Outdated Interior Design Advice | This Has To Stop!
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- Опубліковано 5 чер 2024
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I review some of the most outdated interior design advice in this video! I can't believe I still hear these or, even worse, that some people still follow them! No, you do not need your curtains to match the rest of your furniture exactly, and you do not need matching furniture sets.
Which one of these pieces of outdated advice did you think was the most outrageous? Even better yet, what's some outdated advice I missed?
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⏱ Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:19 - Drift Sponsorship
01:55 - Matching Wood Tones
04:44 - No Hardwood in the Kitchen
06:47 - Furniture Sets Should Match
09:00 - Matching Your Drapes to Other Items
10:45 - Less is More
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Nick: "You don't have to be matchy matchy with everything."
Me, from my house furnished completely with stuff I found on the side of the road, "See? I'm doing it right."
😎we are rocking that poor people look, and we're doing it well
Some of the most amazing homes I've ever seen are almost entirely stuff found on the side of the road, or thrifted, or gifted from friends/family. Cheap/free does not = looks like crap
Yes all my stuff is from "Allston Christmas" (Leases in Boston all turn over in September and people leave things on the curb the last few days of August)
Hobo Deco?
@@GodessSirisame! it tends to create the most interesting and cozy looking spaces in my opinion.
To me, mixing wood tones gives your home a sense of history. It feels like these are items you have collected over the years or pieces you may have inherited from family members.
I agree. I have a few pieces I inherited from my grandparents that are really beautiful.
Pick two wood tones imo
Yes!
The history of my home rn is that the previous tenant chose all cool grey wood for the kitchen cabinetry (floor and wallpaper also in grey) and I moved in with my oak and other warm wood tones furniture 😂😭
If there is mahogany or the washed out/limed oak in that mix its a definite no-no. typically no more than 3 different wood tones in in aspect.
I'm not gonna lie. I don't care that much about interior design. I just be watching for Nick and his personality. He's easy to listen to/ watch. No drama.. no cringe attitude... and every once in a while I learn something that I can use in my home design that is practical. Love his videos.
Would LOVE some holiday themed episodes! Keep up the great work!
Nick would tell you to have suggestions of holiday at those times but no inflatables. I don’t listen to that part. I’m a holiday decor addict!
@@youbetcha108lol. I love my inflatables. My whole intent is to be tacky. I heard a neighbor didn't like my dragon inflatable so I bought more lol.
@@xiabelle I have 2 dragon inflatables! I like the gargoyle ones too! But I don’t have the room! 🙁🎃🎃
@youbetcha108
ya'll... I'm telling you right now. Old school blow molds are BACK and they are AMAZING.
I used to love my inflatables but they were lack luster during the day time and I needed extra lights to illuminate them at night.
I still think they're cute AND I LOVE TO SEE THEM IN PPLS DECOR! but I have turned my.focus on BLOW MOLDS
Also... if it rained or snowed I had to turn them off.
WALMART - has some cute Christmas blow molds that are small and affordable for apartment folks.
Their bigger ones are ok.. not knock me down gotta get them all.. but I know folks that like them just fine.
Yes they light up. The small ones are battery operated big ones are classic plug ins. Decorate a desk or office with the small ones.. .. very affordable
LOWES - They are great.. they had a huge Christmas gift stack last year that was really cute and they offered a few more.
BIG LOTS - Has a super cute dog with reindeer antlers and christmas lights. They offer a few others as well
HOME DEPOT - they stole the show. They have some of the most detailed and adorable blow mold light up Christmas statues... I want to buy them all. They are ALSO ONLY AROUND $40!! Or at least they were last year. They have an EXCELLENT SELECTION.
I was like, he said it! "Matchy-matchy"
The thing about really traditional is that it's not matchy at all .Anyone going for that look needs to remember that people used to inherit grandma's side board ,get given great aunt Julie's table when she got a new one and spend years replacing old chairs and sofas one at a time ,or just get one recovered when it got too ratty looking .I suppose that's why non matchy is more homely looking ,because it actually looks like a real home ,not a page from a catalogue .
You have just described my living room and dining room LOL a mix of inherited pieces and contemporary ones, some in need of re-upholstery and some brand new. Not much matchy matchy going on at all but it all works together so nicely and feels like home 🥰
Agreed - and my inheritance is so much more important than anything matching. I’m so grateful to have an inheritance in things passed down. I feel sad for those who have a home full of matching things that were bought from some mass produced stores and that have no meaning since they’re the same things in thousands of other homes. Inheritance means the world to me. I’m thankful for the privilege of being someone who inherited. So thankful.
And might I add, I’ve had the great, tremendous and very weighty honor of inheriting pieces from generations before me and it’s not that similar pieces are not now available to this generation to inherit but that this generation does not want them.
Let me speak from experience.
The quality of what is made in this era will never equal or surpass the quality of what you might have inherited
so please think long and hard about forgoing your inheritance in favor of having something “contemporary.”
Your parents and grandparents not only worked very hard to acquire what they had for their homes but the quality of those things is most likely not to be found in ahything you will acquire for yourself today. Think about it.
Wendy, you just described my house! Wouldn't have it any other way.
Well said! My parents home was so eclectic, filled with inherited pieces. It felt homely and welcoming.
I've had beautiful "real" hardwood in my kitchen, pantry, mudroom for 39 years. Still absolutely gorgeous . Keep it clean and it will serve you well.
I agree. My house has original real hard wood in the kitchen and is probably about 30 years old. The floors are still absolutely beautiful. I just clean up any water that I dribble or cooking spills quickly and it is fine. The stain gives them a little bit of protection, so drops of water from doing the dishes really aren't a problem
That's great for you but for me it was a headache. The previous owners had it in the laundry, the powder and the kitchen. Always felt panicked trying to keep it dry. We replaced it all with a light colored porcelain and it was glorious.
I agree. Wood is just THE BEST.
love wood but I'd probably not put it in a kitchen because I grew up in a house that had numerous floods from leaking dishwashers. Just a nightmare.
Yes! I grew up with real hardwood in the kitchen. Today I have engineered all through the house. Easy to care for and warms up my white kitchen.
One thing I hate about minimalism (other than the virtuous attitude 😂) is that one "out of place" object can totally ruin the aesthetic. Like a cell phone or purse on the table or a dog toy randomly on the floor. It is just not practical for real life and setting oneself up for becoming very obsessive about it looking perfect at all times. I love a cozy, lived in living room because it's where I actually spend time!
Agreed. It's not yielding enough to look "normal" when there are ordinary household things like the day's mail or a hairbrush or a bag of take-out burritos on it. It only has two speeds: "Camera ready" or "compete bomb-crater disaster." The other thing I don't like about minimalism is that it looks like the office. I don't want my home to look like the office, or be cold or institutional in any way.
No dog toys! Sad beige dogs!
“They just want to sell you 5 furniture pieces instead of 1.” Spot on, Nick! 👍👍
I remember Stacey London saying (about clothes) that they don't have to match, they just have to go together. Seems like good advice for design!
Absolutely. Same here, and I miss WNTW! Always good for a howl.
I miss that show so much! I thought it was great advice
As someone who has inherited several pieces of wood furniture, everything from cedar to maple, I love the mixture.
Oh thank god. Some of us like to have our STUFF. IT MAKES US HAPPY. I worked in a healthcare setting, where there was nothing, anywhere, ever, and dang it, i want my collections of droll little antique toys, quilts, bright whatnots. Curated: yes. Arranged: yes, but so tired or a lifetime of staring at beige and griege and non art art of land scapey things. Its my HOUSE, not an office or waiting room or hospital room or “ insane asylum”😅
Ditto! I get enough minimalism at work; I don't want it at home too! Plus a lot of knickknacks come from my holidays abroad when I had the time to travel. I look at them and remember good times.
🎨❤️ Minimalist painter here. Just chiming in to say don’t be afraid of creating a home with warmth, texture, and belongings for yourself. That’s what makes it your home. The artists and sculptors who inspired this movement live and work in spaces with stuff. Lots of stuff. It informs the work and compliments it
Exactly! Minimalist does not have to mean austere.
@@LQOTW I do so agree! ❤️ Walls always look so sad without art-and the same for shelves without beautiful things like art books and small treasures.
It's so funny that you said matching furniture sets is "90s" --- it was done a lot in the 50s, and my mom still has her matched bedroom and dining room sets. And the drapes and bedspread match. I think it was an easy way for new homeowners after the war to achieve harmony when they lacked confidence. Also, post-war houses were tiny and matchy-matchy doesn't crowd the visual landscape.
Agree on the confidence point. It usually takes good taste/good sense and a flair for decorating to pull assorted pieces together and if you have no stuff/no taste/no interest then at least it won’t look hideous if you buy a matching sofa and chairs and match some cushions with the drapes.
My parents got married in the 50s and for them, inherited pieces from the family farm signified they were low class. My mum was not confident in her own style yet and my dads favourite colour was brown. They hung a big mirror over the couch and that’s what their living room looked like for 20 years.
So yes, I see it as a 50s thing.
I have mismatched stuff in my own home (some of it from my grandparents) and agree that it’s more homey, more eclectic and showcases our personalities.
Yep, my white French Provincial canopy bed, chest of drawers and vanity table (with gold accents) from the JCPenney catalog was part of a high falutin' matching furniture set back in 1968!
@@kimedge7493 I had an Early American walnut bedroom set from Montgomery Wards, same vintage!
Depending on WHERE we are talking about after the war, there was a whole ‘nother layer of cultural connotations / trauma attached to how much furniture set mixing was “correct!” Matchy-matchy homes you could literally date most of the furniture and contents of to a particular year or two, if not belonging to obvious newlyweds, “told their own story” in Britain / Europe of that same era! :(
I think they sewed many of their curtains and sheets back then and it was easy to pick out one print.
The style that is right for you, consists of the colors that draw you, the fabric that you love to touch, the shapes that interest you, and the decor that says that this is MY home. Keep it until it isn't "you" any more.
I inherited a bedroom suite from my favorite aunt. It’s a mahogany set from the 1950s. I love it and will never let it go.
I inherited a MCM bedroom set from the 50s. It's beautiful and very high quality and solid wood. Every piece matches. It's in my guest bedroom. Never getting rid of it.
My primary bedroom is more eclectic. The matchy matchy MCM furniture in the guest bedroom creates a very calm space. Normally I don't like matching sets but somehow the MCM bedroom works and is beautiful. ❤
I bought a bedroom set from West elm a while back and the continuity allows me to be adventurous with colors and patterns in the rest the of room. While I agree with Nick, I also see attempts to mix different furniture at times go haywire in such a restful environment.
As a person with hoarder tendencies (and an impulsive shopper), i try to practice minimalism as much as possible. It ends up looking like a typical cluttered home. Lol
I have the opposite of what you have. I moved into my home 2 months ago and still don't have a sofa or a TV stand. The thought of buying things that I have to manage just bothers me so much. I have to get some stuff at some point though
I had foot problems until I moved back to New England and returned to living in spaces with 100+-year-old bouncy wood floors. Yes! My kitchen has an old wood floor! It doesn't look pristine, but it has character and is ideal for standing while cooking and cleaning!
I just moved from a 97 year old house to a brand new house (both primarily hardwood floors, yes even in the kitchen!), and my feet are SORE. It’s crazy what a difference the “bounciest” makes.
@@Erin-tk5jw
My friends with newer houses use those thick foam kitchen mats. Doesn’t solve the problem elsewhere, but in front of the sink am prep areas of the kitchen, where they stand for longer periods, it helps! Best of luck!
A wood floor on a perimeter foundation is bouncier than a wood floor on a concrete slab. Both are easier on the feet than tile!
@@katebowers8107😊
I have taken "More is More" to the extreme - and I love it!
I just converted our dark, depressing den into a Tiki Lounge. Raucous colors, teal, red, blue, chartreuse, orange (and it somehow works!). Mixed woods. Mismatched furniture pieces (that all speak MCM). And Tiki/Nautical tchotchkes tucked into every nook and cranny.
I have no doubt that Nick would hate it - but it brings me so much joy! ❤️🗿🧡🗿💛🗿💚🗿💙🗿💜
I have a log cabin style guest room, an underwater fish guest room and an Antarctic penguin 🐧 bathroom. Themed rooms are fun !
It sounds like a really fun place to sit and chat or have a party! 🙂
From one tiki-phile to another…..go for it!
My friends and I were at a tiki bar in Athens Greece last month. The decor was so much fun. Very eclectic. There were some antique looking tiki pieces in the bar. Your tiki bar sounds fun. Enjoy!
Sounds like a nice place to visit!
For me, I have learned that if I put decor items strategically spaced over the tops of my buffet, desk, dressers, tables then my young cat does not get on top of them. She gets her cat tree and part of a sofa table. If I give her room to cat-crazy-zoom over my furniture then she will do it. That is how I created my "design style". I also cannot have rugs because I have an old dog who does her best to potty in the correct area but misses frequently. Maybe someday I will have that life that is just for me but for now, this is reality. I love watching these videos to dream about my fantasy self.
It is the wise homemaker who takes the wants and needs of family into account. :)
I would really love more examples of non-matching bedroom furniture other than just the headboard. I don’t know how to find dressers and bedside tables that don’t match but look great together.
RE wood in kitchen- I’ve had both real and engineered wood in my kitchen and in both, had major problems. Appliances fail- this is part of life. When they do, they often leak which translates to large amounts of water flooding your wood floor. Both my dishwasher and fridge have ruined my floor in two spectate instances- I am currently living in my home with no functioning kitchen as a result. Thanks to the insurance company, it’s been 4 months of living this way and there’s no end in sight. I really would urge people to think twice about their kitchen floor choice.
Ceramic tiles in my kitchen. I wouldn't even consider any other material.
Maybe it is an appliance choice. I will never have an ice maker in the fridge -- heard too many expensive horror stories. Also, consider a new dishwasher professionally installed, not just by the guys from a big box store. Sorry you've had problems.
Yeah. The problem is, companies don't build appliances like they used to. There is this thing called "planned obsolescence". If you are sleeping/away when it decides to break, you are in deep sh!t.
This is why moisture sensors were invented: to spot leaks immediately. They work pretty well.
@@idalily3810But are totally useless when you're away. I don't start the dishwasher until I go for work. I just hate the noise.
For someone who absolutely struggles when there is improper disorder I love starting off with matchy-matchy stuff. I have pillows that match artwork that match accents on furniture. It is too much? Yes, I see that now, but for a starting point as a broke college student and who wanted some semblance of order it was a good start. Now I'm working on expanding different pieces that still fit in the order.
I haven't done matchy-matchy since at least the 80s'. I recall having a three seater sofa, armchair and matching curtains in a floral fabric. I loved it then.
Its ok to start with what makes you comfortable, and then move forward! Thats how life goes!
As a broke student, that's honestly a good place to start... and now you can add different things, and have some of the older stuff on rotation, or in a different room (maybe the cushions will work well on the guest bed, for instance).
Always remember it needs to bring YOU joy. If matching everything os what you need in life, just go for it.
If your pieces are good quality, keep them! Especially if you love them. I have a matching bedroom set (two dressers, a vanity and I'm hoping my sister will give up the bed frame) and I put them in different rooms. One dresser is in the bedroom and I use it to full effect, the other dresser is in the kitchen as you enter my apartment. The vanity is in the living room and I currently use it to put plants on. I'm thinking of moving it away from the window to face the window and will put a piece of sculpture on it. I think the matchy-matchy becomes problematic when the quality of the pieces isn't there but when you are starting out, it's to be expected that you can't afford the good stuff. Splitting them up into different rooms gives cohesiveness instead of matchy-matchy vibes. Good luck!
That south west design on that sweater is everything 😎
I am old enough to not want to look like I just moved in and/or I can't afford to furnish my home. There is such a thing as "too minimalist" that makes some people look like they are one step away from foreclosure.
I remember when getting a complete bedroom set from the furniture store was the pinnacle of wealth in my eyes. Having the 3 piece couch set with a matching coffee/end table was incredible to me. Now I rarely match wood tones. My floors, cabinets, coffee table, dining table, chairs, and side table are all different. My bedroom set is mismatched. I am a proud maximalist (which I get judged for when I say it- but I just like having lots of beautiful things around me! I’m not a pack rat and I don’t like clutter). I did use an amazing interior designer/stager- she pulled it all together and it looks completely intentional and luxurious (more of an “old money” vibe which I didn’t appreciate before). Not to mention, way more cozy and homey rather than a showroom look. And it’s way more fun to thrift pieces secondhand- not to mention about 10x cheaper.
I love what you said about minimalism. I’ve always been boho traditional and it’s all about stuff that expresses who we are. For me minimalism was never “calming” but antiseptic and a bit precious with one oh-so-cool piece.
I think minimalism often ends up looking like a hotel room or a commercial office suite. Cold, boring, and without heart.
For my part, minimalism to extreme makes me feel like I'm in a liminal space. I can never quite relax in those spots.
I don't think I've ever agreed with so much of what you've said in one video before. 😅 Especially on the matchy-matchy stuff. I felt that in my soul. I always tell friends to find pieces that will live rent free in their space forever & build around those. (for me, that's my quilts I rotate through, so my bedroom goes with all of them) but honestly, so many find a fabric they like & put it everywhere!
THANK YOU for defending those of us who like to have pretty things to look at around us. It brings us joy! It makes us feel comforted. Minimalism doesn't have to mean sad beige & texture is crucial! I think what a lot of people don't want to admit is that extreme minimalism is a reaction to the same emotional trauma that causes hoarding. And we're starting to see the kids who grew up in extreme minimalist homes become hoarders... it's not at all different to the kids of almond moms who end up with binge eating disorders. I absolutely think you can have a curated amount of stuff that makes you feel cozy, secure, & brings you joy... without feeling like you can't breathe in your own home. I also can't abide the rampant consumerism that minimalism perpetuates. You need the right organizing containers, constantly buying stuff so you have things to declutter... none of it makes sense to me. I'm over here with my abundance & collections & I just don't buy anything until it's the perfectly right piece to purchase. Something I want to own & plan to own for an extremely long time. That's clothing, collectibles, art, utilitarian items like blankets & food storage... all of it.
Yes, extremes are rarely good. My grandmother was a minimalist and my mother hoarded everything and now I as an adult have to fight the desire to have nothing in the house (because I hated the clutter) so that my kid doesn't have to grow up with the same extremes.
Nick, the matching bedroom sets go WAY back before the 90s. My parents got married in 1945 and they bought a Chippendale-style bedroom set. With the wood floors, I'm on your side for the kitchen floor. We built a house in the 90s and put oak floors throughout the house. I cooked a lot and standing on wood for hours at a time is MUCH easier on your body than tile. Plus, if you drop a dish on a tile floor, it's gone. On a wood floor, there's a chance it will bounce and not break. In the living room and dining rooms we added rugs, but I loved those oak floors. Easy to maintain and always beautiful.
I always match my drapes to my walls! I like the visual texture that curtains provide but don't want a jarring visual break that matching it to furniture would do.
Silliness aside, the wood contrast should not be such an issue. I have a Sears Craftsman home, the wooden floors are maple and the wood trim is dark oak. From 1930 when they gave wood treatments based on natural hue. I wouldn’t ever change the historical features of my home and feel the wood differences are beautiful, and yes, both in warm tones.
A Sears home kit house? I am jealous! They are gorgeous.
The "99% Invisible" podcast episode on these Sears homes was one of the most interesting (called "the house that came in the mail").
I feel like a lot of old design styles were heavily capitalistic/trendy so im happy nowadays we are trending more towards thrifted pieces or antiques/vintage. Idk why we were brainwashed thinking farmhouse signs and matching mdf furniture were the pinnacle of design.
Brainwashed?? Quite the slam. A design will never be popular if it doesn't speak to people. Clearly farmhouse evoked a past time they associated with pleasure. What's wrong with that? I'll bet your decor is chosen because it gives you pleasure, too. I would be happy if we could ever see an era as creative as the late 1800s/early 1900s but so far we are just creating variations on the same themes.
@@653j521 im not saying farmhouse was bad as I actually love farmhouse cottagey design but it was very trendy and easily replicable. I think when things can be easily replicated and cheaply made at a mass market scale then it wont hold in value or style over time (most of the time).
I think that in the past, certainly the 80, 90s the idea was that decor was something that was re done regularly. Slowly, we are getting past this mentality that furniture is a disposable item. The idea of an entire aesthetic being replaced regularly has taken a long time to get past! Retail!
I hate farmhouse. Most of it looks cheap and tacky. Don’t hate me!
Yes!
My goodness, a thicker jumper! That whole southern/northern hemisphere is doing its annual thing again. We in Australia have been told that we are heading for a blistering summer - I kind of wish I lived in Canada at the moment 😊
This one really spoke to me - thank you. Since nearly everything I own is vintage (ie bashed around somewhat) or straight-up antique, it tends to be things that have to speak to each other, rather than speak with a single voice. Harmony, not just a single note. Loved it.
I don't think "less is more" means be minimalist. I think it means that you should edit. Bring in what you like, but take a step back and edit the pieces.
So take what you like, and use less of it, to make more of the space. Less is more
100% agree with all of this. The matchy matchy furniture drives me nuts. And I just built a new home with an open floorplan so there was no way I was going to transition from wood to some other material in my kitchen. Also, it's sweater season!
Me, too! Engineered wood throughout, except tile in bathroom.
You are right! I have a oiled teak floor in the bathroom AND in the toilets too and it works extremly well: did you know that oiled teak floors (not sealed!) have an antibacterial effect where bacterias cannot grow? AND you can mop the OILED teak floor very wet like tiles. I have my teak floor over 15 years and he looks great as on its first day. I love it! In the kitchen I have a hardwood floor from the american walnut, sealed.
This floor does have a few dents from dropped pots, but since it's dark wood, you can't see these marks. I can wash the floor slightly damp and vacuuming it thoroughly is usually enough. I highley recommend it! Especially for kitchen-living rooms where you also sit and eat. The floor makes it very warm and cozy.
I lost everything in a fire.. I bought a matching bedroom set all at once because I needed it immediately, I was overwhelmed with replacing everything I needed all at once, and I loved the look of the headboard. No one will be in my room but me and it turns out that the “boring” matchy-matchy set is calming, exactly what I want in a bedroom. I love it.
Kitchen and Wood floors; Unless the wood is solid, one ice cube, dropped from the door dispenser, in the middle of the night(yep, that’s what happened to me) was enough to cause the engineered wood to warp. Water got thru the joint and ruined that section. I’ll never have wood again in my kitchen, it’s just too stressful to worry about something I have no control over.
Yup... I have tile in my kitchen and while I do agree that having one type of flooring throughout looks so much more beautiful, even things like drops of water after washing dishes are gonna fall on the floor, and unless you wanna take a mop to your kitchen multiple times a day, the wood will wear in those specific places (eg around the sink) at some point. Not sure if beauty trumps practicality in this instance for me
Toss a runner in front of the sink. I have old vinyl that I'm replacing but have always kept one in front of the sink. Standing on a hard floor for any length of time isn't a good thing either.
@@Bisera95, beauty should definitely not trump practicality. Form Follows Function. Pretty is secondary. Besides, pretty is the easy part.
@@r-e_mii I have concrete floors (heated) and I have a couple of those foam work mats in the places I stand a lot. Waterproof, ergonomic and look decent.
I want to believe hardwood is ok in a kitchen, but our dishwasher has leaked too many times.
I live in a house that all of the rotted wood in the kitchen area needed to be replaced due to water damage caused by small leaks throughout the years. We saved as many as the original planks as possible (1946), and now have vinyl planks replacing the others.
Sounds like you need a new dishwasher. Good appliances seem to be hard to find as the years go by. I was concerned about leaks as well when we moved 15 years ago into our 1936 year old house that has wood floors everywhere but the bathrooms. We’ve been lucky throughout the years (knock on wood) no problems thank goodness. I hope I didn’t just jinx myself 😆
My friend has oak floors in whole house for 33 years. There were kids , dog , sisters , cousins staying for 6 -12 months in college times. Everything looks great.
I find that unless you built the house yourself some one before you will have failed to care for that wood flooring and any little thing once it's damaged is compounded. For us both kitchen and one bath that have with wood are not how they should be from years of damage and lack of TLC.
I've had two Bosch dishwashers. No leaks, even when one had a cracked hose (after many years of service). If we weren't moving in a few months, I would have had it repaired, but old appliances apparently won't sell.
I love minimalism, I don't have many possessions but I do have artwork that I love on the walls. Its just what suits me, it's not for everyone
Nick I agree about matchy sets but this is where I get lost. Can you do a video specifically on how to mix it up with examples?
"Maybe if you have nothing in your home, maybe you have no personality..." I audibly gasped 😆😆😆
Love your sweater Nick! And your channel. I had real wood floor in kitchen in a 100 year old house. Had to be repaired and refinished when we bought the house. Kept looking great with shoes off in the house and a good size rug at the kitchen door to catch all those shoes. Now the house is 130 years old and floors look good.
My spouse is a minimalist and I am not. I get my way in the back patio which has plants everywhere, including 60 pots of varying colors and designs. :)
When we bought our house the previous owners had installed engineered oak flooring throughout in a slightly orange hue. First thing we did was get some reclaimed parquet (from an old church and community hall and relaid over the heated flooring ducting). It brought so much to the downstairs as the house was built in 1840.
“Speaking the same language but not saying the same thing” Nailed it!
Who doesn’t miss a Laura Ashley bedroom where ever piece that had fabric matched. It went well with your Thomas Kincaid painting. Your advice is great, you’re just reminding me of the past and how bad matching chintz sofas were.
Lol.
😂 love it! Remember when the drapery, bedding and wallpaper were the same pattern! Like Laura Ashley camouflage!
@@juliemulie1805 not even full wallpaper but this wallpaper borders😹
@@juliemulie1805 In our '80s bedroom, we had the bedding, curtains, Austrian blinds, wallpaper, pillow shams on a curtain pole (instead of a headboard), lamps, vase and bin all matching. I also bought a dress in the same pattern and when I sat in the room, my husband couldn't see me. 😂
YES!!! I fully agree that hardwood in the kitchen is a great option. Especially in this day and age of open concepts...even though the open concept is starting to 'close' up a bit.
Ive had 3/4” hardwood in my kitchen and powder room in many of my houses and there is absolutely NO problem.
The issue with engineered hardwood in a kitchen or bathroom is that if there is a leak or flood from a toilet, tub, dishwasher, etc. I believe some insurance companies no longer cover the costs of replacing flooded, water damaged engineered hardwood in those areas. It is expensive to fix, especially if the flooring travels throughout the home and you don't want an obvious change in colour happening - if you can even still get the same engineered hardwood that was originally installed.
There is a reason why tiles and vinyl flooring exists. It is utter madness to put a wood product in wet areas such as the kitchen or bathroom.
Yes this! It’s not the humidity that’s the problem in the kitchen, it’s plumbing problems or your dishwasher overflowing.
@@eattherich9215 Or utility room.
Yes, after remodeling my kitchen, my brand new state of the art refrigerator leaked due to a small tube freezing, a very minor repair. Unfortunately, I was on vacation and the wood floors in the kitchen were ruined. I replaced them with tile and will never have wood in a kitchen again.
@@eattherich9215 boats, barrels and saunas saying "Hi there!"
So you’ve answered the age old question: does the carpet match the drapes? It doesn’t need to!
😂
As a redhead…. That sentence makes me cringe every time…. I can’t even hear the words drapes and match in the vicinity of eachother….lol
I've always wondered why manufacturers don't have designers put sets together of bed linens, drapes, and fabric for cushions that mixes different coordinating prints for you. Seems like a winner to me.
@@stacy-raedosman8716just gagged a little after reading your comment lol. I didn't know that was something people actually say irl
@@zvezdoblyat, oh, they say it. If you're a redhead you'll definitely hear it. Blech! That's EXACTLY the kind of man I avoid.
I agree with the wood tones. From my personal experience 🫥 I would NEVER put wood or engineer wood in a kitchen. If a house already had wood in the kitchen then I would let it be. My family had to replace ALL the hardwood on the 1st floor because the the refrigerator malfunctioned and started spewing water from the dispenser over night!. Not to mention any place that has water is at risk for leaks 🤷♀️ be it the sink or dishwasher (I have seen both) 😓. I completely agree furniture looks better if it is not from the same set. Furniture sets tend to look cheap / not imaginative 🤷♀️ just my opinion. I agree no need to go super matchy matchy with textiles.
That's what homeowner's insurance is for. I had wood floors in my kitchen for decades. Yes, life is a gamble.
Engineered hardwood is not your family's old solid hardwood flooring. . WAY less prone to warping or cupping from seasonal changes
This is off topic, but in the future when you feature different decorating styles, would you consider discussing early American primitive/colonial? I’ve become fascinated by this rustic style. A lot I’ve seen is too dark & cluttered for me (I’m not into collecting) but it speaks to me & I thjnk it’s really cool.
I agree matchy is super tacky. Unfortunately I have accidentally ended up with my 3 biggest pieces (the console, dining table and my dressing table) all looking like they came from the same set. They're not. I bought them from 3 different companies, on separate occasions, months apart. That's just how I found out I have incredibly specific taste. I unpacked each one, super excited, and then suddenly saw it in situ and was like 'oh...'. Whoops. Oh well. I still love them 😅
What you are talking about does not qualify for "matchy matchy" at all. Not one bit! Matchy- matchy is buying all of the pieces in a single room from the same identical manufactured line of furniture - just as if it came from what used to be the Sears or JC Penny catalogs.
What you are doing is what truly NEEDS to happen in order to establish a sense of coherence thruout your home. Repeating similar colors and styles from room to room forms a cohesive look that allows a home's aesthetic to flow seamlessly.
I total agree all this white on white matchy glass hard surfaces it’s SUPPER SUPER TACKY.
But it has to be complimentary! So tired of the Wayfair houses.
I grew up with my great grandparents who were from Mississippi and themselves had grown up on/near old plantations. They owned an upholstery business, so I spent a lot of time learning fabrics and designs as a kid. I also went with my great grandma and my aunt (her sister) to garage sales, estate sales, and antique shops every weekend and she decorated her formal living and bedrooms in an Antebellum style with the rest of the house in a very Art Nouveau style with lots of natural elements, so I’ve never had any issues with taking any of these tips seriously lol
I bought a 1955 mid mod ranch that had hardwood floors and mahogany walls throughout (including kitchen and bath). After all those years - they still look great.
I love it when I get reaffirmation of my choices!
Thanks Nick!
I would have loved to continue my wood floors into the kitchen. But I have 3/4” solid red oak flooring and 2 big dogs, and porcelain tile just seemed a lot more practical. Especially after seeing my mom have to rip out, repair and refinish her wood floor after a dishwasher leak.
Yeah I think that's the reason most people don't put hardwood in their kitchens and baths: the risk of having a dishwasher and the refrigerator leak water and then ruin your beautiful hardwood floor.
I've been reading about porcelain tiles. They seem like the best of all worlds to me. Completely waterproof, non-toxic, and they last forever.
You can buy porcelain tiles now that look like hardwood! And they're gorgeous!
I have matching furniture; real wood not particleboard, veneer stuff. High quality matching furniture looks great and the accessories can be used to give contrast and interest to a room.
You are so right, there does seem to be an element of feeling virtuous and superior associated with minimalism. I couldn’t put my finger on the vibe until you said that. Also it is often thought of as being more high art and design than a more maximalist aesthetic (even in my own mind I will admit). Interesting.
It probably stems from being a lot harder (read: more expensive) to do, especially if your main tool of execution is buying things. That suckers you into very limited product options which can and must then overcharge for satisfying more obscure and specific needs. More expensive means over represented in association with wealthier (read: humble-bragging douche) demographics.
But on the other hand, I think people who achieve a tight minimalist aesthetic by leveraging their own expertise with DIY renovations, building their own furniture, replacing upholstery to match, etc. actually have a legitimate reason to be proud and get respect rather than (just) the dubious virtue of winning the rat race. Have you ever framed a bathroom wall so that the embedded medicine cabinet's baseline lines up with the faceplates of your electrical outlets which symmetrically flank it? How about also spacing them so they're centered in the margins of vanity flanking the mirror too? That shit is tight and when all of the geometry in a space is that cohesive, most people won't even notice. But they will sense that something just feels right and satisfying. And your typical contractor won't even try, because between shimming/leveling the medicine cabinet, laying out the _rough_ framing itself, and handling all the marginal offsets (with fixtures/hardware you have to be able to measure in advance) across different professions is properly hard. They'll instead try to talk you into less accuracy-sensitive approaches. Doing it anyway isn't superiority or social flexing - it's that purely internal satisfaction that comes from taking pride in your work.
Ain't a lick of pride to be had in spending money and just demonstrating that you can afford to hire professionals that take pride in _their_ work. Like congratulations, you picked a product. Have a cookie.
We have an oak wood floor in the kitchen. In front of the cooker and the sink are small cotton rugs from Ikea that you can put in the washing machine every few weeks. I can highly recommend that.
Living on a 70 acre farm with two dogs. I don’t own a rug that I cannot toss in the washer.
Wood is a great look for flooring in kitchen & bathrooms, but once you have a leak/flood it is so hard to find replacement pieces that can go in seamlessly. They make ceramic long tiles that mimic wood (where every piece has dfferernt grain pattern). I think that is the perfect flooring for people that like wood looking flooring without the maintenance.
A good hardwood floor contractor can match almost any wood.
@@idalily3810 finding a good contractor is another challenge in itself
@@tinasung3814 Work of mouth is usually the best way.
I grew up in a 1910 home with original hardwoods. The beauty to me is that real hardwood builds character throughout its life. My parents build a new home 5 years ago and chose hardwoods again, even in the 1/2 guest bath and kitchen. It’s beautiful and is much less of an issue than most modern floors are with water/liquids.
Nick Lewis, saving us from ourselves once again.
Also, I love it when I go into someone’s space and their things tell a story.
I had gorgeous oak hardwood in my last kitchen. It held up beautifully. I’d do it again.
Found and started to binge your channel a couple of days ago as I'm trying to learn about designing my own space for the first time.
Really love how you're like "Here's a set of opinions and styles, and here's my specific take" - really gives me the impression that I'm getting to form my own opinion. Which is some kind of "abstract but cozy": bold, deliberate colors and shapes.
Perhaps because I'm a designer (For UI though) who grew up in the home of a designer (for graphics) who did this. Therefore this style that might be unwelcoming or unapproachable for some is both self-expressive and homey nostalgia for me.
My entire main floor (entry, hall, kitchen, dining, and living room, stairs to second level and to basement are done in the same darker toned hardwood which makes the space cohesive. However, the one thing I would do differently, is choose a lighter tone of wood as dark wood (espresso) shows absolutely everything including dust, water drops, and all things light in colour.
Mixing styles, colors, wood tones etc. if done with a judicious eye can make a space very interesting and comfortable. Love your podcasts.
Real hardwood in the kitchen as well as the powder room was wonderful! Loved it! I let my young son skate on it. Nothing more beautiful than a used and well maintained hardwood floor. I live in the desert now in Scottsdale AZ. My home has natural flagstone throughout. Beautiful but so unforgiving on your legs and feet. Wood “gives” a bit and is fabulous IMO.
Mixing woods - I think the important thing is too not mix textures - driftwood or rough reclaimed wood does not go well with 19th century highly polished furniture. But different colors is like any other mix of shades of a color.
My inherited 1940s home has red oak hardwood floors throughout. The kitchen has vinyl flooring over the beautiful hardwood. I'm going to free the hardwood by removing the vinyl. I'm looking forward to it. I'm keeping the tile over wood in the bathrooms and the vinyl over wood in the laundry/mudroom.
You can see the kitchen from the living and dining rooms so I think restoring the hardwood in the kitchen is really going to look beautiful. ❤
I have my grandmothers 1930 furniture which is in outstanding condition, in my master bedroom. Paired it with a bronze metal frame bed. Love it. Doesn’t fit the rest of my decor but it gives me joy. That’s what counts.
Whether its wood or fabric, it looks kinda cool when the color tones are all close, but with textures and patterns that are different.
Oh Nick...after watching several of your videos and always agreeing with you....and me doing everything right according to you....I have now failed! All of my furniture matches! And I honestly love it! But I can understand what you are saying.......it could possibly look outdated...however mine does not...yet.....P.S. I just bought a faux deer head to put in my living room. Lol! Thx again for a wonderful video!
4:44
As a former pro housekeeper, I've seen a lot of wood floors (both real and composite) totally ruined in the kitchen.
A small leak under the sink and the area where the steam comes out from your dishwasher when it's drying are especially vulnerable to damage. It's not like it's easy to remove just that area because getting the new repair boards to match the old is a nightmare. I do recommend the tile that looks like wood, instead and add rugs so if you drop a dish it doesn't shatter ;)
I used to work as a furniture designer for a company who supplied to many 'big box' retailer stores. In all of my 'sets' I used to try and push the boundaries in terms of designs which complimented eachother without looking 'matchy-matchy', but invariably the retailers would choose the most matchy-matchy options of my design sets. It frustrated me no end knowing that what ended up in stores was not the combinations I had envisioned and would put in my own home! It was for this reason that I would always include options for my sets: if a retailer would choose my preferred option, they'd end up with a 'suite' that would work very cohesively without looking matchy-matchy. No retailer actually chose this cohesive-but-not-matchy option in the 4.5yrs I had in that role, unfortunately.
RE the matching of wood tones, I think this is also a spectrum. Within a space, it doesn't make sense to me to combine Pine with Mahogony, for example. Yes, similar tones can look cohesive in the right context. Locally, Pine (very light) and Jarrah (very deep red) are most common, and typically don't combine well in my opinion.
Nice sweater! Always enjoy hearing your opinions.
Re. wooden floors in the kitchen: I find them beautiful, but it's a potentially risky choice if you cook a lot. There can be all kinds of water incidents in the kitchen which wouldn't damage tiles, but would stain/damage wood. Also, it's probably the room where you're most likely to drop heavy things. If you have tiles, you can redo them in the kitchen only, but if it's hardwood floors connected to the rest of the space, redoing/refurbishing the floors for that whole space will get much more expensive.
We bought a very small house after our daughter went to college. Didn't want to clean the 2500 sq ft house anymore. The house we bought had been updated. The man was incredibly proud of the countertops he built himself. They are made of pine. He was right. They were beautiful. But they are impractical. We had a few other updates, but are putting in new ones this year.
My kitchen floor, 70+ year old solid pine, turned WAVY after our dishwasher flooded the kitchen. Stains can be sanded off, but a wavy wooden floor is something entirely different.
I love wood floors in the kitchen, but please, no wood on the countertop. A countertop is wiped multiple times a day and soon takes off the finish. Also, it is too porous to be sanitary. I had a redwood shower enclosure once, which was beautiful when new but acquired a soap scum that never came off.@@christines2787
Tile grout in the kitchen is more gross than wood floors. 🤢
The risk is the plumbing and plumbing connections and a leak will be ver very expensive and you will need to pull up and replace it
My parents used hardwood in their kitchen and, unfortunately, their dishwasher started leaking when they were not at home. The hardwood floor warped badly as a result. I don’t recommend hardwood in a kitchen for this reason.
Engineered hardwood, not solid hardwood, is actually more stable because of the plywood construction of it. It does not expand and contract like solid hardwood does.
Amen. I have solid 3/4” oak and the floor people failed to mention swelling, shrinking, cupping etc. After 18 years, it has reduced but they still change some with the seasons. I grew up in a house with solid strip flooring, but it was narrow and old, so much more stable. My new 4” and 5” planks have been much more affected.
It might've been due to your installation. My installer delivered the wood several weeks before the installation so it would have time to adjust to my home's humidity. I haven't had the problems you mentioned.@@anitas5817
Love every thing you said! Have to comment on other benefits of hardwood… I had ceramic tile in my first kitchen which looked beautiful. Colour was great, but it was a ‘contained’ room. With open concept having the floors flow is key!! Don’t chop it up. Also, real hardwood is so much better for your back. Seriously. I had hard wood in my second kitchen and Never had problem!! Easy to clean and back didn’t ache after long periods in the kitchen (even though I was older). Just an opinion I thought worth sharing.
Minimalist spaces only have no personality if you choose minimalism as a design choice vs if you're actually living as a minimalist and your space, therefore, reflects that. The difference will show. Even if your place is bare, that's a reflection of who you are. For me, "more" is more stressful, more cleaning, bleh.
Yeah I don't really agree with "minimalism = no personality." There are many countries around the world who have a more minimal approach to interiors/life etc, and that phrase almost feels ignorant. For example Japanese interior design is very minimal but it has purpose, history, it's cozy and I'd say it has a ton of personality.
Nah, he is totally right. I would get depressed in the minimalist spaces of self-proclaimed minimalists.
@@mirabella2154 Yea that's why YOU don't decorate your house that way. Not everyone is the same. Sometimes that lifestyle makes sense for people.
@@mirabella2154 Also I don't think mine or OP's comment was in disagreement with what Nick was saying, but rather furthering his point of being intentional. And I definitely agree with bringing in different textures when going minimal. My criticism was aimed more towards people who see a neutral colour palette and immediately go "ew boring! no personality!!" cuz that pov is pretty rampant rn.
Yeah, minimalism "the aesthetic" is annoying and I feel like it hijacked the true intentions of the lifestyle.
I agree - minimalism to a degree. Bare rooms are not cozy and as well as rooms that are stuffed with furniture. So balance, the middle way. I know, I can’t believe we are still talking about it 😊. Love the sensible advice Nick!
In our kitchen, dining + living rooms, we have cabinets and dining set with same wood tones. Chairs in kitchen and living are warm but different. End table and coffee table are antique walnut. All warm tones. Look great.
Bedroom will have matching side tables and similarly painted refinished art deco style dressers soon. Got in thrift stores and relocating neighbors - $30 plus alot of elbow grease.
In terms of case goods/furniture matching, I like when two or more pieces from a set get broken up and used in many parts of the home. For example, a bed in the master, side tables in the living room, a dresser in a guest room…etc. It’s not unlike the continuity of flooring running throughout a home, many pieces from one style in many parts of the home
i love to do that too! for example i have a table lamp in my bedroom and a floor lamp from the same collection in another room. same with other furniture that came in sets (i inherited a lot of sets from family members)
In our forever home we're building, we're using three different woods. Cedar wainscoting on the loft railing and around the island, purple heart on the stairs and newel post, and white maple for the kick plate on the stairs. It's a rather large space, so it will flow nicely.
"If you want to live in an insane asylum, fine, go for it!" - LOL, my thoughts exactly. I don't like overly-busy decor either, but the extreme minimalism look is definitely not for me! I will say if I had to pick between "ultra minimalist" and "ultra cluttered" for a hotel room, I'd pick the minimal design just so I wouldn't have to worry as much about losing my own stuff in the clutter. ;) But for my own home, ... I dunno man, I look at those photos and I'm like "BIG BLANK WHITE WALL, WHY?!"
If you decide on wood in your house, much less the kitchen, just remember to choose your wood according to the Janka scale. The hardest woods that are easily available even on a limited budget are Hickory, Hard Maple (my choice, with a walnut stain. Beauteous!!), and French White Oak. I love walnut, but it is too far down on the list for me to be comfortable using it on a floor. Plus it's pretty pricey for flooring.
After an overnight plumbing disaster flooded half of my house (one story), and my walls had to be opened and my hickory floor ripped up, I said screw it. I came out of pocket and paid the extra to have my maple laid even in my kitchen. Boring tile used to be in there, and I just figured that you live once. Very easy to care for and gives my whole common area a cohesiveness that it didn't have before. My entryway, however, remains tile. I don't wear shoes in the house, but I don't require my guests to take theirs off. So they come into the house and have to clean their feet on the welcome mat and on the indoor/outdoor rug at my front door.
We use just about every tone of wood in our house and since our flooring is a very multicolored wood it all kinda works together. I also really love that the previous owners painted the walls two colors (the color changes along the diagonal), beige and a darker brown/beige. It keeps the space interesting
That's funny about "Less is More". I use that mostly to advise my clients against too many tile designs in a bathroom. I warn against being talked into too many beautiful ideas in one space by salespeople who might be interested in higher commissions. (Not all salespeople are this way.) Also in a kitchen where there will automatically be a lot of 'stuff' from cooking is a good place to not overdo it. But yes, in general being too minimalist does wipe away the charm. Great video!
Our hardwood kitchen floors take a beating around the dishwasher, which we run 1ce or twice a day. After 10 years it's desperate for refinishing. The area near the sink, also coming up right behind. We use the kitchen for daily cooking, not a showroom. So I'd consider how hard you plan to use the kitchen...
My diswasher leaked once while I was away for many hours so I would be reticent to have wood floors in the kitchen. But it looks awesome.
27+ years at least with oak in the kitchen and it was fine until the fridge broke down and flooded. BUT even then the home insurance covered fixing the warping and refinishing the floors. Good as new!
A homeowner near Louisville, KY, had a dishwasher flood and insurance paid for the floor. That same year her house got hit by a tornado. Her insurance cancelled. It was reported in the news that companies were even cancelling if there were "too many" claims in a neighborhood! Something to think about.
Love your advice. I agree with more is more can look great! I have been watching different high end designers videos and sometimes they go all out with collections and beautiful objects and they create incredible spaces!
Great video as always! Both of my great grandmas had hardwood floors everywhere in their houses- kitchen, bathrooms, mudrooms, they never considered it might be problem, always clean good looking floors, but perhaps wood treatment has changed.
Oh wow, this upload really got my brain moving on how it relates to me, and my family's choices.
We use real hardwood in the kitchen. Decades ago, my MIL installed white oak in her kitchen, to go with her late 50's semi-open floorplan's flooring. It now needs to be refinished, when most replace their floors after 30 years. I'm going to start a kitchen remodel in '24, and I'm *considering* solid wood flooring again. The issue is, the oak flooring in our house changes direction in the bedroom that's separate from the rest of the house, on the other side of the kitchen, due to the joists, so I'm not sure I'll go the wood route. I might break up the space between dining-kitchen-bedroom with something else that's just as soft and warm underfoot, but not wood. Whatever direction I go, I am NOT a fan of the 12x12 spanish tile in the kitchen and bathrooms that were installed 20+ yrs ago. It feels out of place in our 1960's rustic-cinderella ranch style house. Way too chunky/heavy.
Our master bedroom is all the same furniture, which is Mission style red oak, and we have one piece of the Mission set in the guest bedroom, simply because it will not fit. The master bedroom is fairly traditional, whereas the rest of the house is much more eclectic. For example, our dining table is a Gangsø Møbler tiled teak oblong/oval table, and the chairs are black Windsor. Got the table for less than 100 bucks just a few years ago, and had the chairs left from our previous house (which I used with a vintage oak & walnut bank conference table,) and are 25 yo.
We ripped out all of the vertical blinds that were in the house. They also felt very clunky-chunky. Right now, we are using curtain rods with flat sheets which I ripped holes at the seams, and fed them on the rod. It was the only colour I liked on a budget, and worked with all the hues we have on the walls in every room of the main floor. It's kinda impressive, actually, that they're so soft and neutral. We'll eventually choose something more customized, but that will take time, and money, and I want to put money in the more permanent parts of the house before I splurge on window treatments.
I think there's a time and space for minimalism, absolutely. It's not something that I see in my abode, but I'm also not a maximalist. Having a mother who was a hoarder has made me ultra conscious about how much I keep in the house, but I'm not swinging the pendulum because of it. The thing I'm focusing on as we plan the kitchen remodel, is to make an efficient space with lots of thought out storage. There will be no open shelves, or transparent cabinet doors. Superficially, I'll keep with the spirit of the house, while updating its function with built-in features, and changing the configuration a bit to help with the efficiency.
One thing that is not minimalist about me, at all, is colour. Our main floor is an analogous palette of what most would call pastel (I think they are lighter & even more muted than most pastels.) Our basement is dramatic due to a remodel of the 1960's paneled rec room into a home theatre with a nod to Art Deco. The theatre has 3 paint colours in it, all dark and 1930's inspired, and the rest of the rooms have been influenced by that. Where the main floor and the basement meet at the bottom of the stairs has a dark inky muted teal, and the main floor common room is an off white that has a strong yellow-green undertone. Our house is so dark (this type of ranch style house is notoriously cave-like) that the undertones in the off white *POP*. Think the body of a luna moth, or maybe pistachio fluff salad. The contrast between the two levels are really easy on my eyes. In total, so far (we aren't finished painting,) we have 10 different hues on the main floor, and 8 in the basement. By then time we are done, we'll have 12-14 on main floor, and 9-10 in basement. Ya, we have a lot of leftover paint cans in storage.
With all that said, I'm not a person of trends. We as a family look for things that work in the spaces we have that still appeal to us. It takes a long time to find the right things sometimes. Now, that doesn't mean I don't find certain aspects of trends lovely. For example, I am not a fan of all the grey spaces BUT if one creates a room that appears as a black & white photograph, really putting the time into getting all the right tones and textures, I find that gorgeous.
Okay, I've rambled on enough. Thank you for creating this vid!
Personally I love the matchy matchy furniture sets. Pillows/drapes etc less so, but mismatched furniture to me tends to feel a bit chaotic. I’m sure it can be done well, but most of the real world examples I’ve seen have been cases where like I can’t appreciate the amazing drapes or the cool texture in the rug because I’m too distracted by the lack of cohesion between the sofa and chair.
How interesting. I've seen many examples of non matching sets that look incredible to the point where a matching set looks boring as fuck
Happy weekend, Nick. Thank you for a great start to mine!
Demanding anything be matchy-matchy can be frustrating and expensive, so thank you for dismissing that advice. If one is sourcing from various outlets, trying to make a cohesive look on a budget and not able to start fresh with a whole set, well, it's good to have options and not be hemmed in to one wood, one color, etc.
Get a matching bedroom set at a matching living room set and then swap the accent pieces so your nightstands, if they look good enough, your nightstands can go in your living room as side tables and your extra chairs can go in your bedroom for seating. Or if you have a loveseat it could probably go in a spare room or an office or something so you can spread the sameness of the set around so it doesn't feel super boring but you have something connecting the one set throughout the rest of the house. I think that works, of course with mixing other furniture sets and other elements in on top
Edit: spelling
I’ve just caught up my apartment to the 2010s boho/scandinavian look & i love it!! Light wood, dark wood, blacks, whites, and pops of color like turquoise, etc!! This is what works for me right now!!
This one was my favorite! So much good advice. Love how Nick suggests to “do what you like” in color and furniture colors!
Nice sweater, Nick!!
My grandmother (born in 1900) had a matchy-matchy bedroom set at least as early as 1967…. I am so glad I finally realized bedrooms don’t have to be furnished like this!
Nick, I could listen to you for hours, especially now that I am recuperating from a bad bout with covid. Your sense of humor and kindness toward those who might disagree with you, are endearing. I moved into a roomy one bedroom this summer, and my thing has been simplify, simplify, simplify. Yet, it has nothing to do with minimalism. Thank you for giving me design advice - it has helped my new living room! Greetings from a happy follower.
I hope you’re feeling better soon, and enjoying your new home. Love Pat from Spain. X