bad interior design trends (& what to do instead)

[@emerythebee]

I feel like the issue with the accent wall criticism is that a lot of those happen because people can only afford to live in spaces (ie. new builds) that have no architectural features to highlight. It's a lot cheaper to paint a wall than add molding or wainscoting etc. But yeah I hate that geometric mural trend that one's a miss

[@derekgloudemans5168]

Really good point! How do you elevate a new-build space that's architecturally bland?

[@mrsmarebear2]

Thank you so much for saying it's ok for a tv to be a tv!

[@karinlouwturnley5926]

Gosh I m so with you! Totally go for it, part 2 please!

[@jeffbiddle1956]

Except that we didn’t actually need to hear it. We are adults. We can do whatever we want to do regardless of what anyone says.

[@daph7575]

@@jeffbiddle1956 9:09

[@ipadbossbaby4558]

​@@jeffbiddle1956this goes for everything (so we actually didn't need to hear your comment because we're all adults)

[@zellalaing5439]

Yess!!! Ever home ive lived in, its been place on a cabinet, not the wall, with items styled around and i 1000% prefer this to the "gallery" affect, i watch too much tv to hide it 😂

[@marchingclocks]

Most examples are from a very expensive type of home, where the spaces are giant and the architecture has character. Most of us don't live in homes like that, our spaces a plain and simple, we don't have architectural details to work with, that's why people gravitate to paneling and accent walls...

[@laurenburger1915]

please make this a series because your suggestions were very very clever and they would elevate the room instantly

[@zellalaing5439]

Yeh definitely the best person ive sesn talk about "trends"

[@rozennrd4802]

Unpopular opinion here : I do like accent walls, particularly when there is no architectural detail to highlight. I thing it brings a pop of color and a different energy to the room, without looking too crowded, and I like that it looks, well, soft. And when it has some kinds of details in it i feel it's almost art, but you did it yourself. I feel like if I owned my home, I would totally paint some details and stuff on my walls. Or invest in a giant canvas and paint it, but I kinda like the idea of having your art as your home. Though I find it rather inconvenient if you want to change the vibe of the room.

[@NastenkaVasileva]

I kinda hate the way you chose the "good" example pictures. They indeed look great (and I have at least half of them on my pinterest), but the most striking features of those spaces are coming from the architecture itself. And most homes (both on the rent market and on the "bad" pictures) don't have that, so the advice "just add wood panels and highlight architectural features" doesn't work, bc most homes are bland white boxes with giant empty walls, not a midcentury mansion with cool woodwork allover, and you can't just add in those details without it feeling like those fake plants. The same problem with "just adding books": an average person maybe reads about 10 books a year (not counting fanfiction and young adult/romance/self-help, which usually don't look look like the reference images when placed on shelves), It's like 20-30 centimeters of books on a shelf (given that you read them on paper). You can technically buy second hand books just to fill the space, but it's like another fake plant. I'm a little bit in an interior design crisis (which got a bit better, bc i got myself a place with some cool architecture and really happy about it), because "suburban millenial mom", "zara home postmodern rattan dried flowers" and "thin wooden panel minimalism" kind of mainstream design and the "cool vintage designer pieces good architecture non-conforming" kind of pinterest (your and mine) design feel equally fake and made up. I hope that I'll achieve something actually genuine and cool in my new apartment, and it'll feel cool and functional for both me and my boyfriend (which is totally clueless about design, but has his own needs and opinions). Wish me luck, please.

[@saphire2214]

You raised valid points. I think we all need to just trust ourselves more when it comes to design. We're often looking for direction from outside of ourselves. Trust your gut instinct and good luck with your design project.

[@jcriverside]

Good luck! I'm not sure why, but I feel as if the books for design thing is transparent & sad. I guess because I've always been a reader & have jettisoned maybe 1000s of books over various moves. I mostly read on my phone or iPad now, except for certain types of books (art, cooking, beautiful reference, sentimental - like I know the writer or it was passed down). Tons of books that you know someone has no desire to read or look at just seems cringe & screams set decoration.

[@sophie1937]

I think if you have a super plain white box trying to do any architectural features is just a no go so using lamps instead of turning on the sterile recessed lighting, getting genuine wood furniture (you can get lots from Facebook marketplace or secondhand) even if it's a little scratched up it usually looks fine (if not you can sand and stain it) and then add in plants and have any physical books that you own even if you think they aren't 'aesthetic' like fantasy or romance they usually look good if you have a pile and style them right and if it still feels ugly turn them so they are facing away, also getting coffee table books that are mainly images from second-hand stores is a good idea because it's less inauthentic as long as you buy ones w/ images that look cool to you and you can flick through so they don't lie there unread. for art using things you or friends made or photos you print and putting them in second-hand frames is usually not too expensive and is still quite personal. Idk if any of that helped but it is what I did in my white box rental.

[@gothdad94]

I think experimentation is a good thing! And personality in a space even more so. When guidelines start to feel like stringent rules, then something is wrong. Design should ultimately improve the quality of your life and reflect your own interests (and perhaps complement the architectural features of a home if you're lucky enough to live in such a building). There is never going to be a consensus on what is tasteful or correct anyways. I'm sure you're going to put together a lovely home! :)

[@CookieDr007]

Highly recommend swapping out light fixtures (just put the old ones under a bed or in a closet) it's transformative and you can slowly build your collection and take them with you from place to place (I started doing it 10 years ago with their, vintage and antique chandeliers) same with art, buy things you love not just for the aesthetic. I think he's also mentioning things from high end design to point out that design should be inspired by the provenance of the building, if it's a boring high rise, go modem and minimal because it's not a Mediterranean villa or an industrial loft in NYC. You can love a look but I think the point is to always relate the design to you and also the design of the space and when they are off it's jarring

[@jels.7889]

Thank you for the explanation of WHY the feature wall looks weird vs paint on architectural details. I've never understood why the accent walls look weird often. Also you have such a soothing voice, would so listen to a podcast of yours haha.

[@jekalambert9412]

I know you admitted that your opinions are "controversial". I'm totally with you about everything you presented except for faux plants. Growing and propagating indoor plants has been a huge part of my life for more than 50 years. After resisting fake plants for many many years, I moved to a home in a southern California desert community where temperatures range from 20s to 100+ degrees. Humidity sometimes hovers around 15-20%. At other times, it's close to 90%. Due to the great variations in temperature and humidity, plant care is not routine and lots of plants simply cannot adapt to the changing conditions. Despite monitoring my plants EVERY day, I've killed more plants than I'd like to admit. Live plants have become very expensive in recent years and I now consider them an investment. As a senior on a fixed income, I have to be careful not to waste my money, so I've started mixing faux plants purchased at thrift shops with my live plants. There are "good" faux plants and the obviously fake ones. I carefully select "good" ones. I'm happy with the vibe of the combination of live and fake plants. Some people like the way plants look, but they lack the experience or willingness to in put the time and effort necessary to care for plants. I really think that for those people, fake plants can be a good option.

[@CookieDr007]

Folks can get free plants in local plant swap groups, FB marketplace, neighbors etc. Would hate for you to give up your love of plants because of it!

[@benjiplant]

Noah thank u for the shoutout! Your vid stumbled upon my recommended page. Love what ur doing with ur channel

[@noahdaniel.studio]

Ah yay thanks so much Benji! ✨

[@PoppyHunter]

Great points! I think most of the TV/gallery walls are bad just because of people buying general/non personal art quickly just to create the gallery (like you said). I personally love a well curated gallery wall even if it shares the space with a tv. I don't think it's always about hiding the tv, more that it shifts the focus point away from it. There's nothing interesting or exciting about a large black rectangle, I'd prefer to look at art if the tv's not on! :)

[@thelightson]

I think there needs to be a differentiation between intents. Is someone doing an accent wall because, while it was a trend, they genuinely like it and want to make their surroundings full of what they enjoy? Or are they doing it because someone told them it was The Trendy thing to do? Or because it was trendy, they did it thinking it would increase the appeal of their house if/when they try to sell it? Let people enjoy the “bad” interior design choices if it’s what gives them joy in the spaces in which they live. There should be better, I don’t know, education? More emphasis? That trends are fleeting and they should be making these decisions because they actually like the effect, not because some article writer told them it’s cool.

[@easygii]

as a designer who moved from Europe to Canada, this really healed something inside of me haha some of the North American designs are wild

[@karafern.]

A gentle pushback on the two-tone paint: I’ve done two paint colors with the bottom color much darker and going all the way around on every wall in almost every place I’ve lived as an adult. (Some people call it “paintscoting”) I usually put the line around 60 or so inches above the floor, or 30 if I want the top color to have more weight. I get that paint meeting paint can look unpolished, but I did try covering the line with some trim, and it made it look like I was trying to make the drywall underneath look like moulding or paneling. This definitely breaks the “honest materials” rule, and I’ve seen so many bad faux-moulding DIYs where there’s just a rectangle of orange peel textured wall framed in. Two things made my paint look good, in my opinion: the line was sharp, which I got by using the tape and caulk trick. The other thing was making sure the line was interrupted by layers of other elements as much as possible, like furniture, art, curtains, doors, etc. When I did that, it was much less of a “paint effect” and more just two colors grounding the overall palette. The darker color on the bottom gives the room a lovely weight, and makes the ceiling look a little taller because of the contrast. Since I’ve found myself with real adult money, I’ve definitely switched over to installing real wainscoting panels. But when I was a broke 20 something artist, paint made the spaces better than no paint.

[@Okeiokei744]

I love how you always explain why you think something is bad, I've been watching youtubers who don't and it just makes me feel so bad lmao. I'm new to learning about interior design, so when a youtuber who to me has a lot of ethos is just like "it's BAD", and I don't necessarily agree at first, I get confused and stressed lol:)

[@hellacutty]

Plastic faux plants are horrible, but there's more wiggle room than you let on. I have a faux bird paradise plant made of paper and in a west-facing basement room. The issue isn't being able to keep plants alive (the amount of live plants in the rest of my house is becoming a problem); it's the lack of natural light. I haven't found many grow lights that work well in a shared living space, and a large cactus/shade-tolerant plant didn't work. Is your suggestion to not use plants in this scenario?

[@haleeegreen]

i cannot believe i’ve stumbled upon your channel with it being so new, but i’m glad i did :’) i love your style from what i’ve seen and can guarantee you’re going to amass a good audience of people that feel the same

[@noahdaniel.studio]

Omg such a sweet comment! Thank you so so much :)

[@dcoughla681]

Agreed.

[@kiskawillis]

I second that!

[@maddylovesgood]

thank you for saying its okay to have a tv. I've been brainwashed by other KZbinrs to look for solutions to hiding mine. Im glad i haven't...although I am guilty of the gallery wall around it (to be fair, it wasn't originally intended to hide the tv)

[@taps_lock]

I want to get rid of my accent walls but don‘t want to compromise on a healthy splash of color. Especially in my open kitchen/dining room/living room space it‘s hard to section off the living space I want to be colorful.

[@AnuradhaPatankar-me6fv]

I am absolutely glad to have found your channel, as we embark on our new home journey. All the ideas other designers express as rules make so much sense when you narrate those with corresponding images. 🙌

[@sugarcuqui]

I love real plants and I have tons of them OUTside. Inside, I use faux plants. Nice faux plants that look natural. To each their own. I don’t like the mess or the potential bugs that come with having plants inside.

[@jaz11002]

I have lots of natural plants (and a husband to take care of them 😂). But I also have faux ones for places without enough light (because Canada) and high shelves... I place them where the eye cannot see the details

[@nigeriaashana]

Same!

[@edmey]

I'm a plant person (inside and outside my house), but plastic plants are like those fake books that people who don't read buy for their coffee tables. Not a good look.

[@keithj2010]

its so refreshing to find someone who echos and validates what are considered in my area of the world as "unpopular opinions". Ppl here LOVE the gallery walls around a tv, not only faux plants but faux plants from COSTCO, painted accent walls and even worse painted accent ceilings...They think I'm crazy when I voice me disdain for these trends so thank you for validating my preferences!

[@rpbphx]

Three immediate thoughts that came to my mind: If a painted wall is what's giving you major icks, you're doing pretty good. Sometimes you're NOT trying to hide a tv. If people weren't glued to TikTock, would they still think that things are over saturated? Oh, one more thing: Thank goodness design is not a monolith. Have the strength of your conviction to make your space tell YOUR story.

[@craeveyard]

I've been thinking about this video for a week or so, looking at my own house, and coming back to comment. How can I add interest to a room that's just a plain box, with no fancy architectural elements already baked in? Are there certain things that are generally always good to add to a "plain" space other than trim?

[@LuchSveta1]

Good quality art

[@katrinaroxburgh8096]

First of all, I'm enjoying your videos so much! Question I'd love to hear your thoughts on. If you have a stock-standard house with no interesting architectural features... how do you work with that? Like I absolutely love MCM but it's really about the architecture at its core, so adding mid century furniture feels out of place in my house. And I need to add some character/interest somehow so, not gonna lie, I am thinking about painting feature walls and using those wood panels that you hate ha! What would you do to decorate a bland modern house?

[@heatherfoster7823]

I appreciate the nuance of your answers :) I strongly believe that anything can look good, if done properly, in the right space and you gave some great examples. I think that when something becomes a design "trend", the cheapest version of it ends up on the shelves of every store and on every DIY website. But just because it's in style and there are affordable versions, doesn't mean you should rush to retrofit them into your home. I'm an interior designer and when clients have a hard time deciding on a selection I say "what would your home want?" lol I start with the architecture and let it guide me. I like to stay true to the original design intention where possible and focus a lot on lifestyle. The design is kind of dictated by what they wear, items they love and how they live. Nobody needs a style, they already have one :)

[@miravales7450]

I disagree with "large art" just for sake of having some accent on the wall, particularly if you end up blowing up a banal film poster, etc. I saw more mundane geometric shapes in a frame than I saw accent walls. Both horrible, but "art of sake of art" is more prevalent. Let the wall be a wall, and put something up only if it's decent artwork or somewhat meaningful to you.

[@LucasRibeiro-qe9mb]

so cool that you also proposed what looks good instead and not only said what's bad! nice video

[@regulartom5736]

Hi Noah, love your channel. There is one aspect to the slatted wooden panels I think you've overlooked, with regards to their form following their function. I do think slatted panels can/should serve an important function in room, and that is one of an acoustic diffuser. If you have a more minimal aesthetic, and you end up with an echoey sounding room, and want to make it cosier/more homely I think slatted panels can help with this, especially if the room in question is your main music listening room. Just my 2c.

[@st33nb3an4]

Yep, I knew my accent wall was a dumb idea. 😂 But I still love the color, so I’m gonna paint the whole room now!

[@ziggystardust6747]

youtube feed suggested this and i’m glad it did because not only you make valid (and necessary) points but you also give suggestions on how things could look more polished in case somebody out there does like those trends. the fake plants mention reminded me of this one time i payed a visit to a family member and their house was FULL of plastic nature, it felt suffocating and just… weird, like???? i never came back. anyway, looking forward more videos from you

[@pindebraende]

many of the wood slat walls are actually felt-backed sound deadeing panels which basically create more calm acoustics in a room and that's their function. I do agree with you about the look of them, but if you wanna swap them out with something that has a similar acoustic effect I would suggest hanging large fabric / fibre art or looking for other large acoustic paneling. The sound and acoustic qualities of spaces are often overlooked in interior design imo!

[@paolomutia6767]

Wow, these suggestions and honest critiques are really helpful to think about, thank you!

[@SirMopy]

the thing with realistic plants are: 99% of the nice looking rooms in pictures or videos with the real plants are just used as decoration for this specific shot. the plant will die in like 95% of the cases they are demonstrated in the interior. for instance the pic you've shown with the big colocasia at 6:11. this plant needs TONS of light and even direct sunlight (no, don't listen to the the plant instructions. I have several alocasias on a south facing window with the sun hammering on them. no burned leafs) also you can see, that she's not in that room before because some of their leaves are towards the walls, what plants aren't doing. they face the sun/brightest spot. yet you can still rotate them, the stem of the colocasia is too short for the amount of light... leave this plant on this spot, you'll have a dead or ugly plant soon in a couple of weeks

[@lelesophie]

To me, using plastic plants is a nice solution for darker corners that don’t get much sunlight or the bathroom. But I agree with you, I’d mainly stick with real plants and add a plastic one here and there.

[@unfilthy]

I've spent some time considering your perspective, and have come to the conclusion that I disagree, partially, about "accent walls" or what normal people sometimes refer to as painting the walls. First off, color is, or can be, its own reward, statement, or feature. It doesn't need to be justified when it's on the walls or ceilings (or floors, or windows) any more than a gorgeously colored armchair or rug or art need to justify their non-neutrality. Colors only need to work for you to justify their existence in a space. The only difference between color on a wall and on a sofa is that walls are bigger. Much bigger. Which means that sometimes, painting all of them is just overkill, just as living in a perfectly white interior can be way too much white. And so, when I finally decide how I want it, I will be painting some portion of the walls, but not all, and if I get it right, neither the white nor the color will overwhelm, or detract from, the items I choose to use in this space. now, obviously, architectural features worthy of highlighting are great. I even happen to have a couple in my new home. I also happen to be married to an artist, and have had artist friends my entire life, as well as having collected a bunch of art over the decades, so I'm pretty much sorted on that front. BUT. My new home is very white. Painfully white. I'm not a painfully white sort of person. And you know where it's the worst? In the areas where there aren't visually interesting architectural features. And here's the sad truth; all the décor in the world won't change the fact that there's a huge amount of flat white space surrounding it. Seriously, I'm currently sitting in a room full of woods, iron and glass, with differently textured upholstery in beautiful greens (and a red), I have vintage pieces, new stuff, custom-made stuff, randomly thrifted stuff, hell, I even have some plastic, and none of this, not even the great natural light from the (white, obviously) windows or the greenery outside can change the fact that all this lovely, personal, beloved, well-lit décor is sitting in a painfully white room. So, I need to reduce the amount of white, and replace it with some color. Why don't I just paint the whole space a different color? Because this place does have slightly odd, asymmetrical architecture, and it has two structural support columns, but they're different shapes and different materials (concrete and iron, both painted WHITE, neither of which is in the area that needs to be less white) four differently sized and positioned windows (did I mention they were white?) and other oddities, and to be fair to the previous owners, white does help make it all look coherent, and painting the entire space a more interesting, less sterile-looking color will absolutely highlight oddities that I don't want to highlight, or, if it's an interesting enough color to distract from that, it would be overwhelming, and so I'd just be replacing the too much white problem with a too much color problem. Anyway. Rules. Not a fan of those. General guidelines about what tends to work best, sure. But also, each place is unique in some way and requires its own solutions. So now I just need to figure out which bits of wall I'm painting. The one thing I'm pretty sure about is that it won't be the one long featureless wall. I think that just makes a room look lopsided without adding much interest (hey, I said color doesn't require justification, I didn't say it was always sufficiently interesting or that it always works). Wish me luck!

[@toppcatt5113]

You did it again. Some of these rooms and the colorschemes are stunning. @1:50 I did paint one wall an accent color , its a half wall that they used to divide the apartment so that there is a seperate bedroom . There is trim where the one color meets the other and it ends up looking like the accent wall is the same color but just in a shadow.

[@catherineharaldsson1494]

Thanks for this. I think some of the comments about the spaces being built nowadays not having architectural interest (re: painted accent walls/ painted arches) are the product of living in rapidly, cheaply built suburban planned communities. The houses offer nothing unique or quirky and the materials used are the poorest quality. Folks growing up in this environment haven’t been taught to gradually find objects: furniture, art, rugs, etc that they love. The solution to furnishing these McMansions has been to buy all the furniture as sets including rugs & art to match, from the same « furnishings » store, at the same time. This results in an inoffensive neutral space that says nothing about the people living in it. 😢 I hope you continue to encourage this generation to seek out second hand, vintage items and create more personal spaces to live in. Maybe we can eventually convince builders and architects that we prefer to live in human-sized homes, not the so much larger than human scale currently in vogue. Keep up the good work!

[@KompletterGeist]

Honestly, I could listen to you gossip about stupid internet trends for hours You also have great taste in background music!

[@mariastathopoulos744]

My home has 4 bedrooms and in each one a different painted accent wall. The trick is to intentionally link that colour throughout the room. For example: wall art, throw blankets, candle holders, lamp shades etc. Repetition in a hue's tint/shade/tone make an accent wall congruent with the surrounding elements. Since a bedroom is a relatively private space, have fun experimenting with colour. The rest of my home is painted a warm white so the public spaces are consistent. Although l incorporate colour through wall art, rug and accessories. The faux token olive tree which replaced the faux fiddle fig tree is overkill on many interior influencer channels. Great start on your interior design channel 😃👍

[@melisa6609]

subbed! you're so well spoken and your ideas are so insightful! as an artist, i love filling walls with big pieces - makes the space less monotonous!

[@BrionneandBrianMolina]

I’m really loving to hear the theoretical perspective on design. What I don’t love is that your examples/inspo pictures just don’t feel lived in. I feel like you should do a video where you highlight lived in spaces with good design. Or show us yours. Or ask for subscribers to send theirs in and highlight the good design features.

[@troyguy2897]

I’ve done the whole jungle home thing, but I think having 100s of plants in a home is not great because it attracts a lot of bugs, the soil constantly smells (when you have that many), and it’s a pain to look after and manage when you go on holidays. A good alternative to plastic plants is dried flowers because they have 0 maintenance and look good all the time, especially for those people that can’t look after plants : )

[@atstat]

Well, dried flowers are nice, and I really love them for decoration and for painting, but they can collect dust, and real plants and plastic ones can be wiped with a wet towel, but dried plants are very fragile and do not like water, so its difficult to keep them clean for longer periods of time

[@gooliamarie]

This. All of this. But the tv bit… THANK YOU. Let a tv be a damn tv. Keep the videos coming! People need to hear what you have to say 😂

[@noahdaniel.studio]

Haha yes!! So happy you agree. Don't worry there's lots more to come :)

[@anneliekeholland]

Spot on with all of them! I am very curious about your take on the use of colored paint in concrete flats with low ceilings (usually built in the early 1980s), especially when there is a solid wooden floor, which makes the space between the floor and the ceiling even smaller. Because of the same reasons you mention, I don't want to leave the ceiling white, but rather give it the same color as the walls. On the other hand, a colored ceiling, when low, can make the space even more oppressive, I imagine. I must say that I have never actually seen good examples of interior design in concrete low-ceiling homes. I am very curious if there are any references on this from interior design theory. Thank you for your videos, you validate all my gut feelings about interior design.

[@MindfulMagicMama]

Ornate gold frames giving “such a weird vibe” made me subscribe immediately 😂

[@paolonasr4123]

The way we have the exact same design philosophy is insane...easily my new KZbin obsession!

[@channamasala1]

Strong disagree on accent walls. I don't care for the designs with lots of paint colors, but I just don't think a single painted wall or ceiling looks "weird". And not everyone has or can add architectural features, but we still want at least one wall with some color. Like renters -- I can paint a wall but no, I can't add molding, JFC.

[@tradehut2782]

💯 agree. Accent walls look good to a lot of interior designers. So his taste is off in this.

[@Cassinova795]

I’ve very quickly realized this channel is not advice for renters living in basic homes and that is ok !!

[@channamasala1]

@@Cassinova795 Disagree -- it's not just about rental vs. non-rental, but anyway, every interior design KZbin channel seems to a.) assume ownership and b.) lean on "make it more luxurious by spending more money" which is just a deeply uncreative approach. Most of us don't have that kind of flexibility, and really great design is accessible to more than people with money and a deed.

[@Cassinova795]

@@channamasala1 you cannot convince me that the take home message from this channel is “spend more money”

[@channamasala1]

@@Cassinova795 This one isn't as bad as some other channels and I don't think it's intentional, but he's had videos where he basically says you should spend the money on real hardwood, or not have wood at all (but hasn't recommended a more affordable finish that would be fine, only said which ones he thinks are not fine -- i.e. LVP "hardwood". I disagree on that, too, by the way. Not all of us get a choice.) Intentional or not, blatant or not, ***every*** interior design KZbin channel encourages us to spend more money. It may not be the central message of some, but it's a part of all of them. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy them. I like this channel, I like Paige Wassel, Caroline Winkler and Nick Lewis (although he's the worst of this list in terms of pushing us to spend more money),

[@veronicajensen7690]

agree with most of it, I also prefer a different surface on a focus wall and I prefer the colors aren't high contrast unless it's a contrast painted door or beam ect. however I must say I love wooden slats on the wall if it's in a classical way not to geometric and it's raw real wood , and that include the half wall , I think it's because as a Scandinavian I love asymmetry and I find it feels much lighter than a full wooden wall, and the truth is that when we talk about trends it's only a few people who follow it, meaning it may seem like everybody is doing a thing if you follow instagram interior design sites, but when you visit family, friends, neighbors ect, you rarely or ever come by 99% of the trends, I also agree with the pictures around the TV , if I want to hide a TV I would either use a TV cabinet or buy a picture frame Samson TV, and I don't care for plastic plant either or plastic in any way, there are many plants there are hard to kill, there are plants who like shadow, medium sun light or lots of sunlight so some for everyone, there are even plants that are great if you have cat's who tend to eat them ect.- by the way I'm so tired of the tendency to put mirrors in every room! especially weird shaped mirrors and small mirrors with no purpose as a small mirror don't really make a room feel larger, it will reflect some light if it's placed right but I don't find it to be a cozy or beautiful decor in itself

[@CSB458]

I agree about the plastic plants. I used to have some. I’m not a plant girly (yet) but I love fresh flowers so I go that route. Good ones last weeks. Doesn’t have to be expensive 🌹

[@painterlyrabbit]

You are a breath of fresh air. Thanks for speaking out, spread the word lol

[@dcoughla681]

I’m nodding along in agreement with what you’re saying. All of this is pure gold and fills in the missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle that I’ve been trying to accomplish in my home. Thanks very much.

[@amay304]

I love the amount of people out here in the comments defending the accent walls and how they are a way to bring fun into an architecturaly boring/generic space. I too felt personally attacked when Noah came after the accent walls. But I agree about the gallery walls, I feel like that trend will die away...

[@Grushenke89]

My new house, has the accent wall in the kitchen. I will be changing it as soon as possible. I dislike the accent wall also.

[@marktyler2068]

Thanks for the helpful video. Great to get so many examples. Although many of the things you said should stop did look pretty good. Just a heads up that interesting architectural elements are hard to find in most homes and adding tile or wood instead of paint ups the cost significantly.

[@TellaQ]

As an artist, the frame tv solved our desire to enjoy different art, refresh our place with new art without putting more holes in the wall. I agree it shouldn’t be included in a gallery wall. It’s beautiful on its own. I think it really depends on you, we do family movie nights about twice a month. Majority of the time it displays art. My gallery walls are in the bedroom’s where I can enjoy them. Great content! ❤

[@hypersynesthesia]

I think the only good reason for a gallery wall is that you genuinely have lots and lots of things you personally care about and want to display. Art merely for the sake of filling space doesn't add much to a room. I'm a painter so I hang large framed works that I've made myself, with the occasional large print by other artists I like, and the artwork is the starting point for what each room looks like, rather than hanging art to 'match' the decor (which makes me shudder a bit). I don't like a flat accent wall, or the random geometric shapes, but I really like what Studiopepe have done in recent years, using very intentional & beautiful colour blocking on walls along with sculptural objects & furniture to tell whole stories in their rooms. I did something like that in my living room, with a dark two-tone colour block that wraps around a corner, surrounding a 1970s brass floor lamp that casts quite architectural forms across the corner. The result is that it defines that corner of the room (where the bar and record player are), making it distinct from the seating area, but also picking up on the recurring palette in the main artwork and in the room without being too matchy. I think it's best to be intentional & thoughtful, and know why you're using paint to differentiate a space, don't just do it because you think you should. And be imaginative & personal in colour choices, don't pick colours you see trending, because they'll date quickly and you'll hate them.

[@eskimoki9630]

I agree about the painted accent walls and I really like your suggestion to look for an architectural detail to paint instead. Makes total sense to me. I actually have a wallpaper accent wall and have hated the fact that you can see where the wallpaper was trimmed and where it meets the unaccented white walls for years. Now I found out there's flexible molding that you can frame the wallpaper with... will try that. I hope it does the trick ;-)

[@dimplesd8931]

Not gonna lie. I do love an accent wall. We just did a whole home renovation. We have two accent walls, but the effect is to make two walls in different rooms in the center of the house look seamless. All of walls in the house are cream but the accent walls are matte black. It brings the walls forward. The whole house has large art pieces, so black and cream allow the art to be the focus. In our past renovation/decoration we had accent walls in most rooms but to be fair I became a whole ass adult, 30’s, in the 2010’s so it was the fashion trend then.

[@saudade9]

from your "what to o instead" pics i could tell we have the same style, which is so very rare to find here on yt! immediate sub

[@lauramlolsen]

Every time the next trend popped up my brain fired with rage 😂. It’s nice to see I’m not alone with my thoughts on these; it’s as if you took the words straight from my mouth!

[@-o-o-o-1]

Amazing video!!! I love your design take and you delivered it in such a practical, down to earth manner :D

[@bobbytherese]

The one about the accent wall was hard to hear! 😅 Tough love moment I guess, haha! However, I have never lived in a house with architectural features to highlight, so the walls have always just been painted a color (and then meeting a white ceiling or wall in another corner). I agree it can be a bit odd when you really look at it, but I like the color. What do you recommend for such a house? All white and then artwork etc? Or all walls and ceiling the same color? What about accent wallpaper or textured walls?

[@CookieDr007]

Thank you re: the fake plants 🙌🏼 a piece of me dies every time i see one (achoo 🤧) because they're just more junk for the landfill, never look real and are always in a spot that doesn't make sense and literally the opposite of providing cleaner air inside the house

[@agorsline09]

I know nothing about plants, but we have a peace lily and it’s very easy not to kill. Literally starts drooping when it needs water, and springs back up the next day! Got it from a yard sale, it’s probably at least 20 years old and we’ve had it for about 8 years. It’s name is Mike lol😅

[@ChrisstinaMorgan]

Yes! Absolutely! I also hate this cheap and nasty gallery walls even without tv nearby. People thinking they can cover space with art/wall decor on the budget instead of getting 1-2 really nice big statement piece which will elevate their interior. But all it does is making it look clattered and cheaper. The most funny thing total price for all that little frames and art pieces is not that little as they expected. Why not to pay a bit more for one nice big art piece delivered to your home then make yourself going through headache of arranging and mounting all that tiny things which will not give you the look you want anyway?

[@JonsefMobuto]

Great picture examples 🎉 I totally have the tv gallery wall and two accent walls 😅 i really like it. Fun to hear some other perspectives tho😊

[@ashleyjohnson3663]

So psyched to have found your channel! Keep making videos!

[@markt4416]

I really enjoyed watching this. Noah's perspectives on why something is bad were refreshing and new to me and completely rational. AND his alternative solutions further emphasized and explained why the design trends were bad through contrast. The video was surprisingly well done (compliment).

[@CidKool]

So glad you mentioned The Frame TV, I have been looking to buy one (as the main piece in the centre of a gallery wall, but we won't do that anymore). Happy it has your stamp of approval as a standalone item

[@litt0083]

I really love your KZbin content so far. I enjoy architecture and interior design more than I care about trends, so it’s great to hear your perspectives…which I agree with. I hope you keep making these videos

[@flowersafeheart]

TV for some of us can feel ugly and like an addictive black hole, and is considered bad feng shui. Some of us feel sensitive to it like it's intruding on us with temptation to watch it too often and doesn't feel soothing the way art or plants or a window would. So...I also don't love TV gallery wall idea (plus I find that'd be distracting and overstimulating when watching TV. But I love the idea of covering the TV. Some just use a tapestry. Or a cabinet of some sort. When I'm in hotel rooms, I always cover the TV with a towel.

if u dont like the look of a black TV screen on your wall, get a short-distance projector in white, it blends in.

[@ianmansbridge3646]

I thought I was alone in my decorative taste but you have confirmed my opinions. I now have your explanations to justify my decisions, thank you..

[@thatclumsyhuman]

this was such a cozy watch! and i totally agree on every point you made, but especially in accent walls. as someone who loves to color drench, these need to go 🤌🏻

[@lauriestewart8228]

oh yes "I am so special, I need it to "look" like I don't own a tv. lol Glad I stumbled on your channel. a lot of these trends have felt off for me and I didn't know why. thank you for explaining.

[@tomtomtom6970]

7:09 I actually really love that TV cover. I think there's something inherently antisocial about having a TV as the focal point in your living room, which is usually the room meant for socializing and the biggest room in your house. I suspect the reason why its a trend to "hide" them is because people have become aware of their media consumption and are trying to fix their face-to-face relationships.

[@anamariaekholm]

Hahaha the tv one is so real! Everyone in Sweden is buying this sort of painting tv frame so it melts in with the space. It's so funny because just like you said when did it become shameful to have a tv?!😂 in my opinion if they don't lake the look of a tv in that specific room don't buy a tv. It's as simple as that. Love your videos btw!!! 🫶🏼

[@akifsalic5619]

I'm designing my room and i was going to do 3 of them. I watched your 3 or 4 videos and it's like i feel something uncomfortable in the room but i can't say it then you read my mind and said what to do about it. You saved my room thank you very much. (English is not my first language so i apologize for my grammatical errors.)

[@kiwichick567]

I'm so excited for this new channel! I completely agree that KZbin is missing considered thinking from people who've actually studied interior design. (So glad you've changed up where you're sitting - in the first two videos the background was jarring)

[@rubyherring]

I've been really obsessed with the idea of doing a wood slat wall in my living room. I live in a large, but not very beautifully constructed flat and was hoping to make the space more interesting/special/threedimensional by adding such a wall. I also hate the wallpaper. you gave me something to think about - not sure what I'll do!

[@derykmusic]

All of your points were spot on!! Those green hanging vines... disgusting... Thank you for highlighting this lol

[@named_juan]

all the right takes and I love the approachable ~fix~ to achieve a similar design intent. Excited to hear more hot takes from a fellow designer :)

[@viktorreiter8811]

gallery wall around the TV is the 21th century western version of you average eastern european grandma covering her TV with embroidery.

[@LuchSveta1]

😂

[@makaroner1174]

Omg every single one of these arguments are ON POINT I feel like people who hide their tv's or tell you you should hide yours sound so pretentious

[@kukisia]

I think the accent wall is pretty cool if you know what you’re doing and you set it in right space with the right shade I don’t have big problem with that. By the way I follow couple fashion channels they say that short sleeve shirts are totally outdated and now go just FYI.😂😂

[@toppcatt5113]

I found two used canvas frames , 60 x 40 and Im going to join them together and make a gigantic abstract art peice for my largest wal since I cant paint it. There is popcorn ceiling so its impossible to get a straigh line so it has to remain all white.

[@laurenromero7823]

would love to know your tips for creating zones in a small open concept space, as that is the reason i was considering a painted arch. great video!

[@PS-xb4dm]

Loving your videos, thanks for sharing your knowledge and perspective! I think KZbin was missing someone who does more in-depth conversations about design, I feel like I can’t learn anything new from a lot of the more popular channels (although I still love and watch them lol) I loved your point about how architectural features should define the borders of paint colours, it really made it click for me why I’ve never liked accent walls!

[@barbaradinsdale9386]

Hi Noah, I appreciate these tips. I don’t actually have any of the mention styling trends, but I do have a question regarding the wood paneling. I’ve been looking at some images of classic mid century modern homes (maybe from the 50’s and 60’s, and most of them have 2 surfaces/walls side by side that are of different materials i.e colour, texture … ect, like a stone wall /limestone or a wood panel a nice rich walnut against a plain plaster wall. Does this fall under your design ‘no no’ , and if so why is it so pervasive in those homes and really part of the aesthetic of those homes, and how do I do it so that it looks as classy as those images I see? And is it just the cheap materials being used that you have an issue with???.

[@helenapacheco5740]

Sou portuguesa, tenho 64 anos, quase 65, descobri à 2 dias os teus vídeos e assim que vi um subscrevi logo, concordo 100% com tudo o que tu dizes e algumas coisas que dizes pensava que era só eu que tinha essa opinião, também sou fã do Benji Plant e gosto muito da casa dele. E a tua casa como é? adorava ver... 😍🇵🇹

[@Melodyy77]

i already love this channel so much. keep goinggggg

[@caylacompassion]

I'm so glad I came across your channel! Love the way you present your opinions and I just know our vibes are the same. Also, the audio is fantastic in this video. 🤗

[@nadia-jane]

hi there been loving the videos, i was wondering you, or if anyone the comments, has any suggestions for me. I'm currently looking at buying a property which has a pretty outdated electric fireplace. do you have any suggestions on how to incorporate it into the room, essentially for the surrounding casing to make it look less outdated if I was't able to remove it completely??? thanks ! x

[@tobysilverman3343]

Question re: gallery walls -- do you think it's best to just do a single wall or can it work as a vibe throughout an entire apartment?

[@LuchSveta1]

It depends on a lot of factors, the main is the presents of taste and the quality of the art work

[@LucasArthur-ms2wd]

This is so authentic, clear message, down to the point but kinda bit ironic (?) which I Love. Keep doing youtube videos. BIG support!

[@BrionneandBrianMolina]

I really like your channel and love hearing all of the theory. It puts some reason behind some things I have opinions about but can’t explain why. I’d love for you to include inspo/example photos that feel much more lived in! Alot of the photos you share don’t look attainable for the average person and home, even though I see what you’re trying to highlight. I attempted to leave a comment earlier but I think it didn’t post, so sorry if this is redundant!

[@breg9476]

interesting. thanks! I hate the huge tvs nowadays because they just suck up attention, even if they're not on. They're just too big, hung on a wall and usually hung too high with a couch closely facing them as if there's nothing you'd rather be doing than be hypnotized all day and night. or nothing else you could do, really. a nice piece of fabric draped over them does the trick, I think. no need to draw undue attention to them by pretending they're "art", I agree with you. oh, and don't get me started on the "a tv in every room" trend!

[@jcriverside]

TVs that are too high suck. It's like sitting the 1st row at a movie theater.

[@SoulfulHomeSociety]

YESSS fake plants are so damn depressing to me! Since there are always dozens of perfectly good and super affordable live plants on FBMP, there's no excuse to not get a real one. P.S. I'm so glad the algo served me up your channel!

[@gothdad94]

Honestly I can think of a few excuses--sometimes people just don't have good lighting in their homes and can't change that if they're renting. In other cases, they may have pets who get into their real plants which can be a real danger. Having no greenery at all in a space can be a real bummer and a decent looking fake can fill that void, so I won't judge...just maybe don't buy a million of them or those fake vines all over Tiktok. I say this as someone with a green thumb who literally can't afford to move out from my dungeon-like apartment :/ I'm tasteful otherwise, I swear!!

[@juliarobinson4825]

Can I ask your opinion on what type of wall texture goes well in a mid-century/contemporary home? We are having our drywall plastered and to get the walls flat and smooth is a lot more expensive. I'm not loving any textures I've seen online though

[@Sabrina-by1qw]

What if you have a cat that eats your plants 😩

[@nadjak3410]

Then get a minimal collection of plants, put them on cupboards where your cat can't reach. It's also fine to just not have any plants.