it forces you to wipe it at least once a day to keep everyting clean and tidy. and it only takes a couple seconds to wipe
The key to pokey drawer/cabinet handles is to have the counter top lip jutted out enough to protect you from the handles. Otherwise, the handles are a hazard. I'm very conscious of that because of the scratches and ripped pockets/clothes I've accumulated over the years 😂
Totally agree, I do not miss the collection of bruises I used to receive from pokey out handles. Ikea used to do flush flip out handles which were great but collect crumbs if you're not careful (toothbrush needed to clean),. When i upgraded the kitchen in my next place, i went for push open/close, much prefer that so i don't break my rubbish nails when i accidentally slam fingertips into the recessed handle - i'm a clumsy oaf so I was very excited when I got push fittings.
I had a co-worker who did not like any colour in her home and everything was white including her sofa and dining rooms chairs. She was a neat freak so was constantly cleaning! And she almost never had people over to entertain at her home. I will never understand folks who treat their houses like museums. I like stylish stuff but I am also very practical and don't intend for the epitaph on my grave to read, "She kept a super clean home" would prefer to be remembered for who I am and how I treated people. In the end no one will care that you had a spotless white sofa!
I should start off by saying I really enjoy your videos! Today, I have a comment about sofas. I’ve had white or off white slip covered sofa for years. I waited until my kids were grown and gone, but I do have dogs (they’re small, don’t shed but can still be messy). I use throw blankets in the same or similar color as the sofa. That has been enough to delay cleaning the slipcovers. (Please note: I’m sitting on the sofa drinking coffee!) Darker sofas might seem like a solution, but they can show dirt that light fabric does not.
That was an excellent and useful video, Daniel! Some excellent comments there. And what a smooth segue into your sponsorship segment. And I mean that. It was the best sponsorship inclusion I've seen for a long time as most content creators don't convey much sincerity. I actually watched it rather than fast forwarded! And I have no association with Bellroy in case anyone thinks that 😆
I agree with everything you said except for laminate flooring. I installed high end laminate which is water and scratch resistant. Very durable, looks absolutely gorgeous. So there's a quality difference with laminate flooring, and i wouldn't install a cheap type for sure.
I can't get enough of your smart advice since I want to feel relaxed at my home, stay in clean environment but do as little as possible. Also, I really don't want to pay for anxiety. :) Thanks.
What a sweet comment
This was a good watch! I caught a couple traps that I totally would have fallen into (I.e. tab drawer handles and flat basin sink). Makes a lot of sense, just things I hadn’t considered
A couple of comments on this list
1. Wool rugs with tightly knotted/Berber weave don’t shed
2. Epoxy grout solves all problems - it looks good, its easily cleanable and in my experience its the only type of grout that doesn’t discolor or gunk up.
3. Engineered hardwood floor is a great middle ground between actual hardwood and laminate.
I don’t really see a problem with trough sinks. You got that cup for when you are brushing your teeth, right? Just fill it with water and swirl around the sink a couple of times to clear out the debris.
I mean, I find myself having to do this to sweep things down the drain in my “regular” sink anyway.
Ugh. Those tab drawer pulls are the worst! My cousin renovated her bathrooms and put in cabinets and drawers with those metal tabs as handles. There’s nothing quite like getting out of the shower and walking over to the sink, tearing open the skin of your thigh because you can’t see without your glasses on and you didn’t see the little tabs sticking out of the bathroom cabinets…
I try to go with function but no light furniture, oh no! Thanks for the informative suggestions
As someone who’s cheap and lazy and prone to bumping off furnitures, this was definitely a much needed video. 😊
Thanks, Daniel! I so appreciate your videos.This was excellent information (which I could have used a few years ago before I made some of these mistakes). But I am now rethinking buying tab handles and will probably go with your choice. Can you tell what brand you purchased?
Agreed on the pale grout! We've been renting for the past 7 years. Lovely bathroom with pale green tiles and... pale grout. Floor and walls. The cleaning of that bathroom has put me off grout for all eternity. There's just no way I'm going to scrub every single line of the floor and walls often enough for it to look good, I swear I have other things to do.
I have never had a problem with my wool carpets. They don't seem to collect actual dirt as much as my synthetic carpets.
I understand that open kitchen shelves cause visual clutter, etc., but imo they are kind of necessary for creative cooking at home. It's like a visual board made of jars and ingredients. You can put appliances away, but I want to see all my ingredients at hand at a glance. Then I can make delicious food. And that _is_ function.
Thanks for the advices i completely agree, sometimes we can be tempted by beautiful designed things but in the end functionality wins...then if White and black colors suffer the same problem of dirt are we right only when choosing the traditional wooden tones? Bye
I agree about "cheap" laminate floors, but we have had good quality name brand laminate floors in 25 years worth of homes and never regretted it. They have stood up to children, dog nails, mopping, you name it. The only issue we had was a big earthquake which sent a lot of items to the ground and some heavy, sharp object made a dent. I recommend them.
Rather than using wallpaper in the bathroom, I recommend hiring a skilled fresco artist, preferably from Minoan Crete or Renaissance Italy. You'll also need to include a time machine in your budget.
My apartment kitchen has tab handles and I hate them with every fiber of my being 😭 they are SO hard to open and I’ve hurt myself on them countless times. It’s a pretty short term situation though, so I think we’ll just tough it out 😖 but thanks for the tip on how to fix them!
Daniel, could you please explain, what exactly do you mean by "cheap laminate"? Is there a price margin you have in mind or any other criteria you would use to choose a good quality laminate?
I think his referring to laminate like when you go to Wickes or B and Q and choose cheapest ones that are not designed to be waterproof and designs change every few years. I’ve been sold that branded stuff like Quickstep rarely change their design and you can still buy flooring bought 10 years ago so maybe try branded stuff?
Hey Daniel- what to do to change open kitchen shelves to cover up the clutter? I cook often and using the shelves for storage not display. It does make the kitchen looking busy and clutter in my rental unit. Any recommendations would be appreciated 🫰🏻🫰🏻🫰🏻
How do you keep a tiny kitchen feeling open with upper cabinets? We have a small farmhouse where the front door opens straight into the kitchen. I insisted the upper cabinets be taken down because that was the first thing in my face when opening the front door. Is it best to get shallower cabinets or no shelves/cabinets at all? Storage is a struggle.
Love your concept as always! Shower screen doors often has mold inside the silicon after some time, especially in tropical humid countries. Any other alternative designs in bathrooms? Go without doors? Another problem to resolve ~ wet floor 😅
I don’t have any neat designer/architect solutions, but I do have a low tech tip that’s made a huge difference in my bathrooms - use a squeegee after every single shower to sluice the water off all the walls/doors/floors, because it drastically cuts down the amount of lingering moisture and means the whole place will dry out more quickly, and as a bonus will leave the place looking cleaner without as many water streaks and spots! It might seem like a tedious task to have to do every time at first, but it only takes a few seconds - get a squeegee that lives permanently in your shower that you can easily use with wet hands to reduce any resistance or barrier to completing the task, and it soon becomes a habit and means much less time in the future with bleach sprays scrubbing at mould 😅
My flat has a fixed glass screen and a walk-in shower, with the whole bathroom designed as a wet-room (unfortunately also making it unsuitable for the cat litter box, as well as it also being too small!) but with my squeegee sluicing habit there aren’t any wet floors (beyond them being slightly damp initially) 😊 I’ve lived here nearly 3.5 years now and the only sign of any mould is in the far corner of the shower floor, and that’s my fault for not getting an in-shower storage solution sorted out for my shampoo etc bottles, so water has the chance to pool underneath them!
@@EmmaVB82 Thank you so much for taking the time to share your tips 😃 Really appreciate it! Have started the squeegee habit and also increase the ventilation in the house, even though there are dehumidifiers in the house. Too much rain at times 😅
@@EmmaVB82 I also use a squeegee and a microfibre cloth to remove water from the shower glass and tiles. It’s been seven years and I only have mould under the silicone at the junction of walls and floor. The glass screen looks virtually new, and I don’t ever have to live with any buildup of water scale on the glass. You’re right, once you have done it for a while, it becomes automatic. Yes, it is probably a greater total of labour than once a week, but it is lesser intensity.
Always take a sample of tiles, kitchen fronts, fabric, countertop,... home for extensive testing before ordering. Most of the time shops can give you a scrap piece that is a lot bigger than those little display samples.
I very much enjoyed your video and agreed with the majority of your advice (absolutely no pale furniture or cheap laminate) but I disagree with a couple of points. First off, I would never get anything but a wool rug or carpet. The shedding, which I haven't experienced much of, is well worth the durability, the warmth, and the color fastness. Plus it's not made of whatever horrible petroleum product synthetic fibers are. And secondly, I inherited my parents home with wallpaper in the kitchen, half bath, and full bath. That stuff lasted from when they put it up in the early 70s until the 2010s when I took it down. The full bath had a bit of separation at one seam but no mold or any other issue. I plan to put up wallpaper in all those spaces because minimalism is not my jam and I don't have any worries about it.
Good comments but I do disagree with the opens shelved kitchen. I have done 2 now. Completely open shelved above and below benches. They are the best kitchens I've ever had. I have cane baskets for kitchen utensils and some baking items and overhead shelves are full of glass jars with all food items and all different teas and 2 rows of herb and spice jars. Everything is easy to find and it stops you having junk in your kitchen. I got cheap zinc pipes with joiners to make shelf rails etc and it functions so well. I'm never having cupboards ever again 😂
A kitchen needs balance between open and closed storage. Look at professional kitchens as the best example. Pots, pans, ladles and everything else hanging somewhere from a hook and being easy to access.
For someone who is adamant about form over function with regards to the bathroom it is an impossible contrast to go with fully closed kitchen cabinets. A kitchen needs function as the absolute highest priority if you want to find joy in cooking.
12:56 is the look of a kitchen that's never actually used in real life and you know it.
But I agree 100% on the pale sofa. Grey is the brightest I'm willing to go.
Grout comes in a epoxy type or something non porous that repels grime. The traditional one keeps every spec of dust mixed with water.
Thank you for sharing these tips. At some point I was considering open shelving and now I’m not :)
Got a big wool carpet and it's pretty true that it sheds quite a bit. Although it's a really fluffy deep-pile carpet so that's not a surprise. It's still managable so I don't mind too much.
The bathroom sink idea also saves you money. If you need 3 inches of water to have a wash that's a lot more water on a flat bottom sink than a curved one .
Any advice on wool mohair upholstery? In a nearby consignment shop, I’ve seen some sofas in mohair (almost velvet-like appearance) and wonder if it’s going to be hot, attract lint, wear well in a room I use daily. I’ve heard it wears like iron but not about other aspects of it.
If I weren't already subscribed, this video would have had me doing just that. You mentioned the matte black and fingerprints and I can see that. I like the dark look, would a semigloss type finish still have this issue? I really am a fan of black.
Am feeling proud bc my toilet grout is brown on blue tiles. I did not want pressure of keeping them clean looking.
Thanks for this, came in a good time. I wanted to add one thing though, some laminate floors can handle water. They’re not as cheap but they’re a great alternative to hardwood floors. We’re putting it on the kitchen too. But again it has to be suitable for that. In case it helps anyone!
Would love some insight about choosing the right flooring! There are too many choices (as with all things these days it seems 😅)
We once rented a vacation condo that was all white. White carpeting, white furniture. We spent a part of every day cleaning, and I went into a panic when I spilled apple juice on the carpet. As for open shelves in a kitchen, maybe one small shelf for the things you use every day is OK. I live alone, so I use the same coffee cup, the same cereal bowl, etc. every day. A quick rinse and they're good to go, though they go in the dishwasher for its infrequent runs. Everything else needs to be protected from grease and dust in a closed cabinet.
Try this: wool carpet + black floor tiles in the bathroom. You are going to curse yourself every day. And speaking of light colored boucle, this is what I had on the dining chairs when my son was born....never again!
We have a 10 year-old wool carpet downstairs and it still sheds. All the time! On the bright side, it’s comfy on the feet 😏.
Ah 2:43 thats why the tab handles in my new place are way smaller and rounded off totally - nice 😅
I regretted buying a dinner table with square corners. I always bumped into it so my legs were always black and blue in the same spot. From now on only tables with rounded corners for me! 😊