Happy New Year everyone! 2023 has been a great year, and I’m so grateful for your incredible support 🙏 I have big plans for the year ahead and am currently working on a very exciting project (some of you may already know what it is 😉), but I’m also committed to post more and better videos! P.S. I’m currently looking for a video editor, if you're keen or know anyone who is one, feel free to apply here: rlowell.notion.site/rlowell/Video-Editor-Job-7a15bb0f1a44440883506c307100b4fe
I appreciated how this video didn't just criticize trends but offered practical solutions. The before-and-after visuals and the easy-to-follow advice make it a go-to guide for anyone wanting to keep their home decor current and stylish.
Most people have no idea what their style is and this why design trends happen. Your home should reflect your personality and lifestyle. It should make you feel comfy. Who cares what anyone else thinks, they don't live there.
I totally agree. Let People Live and show their personality and lifestyle the way they want. One person's opinion of style is not the end all to be all LOL
Absolutely. I don't have the time or energy for it. I'd rather put together a space that I can feel good in not just because of how it looks, but because of the way it makes me feel when I walk through the front door.
Yes! The barn style bathroom door in hotel rooms astound me. If I stay somewhere with a family member - even my partner - there are just some things that don’t need to be heard…or smelled.
I stayed in a hotel in Italy which had a totally sound proof bathroom. You really couldn't be heard even if you tried. It was kinda amazing and kinda scary!
I'm in the midwest and was told I making a mistake by not getting grey flooring in 2021 because it's what people are doing when they update their home. I went with a light wood Maple engineered hardwood. No regrets. 🎉
I’ve been looking at houses and they are STILL putting in gray everything! It’s awful! Plus they put the gray floors with wood cabinets or tan tiles , it’s horrible.
Your last point is particularly true - if you are buying a character home, the worst thing you can do is “modernize” it. My wife and I recently bought an older home and it had needs - eg new doors, lighting, etc but we selected things that look old, look like they fit with the period
Great video. It seems like avoiding unnatural things and things that defeat functional purpose are good ideas. Wood is not grey unless it is exterior and exposed, in which case it just screams "I need a coat of paint". Metal is ... metal coloured - silver/chrome. brass, copper etc.. Black metal taps are unnatural. Shiplap is ONLY for the exterior. As an architectural noise control engineer it is always a hard NO on internal barn doors. Pencil tiles defeat the purpose of a easily-washable backsplash. Heavily-veined marble is for horizontal work surfaces only. There has never been a "word sign" that doesn't just scream "tacky". If I see "Live. Laugh. Love." on a wall I cynically think the occupants aren't all that happy.
Per your expertise, are glass doors a good noise barrier for bathrooms? Hubby wants to maintain the illusion of space but i would like the noise separation in the ensuite master
Yeah, those signs. It's like, 'I really want a happy home, but I'm not a happy person, so I can't create one. Maybe if I put up a sign telling OTHER people what to do, our house will magically become a home.' The fact is, 'home' is created by the hearts in it (sorry feminists, but especially the woman at the heart of a home). If you are a mean-spirited person, argumentative, critical, harsh, ungenerous, crusty, boastful and self-centered, your house will never be a 'home.' You can live in a hovel and make terrible design choices or have no money to do more than luck into some second-hand furniture, but if your heart is warm and open and generous, people will flock to YOU and your hovel will be a true home. I think you absolutely hit on something: that people often decorate their homes because of a craving for 'true home' - that is, a safe place where they know that nobody will hurt or reject them, where there is warmth, acceptance, unconditional love, the comfort of knowing, 'Here I am safe and always welcome.' I think a lot of people try to create the SENSE of 'at-homeness' that they didn't get as children by decorating their homes this or that way - including signs that tell people how to behave to make a house feel homey. It's a wish, a craving for 'true home' deep in the heart, expressed in consumer items. If people realized how much they spent trying to create that 'safe place of love and acceptance' by buying stuff to design and furnish their homes, they might work on themselves first, and their homes second. I see the craving for a sense of 'true home' in many people I meet, and especially in women who are always fantasizing about the 'perfect home' that they will create 'one day' from pictures they've saved from Pinterest, etc. The hardest thing is to BE the home you want to have, BE the home you want other people to flock to - in your heart and in your care for others. Then the stuff you put in your house will reflect the warm and loving heart that abides there, even if it's old sofas found on the street and covered with a sheet from the thrift store. No one will care about the design, because they will feel at home with YOU. The most beautifully designed and decorated house will only be as welcoming and homey as the hearts that dwell in it. A sign isn't going to cut it if the people in the house are miserable, cold, selfish, snobbish, etc.
Thank you for addressing the barn door in hotel rooms- it’s absurd! I also love how you talk about to consider your house architecture & location for colors and trends. I never liked the pencil linear tile or grey flooring, glad I didn’t let design center talk me into them for my homes!
Just now stumbled upon your channel. I'm a professional architect and I've been advising my clients on every single one of your topics with exactly the same advice! So, well done Mr. Lowell, well done! Next time one of my clients hesitates about my advice, I'll refer them to you!!
The thrift stores in my area are full of those word signs. The live laugh love, or 'blessed', or something like that. Also kitchen signs that say stuff like 'farm fresh eggs' or 'eat here' or just 'kitchen'.
I HATE those cheesy word signs! And yet whenever I go to the more “budget friendly” home decor stores like Home Goods or At Home there are TONS of them there. Hobby lobby is especially egregious in this regard. It make trying to find tasteful, interesting wall decor thst wont break the bank a real challenge. Especially when your aesthetic is a bit more sophisticated and urbane and does NOT lean toward the farm house or rustic look. It’s maddening!!
@@elisamdoShop in resale and consignment stores for decor. Items there are rarely originally from chain home decor stores and are usually much higher quality without breaking the bank. You can also find all kinds of accent decor at art fairs.
Last winter I remodeled a log cabin that was a flip house for an investor. We butted heads through the whole job. He bought grey cabinets and used marble looking quartz countertops, with Satin nickel hardware and fixtures. The kitchen looked so out of place with all that rustic wood. The worst part is that I could have saved him 10k by doing eastern white pine cabinets and an earthy granite countertop. It still hasn’t sold.
My sister almost bought an old house from back in the 1800s, but someone from out west beat her price. I by wild chance ended up meeting these people and coming over to their house one time. They were remodeling this house to black and white modern farmhouse look. The previously antique light fixtures and historic details were replaced with the most basic farmhouse chandeliers from Home Depot. It was depressing to see
Ugh, that is just sad though. We need to preserve our past as much as possible or lose our history. That particular couple just could have built a farmhouse replica and put the new fixtures in instead of getting rid of the historic ones! Makes me sad and mad!
I like your last point the most. I moved in 2022, nearly every home I looked at was super gray and generic, with no personality at all (plus the sellers wanted an extra $300k for their $150k renovation). I am so happy I eventually found a home that had all its original character and just needed some cosmetic touches to make it shine again.
We built four years ago and thankfully wife was emphatic about “timeless”. Brown wood floors, subway tile (I know it’s kinda trendy again but it’s also been around forever and won’t ever look dated imo).
I remember going around a kitchen showroom with my friend and she loved the grey. I said it's great here in this huge space, well lit, but in a small dingy north facing kitchen it'll soon feel miserable!
And why would you let his opinion change what you do to your house. Guess that's what happens when you follow trends instead of just doing what you like.
@@Marie.b I never said his opinion is changing anything and I clicked the video because I was interested in a professional opinion . It can be nice to listen to others prospective…
Our vinyl floors are brown with some grey undertones which makes it awesome for decorating. You can use grey decor to pull the grey from the floor and complement your decor or use decor that pulls brown from the floor to warm up the space. I love the flexibility of changing things up just by changing my decor to play with the colors in the flooring.
Just now stumbled upon your channel. I'm a professional architect and I've been advising my clients on every single one of your topics with exactly the same advice! So, well done Mr. Lowell, well done! Next time one of my clients hesitates about my advice, I'll refer them to yo
I haven’t seen a home decor/design/ channel address ‘how to decorate your 1950’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s….(you get the picture) home to look like your home and still appropriate for its unique architectural design & style’- a ‘how to work with and not against the style of house/flat/space you are blessed (or not so blessed) to have’… I think it would be a cool video series. I’m a new subscriber & I feel like you hint at this aspect of design/decor. How to respect the integrity of your home from the 1930’s, but not live in an awkward time capsule…. Tips and tricks to bring design, functionality, and style to suit you AND your home (too often just suiting your style and plastering it around your opposite style home doesn’t come across like you might think it does). Enjoy the videos I’ve seen so far. Thanks
@@reynardlowell I would love this, too! Specifically, I have a 1940s home and I'm trying to pick lighting fixtures and furniture that complement it. I've been looking into post-war industrial, but I'm still figuring out my style -- other than I've ruled out very-traditional, very-trendy, and MCM. It would be generally interesting to see how to work with homes built in different decades, maybe as a whole series!
At the end of the day, any work you do to a house will become dated even if it’s just by the materials used. The “appropriate” choice now will look dated in 10 years. Accepting that gives you more freedom to experiment to find what feels right to you. That said I’d still avoid trying to turn a home into something it’s not. As you mentioned, design and decor is the easiest thing to play around with that is easy to change. I don’t think fixtures are a big deal because they can be swapped. When it comes to bigger remodel decisions I think prioritize function over form, but within the spirit of the house. For example I wouldn’t go open floor plan on a Victorian but might consider how to expand rooms.contrast can be a form of complementary design so play around with mockups as much as you can to try out different combinations of things
As a retired remodeling contractor, I’ve seen the decorating trends come and go. White cabinets come in style every 20 years, then wood, then painted. When the big box stores start selling your floors, tile, countertops, the wealthy folks have moved on to start a new trend.
Yep, so just make your home how you like it, something you’ll enjoy, something that reflects you and your style… because inevitably some aspects of it will eventually be out of trend.
Today's trend of grey reminds me of the avocado green and harvest gold of the 70's. A real estate agent friend told me one time, " beige it up, you cant go wrong".
I have a grey floor and and a wall side in grey in my living room and I love it. I have this for 5 years now. Ask me again in 5 or 10 years, but for now …
Thanks for the clear and detailed advice. Yes, barn doors are overdone I think and often don’t fit with the home. Appreciate the advice about the “ gray” everywhere. Trying something new in my next home.
I really enjoy your videos, Reynard. I am mentioning this to give feedback, NOT to be negative or ugly: Sometimes the music is loud enough that it distracts from your voice. You have a nice voice, and we're here to hear your great advice (not music). Again, I hope that's helpful, and thanks so much for the great content! 🙂
I recently stayed at a Marriot hotel that had a sliding barn door for the bathroom and the closet - that is, there was a single barn door for both of those doorways, therefore you could have either the bathroom or the closet open, but not both... ridiculous!
After over 20 years with a WHITE kitchen floor 😮😟( not my choice!), installing "GRAY, Luxury Vinyl Plank" was one of the best decisions that I have ever made (besides installing a dishwasher!)😊. I like listening to designers, and I do learn from them, but as a recovering "rule follower", I am finally at a place that I allow myself to "like what I like". This applies to clothes, furniture and decor. It doesn't matter what is on trend or what is phasing out, things have to say, "Me" and they have to make me smile. I don't want my house to say "Anyone or Everyone USA". If I love it, and things fit my aesthetic and budget, then I go for it. I don't care for the all gray aesthetic either, so I have bold colors. Even after a couple of years, it still makes me smile. I think the most important thing is that you love your home.
As a serial owner builder I clarified the structures and the intention of the original architect. And poured in love. Beautiful finishes, simple. lBrass piano hinges on exterior glass and western red cedar doors.
There should be a way to like this more. The all gray, barn doors, shiplap, and word signs top my pet peeve list. With honorable mention to the over done marble.
Me too! If anyone doesn't like what I and my husband choose, work for, and pay for they don't have to be there. Let them spend all their money trying to keep up, not us. Keep doing you, babe!
#trends# are fleeting. Decorate with what you love and can afford. Its your home. Most people cant afford this business of trends changing every 24 months.
I’ve renovated in an older condominium project and have incorporated shaker style sliders (within the primary bedroom to close off the restroom and also the closet), a gray/brown luxury vinyl flooring and a hale navy accent color wall in the dining room. Each of these items included has been part of a cohesive design that borrows the colors that we see from the water view. The sliders were a practical application as pocket doors weren’t feasible (plumbing in walls) or where the original standard door was an awkward placement. Your comments are well thought out, but I’m still good with those design choices I made (and no signs were used)😅. Good content and balance is key.
Great advice! I watch you, and think perhaps in our next build, I hire someone like you to help plan the aesthetics and feel for the particular style of home. Just too easy to make something tacky. You’re 1000% right, designs can get dated fast.
So many of the things you commented on have been on my "out list", too. I was delighted when you mentioned word signs. Ugh. Hated them from the very beginning. The only one I have ever had is a wooden sign that says Merry Christmas, which I hang on my front door during the season. That feels okay to me. But word signs, sayings, and poetry on the wall are absolutely not timeless and kind of tacky.
Although I have made, sold (and gifted - I hold my hand up - guilty as charged - when I was first learning how to diy ) many wooden decorative signs, I would never ever have any in my home!!! Only piece I still want to create for myself someday is a reclaimed pallets Union Jack flag but I guess that’s not quite a sign!😂
I’m always grateful when going to someone’s house and I see pantry signs indicating what’s behind the closed door. I almost always confuse the pantry with the bathroom. (Kidding of course). I loathe word art.
Fully agree. I was an amateur designer for at least three decades, but for the last two years I am pioneering the niche of wood houses (based on I-joists and wood-based thermo insulation), healthy and alive (the walls and roofs are breathing, while exceeding the super-passive - or the opposite, active - standards). I took design courses, I watched hundred of documentaries, I did hundreds of measurements, I drafted hundreds of layouts, I executed some of them etc. My favourite styles are art deco and art nouveau, going towards eclectic (for a modern take on them), fusion. I fight all the times with customers asking bs like you presented. If they insist, they are not anymore my clients, I learnt to specify this from the very beginning, as I am not compromising for money (I am not their whore, even though the majority of architects, designers, builders give up to their customers' money). Of course, I subscribed to your channel after watching about ten videos of yours, we are on the same wave length. Well done and all the best. God bless you!
The over done grey vein marble went rampant here in Vancouver along with totally white paint interiors. It was and seems to be the first choice of asian owner/buyers. Thats ok with me but all the tile and flooring stores stocked to fill that market which has been huge. It became a total frenzy to go white with grey and marble. So if you wanted something in the warmer tones, you were out of luck. Thank goodness over the last year, sanity began to return. Now many other options have come available.
I absolutely agree with everything you said. The marble backsplashes in budget kitchens is something I struggle with talking people out of and you just may have given me a better way to approach it! Doing my own kitchen this year and literally everything you said has been discussed!
I appreciate your advice to work with the home you have and the environment it sits in. For example, I live in a single story ranch home built in the 50s. So therefore, mid century styles makes sense with my home. I’m not going to try to decorate it with a farmhouse style or ship lap.
I agree with you on all aspects of these trends. The barn doors have got to go, and the cheesy words whether they're on canvas, carved from wood, made from plastic or decals are ultimately vapid. I've been home shopping recently and I can't believe how many people have signs in their home to indicate the room. I don't need a sign that says kitchen, laundry, pantry, or bath. I've wondered if the factory workers who make these signs think that we're so stupid that we don't know what room we're in.
I still love gray as it feels very calm, clean and natural like ash. The barn doors save space in a room when the door is open, and give it style. This guy showed photos of styles and called them dated trends when in fact they still look beautiful. He is not the end-all. Seems like he wants to spread hate under the guise of wisdom for money
@@Unpopularity, thinking this nice, serene guy wants to spread hate speaks about you, not at all about him. I guess you are woke "liberal" that embraces all leftard stupidity: political correctness, cancel culture, lgbtqetc., illegal migration, BLM, cvd19 "vaxxx", digital world etc.
Great core advice and nicely delivered. If you are updating your space and doing the research on current trends and available upgrades and enhancements, it’s super important to not date your space and reach for longevity while still applying your own style. Thanks for helping us work toward that goal!
The floors are the worst thing, at least you can rip that crap off the walls without much cost. When I picked my floor, that cold grey looked terrible with my natural grass cloth. I searched high and low for tan/brown tones, finally got it at a deep discount because nobody wanted it. The fix is warm toned neutrals and earth tone pastels. Trends are almost impossible to avoid, by mistake, I got lucky.
Uhhhh we installed light gray tiles in the kitchen and hallway floors. I hate them now!!! They look so cold.. can you ex0lain more how you fixed your issue?
I had the same issue with my condo. The solution is to find rugs and furniture to „warm up“ the space and add texture so it doesnt look super flat. Look for lare oriental rugs in very warm colors like red/brown/beige, animal skins as well as plant fibre rugs such as hyacinth and Jute. Even better if you can layer the oriental rug on a hyacinth/jute base (which is what I did). Nice dark red Terracotta pots placed around the rugs also help. The overly warm tones contrast nicely with the too cold color of the milennial grey flooring. Hope that helps
@@ivaristovskaiva Are you asking me? It makes no sense to rip out the floor because of the color. But you could minimize it and even embrace it so that it looks intentional. Maybe use rugs or wallpaper with a very small amount of that same color, but mostly warmer colors. For the hallway, a runner would be a good idea. To completely ignore it with everything else will just make it look worse. It looks stark and cold to me, so carefully layering all warm colors and textures with it would be the way I would go. Be sure to include that exact color in very small amounts, otherwise it will look like a mistake. The other warm elements will dominate and the floor will just be a compliment to them. Blend and work with it, you cannot pretend it is not there. MY 2 cents.
@@ivaristovskaivaSo 80-90% warm earthy colors and texture. But small flowers or a thin stipe of that color you hate, and it won't look out of place, but intended to be that. You won't even notice it. Problem is that now it dominates everything, THAT is the reason you hate it, but easy to fix. Lesson to be learned is not to buy what everybody wants, that is a red flag. A trend. Same is true for speech, "moving forward", I still say "in the future". I still have "problems" never "issues".
@@gercody9722All good ideas, but that would contrast too much and might look worse. Maybe better to lessen the amount of that flat cold blue color while still adding a small pop of it elsewhere, a very small amount in a fabric or basket, as well. The color is not the problem, there is just too much of it. The other thing to do would be to put an even more bright clear blue next to it, so in comparison, it looks more rich and less cold. IDK. Stark contrast as you describe is good, but a very small amount of it repeated in a soft material elsewhere would look intentional, not a cover up bandaid solution.
I have a grey/walnut/white effect Quartz Vinal! It’s a wood panel effect that is textured like wood grain. It’s beautiful 🤩. Brought my home together old and new and the optical space effects were incredible.
You have put so many things that have been bothering me into words. I love that you point out faux pas, but then show us what we can do instead. Also, your voice is very soothing.
This video is great because it helps home renovators understand that we can let trends slide or choose which ones fit well with our design / functionality goals. If it will make the space challenging to keep clean it is a hard no for me. We had fun updating a 1960’s ranch with Craftsman and chic elements. We are currently renovating a log cabin with a nod to the adjacent 1881 barn, soothing tones (no more orange wood color), warm and cool accent colors and unexpected decor choices for a log cabin. The whole lodge decor for log cabins will never go out of style, but it is also very cliché. When a log cabin is the main residence, the style can honor history in fascinating ways that are timeless yet fresh.
I don’t want warm tones on the floor, but really like the wood look, so I feel like the gray tone wood looks timeless, however, I love pops of colors and variety. I gravitate towards rustic modern, and like the basic color schemes with lots of design added in. 😍
A lovely video which really explained how to use trends elegantly. It's important, I think, to decorate your home the way you please. Different when you are decorating to sell a property. Also, trends infiltrate the market so strongly. I redid my kitchen a year ago and wanted to use bamboo or sustainable wood. I had a good budget, but expensive is too elegant a word. I visited so many outlets and glossy grey, grey, grey was everywhere. I had to pause because it was such an underwhelming experience.
Being a serial home renovator over many years I've always stuck to the old adage: 'Less is more' I think you can get away with so much more style/fashion wise by sticking to this simple rule.
My house has most things on his list but I absolutely love my home ❤ I was even chosen to show my home by the community candle light event we have here 😊 I don't follow trends...I just do what I like which is a clean look.
bought a beautiful 1935 home and it came with grey lvp. it looks horrible but i figured I can remove it later, turns out im gonna have to completely refinish the floors underneath but it is beautiful 1 inch thick oak hardwood flooring so I hope its worth it. I just can't stand the grey lvp much longer.
0:36 Great point on the Gray tones and nice solutions! 0:07 The bathroom on the right, while not for me, will look good at any point in time. The thing about timeless is you can't make a big statement, that's what locks you into a timeframe. The only real statement this bathroom makes is the nook and tub tiles, which do lock you into ~nowish. Wood in general is the hardest to keep from going out of style.
Yes to everything you said! It's such a relief to hear someone making sense and calling out the nonsense in a clear, calm, and grounded way. I'm in Texas and my apartment complex just painted all the blocky buildings black because corporate know-nothings think it makes the complex look like luxury downtown condos. We are not nestled in a grove of tall trees so now we just look like a prison jutting up out of the landscape and our cooling bills are going to go up. I really want to go off on the idiots that make these choices (and hired two awful companies to do a half-ass paint job along the way). Also, a few years ago as we were moving out of our rental house, the tiny lot next door was bought, they cut down all the trees and built built a huge, ugly black and white house, which along with many other people on the street making the same awful choices makes the neighborhood look like a total mess.
Great video and examples of dated trends that seemed stylish at the time. The gray floors were always confusing, as they look incredibly dirty and unnatural. Ripping out perfectly good fixed elements is an environmental crime. It's better to stick with early 1900's bungalow style (e.g. natural wood floors, classic white tiles) and get as wild and creative as you want with paint, art and accessories. When I remodel, I think, what is the least likely to end up in a landfill? It always comes back to 1920's bungalow style.
You have my exact design aesthetic! I agree with everything you said. But you are far more diplomatic about your 'criticism' by owning that this is your opinion. Basically, Ifollow trends that will date. I accent through my decor. Well done!
I just discovered your channel. All your info seems so on point. Great advice! Wondering if you have an advice if one needs to tile half way up the wall. This is due to an ongoing water issue at the bottom of wall. Hence, deciding to tile bottom half of the wall. The upper half will be painted. Unsure how this will look overall. Your advice would be very helpful.
I completely agree with everything you’ve said. What stumps me is why so many high-end, professional designers exclusively use white on walls. I love a white kitchen but I really hate white walls in living spaces.
Buying our first home that was built in 1998. It has the normal oak cabinets. What are your thoughts on the cerused method? Thought it would be better than just straight up painting them.
Of course, taste is personal and everyone can decorate their home as they want. But furniture and decor is not cheap and you probably want them to last for a long time. I find this video very useful, it helps to incorporate things you like in a way that won't bore you in a couple of years. Plus, I love how calm and empathetic he sounds.
What a great video! Everyone has their own opinion, but I must say I agree completely with this man. I have recently bought a very old house. Previous owner has painted the old solid wood doors either pink or yellow, most floors are painted light blue and so on. It looks terrible. I will not use gray, because I have never liked that color. I have tree basic colors when I renovate, brown, white and green. Floors will be maple in rooms that a little darker, elsewhere oak. Not easy to find when every home decor shops are full of white, grey and black vinyl, laminate or parquet. But I don't give up.
I can see how the barn door could come in handy, like where a door would require a pocket door or a non hinged door. I’ve never liked the looks of them but in the right area they might be the best design solution. Definitely NOT for a bathroom! We have a house that is a 10 minute walk to the beach that has ivory vertical shiplap with high ceilings with exposed beams, it’s absolutely gorgeous and I love it. But it would look really weird in a house that is not by the ocean or in the country.
Gaffs in decorating are timeless, too! Recently I used a short stay flat for one night (my first experience of grey/white/black pallet), and yes, it looked slick. Yet like gum! You can have too much of a good thing
I am in a 1938 house in need of reframing an exterior wall. I am adding window area (three 24-inch windows in place of two 32-inch) and my design includes 6-inch-wide trim between the sashes to echo the sash weight pockets in the old wall. Going with a barn door between my galley kitchen and small dining room (the hinged door bangs into a sideboard that's just too big).
Happy New Year, Reynard. My kitchen has white subway tiles with black tile outlining the top/where it ends. It came with the house and I wasn't too keen of it. Subway tile used to be a huge trend everywhere, in homes and commercial spaces. But like you mentioned, interior trends originate from the idealized version of a place; eg cottage, farm house. So I ended up sticking with it because it suits the surrounding area of my city home. I think I'll just paint the white walls, because it looks too sterile, particularly as the room with the most windows and lighting.
Subway/ metro tiles have traditionally being used in Europe at least with black grout, I did this in my main bathroom last year and love it. Never went in for all that grey colour anyway.
Great thing about subway tile is that it works with pretty much anything - it's a very versatile backdrop. You can just style or decorate the kitchen however you like! Although the black top is interesting, I've only seen it in bathroom, but they look great if done correctly.
I bought my villa just over ten years ago. It was 'stuck' in the time it was built, (1993). Recently, I have been able to update it in most areas. First was a full paint job from cream (a dirty cream at that) to a light grey, window sills, front door & skirting boards went from old wood look to a fresh white. Then came the floor. From old carpet to oak floor boards. It looks so much fresher. I had bought light grey blinds when I first moved it as there was nothing up at all. Last week I bought some new sheer pleated curtains that I need to hem as there are a drop of 250cm. I need 193cm but the store had nothing else!! For ALL curtains 🤨 My personal furniture is soft creams mixed with light wood finishings that I like. No words on walls, huge no no. One wall in the dinning room is white framed photo's of my family ( frames). Next on the 'to do list' is the bath room & then kitchen. (kitchen floor has been done. May ask you, I have a bath that is taking up a lot of room in the bath room. My villa is a 2 bed room, 2 toilet (2nd toilet in laundry). Should I keep the bath or go for a larger shower area? TIA.
I never understood to whole gray everything trend. It’s a horrible color. It’s the color of the winter sky in the midwest of USA and by March the skies look like they’ll break free plummet to earth crushing us all. As an architect and builder, I recently designed and built my own home. It’s filled with the colors of red, orange, yellow, blue, green and purple with no gray, black or white anywhere. I used colors on the ceiling as well as wall paper. It’s bright cheerful and relaxing. It’s an open floor plan using partial glass partitions and doors, ceiling height variations with different finishes and changing floor levels to define spaces.
Kind of shocked about the marble! I get the fake ‘imitation’ tiles that were displayed in some of the images, but the kitchens that had real stone I imagined to be timeless, regardless of the veining 🤔
My opinion is like I mentioned - it’s really hard to get it right in most kitchens, especially on a relatively tight budget. But I’ve seen really nice kitchen with heavily veined marbles that look great, it’s just the whole palette and veining from the marble have to be very carefully considered.
I lived in Italy for a long part of my life and marble is the most frequently found material, used on floors, kitchen surfaces and on top of dressers. It looks great and perfectly in tune with everything else but in the UK inside most tiny little houses with carpet and wood I just doesn’t fit in!😂
I got grey vinyl floors back in 2016. I hated them within a year and have since talked anyone who will listen out of making my mistake. Working around them has been difficult, but navy and emerald green hues have been my friend.
We are currently shopping for a new home and I agree with so many of your recommendations. Grey laminate flooring? Wood isn't grey. I two of the worst trends are barn doors and all black hardware. As you said, the all black hardware in a white room draws your eye to the hardware in a way that brushed stainless steel does not. Barn doors might look good if you are actually building a barn home, but in your typical suburban home they look pretentious. What's worse is that they make noise. When you get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and have to open and close the barn door, you end up waking up your partner with the noise from the door. In addition, the barn door takes up wall space. A pocket door is a far better choice as you can still use the wall space.
Thank you for calling out the decorative word/quote items. All of this stuff is available by the truck-full at WalMart, Target, Meijer, etc. proving it is a trend (because it wasn't there 10 years ago) and because it provides an illusion of custom-made for very low price and ironically, repeatability for stocking store shelves. IMO: The only word/letter-as-art/decoration is the use of a singular initial, as from a name. Those do have a place in virtually any home, but only once, and must be balanced like anything else in the deco-plan; but as soon as that singular initial become initials, become whole words, become whole sentences, the quality of the alphabet-as-art is diminished.
All your points are solid👍. Can’t agree more! I installed raw oak flooring (vinyl) in light shade thru out. Even though my kitchen cabinet is light gray (dark charcoal counter and matte black handles), the warm flooring doesn’t clash. My master bath use the same light gray cabinet but the faux marble luxury vinyl flooring is a good compliment.
I seen so many video's where people buy old homes that have a lot of character and then they rip everything inside and make the inside very modern and its just looks tacky and loses the charm of the old house.
Happy New Year everyone! 2023 has been a great year, and I’m so grateful for your incredible support 🙏 I have big plans for the year ahead and am currently working on a very exciting project (some of you may already know what it is 😉), but I’m also committed to post more and better videos!
P.S. I’m currently looking for a video editor, if you're keen or know anyone who is one, feel free to apply here: rlowell.notion.site/rlowell/Video-Editor-Job-7a15bb0f1a44440883506c307100b4fe
happy new year to you to from the netherlands!
I'm redoing my place and looking for inspo
Amen sister!
I appreciated how this video didn't just criticize trends but offered practical solutions. The before-and-after visuals and the easy-to-follow advice make it a go-to guide for anyone wanting to keep their home decor current and stylish.
Most people have no idea what their style is and this why design trends happen. Your home should reflect your personality and lifestyle. It should make you feel comfy. Who cares what anyone else thinks, they don't live there.
"but what about resale value!"
I hate that the most important place in our life, our home, is just another aspect of capitalism to many people.
Exactly!!!
@@BoneStack117
Yes & most people will update their home before selling anyways, at the encouragement of their agent.
I totally agree. Let People Live and show their personality and lifestyle the way they want. One person's opinion of style is not the end all to be all LOL
Absolutely. I don't have the time or energy for it. I'd rather put together a space that I can feel good in not just because of how it looks, but because of the way it makes me feel when I walk through the front door.
Yes! The barn style bathroom door in hotel rooms astound me. If I stay somewhere with a family member - even my partner - there are just some things that don’t need to be heard…or smelled.
I stayed in a hotel in Italy which had a totally sound proof bathroom. You really couldn't be heard even if you tried. It was kinda amazing and kinda scary!
@@nataliebutlerAs a wife with a husband who can wake the dead with his farts, I would definitely appreciate a soundproof bathroom .😂😂😂😂😂
Absolutely!
Too much sound and light leaking
Smh not be rude but you can hear and smell whether it's a barn door or not you're really just being dramatic.
Let’s just not do trends any more, just do what you like and keep it fresh!!!😊
I'm in the midwest and was told I making a mistake by not getting grey flooring in 2021 because it's what people are doing when they update their home. I went with a light wood Maple engineered hardwood. No regrets. 🎉
Ahh great choice!!
I’ve been looking at houses and they are STILL putting in gray everything! It’s awful! Plus they put the gray floors with wood cabinets or tan tiles , it’s horrible.
Nah you're wrong, the grey flooring is beautiful and timeless
Whew!
I have cherry wood engineered hardwood floors. Beautiful and timeless. I get a lot of compliments.
Absolutely right on. Not a single questionable suggestion. This is the best of all of the outgoing trends videos on UA-cam.
The only thing I didn’t get was the checkerboard floor, always hated those 😅
@@ajheartsong. Those are very historic.
@ajheartsong I love checkerboard floor…it’s even in 18thC historical European estates. ✨
I LOVE that you bring negative examples!! It helps me understand so much better
Your last point is particularly true - if you are buying a character home, the worst thing you can do is “modernize” it. My wife and I recently bought an older home and it had needs - eg new doors, lighting, etc but we selected things that look old, look like they fit with the period
Great video. It seems like avoiding unnatural things and things that defeat functional purpose are good ideas. Wood is not grey unless it is exterior and exposed, in which case it just screams "I need a coat of paint". Metal is ... metal coloured - silver/chrome. brass, copper etc.. Black metal taps are unnatural. Shiplap is ONLY for the exterior. As an architectural noise control engineer it is always a hard NO on internal barn doors. Pencil tiles defeat the purpose of a easily-washable backsplash. Heavily-veined marble is for horizontal work surfaces only. There has never been a "word sign" that doesn't just scream "tacky". If I see "Live. Laugh. Love." on a wall I cynically think the occupants aren't all that happy.
Per your expertise, are glass doors a good noise barrier for bathrooms? Hubby wants to maintain the illusion of space but i would like the noise separation in the ensuite master
Yeah, those signs. It's like, 'I really want a happy home, but I'm not a happy person, so I can't create one. Maybe if I put up a sign telling OTHER people what to do, our house will magically become a home.' The fact is, 'home' is created by the hearts in it (sorry feminists, but especially the woman at the heart of a home). If you are a mean-spirited person, argumentative, critical, harsh, ungenerous, crusty, boastful and self-centered, your house will never be a 'home.' You can live in a hovel and make terrible design choices or have no money to do more than luck into some second-hand furniture, but if your heart is warm and open and generous, people will flock to YOU and your hovel will be a true home.
I think you absolutely hit on something: that people often decorate their homes because of a craving for 'true home' - that is, a safe place where they know that nobody will hurt or reject them, where there is warmth, acceptance, unconditional love, the comfort of knowing, 'Here I am safe and always welcome.' I think a lot of people try to create the SENSE of 'at-homeness' that they didn't get as children by decorating their homes this or that way - including signs that tell people how to behave to make a house feel homey.
It's a wish, a craving for 'true home' deep in the heart, expressed in consumer items. If people realized how much they spent trying to create that 'safe place of love and acceptance' by buying stuff to design and furnish their homes, they might work on themselves first, and their homes second.
I see the craving for a sense of 'true home' in many people I meet, and especially in women who are always fantasizing about the 'perfect home' that they will create 'one day' from pictures they've saved from Pinterest, etc. The hardest thing is to BE the home you want to have, BE the home you want other people to flock to - in your heart and in your care for others. Then the stuff you put in your house will reflect the warm and loving heart that abides there, even if it's old sofas found on the street and covered with a sheet from the thrift store. No one will care about the design, because they will feel at home with YOU.
The most beautifully designed and decorated house will only be as welcoming and homey as the hearts that dwell in it. A sign isn't going to cut it if the people in the house are miserable, cold, selfish, snobbish, etc.
Ignore trends.
Be original, be unique.
Have and do what ever you think is right.
Trends always leave, you don't. Be you. Not everyone els
Thank you for addressing the barn door in hotel rooms- it’s absurd! I also love how you talk about to consider your house architecture & location for colors and trends. I never liked the pencil linear tile or grey flooring, glad I didn’t let design center talk me into them for my homes!
Same.
Just now stumbled upon your channel. I'm a professional architect and I've been advising my clients on every single one of your topics with exactly the same advice! So, well done Mr. Lowell, well done! Next time one of my clients hesitates about my advice, I'll refer them to you!!
I love your calmness and clarity. I would choose you for my home designer. Thank you for this lovely time spent with you.
The thrift stores in my area are full of those word signs. The live laugh love, or 'blessed', or something like that. Also kitchen signs that say stuff like 'farm fresh eggs' or 'eat here' or just 'kitchen'.
Farm fresh eggs 😂 that's a new one.
I HATE those cheesy word signs! And yet whenever I go to the more “budget friendly” home decor stores like Home Goods or At Home there are TONS of them there. Hobby lobby is especially egregious in this regard. It make trying to find tasteful, interesting wall decor thst wont break the bank a real challenge. Especially when your aesthetic is a bit more sophisticated and urbane and does NOT lean toward the farm house or rustic look. It’s maddening!!
I do actually like the Fresh Farm Eggs one, feels so cozy 😊😂
@@elisamdoShop in resale and consignment stores for decor. Items there are rarely originally from chain home decor stores and are usually much higher quality without breaking the bank. You can also find all kinds of accent decor at art fairs.
Could you use this to determine an outdated trend? If you see it on a drug store shelf>>>> it's done and over!
Last winter I remodeled a log cabin that was a flip house for an investor. We butted heads through the whole job. He bought grey cabinets and used marble looking quartz countertops, with Satin nickel hardware and fixtures. The kitchen looked so out of place with all that rustic wood. The worst part is that I could have saved him 10k by doing eastern white pine cabinets and an earthy granite countertop. It still hasn’t sold.
Hasn’t sold because when people see that kitchen first thing that comes to mind is the cost to remodel that kitchen will be pricey.
I hate when people don't keep with the style of the house.
Oh good lord 🤦🏻♀️
Realtors and flippers are such a huge problem. You almost never make your money back on updates when selling your home.
Nice video. You are so patient and kind in explaining why these design choices don't work
He's so polite about saying, please stop! Love it!
My sister almost bought an old house from back in the 1800s, but someone from out west beat her price. I by wild chance ended up meeting these people and coming over to their house one time. They were remodeling this house to black and white modern farmhouse look. The previously antique light fixtures and historic details were replaced with the most basic farmhouse chandeliers from Home Depot. It was depressing to see
At the end of the day what you see as antique, they saw as replaceable. Your taste isn’t there taste.
@@mle6501 it’s still sad to see a house that old be remodeled like that. All that character just…gone
Yikes too bad they ruined the charm of an old home.
just nasty people, says a lot about them
Ugh, that is just sad though. We need to preserve our past as much as possible or lose our history. That particular couple just could have built a farmhouse replica and put the new fixtures in instead of getting rid of the historic ones! Makes me sad and mad!
I like your last point the most. I moved in 2022, nearly every home I looked at was super gray and generic, with no personality at all (plus the sellers wanted an extra $300k for their $150k renovation). I am so happy I eventually found a home that had all its original character and just needed some cosmetic touches to make it shine again.
We built four years ago and thankfully wife was emphatic about “timeless”. Brown wood floors, subway tile (I know it’s kinda trendy again but it’s also been around forever and won’t ever look dated imo).
I remember going around a kitchen showroom with my friend and she loved the grey. I said it's great here in this huge space, well lit, but in a small dingy north facing kitchen it'll soon feel miserable!
😂😂😂 I love this guys delivery he’s actually funny telling us we tacky and making our homes look horrible. Thank you sir!
And why would you let his opinion change what you do to your house. Guess that's what happens when you follow trends instead of just doing what you like.
@@Marie.b I never said his opinion is changing anything and I clicked the video because I was interested in a professional opinion . It can be nice to listen to others prospective…
@@workitladypodcast professional opinion making you think you're tacky and your home is horrible? That professional opinion I can do without
@@Marie.b it’s a joke and I like the video- if you don’t like it don’t watch it and no need to tell me how to feel 🤷🏽♀️🤦🏾♀️😂 my home is just fine!😂
@@workitladypodcast I wouldn't know I didn't like without watching at least some of it, which I did..
Our vinyl floors are brown with some grey undertones which makes it awesome for decorating. You can use grey decor to pull the grey from the floor and complement your decor or use decor that pulls brown from the floor to warm up the space. I love the flexibility of changing things up just by changing my decor to play with the colors in the flooring.
Complementary colors create the grey scale, it doesnt mean having same tones
Just now stumbled upon your channel. I'm a professional architect and I've been advising my clients on every single one of your topics with exactly the same advice! So, well done Mr. Lowell, well done! Next time one of my clients hesitates about my advice, I'll refer them to yo
I haven’t seen a home decor/design/ channel address ‘how to decorate your 1950’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s….(you get the picture) home to look like your home and still appropriate for its unique architectural design & style’- a ‘how to work with and not against the style of house/flat/space you are blessed (or not so blessed) to have’… I think it would be a cool video series. I’m a new subscriber & I feel like you hint at this aspect of design/decor. How to respect the integrity of your home from the 1930’s, but not live in an awkward time capsule…. Tips and tricks to bring design, functionality, and style to suit you AND your home (too often just suiting your style and plastering it around your opposite style home doesn’t come across like you might think it does). Enjoy the videos I’ve seen so far. Thanks
Ahh this is interesting! I’ll put this in the pipeline and see how I can format the video.
@@reynardlowell very cool! I think you could do this topic justice!
Agree, something to restore the art deco or art nouveau styled homes, without screwing their beautiful style with "upgrading" interventions.
@@reynardlowell I would love this, too! Specifically, I have a 1940s home and I'm trying to pick lighting fixtures and furniture that complement it. I've been looking into post-war industrial, but I'm still figuring out my style -- other than I've ruled out very-traditional, very-trendy, and MCM. It would be generally interesting to see how to work with homes built in different decades, maybe as a whole series!
At the end of the day, any work you do to a house will become dated even if it’s just by the materials used. The “appropriate” choice now will look dated in 10 years. Accepting that gives you more freedom to experiment to find what feels right to you. That said I’d still avoid trying to turn a home into something it’s not. As you mentioned, design and decor is the easiest thing to play around with that is easy to change. I don’t think fixtures are a big deal because they can be swapped. When it comes to bigger remodel decisions I think prioritize function over form, but within the spirit of the house. For example I wouldn’t go open floor plan on a Victorian but might consider how to expand rooms.contrast can be a form of complementary design so play around with mockups as much as you can to try out different combinations of things
As a retired remodeling contractor, I’ve seen the decorating trends come and go. White cabinets come in style every 20 years, then wood, then painted. When the big box stores start selling your floors, tile, countertops, the wealthy folks have moved on to start a new trend.
All his advice has already gone out of style. Time to make a new one. Lather rinse repeat…
Yep, so just make your home how you like it, something you’ll enjoy, something that reflects you and your style… because inevitably some aspects of it will eventually be out of trend.
Yupp. In the market now. Every remodel I look at has white cabinets. I hate it.
@@dreabia4759I love white cabinets.
White cabinets are classic and will
never go out of style.
Today's trend of grey reminds me of the avocado green and harvest gold of the 70's. A real estate agent friend told me one time, " beige it up, you cant go wrong".
I have a grey floor and and a wall side in grey in my living room and I love it. I have this for 5 years now. Ask me again in 5 or 10 years, but for now …
Thanks for the clear and detailed advice. Yes, barn doors are overdone I think and often don’t fit with the home. Appreciate the advice about the “ gray” everywhere. Trying something new in my next home.
I really enjoy your videos, Reynard. I am mentioning this to give feedback, NOT to be negative or ugly: Sometimes the music is loud enough that it distracts from your voice. You have a nice voice, and we're here to hear your great advice (not music). Again, I hope that's helpful, and thanks so much for the great content! 🙂
Ohh don’t worry, I always appreciate feedbacks. Will keep this in mind for future videos.
@@reynardlowell Oh good! So glad my comment didn't offend. Great video, as usual. 👍
I’m on an iPad. I barely hear the music. Voice is easily heard.
I recently stayed at a Marriot hotel that had a sliding barn door for the bathroom and the closet - that is, there was a single barn door for both of those doorways, therefore you could have either the bathroom or the closet open, but not both... ridiculous!
Love the tile descriptions. I knew the term Herringbone, but Kitkat and Zellige are new knowledge for me
After over 20 years with a WHITE kitchen floor 😮😟( not my choice!), installing "GRAY, Luxury Vinyl Plank" was one of the best decisions that I have ever made (besides installing a dishwasher!)😊. I like listening to designers, and I do learn from them, but as a recovering "rule follower", I am finally at a place that I allow myself to "like what I like". This applies to clothes, furniture and decor. It doesn't matter what is on trend or what is phasing out, things have to say, "Me" and they have to make me smile. I don't want my house to say "Anyone or Everyone USA". If I love it, and things fit my aesthetic and budget, then I go for it. I don't care for the all gray aesthetic either, so I have bold colors. Even after a couple of years, it still makes me smile. I think the most important thing is that you love your home.
As a serial owner builder I clarified the structures and the intention of the original architect. And poured in love. Beautiful finishes, simple. lBrass piano hinges on exterior glass and western red cedar doors.
There should be a way to like this more. The all gray, barn doors, shiplap, and word signs top my pet peeve list. With honorable mention to the over done marble.
He really nailed it hey. Not just "I don't like this" but here's why it doesn't work, bringing it back to elements and principles of design
Perfect video, instead of saying your taste is disgusting to the people, offering solution how to level it up. Loves as a interior enthusiast❤
Sorry i install barndoor in my personal bathroom and I am loving it.
😂😂😂😂
I don't care about 'trends' I like what I like and I won't change it for anything
Me too! If anyone doesn't like what I and my husband choose, work for, and pay for they don't have to be there. Let them spend all their money trying to keep up, not us. Keep doing you, babe!
The fact that you watch this video and replied means you do care about trends, or at least inquisitive about it.
then dont try to sell your personalized crp for a high price
So you decided to watch a UA-cam video about design trends?
@@suburbia2050 even funnier, a critique of those things aka a what not to do lol.
#trends# are fleeting. Decorate with what you love and can afford. Its your home. Most people cant afford this business of trends changing every 24 months.
I’ve renovated in an older condominium project and have incorporated shaker style sliders (within the primary bedroom to close off the restroom and also the closet), a gray/brown luxury vinyl flooring and a hale navy accent color wall in the dining room. Each of these items included has been part of a cohesive design that borrows the colors that we see from the water view. The sliders were a practical application as pocket doors weren’t feasible (plumbing in walls) or where the original standard door was an awkward placement. Your comments are well thought out, but I’m still good with those design choices I made (and no signs were used)😅. Good content and balance is key.
Great advice! I watch you, and think perhaps in our next build, I hire someone like you to help plan the aesthetics and feel for the particular style of home. Just too easy to make something tacky. You’re 1000% right, designs can get dated fast.
Your use of language is so accurately descriptive. 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
So many of the things you commented on have been on my "out list", too. I was delighted when you mentioned word signs. Ugh. Hated them from the very beginning. The only one I have ever had is a wooden sign that says Merry Christmas, which I hang on my front door during the season. That feels okay to me. But word signs, sayings, and poetry on the wall are absolutely not timeless and kind of tacky.
Although I have made, sold (and gifted - I hold my hand up - guilty as charged - when I was first learning how to diy ) many wooden decorative signs, I would never ever have any in my home!!! Only piece I still want to create for myself someday is a reclaimed pallets Union Jack flag but I guess that’s not quite a sign!😂
@@lyliavix4366 don’t get high off your supply, haha
@@rickygforce4217 wtf?
I’m always grateful when going to someone’s house and I see pantry signs indicating what’s behind the closed door. I almost always confuse the pantry with the bathroom. (Kidding of course). I loathe word art.
Fully agree.
I was an amateur designer for at least three decades, but for the last two years I am pioneering the niche of wood houses (based on I-joists and wood-based thermo insulation), healthy and alive (the walls and roofs are breathing, while exceeding the super-passive - or the opposite, active - standards).
I took design courses, I watched hundred of documentaries, I did hundreds of measurements, I drafted hundreds of layouts, I executed some of them etc. My favourite styles are art deco and art nouveau, going towards eclectic (for a modern take on them), fusion.
I fight all the times with customers asking bs like you presented. If they insist, they are not anymore my clients, I learnt to specify this from the very beginning, as I am not compromising for money (I am not their whore, even though the majority of architects, designers, builders give up to their customers' money).
Of course, I subscribed to your channel after watching about ten videos of yours, we are on the same wave length.
Well done and all the best. God bless you!
can't be more agree on the busy vein backsplash! I've seen so many people done in the wrong way
The over done grey vein marble went rampant here in Vancouver along with totally white paint interiors. It was and seems to be the first choice of asian owner/buyers. Thats ok with me but all the tile and flooring stores stocked to fill that market which has been huge. It became a total frenzy to go white with grey and marble. So if you wanted something in the warmer tones, you were out of luck. Thank goodness over the last year, sanity began to return. Now many other options have come available.
Straightforward, honest, funny and great suggestions.
YES TO OAK FLOORING. I'm just getting new floor installed. I'm so excited that I went with dusk cherry vinyl. So beautiful and timeless. ❤
@@QuietlyContemplatinglikely the dusk cherry stain look on oak by LifeProof
I chose that one too!!! Love it!
I absolutely agree with everything you said. The marble backsplashes in budget kitchens is something I struggle with talking people out of and you just may have given me a better way to approach it! Doing my own kitchen this year and literally everything you said has been discussed!
I appreciate your advice to work with the home you have and the environment it sits in. For example, I live in a single story ranch home built in the 50s. So therefore, mid century styles makes sense with my home. I’m not going to try to decorate it with a farmhouse style or ship lap.
I agree with you on all aspects of these trends. The barn doors have got to go, and the cheesy words whether they're on canvas, carved from wood, made from plastic or decals are ultimately vapid. I've been home shopping recently and I can't believe how many people have signs in their home to indicate the room. I don't need a sign that says kitchen, laundry, pantry, or bath. I've wondered if the factory workers who make these signs think that we're so stupid that we don't know what room we're in.
The signs are probably made in countries where the workers don't even speak or know English. LOL
I still love gray as it feels very calm, clean and natural like ash. The barn doors save space in a room when the door is open, and give it style. This guy showed photos of styles and called them dated trends when in fact they still look beautiful. He is not the end-all. Seems like he wants to spread hate under the guise of wisdom for money
@@Unpopularity, thinking this nice, serene guy wants to spread hate speaks about you, not at all about him.
I guess you are woke "liberal" that embraces all leftard stupidity: political correctness, cancel culture, lgbtqetc., illegal migration, BLM, cvd19 "vaxxx", digital world etc.
Great core advice and nicely delivered. If you are updating your space and doing the research on current trends and available upgrades and enhancements, it’s super important to not date your space and reach for longevity while still applying your own style. Thanks for helping us work toward that goal!
The floors are the worst thing, at least you can rip that crap off the walls without much cost. When I picked my floor, that cold grey looked terrible with my natural grass cloth. I searched high and low for tan/brown tones, finally got it at a deep discount because nobody wanted it. The fix is warm toned neutrals and earth tone pastels. Trends are almost impossible to avoid, by mistake, I got lucky.
Uhhhh we installed light gray tiles in the kitchen and hallway floors. I hate them now!!! They look so cold.. can you ex0lain more how you fixed your issue?
I had the same issue with my condo. The solution is to find rugs and furniture to „warm up“ the space and add texture so it doesnt look super flat. Look for lare oriental rugs in very warm colors like red/brown/beige, animal skins as well as plant fibre rugs such as hyacinth and Jute. Even better if you can layer the oriental rug on a hyacinth/jute base (which is what I did). Nice dark red Terracotta pots placed around the rugs also help. The overly warm tones contrast nicely with the too cold color of the milennial grey flooring. Hope that helps
@@ivaristovskaiva Are you asking me?
It makes no sense to rip out the floor because of the color. But you could minimize it and even embrace it so that it looks intentional.
Maybe use rugs or wallpaper with a very small amount of that same color, but mostly warmer colors. For the hallway, a runner would be a good idea. To completely ignore it with everything else will just make it look worse.
It looks stark and cold to me, so carefully layering all warm colors and textures with it would be the way I would go.
Be sure to include that exact color in very small amounts, otherwise it will look like a mistake.
The other warm elements will dominate and the floor will just be a compliment to them. Blend and work with it, you cannot pretend it is not there.
MY 2 cents.
@@ivaristovskaivaSo 80-90% warm earthy colors and texture. But small flowers or a thin stipe of that color you hate, and it won't look out of place, but intended to be that. You won't even notice it. Problem is that now it dominates everything, THAT is the reason you hate it, but easy to fix.
Lesson to be learned is not to buy what everybody wants, that is a red flag. A trend.
Same is true for speech, "moving forward", I still say "in the future". I still have "problems" never "issues".
@@gercody9722All good ideas, but that would contrast too much and might look worse. Maybe better to lessen the amount of that flat cold blue color while still adding a small pop of it elsewhere, a very small amount in a fabric or basket, as well. The color is not the problem, there is just too much of it.
The other thing to do would be to put an even more bright clear blue next to it, so in comparison, it looks more rich and less cold. IDK.
Stark contrast as you describe is good, but a very small amount of it repeated in a soft material elsewhere would look intentional, not a cover up bandaid solution.
I have a grey/walnut/white effect Quartz Vinal! It’s a wood panel effect that is textured like wood grain. It’s beautiful 🤩. Brought my home together old and new and the optical space effects were incredible.
I'm new to this channel and you've probably already done vids on this topic but "timeless trends" would be amazing.
Ohh I have this on the pipeline for upcoming videos!
You have put so many things that have been bothering me into words. I love that you point out faux pas, but then show us what we can do instead. Also, your voice is very soothing.
I think just keep your house nice and clean. Add some beautiful decor and your good 👍🏼
This video is great because it helps home renovators understand that we can let trends slide or choose which ones fit well with our design / functionality goals. If it will make the space challenging to keep clean it is a hard no for me. We had fun updating a 1960’s ranch with Craftsman and chic elements. We are currently renovating a log cabin with a nod to the adjacent 1881 barn, soothing tones (no more orange wood color), warm and cool accent colors and unexpected decor choices for a log cabin. The whole lodge decor for log cabins will never go out of style, but it is also very cliché. When a log cabin is the main residence, the style can honor history in fascinating ways that are timeless yet fresh.
Excellent, well narrated and conceived video. Thank goodness I didn't include any of these trends in our .Florida new build!
I don’t want warm tones on the floor, but really like the wood look, so I feel like the gray tone wood looks timeless, however, I love pops of colors and variety. I gravitate towards rustic modern, and like the basic color schemes with lots of design added in. 😍
Thanks for the much needed video. It's about time for me, as I'm in the phase of finishing my new-built house.
A lovely video which really explained how to use trends elegantly. It's important, I think, to decorate your home the way you please. Different when you are decorating to sell a property. Also, trends infiltrate the market so strongly. I redid my kitchen a year ago and wanted to use bamboo or sustainable wood. I had a good budget, but expensive is too elegant a word. I visited so many outlets and glossy grey, grey, grey was everywhere. I had to pause because it was such an underwhelming experience.
Being a serial home renovator over many years I've always stuck to the old adage: 'Less is more' I think you can get away with so much more style/fashion wise by sticking to this simple rule.
My house has most things on his list but I absolutely love my home ❤ I was even chosen to show my home by the community candle light event we have here 😊 I don't follow trends...I just do what I like which is a clean look.
bought a beautiful 1935 home and it came with grey lvp. it looks horrible but i figured I can remove it later, turns out im gonna have to completely refinish the floors underneath but it is beautiful 1 inch thick oak hardwood flooring so I hope its worth it. I just can't stand the grey lvp much longer.
0:36 Great point on the Gray tones and nice solutions!
0:07 The bathroom on the right, while not for me, will look good at any point in time. The thing about timeless is you can't make a big statement, that's what locks you into a timeframe. The only real statement this bathroom makes is the nook and tub tiles, which do lock you into ~nowish.
Wood in general is the hardest to keep from going out of style.
Yes to everything you said! It's such a relief to hear someone making sense and calling out the nonsense in a clear, calm, and grounded way. I'm in Texas and my apartment complex just painted all the blocky buildings black because corporate know-nothings think it makes the complex look like luxury downtown condos. We are not nestled in a grove of tall trees so now we just look like a prison jutting up out of the landscape and our cooling bills are going to go up. I really want to go off on the idiots that make these choices (and hired two awful companies to do a half-ass paint job along the way). Also, a few years ago as we were moving out of our rental house, the tiny lot next door was bought, they cut down all the trees and built built a huge, ugly black and white house, which along with many other people on the street making the same awful choices makes the neighborhood look like a total mess.
I'm currently refreshing my period home (mcm), and this is the BEST design advice video I've seen.
It’s all about preference I love all black.
That's perfectly fine. But don't expect potential buyers to love it if you plan on selling your home.
It's really hard to cover black paint.
As another designer in a completely different industry, I really agree with your philosophy. Thank you for voicing good principles.
Aww I dreamed of the grey timber floors with black and butcher block timber furniture but agree it would be hard to style
Your thoughts are 100% in line with mine! I just found your channel and I know I am going to go through all your content. Great stuff Reynard!
Great video and examples of dated trends that seemed stylish at the time. The gray floors were always confusing, as they look incredibly dirty and unnatural.
Ripping out perfectly good fixed elements is an environmental crime. It's better to stick with early 1900's bungalow style (e.g. natural wood floors, classic white tiles) and get as wild and creative as you want with paint, art and accessories. When I remodel, I think, what is the least likely to end up in a landfill? It always comes back to 1920's bungalow style.
You have my exact design aesthetic! I agree with everything you said. But you are far more diplomatic about your 'criticism' by owning that this is your opinion. Basically, Ifollow trends that will date. I accent through my decor. Well done!
I just discovered your channel. All your info seems so on point. Great advice! Wondering if you have an advice if one needs to tile half way up the wall. This is due to an ongoing water issue at the bottom of wall. Hence, deciding to tile bottom half of the wall. The upper half will be painted. Unsure how this will look overall. Your advice would be very helpful.
I completely agree with everything you’ve said. What stumps me is why so many high-end, professional designers exclusively use white on walls. I love a white kitchen but I really hate white walls in living spaces.
Buying our first home that was built in 1998. It has the normal oak cabinets. What are your thoughts on the cerused method? Thought it would be better than just straight up painting them.
Absolutely brilliant. I agree with everything. Everything I do for my home takes RESALE into consideration - therefore, it has to be timeless.
I love your voice. Very calm. … Happy New Year, from a new subscriber. And, thanks for the tips 👍
Of course, taste is personal and everyone can decorate their home as they want. But furniture and decor is not cheap and you probably want them to last for a long time. I find this video very useful, it helps to incorporate things you like in a way that won't bore you in a couple of years. Plus, I love how calm and empathetic he sounds.
Busy tile gives me a headache. When looking for a new home, I figure in the cost of replacing it with traditional subway tile in while.
What a great video! Everyone has their own opinion, but I must say I agree completely with this man.
I have recently bought a very old house. Previous owner has painted the old solid wood doors either pink or yellow, most floors are painted light blue and so on. It looks terrible.
I will not use gray, because I have never liked that color. I have tree basic colors when I renovate, brown, white and green. Floors will be maple in rooms that a little darker, elsewhere oak. Not easy to find when every home decor shops are full of white, grey and black vinyl, laminate or parquet. But I don't give up.
I can see how the barn door could come in handy, like where a door would require a pocket door or a non hinged door. I’ve never liked the looks of them but in the right area they might be the best design solution. Definitely NOT for a bathroom!
We have a house that is a 10 minute walk to the beach that has ivory vertical shiplap with high ceilings with exposed beams, it’s absolutely gorgeous and I love it. But it would look really weird in a house that is not by the ocean or in the country.
Gaffs in decorating are timeless, too!
Recently I used a short stay flat for one night (my first experience of grey/white/black pallet), and yes, it looked slick. Yet like gum! You can have too much of a good thing
I just discovered your channel. You’ve earned my subscription & I particularly like how you promote preserving an older homes rich history.
I am in a 1938 house in need of reframing an exterior wall. I am adding window area (three 24-inch windows in place of two 32-inch) and my design includes 6-inch-wide trim between the sashes to echo the sash weight pockets in the old wall. Going with a barn door between my galley kitchen and small dining room (the hinged door bangs into a sideboard that's just too big).
Happy New Year, Reynard.
My kitchen has white subway tiles with black tile outlining the top/where it ends. It came with the house and I wasn't too keen of it. Subway tile used to be a huge trend everywhere, in homes and commercial spaces. But like you mentioned, interior trends originate from the idealized version of a place; eg cottage, farm house. So I ended up sticking with it because it suits the surrounding area of my city home. I think I'll just paint the white walls, because it looks too sterile, particularly as the room with the most windows and lighting.
Subway/ metro tiles have traditionally being used in Europe at least with black grout, I did this in my main bathroom last year and love it. Never went in for all that grey colour anyway.
Great thing about subway tile is that it works with pretty much anything - it's a very versatile backdrop. You can just style or decorate the kitchen however you like! Although the black top is interesting, I've only seen it in bathroom, but they look great if done correctly.
Thank you so very much for reminding the stewards of historic architecture that you have a very unique special space....
I appreciate most of your suggestions, thank you very much!
🎉 happy new year !
I bought my villa just over ten years ago. It was 'stuck' in the time it was built, (1993). Recently, I have been able to update it in most areas. First was a full paint job from cream (a dirty cream at that) to a light grey, window sills, front door & skirting boards went from old wood look to a fresh white. Then came the floor. From old carpet to oak floor boards. It looks so much fresher. I had bought light grey blinds when I first moved it as there was nothing up at all. Last week I bought some new sheer pleated curtains that I need to hem as there are a drop of 250cm. I need 193cm but the store had nothing else!! For ALL curtains 🤨 My personal furniture is soft creams mixed with light wood finishings that I like. No words on walls, huge no no. One wall in the dinning room is white framed photo's of my family ( frames). Next on the 'to do list' is the bath room & then kitchen. (kitchen floor has been done.
May ask you, I have a bath that is taking up a lot of room in the bath room. My villa is a 2 bed room, 2 toilet (2nd toilet in laundry). Should I keep the bath or go for a larger shower area? TIA.
I never understood to whole gray everything trend. It’s a horrible color. It’s the color of the winter sky in the midwest of USA and by March the skies look like they’ll break free plummet to earth crushing us all.
As an architect and builder, I recently designed and built my own home. It’s filled with the colors of red, orange, yellow, blue, green and purple with no gray, black or white anywhere. I used colors on the ceiling as well as wall paper. It’s bright cheerful and relaxing.
It’s an open floor plan using partial glass partitions and doors, ceiling height variations with different finishes and changing floor levels to define spaces.
Good for you….but there might be more people still liking the grey designs than yours…😂
Yes I’m sure there are those that appreciate the grays like those who spent time on Battleships and Prisons. And other Institutional structures. Lol.
Gray should be outlawed. It reminds me of prison walls.... and people who have no taste.
I love your style. I’ll always come back to your videos no matter what
Kind of shocked about the marble! I get the fake ‘imitation’ tiles that were displayed in some of the images, but the kitchens that had real stone I imagined to be timeless, regardless of the veining 🤔
Too much veining is always tacky looking in my opinion, subtle is classier.
It’s just too busy. Timeless material, trendy use.
My opinion is like I mentioned - it’s really hard to get it right in most kitchens, especially on a relatively tight budget. But I’ve seen really nice kitchen with heavily veined marbles that look great, it’s just the whole palette and veining from the marble have to be very carefully considered.
I lived in Italy for a long part of my life and marble is the most frequently found material, used on floors, kitchen surfaces and on top of dressers. It looks great and perfectly in tune with everything else but in the UK inside most tiny little houses with carpet and wood I just doesn’t fit in!😂
I got grey vinyl floors back in 2016. I hated them within a year and have since talked anyone who will listen out of making my mistake. Working around them has been difficult, but navy and emerald green hues have been my friend.
Can you address how to put personality and timeless decorating in tract homes from the 80’s onwards that came with no personality or design style?
We are currently shopping for a new home and I agree with so many of your recommendations. Grey laminate flooring? Wood isn't grey. I two of the worst trends are barn doors and all black hardware. As you said, the all black hardware in a white room draws your eye to the hardware in a way that brushed stainless steel does not. Barn doors might look good if you are actually building a barn home, but in your typical suburban home they look pretentious. What's worse is that they make noise. When you get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and have to open and close the barn door, you end up waking up your partner with the noise from the door. In addition, the barn door takes up wall space. A pocket door is a far better choice as you can still use the wall space.
Thank you for calling out the decorative word/quote items. All of this stuff is available by the truck-full at WalMart, Target, Meijer, etc. proving it is a trend (because it wasn't there 10 years ago) and because it provides an illusion of custom-made for very low price and ironically, repeatability for stocking store shelves. IMO: The only word/letter-as-art/decoration is the use of a singular initial, as from a name. Those do have a place in virtually any home, but only once, and must be balanced like anything else in the deco-plan; but as soon as that singular initial become initials, become whole words, become whole sentences, the quality of the alphabet-as-art is diminished.
Thanks. You are on point with each overdone trend. I wish design shows would apply your principles.
All your points are solid👍. Can’t agree more!
I installed raw oak flooring (vinyl) in light shade thru out. Even though my kitchen cabinet is light gray (dark charcoal counter and matte black handles), the warm flooring doesn’t clash. My master bath use the same light gray cabinet but the faux marble luxury vinyl flooring is a good compliment.
These tips are SPOT ON!!! Very helpful as we are building our forever home.
I seen so many video's where people buy old homes that have a lot of character and then they rip everything inside and make the inside very modern and its just looks tacky and loses the charm of the old house.
It’s a crime! If you want new and modern, the buy new and modern; leave the old houses for the rest of us
Flippers