Design A Home For Humans (DUH!)

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In this video, I am discussing what you must consider when designing a home (for humans)! So often, people don't actually consider the human form and everyday lifestyle needed when designing your space. Let me know what you think!
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⏱ Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:45 - Factor Ad
01:49 - Scale and Proportion
06:06 - Comfort
07:55 - Low Maintenance
11:57 - Mood
13:36 - Usefulness
17:05 - Outro
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[@Nick_Lewis]

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[@moxiedawn4370]

After my husband died, I had the opportunity to build a house. I'm 54. Do I want to be climbing stairs when I'm 64? 74? Nope. Do I need multiple rooms that I pay to heat and cool, but never actually use? Nope. Do I tend to host scads of people for dinner parties? Nope. So my little cottage is 432 square feet, my appliances are very basic models with no fancy gadgets to break, and my bathroom door is wide enough to accommodate any mobility aid I might need when I get older. My decorating tastes may be questionable, but my home design is definitely for the human that is me.

[@suzannederringer1607]

Sounds perfect to me. Wish I could build a little cottage like that!

[@Nell908]

I love your philosophy and wish more people thought like this! I'm sorry for your loss.

[@jeanettepugh6017]

I am very sorry for your loss. But well done on your foresight! We did the same, wide doors, one floor, walk in shower. Also keeping all the clutter out so my son does not have to deal with it.

[@happy_bubble7]

😂😂 my decoration tastes may be questionable. Girl, me too. 😅

[@glitterhands99]

I am with you love! Plus, I don't want to dust and clean anything extra, I prefer to keep it as pretty and simple as possible.

[@littlelyndseylou]

Re: fridges, I don't want screens on my fridge, I want the longevity and functionality of a vintage fridge that lasts for decades and has actual helpful features like roll out shelves.

[@glynnL]

The only “modern feature” I’d hold out for is freezer on the bottom, and fridge on top. I use the fridge everyday so it should be at the most easily accessible height. The freezer is opened every couple of days, maybe, so a drawer is perfectly suitable. The side by sides limit the width of what you can put in them, an example of when a compromise is worse than the original two options.

[@Kt-cn2rq]

​@@glynnLTrue but I am short so bottom freezer is my friend I have a side by side. Think my problem is storing food correctly.

[@iamcurious9541]

​@@glynnL I don't know if you would call it a "feature" but the best thing about modern fridges is energy efficiency. The difference is huge!

[@MegCazalet]

My grandfather had the same fridge, with that extremely 60s style, for over 50 years. I loved that fridge.

[@RedKincaid]

Yeah, I'm no Luddite but just because we have new technology doesn't mean it's useful in every situation. Every time I have to use a touch screen that isn't my phone I die a little

[@christinahaftmann4065]

Whatever happened to medicine cabinets, linen closets, built-in spice cabinets and built-in ironing board cupboards? That was elegant living!

[@betmo]

open concept

[@raeperonneau4941]

Thank you for speaking my thoughts. My last 3 apartments didn’t have linen closets or medicine cabinets and once it’s attached to the wall it officially belongs to your landloard. I’m tired of buying storage and having to leave it behind. Spaces need to be functional first.

[@charlotteinfj4412]

SPACE. I would love those. But I don't have space even for a shoe rack.

[@allalala9916]

I remember someone saying that closets don't count as a living space that's why builders are getting rid of closets or making them miniscule.

[@raeperonneau4941]

@@allalala9916 🤯

[@baejay798]

As a nanny who usually works for high-net worth people, many of the homes do not take into account basic human needs and comfort. They are like museums and uncomfortable spaces to inhabit. It's odd to see so many millions spent on homes that aren't even nice to live in.

[@653j521]

Do their devices spy on you?

[@monkeygraborange]

Not to mention the freakin’ *echo!*

[@ivorytelecaster]

I worked for a company that built those types of homes. One in particular almost looked like a super expensive modern mall inside. I was doing some maintenance work after the clients had moved in and I asked the owner how she was enjoying her new home and she said she was finding all the marble floors hard on her back

[@baejay798]

@@653j521 Interestingly the highest net-worth people I've worked for have been the least likely to use nanny cams. Maybe because they are so busy. They are more trusting of the people that they hire in general. They treat their household staff like members of the family. I've worked for upper middle class people as well and they expect nannies to do much more, they helicopter, use nanny cams, and don't trust the nanny to know what she's doing.

[@karenk2409]

@@653j521 Of course they do.

[@MelvisVelour]

"...if design doesn't matter, go live in a jail cell" a Nick Lewis line for the ages

[@changveronicas]

i loved this line 😂😂😂

[@JillianSiobhanMal]

😹I always enjoy his videos, but this was a really great video.

[@BombaJead]

And even jail cells should also be designed properly. So I like this variation of the phrase: "if design doesn't matter, go live in a cave".

[@JillianSiobhanMal]

@@BombaJead I like that too! Good point 😹

[@hauntedshadowslegacy2826]

@@BombaJead Yeah, jail cells *should* be designed properly... But that costs money, and the for-profit prison system in America would rather spend that money on their overhead.

[@craftygranny]

I really appreciate the “grandma getting stuck in the sofa” comment. It happened to me, actually, and I had to be rescued by my grandson. I think I’ll be giggling for a while. Thank you!! 😁

[@Lilieni]

I would definitely need a hoist and 3 individuals to get me out...

[@marygallagher7392]

Me, too!! My daughter bought a firm and tall arm chair and calls it the "senior chair."

[@louannhuber2651]

Good thing you weren’t stuck in there for life 😂

[@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley]

"Grammie Grams comes over, and she's stuck in there for life!" 😂😂

[@rommadsen6443]

@@marygallagher7392 Lots of people need a higher platform (comfy) to sit on. A friend with both hip joints replaced is appalled that hospitals and doctors' offices don't also have higher chairs. They always have to perch on the arm of a chair and sometimes these threaten to leave a permanent imprint on the bum, right? So the idea of the sofa that's basically sitting on the floor on a cushion with a backrest will eventually be outlawed by the fire department as a waste of resources. (tee hee)

[@cathylehman7538]

My career is technology. However, when I went to Home Depot to buy a new refrigerator for my new house 3 years ago, I walked in and said: "I want the 'dumbest' refrigerator you have." No door dispensing water/ice, nothing but an inside ice maker. The more advanced it is, the more maintenance is required such as "change your water filter, or I am not providing you any more water!"

[@alisonsoller]

My husband and I were just talking about this. Like sure, a fridge can let me see if I have something in there, but how full is it? I can’t see inside my butter container.

[@marygallagher7392]

Same goes for washer/dryers. Who uses more than the basic cycles anyway?

[@suzycharto3655]

Know so many horror stories of fridges leaking and ruining condos below.

[@allalala9916]

Do you buy drinking water? Most tap water is disgusting. I use different washer dryer cycles. It's actually very useful. I wash blankets, handwashables, things that can only be dried on low heat. ... the agitator will rip clothes if it's not set at the correct setting

[@rocklobstah1876]

Google Grenfell Tower... Buy fridges carefully

[@pattyspencer7795]

Having a refrigerator with a TV on the front limits the number of magnets you can collect 😊

[@hbrealhousewife2270]

😂 just brilliant!

[@lyndaboonstra5605]

Yes! And where else will I display this year's birthday and Christmas cards?

[@alessandrasartori-nogueira9371]

Hahaha I collect magnets from places I travel to (but I put them on the side of the fridge)

[@CrankyGrandma]

😂

[@cilibalint3169]

😂😂😂

[@michelepaccione8806]

It’s funny…I recently watched a home renovation show, and the hosts built a custom “dream closet” for the wife of the house. She was tiny…maybe 5 feet tall…but the designers hung the clothing rods about 6 feet off the ground. She was standing in her dream closet looking up at the hems of the garments. No way she could hang clothes on those rods without a stepladder. Duh.

[@pippybibo1735]

YES!!! Just bought a new home with a large closet. The clothing rods must be near 7ft high. I am 4'8"! I have placed dressers under the beams and will be adding a second rod at my height. Those high ones are dead to me.

[@demon1959]

@@pippybibo1735 Don't know your specifics, but you might be able to install a "library ladder". Not ideal, maybe, but a workable way to keep from having to write off the upper space.

[@pippybibo1735]

@@demon1959 That is exactly what I had half-joked about doing. For the closet and also the kitchen cabinets. This house was built for giants!

[@georgiawilksch5708]

Oh no 😂 I’m the only technician for my company where we basically have a technology box connected to trees. The boxes I install are all set to my height- because why not? I’m an average height woman- short for a man. They can bend over

[@RachaelTheRed]

That's so impractical! I don't understand why they wouldn't take her high into consideration. I'm 5'4" so when we installed our IKEA closet I grabbed a hanger and held it up like I was taking clothes off the rod. My partner marked the closest mounting point and that's where we hung the rod. We added a shelf above and use that space for more limited use items. We kind of design everything in our home around my height because if I can reach it, so can he.

[@klarabocker4796]

As a human, I appreciate this video

[@MelvisVelour]

As a human with mobility challenges, I also appreciate this video

[@Patricia-hc9mz]

As a short Nana I too appreciate this video 😆

[@joanneleavitt8472]

As a human I appreciate your joke.

[@richards31415]

As a dog, I appreciate this video as well.

[@seaemji8591]

Exactly what I would say if I were a human

[@suzannebeam6935]

When my parents bought their current home (in 2006), after all of us kids were adults, they thought they'd planned ahead. They bought a home with everything on the lower floor except for guest quarters so they wouldn't have to navigate stairs all the time, after having lived 18 years in a tri-level house. Fast forward to last year, my father is now wheelchair bound after a stroke. They had to build a ramp to get from the garage into the house because there were two steps. He can't get into the shower without help because there is a two inch barrier at the bottom of it to keep water in. His chair just barely fits through the standard width doors and the casings are all marked up from it. Even when you think you've thought of everything, you probably haven't.

[@mrggy]

Wheelchairs need a surprising amount of space and it's easy to overlook if you're not thinking about it. My parents bought a new house in 2021. We all joked about how weirdly spacious the downstairs bathroom was. It felt practically cavernous. Then my stepdad's cousin who uses a wheelchair came to visit. He was amazed by the downstairs bathroom because he was actually able to navigate comfortably in his chair. He also commented that a lot of the hallways and doorways in the house were wider than normal and therefore easy for him to get through. What was comfortable for him to use had felt weirdly roomy for us. That shows both how uncommon wheelchair accesible design is and how important it is to actively consider wheelchair users when designing spaces

[@hauntedshadowslegacy2826]

@@mrggy I'm not even a wheelchair user, and I've found bathrooms that felt like they were designed for stick people. This one house I saw had a closet converted into a 'bathroom'. The door was just under two feet wide. it opened directly into a teeny pedestal sink, and I had to shimmy past the sink to access the toilet on one side and the shower head on the other. No window, no shower curtain, a drain on the floor for the shower, and that was it. The entire 'bathroom' size? Less than six square feet. One of two bathrooms in that house which 'supposedly' had four bedrooms. That second bathroom? A tub for bathing your cat, a teeny nook toilet, a pitiful sink, and less than three feet of walkable space. I swear, the greed in the housing market is unparalleled. It's bad enough that housing isn't designed for disabilities, but when even ordinary people can't get the necessities? It's a new low.

[@anotherfoolishmortal5437]

My test for outdoor furniture is-can I sit comfortably in it in shorts? And what does my rear view look like when I’m done sitting in it? Cause you all know what those grid chairs do to the backs of the thighs.

[@tinywalnut6337]

I've been complimented on my temporary upper-thigh tattoo. 😉

[@maudyg_22]

My husband said I was nuts, but I drove half a day to buy low priced *stackable! chairs with fitting cushions. These things look great, are comfortable and in winter I can put them away. Best choice ever. Don't understand why these chairs are only sold in one particular place. Apparently people still go for bulky or uncomfortable 😅

[@greyladybast]

When I went to school for interior design, I was taught to add the words, "to clean," to every design decision. It helps.

[@heatherduke7703]

Wonderful! I see so many sinks (faucet/handle arrangements) that were designed by someone who evidently never had to clean one 🤦‍♀️

[@ashram12]

I studied graphic design, and most of my time is spent “cleaning” the stuff the non-designers did, like using too many different font styles, etc… so all this to say that good design is about cleaning messes.

[@JamieM470]

That countertop at 11:43 looks like an impossible-to-fully-clean bacteria nightmare to me. I actually gasped. If I had pearls I would have clutched them.

[@melissaweller3718]

@@JamieM470 😂

[@necrotorium]

If I bought a house w/a countertop like that, the first thing I'd do would be caulk the shit out of the spaces between the tiles & I'd be slotting it for replacement whenever I saved up enough money.

[@lars7935]

There can only be two choices (if cost is no matter) for countertop. Wood for storage/table spaces and stainless steel for worktops

[@necrotorium]

@@lars7935 That's definitely the way to go. Wooden worktops are some "The Jungle" shit, though.

[@mthespinner]

I have to state that I hate barstool seating at a kitchen island. I don't sit on bar stools in bars, let alone a kitchen before coffee. I am 62 and unlikely to get younger so I now wish to sit at a proper table with my coffee. Also, open shelving in a kitchen just means you will have clean the shelves, and the contents, at least once every two weeks.

[@lauralake7430]

Unlikely to get younger! Craking Me😅 up!

[@raincoaster99]

@@mthespinner yes! Whose idea was that anyway? I like my feet on the ground,

[@seigeengine]

I like that you're holding out hope for the possibility that you might become younger some day.

[@gilliangilliangillian]

We got rid of our hey google and replaced it with a real version of the only thing we used it for - a kitchen timer. Scored a SUPER cute morton salt girl timer on ebay. We love it so much, and now there isn't an annoying speaker listening for anything that sounds remotely like "google" at all times in our kitchen 😆

[@naughtscrossstitches]

I just use the hey google function on my phone that is always with me rather than a seperate speaker. Much easier. Works good for multiple timers. Alexa also has a free app that does the same.

[@Avrysatos]

I use the amazon device as voice activated lights 99% of the time. This is accessibility for me so i'm happy with it.

[@ladychiffa4400]

Yeah, if you need a voice-activated timer, the one on the phone works just as well. Setting timers is basically the main topic I discuss with Siri every day, multiple times 😅

[@sluggo206]

That's like when I got cable TC after not having it for twenty years, and then finding the only thing I watched was an hour of Twilight Zone reruns at 10pm, so I canceled it within three months. And this was before streaming video channels, which I don't want either, except KZbin if that counts.

[@iamcurious9541]

Our Alexa can be used hands-free. I definitely prefer it. We also use it for the shopping list. It's way more convenient than either paper or phone lists.

[@h.a.harris7423]

As a small adult in a world of much bigger adults, I'm happy to find furniture scaled to my size. I so often feel like Lily Tomlin's Edith Ann character, sitting on a chair or sofa with my feet dangling in the air. My home is not a public space, so the scale will be relative to my size for my comfort and accessibility.

[@e.s.r5809]

I used to work in a care home for the elderly, and the loos were a real problem for this reason! Most of the people making & installing them are average-height men. But women live longer than men... so nearly all of our residents were women. Who also grew up during a food shortage, and had shrunk with age. Way too high toilets + mobility issues + bowel issues = a bad time all around. 🤦

[@hauntedshadowslegacy2826]

Yo, I'm also short, and I went to a convention last year, and one of the sitting areas had chairs that, I swear, were were about a foot and a half deep. Forget just dangling feet, my *calves* were on the seat! The aggressive slope didn't help, forcing me to slide backward to the nigh inescapable recesses of this sorry excuse for a chair. I felt like a toddler. It was humiliating. All because I wanted to give my feet a rest from the couple hours I'd spent on 'em? Inhumane. And don't nobody tell me it's for 'anti-homelessness' measures, cuz that sh*t is inhumane, too. Hurting everybody to spite a few who're already dealing with the worst life has to offer is late-stage capitalist heII. Maybe if businesses, landlords, and other fat-cats weren't so greedy, people could have jobs that paid enough to afford a place to live.

[@l6318]

@@hauntedshadowslegacy2826 As an also very short person, this gave me such giggles, Thanks! And here, here! to your second point!

[@GamesFromSpace]

I'm tall, so when I build a house all the counters and sinks will be six inches higher than standard, and I won't bother with cabinets too low for me to access comfortably. I'm so tired not my back hurting after doing dishes, because I have to lean over the whole time.

[@peachfang]

yep. small fella here too. im in the awful spot between "sink's too high to comfortably wash dishes but using a stool is too much". if it was up to me id buy a house and knock down EVERYTHING to fit someone under 5ft. but all my friends are a foot taller than me or above so id have to probably get different sized furniture if i wanted them over. my rooms all decorated weird to them because its all in comfortable reaching range just above the door handle lol.

[@lindahobbs2136]

You are sooo right about low sofas. They can look beautifully contemporary, but Grandma "may be stuck there for life"!! 😂😂😂

[@Omar_Zazzle]

I took my Granny on an Alaska cruise and left her on an Iceberg, and I had a peaceful trip home.

[@324cmac]

When he used the example of 70 years old (I'm 69), I was disappointed. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have trouble getting up from those sofas yet. Maybe when I'm 80 years old. LOL

[@megfeeley2559]

I think it may be possible to switch out the legs on a couch to get it more accessible. A few inches can make a big difference.

[@Lerenarddanslabergerie]

@@324cmacas a GP, I would like to point that 70 is probably the age where there is the largest difference in the level of function in different individuals. Some are very restricted in their function, sometimes in community living because they were not capable of staying at home, while some run marathon or teach yoga.

[@joycej9415]

I am 71 and have a low sofa. But I am 5'2" it is not so much age as how fit we are. I tore a meniscus in knee about 15 years ago. That made getting off the sofa difficult until it was healed. Regardless of age, we are all just an accident away from having a handicap. However, we heal faster when we are younger.

[@choirguy100]

Speaking of fridges, a choice I regret and I’m stuck with for the time being is a fridge without handles. It just has these grooves on top and below the doors to open them. It looks so slick and minimalist in the show room, but it is a nightmare in real life: first of all, there’s finger prints on the fridge all the time. Plus if you’re cooking, have wet hands or whatever, you can add water marks, food marks, etc. I’m cleaning those fridge/freezer doors all the time and they never look great. It’s probably one of the most touched surfaces in the kitchen, so it’s a terrible design flaw that’s not human friendly.

[@tinaprice4948]

my second fridge is like yours as well, I find that people dont close the door all the way you have to close and push it shut :/

[@StealAwayTheStars]

Ugh my dishwasher is like that, and it's cheap so whole plastic top of the door lifts away when you pull to open it and I'm sure will eventually snap right off, resulting in needing a new dishwasher entirely. I've lost count of the amount of times it's lifted a bit and then my hand slides right off the "handle", sometimes tearing my fingernail off. I'm renting so I won't have to deal with it forever at least

[@bexp436]

Oh, I was so lucky with this one. When shopping for a new fridge/freezer I really loved the look of one like yours. Opened the door and badly broke my fingernail. I swore a blue streak and ditched that aesthetic.😂

[@angella7576]

I cant believe nothing was said about glass showers. They are so beautiful in a magazine but in real life!!? Ugggg ever time you shower you have to clean it or it looks positively horrendous!! Who cleans their shower every day after they use it?? Sadly😢 I do😢😢😢 only until I can be rid of it.

[@endy9059]

A Stick-on Handle might help

[@suzycharto3655]

My stove came with WIFI and I thought cool I won't have to worry about the stove being left on - I can check. I went on vacation and got an email from my stove saying I hadn't used it in a week. I don't need my stove to nag - that got discontinued fast.

[@fampirella]

Hilarious

[@M_SC]

😂😂😂

[@greatedges]

😳😡🤣

[@AlysaAlysaBolissaBananaFannaFe]

Like your stove is a needy boyfriend or girlfriend. 😂

[@CornbreadOracle]

🤣

[@sandradavis7132]

More William Morris than Marie Kondo: "Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." 😊 Always love your videos, Nick. A highlight of every weekend, for me: a mug of Scottish breakfast tea, a croissant, and the latest Nick video.

[@653j521]

Toasting the Auld Alliance?

[@sandradavis7132]

😄 Not intentionally, no, though thanks for the giggle - hadn't made that connection about my breakfast components before.

[@M_SC]

Your first sentence doesn’t make sense if you read Marie Kondo

[@RileyP-rf9uf]

Is that really different from Marie Kondo? She says: "Have nothing in your home that doesn’t spark joy" = only keep things that you love (and if something is useful, try to learn to love it) I think some people who haven’t read her books think her thing is minimalism but that’s not the case at all (she even said it herself).

[@janwoodward7360]

As an architect and designer, I will only add that all Nicks ideas and comments follow a time tested rule…….FORM follows FUNCTION. Think about this in decision making and you won’t go too far wrong. Now color on the other hand can be a bit trickier but the thought pattern works here too. Thanks Nick for bringing it home

[@koalaeucalyptus]

On the color thing: I feel like the mood and the maintenance rules count! Example: if you want a calming space, avoiding super bright colors would be best. If you have a black dog and it can get on the sofa, go for darker-colored fabrics on it. And so on

[@NODE1975]

​@@koalaeucalyptus I was going to say the same thing about mood, when it comes to color. Next would be location, function. To me Pepto Bismol pink is not a good kitchen or dining room color unless the person is on a serious weightloss plan. That color is unappetizing so it makes me nauseated.

[@annasolovyeva1013]

With form optimally and cheaply follows function you often end up with a certain type of modernism, Soviet-style kinda. It often feels unwelcoming, because of associations with hospitals and other places like that and is considered an eyesore by many. The more design decisions that are cheap, modern and easy to clean you put in, the more it looks like a public hospital.

[@Pleurigloss]

This is so true. There's a glut of interior design that just looks good for the camera, for social media that would be totally inconvenient to actually physically live in. I went to a HORRIBLE Airbnb that had two sofa beds that faced each other so literally only one could be used at a time, a bathroom with no bath hooks and outdoor eating so close to the side of the house none of us could physically even access it.

[@tinywalnut6337]

My least favorite thing I've found in air bnbs is cold white lighting. Bro, nobody wants that

[@gailwilliams5278]

I’m sure they all looked good in photos…

[@RosiG73]

I don’t need a tv on my fridge lol.

[@lizblock9593]

I think an important measurement when buying furniture is from the back of the hips to the inside of the knee. As a small person, sitting on a couch or chair that has a wide seat cushion is so uncomfortable. Get your back against the back cushion and have your feet stick out straight? Perch on the edge of the too wide seat? I'm sure tall people have the opposite problem. Also, you may not be aware that toilets come in tall medium and low. Makes a difference during those certain mornings!

[@ApakmanMarquez]

Buy some plump throw pillows!

[@MacAdvisor]

Billions and billions of years ago, I was living on my own for the first time and needed to buy a couch. My then roommate and I went down to this giant couch store in our major city. We spent six hours trying almost every couch. We tried sitting on them. We tried napping on them. We lifted our shirts to see how the fabric felt on our backs and our bellies. We saw how easier they were to get in and out of. We asked random old people (they were likely 40 and at 67 now, they looked like children) to get in and out. We tested the arm height with the height of end tables and getting drinks. We did everything we could to test out the couch. There was one clear winner. It lasted 20 years with the original wheat upholstery and another ten with a re-upholstery. Finally, the pull-out bed mechanism just gave out and couldn't be repaired. It was a great couch and I mourn its loss even today. That, to me, was picking pieces for humans.

[@carnifaxx]

I would also suggest, esp. if you design a home for your future family, to invite someone who has already children, preferably your mother or sister or whoever has your trust. Because there are issues that people don't see - e.g. when you plan separate spaces for dealing with laundry (like my father did, he planned washing machine in a basement and washing lines on a balcony 2 floors above, completely useless from any point of view, but even more with a baby and a toddler to care for). It may be small issues that turn out to be annoying as hell, like "where would the child be while you are doing xyz?", "are you able to see or hear them from the kitchen when the kitchen hood is on?", "do you really want to go to wash your muddy toddler through the carpet in your living room?" etc. And my personal object of hate - cooktops or any appliances with touch control that doesn't react when your fingers are wet. That's so frustrating.

[@seigeengine]

Why are your fingers wet?

[@carnifaxx]

@@seigeengine you know, when you are cooking, you are frequently touching food, washing your hands and things you used for preparation, etc. Even more frequently when you have children around, either helping or not helping :D

[@seigeengine]

@@carnifaxx I sure don't wash my hands that often while cooking. Usually only before or after handling raw meat. I also dry my hands after, which is what's really confusing me.

[@carnifaxx]

@@seigeengine I don't say I have ALWAYS wet hands, while cooking, but it's quite often, it probably depends on the "cuisine", I often prepare one part and while it's cooking I follow with preparation with another one and so on. Also even if we "cut off" the preparation, sometimes something overflows or just drops and we have so ill designed touch panel that it goes directly on that, so I cannot even stop anything and while drying it it just goes crazy :D Again, this is not what happens often, but when it happens, it always adds another difficulty/frustration to the problem and challenges my zen :D (We are in a rented apartment, so it's not our choice and I doubt anyone thought of clumsy cooking while designing it, but my "warning" was mostly for people who may be in a similar situation. When they are not, it's completely void for them and that's ok as well :) )

[@mariannan]

Had to pause the video to talk about tile counters. When my parents bought their first house, the kitchen counters were tile. We thought it was cool until we actually lived in the house. They're terrible. The grout is a PITA to clean and we actually had tile crack and break. Hated them so much growing up, I will never have a tile countertop, ever.

[@cherylmcwilliams7238]

Funny story.... My husband found a great deal on a dining table from Havery's. Beautiful table a friend of his bought new $$$$ but didn't like when they got it home. They kept it for about 6 months in a formal dining area that was never used. So, they changed their minds and wanted a different style. My husband got it from them for 1/2 of the store price. Great, right?! WRONG! It doesn't fit well in our dining room, too big. Since my husband loves it, there is no getting rid of it. OMG! I hate that table! There's only 4 people that sit at the table at one time. It seats 8 people. It's too wide for the space to walk around it when 8 people are sitting for dinner. Which has only happened 2 times in 2 yrs. It is huge and very well built but SIZE!! He just doesn't get it. I'm going to make him watch this video!!!

[@anniet6292]

😂😂😂...Find a buyer and cross fingers he sees the light! 🤣

[@alexsilva-vn7jc]

My husband persuaded me that a corner hydro bathtub would be great in our new bathroom. Wonderful fragrant baths for sore muscles, tiredness, romance, you get the picture. We use it like that maybe once a year. It makes a horrendous humming noise when you use the spouts. It´s damn uncomfortable on the neck and not big enough to stretch your legs. Needs disinfectant cleaning 4-5 times a year. I haaate it. And it´s 80s ugly. Goes to Nick´s point about working with your actual lifestyle, not an illusion.

[@sonjebianca2483]

@@alexsilva-vn7jcI’m in my second home that has had one of these monstrosities, and in both cases, neither has worked. Even if they did, I doubt I’d use it because of the loud motors. My old place got a renovation and ai was able to replace it with an old fashioned soaking tub. No funds left to renovate the bathroom in the new place, so I have a very large dust collector in the corner. I joke about filling it up with dirt and turning it into a planter.

[@lisathaviu1154]

I feel exactly the same about those huge claw foot bathtubs. We have a big bathtub in our bathroom and I have tried to get my husband to build some containers and convert it to a huge planter.

[@familleurbain]

Hi Nick about Togo, I did so laugh, I've got Togos, bought them when I was 30, I'm now 64 with wonky joints BUT nothing beats a Netflix binge in the Togo ... I get out of it on all fours, not elegant, wouldn't do when visitors are around, I do also have arthritis friendly furniture! I love your videos, they are witty but also to the point. Thanks.

[@Travelling_with_my_dog]

LOL, when I was growing up, my brothers & I weren't even ALLOWED in the Living Room; that was for "company" only. Luckily, the TV and fireplace were in a "Family Room," which my mom very wisely decorated with dark carpet and nubby, dark furniture fabric (so it was a comfy room that didn't show the dirt).

[@youbetcha108]

Same!

[@APink176]

I had an “always keep clean and only use when guests come over” front room and a separate, livable family room growing up. I didn’t understand it at the time, but now I get why my mom was so adamant about how we used the two rooms.

[@rosegrumbine7931]

Me, too! After we all left home, my mom took out the gate and knocked the pony wall down!

[@necrotorium]

@@APink176 You're paying for a space just to barely use it. That just doesn't make sense.

[@APink176]

@@necrotorium it makes sense to keep a space clean if guests are coming over frequently. My parents hosted a weekly book club, a weekly game night with neighbors, and a bi-weekly visit from the grandparents. The space was being used all the time, it was just cleaned and untouched by us kids between uses. But I guess it would make less sense if the space is only being used occasionally.

[@randyrice1429]

You touched on people of age, which has changed my design style as I get older. It's about comfort first, and looks second. And it can be done quite nicely. I have several recliners (horrors), because many of my friends and family are also old. It's amazing how beautiful some recliners are now. Since I have a dog, I use a lot of leather, but NOT fake leather as it's very uncomfortable. Just reiterating what you have said. One can have a human-based home that is still beautiful. Thanks for giving folks the okay to design for their needs.

[@randyrice1429]

Oh, and YES, low maintenance!

[@randyrice1429]

AND, no throw rugs at all! Too dangerous and, actually, quite ugly.

[@monkeygraborange]

SO true! For decades I’ve said that I hope to live long enough to ditch the Mies and Breuer in favor of the Barcalounger, and that day came about 4 years ago. Best. Decision. Ever!

[@babsntrains4415]

My brother is 6'9". The wall art in his home is at HIS eye level.

[@mffmoniz2948]

When I was a kid in the late 80's the dining sets came in fashion. A long table with six or eight chairs and a cabinet to match. They were pretty but big. Problem is in my home country the houses were traditionally very tiny, with small rooms. You could not use those chairs. You could not use that table. You could not use that cabinet. You could not even walk near it. But folks bought them to show they could afford it, no matter how ridiculous and useless they looked in their tiny rooms.

[@arnvonsalzburg5033]

Out of curiosity, what country was that? :)

[@chrish6001]

I'd also like to see more support for home designs that are good for humans. Bring back enclosed front halls and back porches. They're not a waste of space if they're practical.These not only can help reduce heating and cooling costs but can help prevent your pets from escaping outside every time you answer the door or bring in groceries. If there's built-in or customizable storage they would be extra useful.

[@lap8329]

@@chrish6001 Absolutely. An airlock front hall, with a door either end is ideal whether hot or cold out. You need a generous size coat and boot closet, a small table with a mirror over it to drop keys coming and check appearance going out, and a lamp on a timer for coming home late. It keeps cats, dogs, and toddlers from escaping, and maintains some privacy for the main house from the prying eyes of strangers at the door. And if decor really matters to you, this small area can be a little bijou design ‘first impression’ element introducing visitors to your home. It should be an automatic design element of every human abode.

[@notsurewhatisgoingon]

I'm a big believer in making the space work for you. My "living room" has 14' ceilings and it doesn't work for me as a lounge space. So my dining room is my living room/lounge. Floor to ceiling bookshelves, an antique vanity in front of the window full of plants, my tv on an easel, tufted ottoman, a lovely warm lighting. It's an amazing space for a lazy afternoon reading a book or my son and I hanging out watching a movie. My living room is my dining room, it has the space for a table that seats 8 with space for additional seating if needed. Room for folks to move about, the table is perfect for various projects, etc. My primary bedroom is quite large with a huge closet so it is my art studio and office. I don't "hang out" in my bedroom so it's just a waste of space. I sleep in a smaller, east-facing bedroom.

[@melissaweller3718]

@@notsurewhatisgoingon I love the way you use the rooms to suit your needs!

[@RebeccaHunt-wv8bc]

Flex much?

[@notsurewhatisgoingon]

​@@RebeccaHunt-wv8bc Certainly not a flex. I'm sorry that my descriptions of spaces, simply to explain why they didn't work for me, made you feel a certain way.

[@notsurewhatisgoingon]

@@melissaweller3718 I think it's something a lot of folks could think about to allow them to enjoy their space more. :)

[@Jessica-kk1cz]

Smart! Totally agree about the master bedroom doesn’t need to be a big room, unless it’s used for other purposes as well like a little library or tv area - especially if there are lots of other people in the house is watching something boring to you (like football on Sundays is boring to me). Otherwise bedrooms are for sleeping which needs only a bed and place to store personal things if person is sharing the house with other people.

[@charlottejohnk6712]

I’m a retired personal trainer and one of my clients built a 15,000 sq ft house on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Although it was unique and interesting it felt like a cold giant museum and required 2 full time housekeepers just for the cleaning maintenance. It didn’t feel like a home at all.

[@bluecobaltsteph2689]

My FAVORITE is the fridge that shows you a video of inside your fridge. I think it’s HILARIOUS and i I do not understand. AT. ALL.

[@necrotorium]

I guess putting a window would hurt energy efficiency too much.

[@bluecobaltsteph2689]

@@necrotorium 😂😂

[@theworldsnotrounditsapyramid]

Okay hear me out, I get anxious when I or someone else stands at the fridge too long with the door open. Maybe this is for that 😂

[@bluecobaltsteph2689]

@@theworldsnotrounditsapyramid maybe - I’m single so no one typically stands at my fridge except me.😂

[@necrotorium]

@@theworldsnotrounditsapyramid The refrigerator in my parents' house was directly in front of the door to enter from the carport (which was the door we used most often). If we had the ability to look at what was inside w/o opening the door, people could get inside while someone was looking at what was in the refrigerator.

[@kathleensanderson3082]

Here's a topic that I think you could do justice to -- good home layout. I'm talking about room flow, lighting, doorways (outdoor access), and so on -- actual home design, not just decorating. Good decorating and furniture layout can help make the best of a bad floor plan, but a good floor plan makes it so much easier! It's true that not everyone will have an opportunity to build a new dream home, but most of us have to move more than once in our lives, and not all rentals or older homes are laid out well. And making the home low-maintenance is really important -- more so than most people appreciate. The easier it is to take care of things, the more likely they will get taken care of after the new wears off.

[@kathleensanderson3082]

On those refrigerators, I agree with you, and with your reasons, and want to add a reason. The lifespan of refrigerators has gone way, way down -- we had one that was over fifty years old and still worked just fine until we moved it three times in less than a year. And the price has gone sky-high. So we now have refrigerators that cost thousands of dollars, with an expected lifespan of seven years. Or less. Refrigeration for our food is extremely important, but that's getting awfully expensive. Adding all of those electronics into a frig is probably bringing the lifespan down to three or four years (because we all know that is the expected lifespan of a new computer nowadays). How do we justify that?!? Give me a nice simple box that keeps my food chilled without using too much power, and leave the fancy stuff off!

[@Brian_Vallejo]

I love watching these vids because Nick has just the right amount of sass, directed at the right targets lmao. But also, I've learned so much watching these videos. There's always so much to absorb about what works and doesn't work, how to create an ambiance, how to be realistic about the space you have, and how to recognize form over function, etc. I hope you reach 1 million subscribers and more!

[@Sooz1234]

"Embarrassing to need a forklift and three individuals to hoist you out of a sofa..." Classic Nick! Ever consider publishing "The Collected Design Witticisms (and Useful Tips) of Nick Lewis?" Congrats on getting to 600K subscribers, probably in the next hour...

[@Mady-lo6qb]

That is a great idea. If he could team up with an illustrator/cartoonist, he could make books like Norman Thelwell

[@kathleenrobertson2193]

In the low maintenance/ease of cleaning category, I am convinced that the people who drill holes in counters for faucets have never cleaned before because they are drilled way too close to the wall. You can barely fit a sponge behind the faucet, let alone your hand. And you splash water over the counter when turning off the faucet. Great video! As a human (I think), I approve.

[@kimherben7866]

Hi, We just moved into our new house. I am 5' tall and I asked the plumber to put the uni-handle of the faucet to the front instead of on the side. 2 plusses - I can reach the handle more easily and there is definitely less drippage on and around the faucet base and the counter.

[@pktdbgnzwl]

Me Ma Used to say If an appliance or a home feature is hard to clean it's because a man designed it. Oof.

[@giovannamonteiro7216]

Been there with my wonderful grandma and our Togo…never again. Terrible for people with delicate knees and it doesn’t have arm rests. We rehomed our togo and got a super comfy sofa.

[@wendyhoadley9236]

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” ~William Morris (1834-1896) Most of us have appliances that (at one time) we have kept using for years after a secondary function has broken. - Timer function of a oven; - Cord retractor on a vacuum cleaner.

[@roamingroadtrip5696]

[@rhondawest6838]

I saw a house for sale recently that had a cute living room, 14'x12.4'. One wall had a window, the other three had a total of 5 doors strategically placed so that there was no where to put furniture.

[@Patrick-kt5mc]

My house, built in 1930, has about the same size living room. I don't even own a couch or sofa. The way it is laid out there is no where to put one.

[@lobodo988]

Those computer/tv-in-the-fridge things are downright SCARY. They’re the kind of thing you’d need if you were forced to live in a pod, a tiny house, or a TENT. I personally NEVER want to do all my living in one big room! Give me ROOMS. They can take their multifunction tech and shoveituptheirbum.

[@LlyleHunter]

Different devices with different lifespans. It makes no sense whatsoever to by things that are all in one when they need to be replaced at different times. This isn’t rocket science. It’s like saying empty my pockets for me.

[@user-kpkxgtj]

As someone who wouldn't mind living in one big room or a tiny house, I too don't see the point of having a fridge that does anything except keep things cold. For one those gimmicky fridges are massive and there would be no space for one. Then they seem like the kind of appliance that will get faulty very fast and cost a fortune to repair.

[@necrotorium]

@@user-kpkxgtj How long till a phone/tablet is no longer useful? A decade at most. How long till a refrigerator is no longer useful? Whenever it stops working, which is probably *also* a decade at most if it's a gizmofied one, but much longer if it's well-designed.

[@user-kpkxgtj]

@@necrotorium with planned obsolescence being a thing these days I doubt they're built to last that long. I've had my current fridge for a decade and a half and it's still going strong, and being very basic it is most likely quite repairable. I'm not sold on the idea of a massive super-expensive appliance that may or may not give me a solid decade of service, by which time it will be obsolete and will probably be impossible to repair. But if you like it and think it makes sense, I love it for you.

[@necrotorium]

@@user-kpkxgtj No, I don't like it b/c it will fail more easily due to poor quality & the tablet will be obselete.

[@TheTinkerersWife]

Laughing at your editorial comments on grandma getting out of the couch. That's me, 68 and bad knees. I bought a new couch this year and was laughing at some of the expensive design options. I found a practical and comfortable couch, and it was worth the effort. My current home has very interesting but not well thought out elements. I've had to find ways to modify the look of the spaces , like the blonde and dark mahogany bookmatched skyline floor that cuts the living room in half and is visually not restful or welcoming. He loved the New York skyline and tried to bring that theme into this older mfg home. Good craftsmanship, but the execution made it interesting and frustrating to live with. Thank God for beautiful rugs is all I can say. Changed the whole atmosphere of my living room after installing it. Btw, I recently subscribed to yoyr channel because I really appreciate your attitude about getting real with design and how we live in spaces with our stuff. I'm taking notes and looking forward to gleaning more ideas and hearing those editorial comments. ❤

[@cellgrrl]

When it was time to buy a new refrigerator, we bought the simplest one we could find that would fit into our space. No frills. I didn't even want an ice dispenser on the outside but it was included in the otherwise perfect refrigerator. We learned that the side by side types are more efficient because you don't have the freezer basically inside the refrigerator. Seriously the inside of the fridge is a basically a box. Only one shelf can be adjusted. The door has non adjusting shelves. It has excellent lighting and a water filter which I could do without as well, but it is appreciated that some attention has been paid to my ice quality. I am good with it. Best of all it was just a little over $500.

[@thebowandbullet]

Shopping for a house, I recently saw something that would have Nick screaming: a split-level, carpeted bedoorm with the bed surrounded by steps up, and with a jacuzzi off to the side, also surrounded by carpet. 😬

[@laurast.martin2421]

Jacuzzi surrounded by carpet is giving me "Scarface" vibes.

[@thebowandbullet]

@@laurast.martin2421 Yeah, that or a cheap motel lol I don't even want to know what's in that old carpet.

[@giggle1971]

They probably had a water bed with those steps!

[@thebowandbullet]

@@giggle1971 Omg, that would add one more level to this nightmare room lol

[@Tulpen23]

So you could try down the steps when getting up to pee in the middle of the night and fall into the jacuzzi?😂

[@AndreaWhitley-m9w]

Hey Nick, your advice is always spot-on, but your personality is what keeps me coming back to your channel. Your dry humor slays. Thank you for expressing yourself on these videos. Just a vote of confidence; don't change!

[@lisakilmer2667]

I remember an interview with architect Sarah Susanka. I also read some of her books (esp. The Not So Big House). She said that she spent a lot of time altering living rooms that were double-height with a balcony-type walkway on one side. The clients loved the tall rooms (usually with a small footprint) when they shopped but hated them to live in because they were like chimneys. The solution was to put a ceiling in and bring the room to human scale.

[@ninirossau2304]

I have designed several gardens. a friend showed me a design she had gotten from a known designer. it looked great but my issue with the design was there was no thought about maintenance. how to do weeding,pruning or staking.

[@edi9892]

There's a lot to learn from old buildings and Japanese interior design. 1) Maybe, 3000 years ago, a Greek wrote: only barbarians don't pay attention to sun and wind when building a home. Today, there are many examples of wind channels and inadequate ventilation thanks to design over function... And don't get me started on the placement of windows (TV, work desk, bedrooms...) or garage doors... 2) Old buildings and Japanese buildings tend to have a Genkan, which is a transitional space from the outside to the inside. It has the following features: typically an antechamber with two doors and a step which is meant to keep the dirt from crawling further in. It's also the space where you undress and leave your dirty shoes and dry your outdoor attire. 3) On the contrary, modern flats usually have a giant corridor that takes up unnecessary space but does not have enough width to place furnishing to store your shoes and outdoor attire or place a seat... It also allows dirt from the outside to get into every room including your bed! It also creates a chokepoint for carrying large furniture and in case of a home invasion, it's a tactical nightmare... Lastly, I've seen way too often that the kitchen and dining area are way too far apart and that you have to drag the leaking garbage through the entire flat to get it out of the frigging door! Why can't they put the kitchen next to the entrance, or have a second exit? 4) Carrying on with Japanese interior: traditionally, their floors are covered with Tatami, which have multiple uses. They even use them as a measuring unit for interior space. The point is that it's pretty easy to imagine a single tatami (6x3ft), or a 4.5-tatami room, or an 8-tatami room, etc. Now, its width is pretty much the narrowest path you want after adding furniture. Its length feels far more comfortable as a corridor. 4.5 Tatami is pretty much the space (ca. 3x3m or 9x9ft) you want uninterrupted even in a tiny flat, as it's enough to do some sport or place a table and 8 people around it, or have two adults or 4 children sleep (provided decent matrasses). 5) Placement of doors, windows, and electric installations. I've seen way too often, that no space was considered for furnishing and that doors and windows can't be properly opened, or obscure lightswitches... Even worse: a bedroom with a window on each side, a door, and one crooked wall. You have no good place to put your bed and no good place for any wardrobe. No matter what you do, you will sleep next to a window or the door, which makes you feel vulnerable (not to forget noise and draft). Similarly, you don't want light switches outside the bathroom, or powerplugs where they get wet... Another frequent problem is power plugs hidden by furniture, or having to use extension cords everywhere and multiple plug systems in the kitchen, where they can cause a short circuit! 6) Avoid clutter: It's better to have things locked away behind doors, rather than open shelves where everything collects dust and dirt and it takes ages to clean... Bonus points for things falling over when someone tries to find the light switch at night, or something accidentally flies through the room... Be very deliberate with what you keep exposed. It should be things you need VERY often, be able to access in emergencies or be the highlight of the room... 7) Flooring matters. Tiles are easy to clean but can be slippery, very cold, and loud. Carpets can help a lot and make the room look friendlier. Tatami are a game changer if your neighbor complains about hearing your footsteps and they allow for a cozy bedroom (one of the few places where Westerners will be barefoot). Similarly, curtains can really change the mood or help you get some sleep...

[@alexanderreynolds6018]

who tf is tracking dirt into their bedroom from the front door

[@edi9892]

@alexanderreynolds6018 TOO MANY! When is the last time you've seen someone actually use a doormat or shoescraper, unless they stepped into dogS? They enter the flat and go to the nearest chair to take off their shoes. In some cases this isn't even the entrance area but the living room. With every step, they lose mud and stones. Then, later someone crosses the hallway to e.g. go from the living room to the bedroom and the indoor shoes pick up the dirt and carry it a few steps into the bedroom... Repeat this every day and it's a HUGE mess!

[@alexanderreynolds6018]

@@edi9892 everyone I know takes off their shoes in the entryway and sweep or vaccuum regularly

[@edi9892]

@@alexanderreynolds6018 I know one person who tells everyone to put their shoes before the apartment, but that doesn't work in most cases, as they tend to get kicked around by neighbours, as they have zero patience for stepping around other people's stuff and many flats have not enough space for an undressing area, that's why people move to the nearest chair. I guess that most vacuum at best once a week, unless they are married, or can afford a cleaning maid...

[@frederiekewesterveld3907]

"they allow for a cozy bedroom (one of the few places where Westerners will be barefoot)" That's a broadstroke generalization if I ever saw one. There are plenty of European countries where it's customary to take the shoes off as soon as you enter someone's home, even offensive if you don't. In my country, it's 50/50. I myself leave my shoes by the door and expect my visitors to do the same.

[@nuthinbutlove]

Good morning, Nick! (raising coffee cup to you ☺️) Hard to believe but people who still use wall-to-wall carpeting in their bathrooms really do exist. I can't even begin to fathom the amount of mold growing underneath. 😖

[@therabbithat]

There are people who don't think you need to wash your hands after going to the bathroom. Humans are wild

[@riakendall8610]

I'm a non ambulatory wheelchair user, I hate going to other peoples homes, they have so much stuff, everywhere! Its much easier to have people visit me!

[@user-xi7gz6sz4w]

Huge, towering foyers. How do you dust the chandelier or get the cobweb and spider off the 20 ft high ceiling?

[@_Dark222Angel_]

i have a relative with a litteral 20 ft high living room ceiling. Its so weird and uncanny. Impossible to decorate and make it make sense

[@betmo]

you don't...because telescope poles don't really reach that high 🤷‍♀️

[@monkeygraborange]

I have a client with an impossibly high ceilinged foyer, and when I asked her how she changes lightbulbs in the fixture, she opened a drawer, fished out a remote and actually _lowered_ the chandelier. Money.

[@Patrick-kt5mc]

The domestic help does all that stuff.

[@michelledool730]

This is great. Loved that you talked about having furniture that you can get out of. An middle aged and interested in design but had a stroke when i had covid in 2020 and finding furniture that works for me has been super hard. Everyone wanted to sell me a lift recliner. It made me cry. Alexa on the other hand was a life saver for me.

[@epowell4211]

THANK YOU! You are the voice of reason and logic in the designing world! As I watched this, I couldn't help but think of all the houses I've seen that apparently no one ever thought about humans living in them. Whenever I look at a house plan, I always imagine coming home to it, exhausted from a long rainy day, hauling groceries, needing to pee, and if that house doesn't make it easy to get inside without getting wet, dump whatever I'm holding, and get to the toilet ASAP, then I want nothing to do with it. If it meets that first goal, the second test is, just got through cleaning the chicken coops, can I get inside, undressed, and clean without tracking poo all through the house. Final test is, will it make life with my pets easier or harder. I love looking at vintage (1800s) houseplans and even at mobile homes: they really seem to put practicality first.

[@necrotorium]

My parents' house had the refrigerator directly across from the carport door into the house (you could only open 1 at a time).

[@kathrinlancelle3304]

Scale and proportion: My kitchen countertops are a little taller than bar height, about 42.5". Anything lower and my back would be killing me before the meal is finished cooking. And Samsung sucks when it comes to large appliances. They just don't last and are nothing but trouble.

[@magswilliams-fuller8879]

Recently replaced our sofas. In the end we bought two 2 seaters, one that was the right size and hight and comfortable for my husband and one that was comfortable for me. Goldilocks sofas, different size and shape, same fabric, but now both just right for how we sit and relax.

[@ladyjustice1474]

Would love to see you do a video about tiny homes and their functionality or lack thereof

[@SerenityForschen]

100% on the low maintenance, pick easy to clean stuff, especially the stuff that is for utility. Bathrooms, kitchens and areas that get a lot of use. If you hate meticulous cleaning choose surfaces that don't have a lot of texture.

[@653j521]

My fridge has texture and never needs meticulous cleaning. No fingerprints, either.

[@lesliestrout5121]

It took me a long time to learn that being beautiful is useful-having a lovely space really elevates the mood! Good points!

[@angelikaschindler9339]

Thank you for this video. Feels it opens Pandora's Box. My size is 155cm and it took me 2 years and a lot of effort and time to find an office chair that suits my size and physical needs. Just because I didn't want to compromise again. Long story short, they designed it for me. And that's just an office chair. 🙂

[@tinaprice4948]

My parents are both short, I know a few places have livingroom furniture for "her" my mom bought a cute recliner for herself and my dad took it over lol :) they are out there you just have to ask associates :)

[@thestorykeeper6818]

In 2020 when I started WFH, it took me months to find an office chair that was actually comfortable to work in for 8 hours. All I wanted was a comfy cushion and a back high enough for my head. Shouldn't be that unusual an ask!

[@P.Galore]

I photograph homes for sale and rental. The design mistakes I see most often: (1) CLUTTER (2) Too MUCH Furniture (3) Not Enough Furniture (4) Mismatched Lighting temperatures (5) Furniture pushed to all four walls (6) Art hung too high (7) Mismatched bath towels/Bed pillows (8) cheap plastic window treatments (9) Plastic plants covered with dust (10) area rugs OVER wall-to-wall carpeting.

[@653j521]

Not having enough time, money, or help to make it look like a showroom, especially after they have taken the best stuff to the new house or simply fled their creditors or abusive ex?

[@monkeygraborange]

I just broke out in hives! **shudder!**

[@rosemarielee7775]

Do tell how to furnish a 10' by 11' living room to seat 4 without pushing things to the sides? Artful seating groupings are for large spaces.

[@charlotteinfj4412]

OK I am guilty of 1) 4) and 6) Not bad, but I'll try to do better 😁

[@xxTheLocketxx]

10. Is the only thing I see the purpose of in rentals with no other choice- some of these apartments are so awful with thier ugly beige/grey carpets you have to cover it up with something nice and opulent However if you have the means to rip it up and put down hard floors, do it! Then put all the rugs down you want!

[@HH-fo9sg]

This is why I love pocket doors-smart design without having to provide room for doors to swing against walls. And am picky about placement of light switches, etc.

[@caso6481]

Agree, but they hurt my arthritic hands an writs trying to drag them.

[@user-li8no6ik8t]

How would you go about the perfect lightswitch and plug Layout? I am actually pondering this.

[@HH-fo9sg]

@@user-li8no6ik8t, in a kitchen I prefer under cabinet plug strips to avoid cutting through backsplash tile.

[@eiPderF]

There must be no guidelines about switches and outlets in my city. The switch in one room is touching the doorframe, in another it’s almost an arm-length into the room. They’re not at the same heights, nothing. My house is less than 20 years old, so it’s not like my old house whose quirks were because of too many “improvements.” No, this house was built this way, as was my best friend’s and the apartment we lived in for a while. We’ve been here 5 years and I still reach for the bathroom light in the wrong spot 🤦🏼‍♀️

[@FTG2Eli]

I’m addicted to Nick! There, I took the first step by admitting it!

[@randomyoutubeperson6954]

Hi Nick from Australia 🇭🇲 I'm 50 & never would have thought I'd be on a walker (most days) a year ago from now. When you said doorways I immediately thought of that, paused the video, then you mentioned it. And yes to having ppl over. So yes great points as usual. I shall finish the video and look forward to further laughs at your humorous yet helpful coverage as on all of your videos.

[@CCYT12]

Soft stone is a terrible design choice for cleaning! Travertine, marble especially in bathrooms. What are you going to use to clean it when it gets limescale? There is nothing other than sheer elbow grease or paying for professional restoration will get that off. You can’t use CLR, vinegar, Limeaway, or anything with any acid.

[@tinaprice4948]

good to know, I always thought travertine looked so pretty, won't be using it thanks to you :D

[@s.fuhrmann]

The people who did the design for the renovations for our senior apts needed to talk to Nick. The cabinets are so high none of us can reach most of them. The bathroom other than the walk in shower was a joke. They got rid of all the grab bars except in the shower , put in a smaller , shorter toilet, and smaller cabinet. Windows in the living and bedroom areas all the way to the floor. And now to open the one window that opens we need a door width of space to open the screen. It is just crazy.They sure chose form over function. Oh and the floors show ever single spot .Lighting was taken out and fan with a dim light was put in. I need bright white light to see properly.

[@kristinapreedy7069]

That’s awful! There’s so much good info out there about “age-in-place” and “universal design” that I would have thought would have been employed especially in a senior living facility! Geez! It sounds like they didn’t take into account any of that philosophy. SMH.

[@girle5584]

All the SMART home techie stuff is surveillance. The RT in SMART stands for reporting technology. Avoid at all costs.

[@lindacurtis7267]

I’m 5’ 2”, I wish the company that remodeled my kitchen had talked about counter height, they are so much higher than they used to be. I had to stand on a step stool to knead pizza dough. Same issue with my bathroom too, water running off my elbows.😂 Helpful hint for anyone with black countertops, get the Norwex set of glass cleaning cloths!

[@user-hq6iw1yv4f]

I'm super tall and regular counter heights kill my back especially doing dishes. My cabin has no running water ( taps). So I do my dishes in a bowl sitting on the counter. Those extra inches above.the sink depth make it almost pleasurable.

[@anna-katehowell9852]

Nick, I'd love to see you do a video on designing the perfect guest room.

[@annwilliams6438]

Yup. That would be cool. Tip number 1: Don’t call your dusty, musty junk storage room a guest room! 😅

[@anna-katehowell9852]

@@annwilliams6438 amen!!

[@carabotes5838]

Thank you for explaining "mood". I am moving to a bigger apartment where I can have an office room and I am so excited to decorate it. I thought of keeping it the same vibe as the idea for my living room, which is warm and cosy, but something felt a bit wrong, or boring about my ideas so far. With what you explained about mood, I think might want to create a place that feels more energetic when working (I don't want to fall asleep at work!). Maybe something a bit more bright and cheerful, while still being comfortable for me, the human.

[@kathrynryches6660]

Having a 'tv' on your fridge gives me the same vibe as when Bell, Rogers etc were promoting watching movies on our phones. Like WHY would I watch things on a small screen in a space that is not made for relaxing (kitchen) when I can watch whatever on a MUCH bigger screen in my living room. Thanks Nick.

[@ecaillette]

Do another one about designing for pets, please! As a new cat lady I found quite a few cat items that actually look good. But my cats now live in my apartment, too, and they have a right to be comfortable as well 😊.

[@TrekkieJenn]

“But my cats now live in my apartment, too.” No ma’am… YOU now live in THEIR apartment 😂

[@tinywalnut6337]

It's a whole separate category of home. Everything looks good until you remember that you have a cat.

[@Min-ke6zc]

if you need a recommendation for cat-friendly cat trees, I can't recommend New Cat Condos enough - they have REALLY tall, sturdy cat trees that stand up to a 12 pound cat re-enacting Tarzan on 'em on the daily! Expensive, though... :/

[@carolcaruso6641]

My fave of many faves in this video--- the fridge with the screen. Why???? I have to laugh when my adult kids holler at Alexa to turn on lights in their house and she doesnt comply. They keep standing there hollering while in my house i flick my switch by hand and move on with my day. You make way too much sense. Love it.

[@lindawilson4625]

Function, form, scale & comfort...and easy to clean or care for. Not slippery or a trip hazzard...in colors that work together. Think about these and you won't go wrong. Thanks, Nick! Good video!

[@cchaffincc]

Your Mom was much nicer than mine. We were not allowed to eat or drink in the house except at the table. I was not quite as strict with my children, occasionally I’d let them eat or snack in the living room but only if they sat on the floor. 😂

[@joycelynnelobert8779]

I mean, if you want to keep bugs and mice out of your house, it just makes sense to eat in a place that is easy to clean.

[@653j521]

@@joycelynnelobert8779 If you want to keep kids out, do the same. :) Let's go to your house, Tommy, because my mother will make us sit on the tile floor in the kitchen to eat. Mine is worse, Sue. Even in winter we get our snacks on the picnic table in the backyard. We don't get the porch because the crumbs attract bugs and mice.

[@joycelynnelobert8779]

@@653j521 weird. None of my kids or their friends ever complained about eating at a kitchen table. I never made them eat on a floor.

[@karenk2409]

Thank you for this one. If it's not comfortable to sit in or use, and if the environment is not making me go "Aaaah, I'm glad I live here!" then: no. I'm a small person, so my furniture is scaled for me, not a 6 ft 350 lb male; otherwise, I'd be like Edith Ann in my own home. I'm getting older (ahem), so anything that clutters the travel space in my house is a no. And incidentally, space is good! Not every inch of your house needs to be filled up with stuff (I'm so over the pillow phase). Maybe most important, if your house is not clean, it's not nice to be in, so easy to maintain is #1! My friend put in a gorgeous tile countertop in her kitchen and she now HATES it because she has to clean the grout all the time. Yes, the TV on the fridge is ridiculous (one more thing to go wrong, and you know you have computers and real TVs all over the rest of your house ...) Lastly, I really don't want my home tech to dominate my HOME. This is my sanctuary. Y'all do what you want.

[@ChicagoDreamer5]

Loved the part about Samsung. When I bought my appliances recently, my brand was not available (Kitchenaid, I adore them). When I spoke to the people at the stores (several stores), asking them about reliability, ALL of them said to avoid Samsung. And the reviews said the same.

[@debbiemullins9717]

Thank you! I have a comfortable home but have felt that it's not a designer look even though I am a designer. I have a large chair for the large man in the family and a recliner that doesn't look like a recliner till you sit in it. Etc. I have noticed that people feel relaxed and enjoy their stay while here and that's what I want. Thanks for saying your home needs to be human friendly not designer rigid (my take on your words)

[@carynturrel8208]

"We're designing for humans. That's what you are. Probably..." And now I'm imagining a dog watching this video. 🙂🙃🙂

[@omatic_opulis9876]

on the internet, nobody knows you're a dog.

[@No-longer1]

Woof

[@christinemichele2318]

Warm light forever! Nick, you are so right about lighting. I live in a cabin in the woods, warm lighting is my favorite for calming. It also feels restful, comforting, warm, inviting and zen for friends/family who come out here.

[@mymasmith7848]

As a long time Togo owner, we have higher, more supportive side chairs for when grandma visits. The Togo gets heavy use every single weekend by the kiddos as it makes the best pillow forts ever. And since I sprung for the fancy Alcantara fabric, it is actually cleanable. But when grandma comes once every couple months, she gets the side chairs we bought =just for her=.

[@christinae30]

Don't know how it's over there, but here🇸🇪 "everybody" have, or change to, woodfloor + wood or stone countertops in the kitchen! I cannot tell how stupid I find it! The kitchen is for work, mainly making food and baking, but also replant your houseplants, small repair issues, etc. The woodfloor lies there silently Waiting for beetroots, red wine and such to be dropped🍓🫐. And regarding countertops, until 15 y ago, almost everywhere, they were of stainless steel with a low, soft egde all around, so water and stuff could be scuffed to the zinc. Now, no edge, and of course what can, will go to the floor!⤵️ And in rentals, they call it an upgrade and rise the rent🤬 Thank you to anyone who read all of this, had to let it out! 🙄😤😬

[@tinaprice4948]

stainless steel countertops? I have never seen those in any house I have been in, im 50 , sounds interesting.

[@notsurewhatisgoingon]

Eh, hardwood in the kitchen is not a bad choice, IF it's properly sealed. If you drop a plate or drinking glass on tile, it's most certainly going to break. With wood you at least have a chance. And it's much easier on the body to stand on wood for long hours vs. a surface as hard as tile.

[@christinae30]

​@@notsurewhatisgoingon Agree that sealed wood is good, I was thinking of the "fine" woodfloor that is popular here even in the kitchen, parquet flooring? (Nice wood, often in patterns, when I grew up we had it in the living room)

[@christinae30]

​​@@tinaprice4948 I tried to write an answer with a link to show what I mean, but it was taken away. So, after some googling, I found some photos on a museum's homepage Search: "Nordiska museet 1940s flat" There, where there are arrows under a photo, picture 2 and 6 is very typical, even though the kitchen itself seems a bit old😀 I'm 59, so I've no experience of the 1940's😅 As of what I know, new stainless countertops are shiny, but they all get sctratched, and eventually they'll have a matt, even finish like on these photos.

[@christinae30]

​@@tinaprice4948 I tried to answer with a link, but it was removed, so I googled, and if you search: "Nordiska museet 1940s flat" On the museum's page for that exhibition, where there are arrows under a photo to show more, nr 2 and 6 shows what I was trying to explain

[@marylowen639]

Hey! Another small space solution-- your TV in !your refrigerator!😂

[@ruthannguenther8353]

The cheese grater chair is very comfortable with or without pillows. Shockingly comfortable. I keep it in my living room corner with pillows and my kids LOVE sitting in it. It sits back in the right place to make it a good chair. I take off the pillows and move it to the front porch sometimes while my kids play out front. I cannot believe how comfortable it is. You just have to sit on one for a while sometime to see what I mean.

[@justalittlebitmo]

Just replaced an old toilet. It makes we want to replace the other two in my home now... this newer one serves us without tons of maintenance. The one in the master bath is especially prone to clogs, the flusher getting stuck, and it holds on to smells. We've repeatedly replaced parts on it. It's a new-ish toilet though (there when we moved in) and supposedly a good brand, so I haven't bothered looking into replacing it. But I realize now that it's probably really dumb to hold on to something that isn't actually good at its one function. Design for humans. Humans don't want to plunge, disinfect, and brush clean their toilet everyday...let alone make sure the handle pops back up after every go or deal with a constantly running tank Thanks, Nick! You always have the best way of explaining the "why" behind smart home decisions

[@wendybelfry1110]

As the owner of a new adjustable split bed, my husband and I had to upgrade our nightstands since the previous ones were too low.

[@madddoll8685]

"Humans like things." - Nick Lewis, 2024

[@peterrebhahn1113]

And while you're designing your space for humans, remember that there is no type of seating more considerate of the needs of humans than the much-maligned recliner. Contrary to snooty designers, they do not all have to look like the recliner that had the star inanimate role in the sitcom "Frasier." Open your mind(s) people. The recliner: Not just for Uncle Milton and Aunt Irma anymore.

[@betmo]

we have 2 ;) the most comfortable homes i've visited in my life were my older relatives in the 1980s 🤷‍♀️they bought comfortable furniture and their homes were used to live in

[@ysbyttybedbug]

Absolutely. Ours fit perfectly with our contemporary vibe and are SOOO comfortable.

[@martha3445]

We have a recliner in the living room that looks like a Queen Anne chair. The one in the family room is Mission style. You can't tell that they're recliners until you push back. I think the Pub style is ugly.

[@bradc6199]

I hate recliners that look like the Michelin Man.

[@sherylboccuzzi9176]

You hit on so many things that I agree with on this video. The overall comfort of someone's home is a priority for me. I like clean spaces, comfortable furniture and practical design. Great points! 👏👏👏

[@antoniahicks320]

One thing I learned several years ago as a Home Health nurse is something a Physical Therapist suggested to a family is a pole next to the toilet to help get up. It works better than those bars which are often placed too low to be helpful or set too far back because that's where the wall is. As I get older and older, I notice things like that a lot, not to mention younger (40s or 50s) people who have back or knee issues that can use that kind of help from time to time. Thank you for mentioning too low sofas and chairs. Few people seem to buy new furniture as they age and I, as an elderly Home Health Nurse (I still work, yes at 83), I just don't even try to sit on their old, soft sofa or the really cool Danish modern sofa from the 50's while I chart their vital signs and health status.

[@skhjs9246]

I really feel like the default for bathrooms should be to design with accessibility in mind. All of us are a sprained knee away from having a tough time standing up. Some of my friends had terrible balance when they were pregnant and having holes in the bathroom would have been so helpful for them.

[@merrywalsh2809]

Like a stripper pole? I’m confused.

[@Mady-lo6qb]

In one of our bathrooms the toilet is in a niche. One day I was sick as a dog and I was so glad I could brace against the wall on either side to haul myself up. It wasn't perfect, but it was helpful.

[@cindyrwagner6930]

I loved the "no eating in the living room" segment. I come from the era of those cheesy metal tv trays, so I thought that was hilarious.

[@therabbithat]

I feel like part of being a good mother is wanting a nice home AND allowing your children to make that impossible Striving, and flexibility

[@kif8522]

Oh man I bought a large feather-cushion sectional (on clearance 😂😂). It is so comfortable that it doubles as a bed half the time. But even with washable zip off covers, it is so time consuming to clean. And fluffing 12 large feather pillows is a full body and cardio workout. When it’s fluffed, it looks magazine ready. When it’s not, it looks like your favorite cozy rec-room couch, so the look works, generally speaking. It’s essentially the best and also the worst.

[@ColinRobertson_LLAP]

Ooof-even in your 'good' TV height example (at 3:30) the TV is too high! I get why people do it, but I am highly against the TV over the fireplace. Thanks Nick!

[@JohnSurf5]

I was in my local Salvation Army last week and there was a five piece 1950s wrought iron outdoor furniture set. For $99. The tops of the chairs and loveseat had a Jaunty little stylized piece of metal crest that gave the furniture a mid century flare. I was all set to buy it, but realizing they all needed new cushions, but also they were just too low to the ground. It was so uncomfortable to try to get out of one. That was a 50s 60s trend low low seating. They were super cool looking though. And to have a complete set. I should’ve bought them to resell but had nowhere to store them.

[@sgallant2107]

People weren't as tall back in the day.