6 Ways to Make The Ugly, Practical Parts of Your Home Look GOOD!

Big thanks to Wayfair for sponsoring today’s video! Check out the latest episode of Interior Motives here and subscribe to Wayfair’s channel: 56ai.short.gy/IMe9KB
Check out other great series from Wayfair like:
A Style is Born: • A Style Is Born (Seaso...
The Slow Build: • The Slow Build
There are things in our home that we can't part with or just don't want to even if those things are kind of ugly. I'm talking about things like thermostats, pet toys, and remotes.
They're all items we need to live comfortably and practically in our homes, but that doesn't mean we have to let them be eyesores! In today's video, I'm teaching you how to hide the UGLY.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
00:37 Pet Toys
02:35 Books
6:31 Keys, Scarves, Entryway Items
09:03 Kitchen Utensils
10:42 Remotes and Gaming Consoles
12:38 Thermostats
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WATCH MORE FROM ME:
How to Hide The Ugly Parts of Your Home Part 1: • 11 Ways to Hide the UG...
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Thanks to Bark Post, The New York Times, Wayfair, Amara, West Elm, Cb2, Anthropologie, Shelfology, My Domaine, Decoist, Poosh, Midwest Home, Elle Decor, The Guardian, Pottery Barn, Epicurious, Modern Rustic Home, Barombi Studios, Cedar and Hyde, Pinteresting Plans, Better Homes and Gardens, Creative Co-op, Home Edit, BoB Vila, Inspired Whims, Metro Art, Chris Loves Julia, LaurenBless’er House, and House and Home for the images used in today's video. These images do NOT belong to me and instead belong to the respective creators.
This video is sponsored by Wayfair.

[@Marybarfield64]

You should rethink covering the thermostat. The temperature sensor is on that, so it may prevent the unit from getting an accurate measurement.

[@AMarshallCBU]

Yes! Per many websites, covering your thermostat prevents it from accurately reading the temperature in your living space.

[@busi6484]

Which may overload your HVAC and cost you major repair or replacement. NEVER cover your thermostat unless it has remote sensor.

[@moejoe5090]

Glad you said this because I was thinking of putting a small canvas art piece on hinge. Thanks again for saving me money

[@iluvzurara2]

Haha thanks for saying this! My engineer husband was like omg absolutely not!!

[@haidafella8651]

Unless it’s your infloor heating thermostat (sensor is in the floor)

[@einahsirro1488]

My cats have considerately hidden all their toys under the stove, couch, and washer/dryer.

[@mmmsunshine5367]

Lol cats are so thoughtful 🤣😂not even but I love them sooo much lol

[@LifeAdviceSite]

😂

[@okashi10]

Yes, mine thoughtfully stores his under the fridge for me to retrieve later.

[@teresamckeown5594]

I had a cat that was obsessed with craft Pom Poms and we would give them to him and he would play until they got lost - LOL and then he would get some more.

[@Geronimo2Fly]

@@okashi10 My cats prefer the under-the-fridge storage as well.

[@skhjs9246]

Our thermostat and humidistat are smack dab in the middle of the wall in out hallway. Since I didn’t want to interfere with sensors or access, I arranged a gallery wall all around it (almost floor to ceiling and most of the width of the wall). So many compliments on the wall, and no one notices the thermostat or humidistat at all. They are hiding in plain sight!

[@deniseperez311]

Jewelry mirrors to wrangle leashes, keys and masks is genius. Sounds so simple, so why is my mind blown? 🤯

[@eileencarroll6418]

Thermostats need good flow of the room air in order to measure the room's temperature to turn the heat on and off. Putting the thermostat in a hinged chamber will only measure the temperature of the air pocket behind the art. Love the entryway cabinet storage idea. If you own your home, it might be nice to recess a plain bathroom wall cabinet to avoid projection into the space. A bathroom cabinet with a built-in electrical outlet would be great for a hidden charging station. Excellent shelves for eye- and sunglasses. Room for gloves, brush and lipstick.

[@TheLazyHOAGardener]

I thought the same thing about the thermostat but if you are really crafty yo can make the artwork out of a decorative grate that repeats throughout the gallery wall and maintains the required airflow for measuring.

[@TheLazyHOAGardener]

@@crainbolt5155 i actually agreed with you a grate would provide airflow just loke they put decorative grates over radiators.

[@eileencarroll6418]

@@TheLazyHOAGardener Radiator covers achieve airflow by means of convection. A grate around a thermostat would impede airflow without another means to move the air . Also not fond of the anesthetics of grates.

[@jf6962]

Totally agree with the thermostats. Why not just change it? They have come a long way with thermostats. I changed my old ugly one to a nest years ago. Its so much prettier and much more effecient.

[@eileencarroll6418]

@@jf6962 I agree. Upgrading would look and work better. Light switch and electrical outlet upgrades make a huge difference too.

[@victorhawkins3461]

Absolutely agree with your books section! As a retired library cataloguer, I love to display my books...spines out, mixed colors, out and proud!

[@jenniferclyde8911]

Another librarian saying yay to books out!

[@gargiprasad]

I cannot imagine why anyone would hoard books for putting inside out, tells a lot about them. So far only seen this in model homes thankfully. I would not want to be friends with someone who actually did that.

[@Mycozymnbooks]

I got my rainbow books on lol

[@Mycozymnbooks]

But also since when are books ugly 🤣

[@marylut6077]

Because you asked, ideas for part 2 is dish drainer for drying pots and lids too big for DW, unsightly electrical outlets on kitchen backsplash, mail stacking up on kitchen counter, wall light switches - especially the ones with 4 switches, exposed section of drapery rod when drapes are open, covering for glass block wall, toilet plunger, unused landline phone jacks, scratches on hardwood floor,

[@KivaBrent]

Wow I love all these ideas!!!

[@staceykersting705]

My landline phone jack was super old and discolored. I spent less than $2 on a blank switch cover plate that actually matches the wall color (always keep extra paint for touch ups!) The kitchen electrical outlets are great to put a plant in front of.

[@shylo-jean]

With your tips and DIYs my home is so much more beautiful, calm, less chaos, no clutter!!! Thank you 😊

[@KivaBrent]

I’m so glad!! So so appreciative of you :)

[@QueenOfKings0402]

I agree it’s the same in my home as well.

[@soriyazz]

Absolutely agree. I love her.

[@Silverhaired59]

I have been using the box idea. I keep buying electronic items that come in very sturdy, hinged boxes with magnetic closures. My TENS unit came in one, so did my wireless earphones. I purchased some stick-on wallpaper in a green burlap-textured finish and covered these boxes. One holds my eye drops, nose saline spray, and little sinus zapping machine on the table next to my chair in the family room. These are things I use when watching TV and now they are in reach, are not easily knocked off the table, and look nicer! I have two mother-of-pearl boxes, too (from Wayfair!), and one holds my scissors and other tools I like to have at hand. The other holds mail that needs attention. The secret to successfully using them is to NOT put other clutter on top of them!

[@einahsirro1488]

"Mail that you're too anxious to look at but can't throw away...?!" How the hell did you know that?? LOL!

[@KivaBrent]

It’s so true!! 😂😂

[@amyhood6562]

I always enjoy your videos. My dad put art on a hinge to hide a TV back in the day when they were big ugly boxes. There was a closet behind the wall so he cut out the sheet rock and built a shelf to put the TV on. Whenever we watched the TV we would just swing the art out of the way.

[@sherrycohen1824]

Pitchers also work for holding kitchen utensils. Nice for the farmhouse look. In our old condo, the electrical panel box was visible in the hallway between the kitchen and dining room. I folded a table runner over a dowel and hung it up to cover it.

[@freakinfrugal5268]

My husband has all these medications he is supposed ot take and he refuses to organize them or put them somewhere normal (ie not on the coffee table in the living room). So thank you for the idea of the decorative boxes. Now I can let him keep his meds close by but their ugliness won't drive me insane anymoer. thank you.

[@fleabitz1474]

Covering your thermostat prevents it from accurately reading the temperature in your house.

[@sarahbrauer103]

You always offer great ideas! I wish, when you say “I did this in my home”, you’d show us an actual real life photo of it. Like the dog basket or the art in front of the thermostat!

[@raylyttle2952]

Adding to your vase tip, just stick a glass into the vase to make it food safe. Happy re-arranging, everyone.

[@carolcason8949]

You know, this world is such a better place because you are in it! Thank you for all you share, love your ideas!

[@katherinebrodie3371]

Try a teaspoon of baking soda in a cup of water instead of Tums. It will solve the issue immediately. I lived on that during my second pregnancy after my mother in law told me what to do. And she was so right. She was also right about how to fold towels. And a number of other things lol. I should have listened much sooner in life.

[@dara.griffiths]

Love this! Can you talk more about entry-ways? I don't have a coat closet and it is so tricky to manage all of my bags and coats that I use all the time. And shoes.

[@KivaBrent]

Definitely!! Entryways can be super tricky :)

[@heidi1000]

I don't have an entryway closet either. We use a wall coat hanger for our coats. As for our shoes and bulky coats, we just have developed the habit of carrying them into our walk-in closet. If they are dirty, we clean them off first. In that situation, you just have to accept the fact that it may look a little messy or tidy. I would rather have a place that looks a little more lived in, than super tidy though.

[@stanlenharris]

Yes please I have the same challenge

[@lisakilmer2667]

We have a long narrow entryway (6' wide x 14') -- we installed a Shaker peg rail along the whole long wall, with a small shelf on top of it. Voila - 30 pegs for coats and bags and a place for keys, gloves, hats, and items going back out to the car. Not as uber-neat, maybe, but no kid could say "there's no place to hang my coat." And we put pantry cabinets in the far corner for off-season/heavy coats.

[@username00009]

We hung an 8-peg wall hook that’s quite beautiful in our kitchen because the entryway is long and narrow while we have an awkward blank wall in the kitchen. We don’t have a ton of winter wear to hang so it’s not a big deal to have it out. I did put a pretty canvas bag on there to hold things that we may want a little more hidden while still conveniently located.

[@ameliaclark5792]

Love the jewelry mirror idea for small entry ways. I already use the trinket boxes for my remotes and lighter for my candles. Thermostats have a sensor so I wouldn’t cover it but you could get a nest system and make it look more current…

[@laceyrushworth9823]

YOUR NEXT CHALLEGE: PART 2 PLEASE!!! Any way to hide a portable air conditioner? Husband insists on keeping it out all year for fan function. And also how to hide cords with a drawer less desk. How to hide laundry machines if they have to be exposed in your main area.

[@Ambrosethebard]

Curtains could hide the washer/dryer

[@runemagged21]

I'm seeing a lot of buzz about the thermostat and other monitoring units. Def check your owner manual, but an option that works for me is a deep shelf mounted a little below the unit with shallow decor placed in front and wider pieces or books beside to create sort of a cubby around the sensor with open access from the top rather than fully enclosed. You could also strategically place a freestanding storage furniture for a similar idea.

[@lytaylor1204]

I use a giant plant pot for my kitchen utensils. Like, the kind you use to plant plants outside. Again, the kitchen is my problem zone where I have way too many things 😅

[@thissunchild]

In the kitchen, _EVERYTHING_ in drawers. Everything. Kitchen must look sleek and completely minimalist. Then I'm happy

[@bthomson]

"The dog can't read anyway!" How cute! 😍🐕🚫

[@florperez163]

Thought I heard them all, but the jewelry mirror genius!

[@KivaBrent]

Thanks for watching!! 💕

[@charlenecain6651]

Definitely will be using decorative boxes! I don't have a lot of flat/table surfaces but will put them on the shelving above my desk to hide the tape, stapler, etc. Also on my bookcase to hide small ugly necessities.

[@myway2653]

I’m back…..I took a break from KZbin diy channels. Good to see you again.

[@rashondadani]

Jewelry mirror near front door LOVE this idea!

[@ToiletQDuck]

"The mail you're too anxious to open, but can't throw away"? I"m so glade I'm not the only one

[@nicoleramos982]

Absolutely love the jewelry mirror idea! Incorporating that in my space asap! Also will be sharing with family and friends.

[@KivaBrent]

Thank you so much! Happy Holidays, Nicole! 💕

[@mitzy47]

@@KivaBrent where is the large jewellery mirror from? The one at 8:10

[@wendyh4417]

I absolutely agree about the utensil holder I was going to go thrifting for either a vase or water pitcher for large utensils Also love hiding the ugly with boxes

[@meganjohnson9540]

Jewelry mirror in the entryway is genius…goodbye pile of sunglasses! They’ll be safer in there too. Thank you!

[@alexandriacatoe9929]

love love love the hide the remote hack! Went right away ( to where else Wayfair) and got a box for the coffee table and have not lost the remote since! I LOVE YOU. I know I take away at least 1 thing from every video!! PS really like the nails 💅

[@jennynovak1259]

The jewelry mirror by the door is brilliant!!!

[@vaishalidevare437]

You are an interior Goddess!Thank you !

[@carmadariacompaniona4181]

Yes, yes, yes regarding books. And I love that picture at 13:48 of surrounding a thermostat with a gallery wall of sorts.

[@cass6020]

2:16 fun tip! A lot of pets will get excited about one toy or a couple toys until the toy is destroyed or they don't have any interest anymore. If you dedicate an inaccessible space (like a box or drawer) to most of the toys, you can make it easy to keep the box you leave out nice and short and accessible for them and alternate between what toys they can play with and when so they're still excited to see them all the time. Creates variety! My cats all tend to have one favorite they only like, but I can make sure any redundancies aren't getting lost by keeping them put away, and then the cats have a really easy time getting out a toy they like if they want to play

[@kelleywyskiel8513]

I literally hide pet toys in a bag in a closet and only keep a few out at a time. They get bored with them after a bit and change them out. A favorite stays out but the swapped ones always get treated like the tot they’ve been looking for forever. Lol. Same concept I used when my kids were little.

[@vlrissolo]

My cat leads me to his toy box every time I'm downstairs. It's not the toys. It's the. BRUSH! I can't even say the word Brush without him popping up!... for you cat owners, I've found that those little plastic springs are a hit especially on hard surfaces. Happy New Year everyone!

[@carlisajam9302]

God bless you Kiva ...♥♥♥I have been using a lot of your design ideas and suggestions in my new home and the compliments keep coming 🙂🙂🙂 ... You are my unofficial design consultant and interior decorator ... Thanks a million♥♥♥

[@pixieaeschliman1641]

The thermostat "hack" as creative as it is (I do this to my breaker box) is a NoOoo no, as it needs air flow to adjust to the room temperature to kick on and off accordingly. Your other hacks are divine, And I adore you!

[@Exeile]

Just wanna say thank you. Your videos have been giving me ideas to improve my home.

[@KivaBrent]

You are so welcome! That’s amazing to hear :)

[@TheHergeea]

What a great idea to use a jewelry mirror in the entryway!

[@bamasher4384]

I love the jewelry mirror idea! Also the vase for utensils, even tho i have been doing that for years.

[@clairevinet3557]

Thank you Kiva and babe for all you have done for us this year…..your inspirations are a joyful education. Love , bLessings and Healing to both of you during this Christmas and New Year holiday.❤❤❤❤❤😊

[@KivaBrent]

Happy Holidays, Claire!! Thank you for all your support this year! 💕

[@janfontana2537]

Finally a designer that I agree with on everything you say💓I absolutely hate the rainbow book look, and turning the books around UGH..I have a loft with built in bookshelves, and love decorating with my many books and other decor. And I'm sick of the bead strings, and I hate the chopped pillows, look like animal ears, and I love animals, but that's what I see on every pillow that is chopped in the center another ugh. Love your videos💝

[@rediris347]

I love your channel. I just discovered you by chance on KZbin. I'm in the middle of redoing my living room, dining room, and kitchen spaces. We're repainting, rearranging and adding and taking away things. You have some wonderful ideas and I can't wait to start working on them! 💜💜

[@ninae.lavelanet-lewnau143]

Love this outfit look Kiva! The green color is 👌🏽

[@KivaBrent]

Thank you so much!! 💕

[@neldanunez-corte6810]

You’re so generous with your ideas, Merry Christmas 🎄

[@rachelm9925]

Hiding ugly is a great idea for a series... I'd love to know: hiding plug sockets, speakers, too many doors, practical things like toilet paper and the brush, ways a TV can actually be hidden (not blended into a dark wall), all my children's junk, I think this list is endless in my house

[@dirtybloodyheart]

I have too many doors in my bedroom. I painted the whole thing the color of my walls and left a few inches at the bottom white for the "trim". Its not a perfect solution but it was cost effective and it does look better than before.

[@samanthajones2805]

Jewellery mirrors for the hall! You’re a genius ☺️

[@judithvigorito4548]

I finally treated myself to a really cool leather remote holder and a basket for the front room for shoes. Merry Christmas to me! Lol. Have a blessed Christmas to you and your wife KB. I hope you have a very healthy new year. ❤️

[@KivaBrent]

Happy Holidays, Judith!! 💕 I appreciate all your support :)

[@ruthdennisKnits]

I like the idea of using boxes to hide things. I have always put my kitchen utensils in a large ceramic latte cup

[@diorschmidt8031]

Whatever deco we have modern or not the important is THE HOUSE SHOULD CLEAN ALL THE TIME.thats the most important part of the house!

[@Popstar01100]

Definitely gonna think more about covering the thermostat with art. Mine is older and sticks out pretty far, but I think I can figure something out. Thank you for the inspiration!!

[@thedistinguished5255]

If you dont read that much, like me, and just need to have a couple cook books, wood working books, art books etc on hand for when you need them, you can put new covers onto your books or paint them. Its a delicate procedure but if you dont get new books very often, the time and effort will be worth it

[@heatheroakley2982]

I love the jewellry mirror idea! Genius!

[@shanalegrant6931]

The decorative box idea is genius! Thanks KB!

[@tayyylor]

Love your jewelry mirror hack! I don't have a true entry way, so this is fantastic. Ordering one now.

[@dorothysmith7289]

Thanks for another timely video Keva. I decided to make better use of the drawers in my dresser. One has a jewelry insert that is too small for my good and costume jewelry. At the same time I cleared out my hallway which had become a catch-all: I took down the full length mirror. 😅 No, I had not heard of a jewelery mirror. I went into Amazon, found a deal + coupon and bought TWO! One for each bathroom... Thank you!

[@TheXxjackchopxX]

Please make this a series🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

[@KivaBrent]

Yes!! I’m working on another similar video now :)

[@enlightenmentbarbie]

Dude the jewelry mirror idea is genius!!!

[@valleriejoy]

I love all of these tips. I'll definitely be using them in my new home.

[@sp7749]

Thank you Kiva for saying not to cover your electrical panel due to safety issues. I was planning on hiding it with a painting on a hinge, but not anymore.❤👍

[@kkbo3478]

Merry Christmas and health and peace to you and Babe in the new year 🙂🎄

[@accordingtoamberr]

ohkayyy, this video is GENIUS! the book shelf distribution and the jewelry mirror!!! I love it!!

[@pattysdaughter5639]

Love the tips. I had no idea about Wayfair channel, I actually have my eye on a couch they have, I just have to sale my current couch. Thanks for sharing!

[@Aviclex]

Cords Cords and Cords. Especially those we use constantly for charging our gadgets.

[@nataliaandrievskaya7787]

Thanks for the book styling tip! Was so frustrated with all those advices of turning the books or Kraft paper wrapping all of them - I need to be able to read the covers and to sort books by style or topic instead of colorcoding. Finally sensible advice for those who keep books for reading vs styling :))

[@Yasmine_WilliamsWoods]

Please bring back paperback books! Thanks for another great video. The artwork track suggestion is genius. Headed to Interior Motives now!

[@lytaylor1204]

This is my latest approach to books, and it has helped me out tremendously, both in space and aesthetic: I almost always "read" by audiobooks first. Then if I really like a book, like really really like it to the core of my beings, I will buy a hardcover copy and make it part of my decor. I am very over buying physical books that I only read once and then have a hard tiime getting rid of. Cookbooks is another issue altogether. Those, I always buy physical copies (almost always used) then pile them on top of my fridge 😅 It's a problem.

[@KivaBrent]

I love this! Makes total sense. :)

[@melanieshort6190]

Love the thermostat idea...

[@amynoble3630]

Wouldn't covering up the thermostat impact its functionality? The thermostat senses the room temperature and I would think covering it would impede that function.

[@samicumar9501]

I absolutely love your tips, thank you

[@angelic3450]

Great video, love the jewellery mirror idea. I also like that you showed the page of the designer you mentioned. Sometimes you mention a designer, when I can't understand very well what you said I can't find them., this as much clearer.

[@BIPDSHAWAII]

If you can do a video on aesthetically pleasing cat towers and cat boxes or how to hide or disguise them I'd be forever grateful. I've actually delayed getting a cat because I can't stand car towers and ugly cat boxes. But I love, love cats.

[@MsAngelness1]

I think KB deserves a comedy award because how dare you start this by calling me ugly and then segue into our pet’s hoarding issues? 😂😂😂

[@jessicapinto3817]

Great tips as always Kiva! I wish you all the best for 2023!

[@KivaBrent]

Thank you so much, Jessica! Happy New Year :)

[@cass6020]

For the utensil thing, I have a hand-built clay pot from a ceramics class that I love a lot. The bottom is really deep, so it has a box and a cloth to line the inside so that the utensils sit at the height I like

[@vickigonya9432]

I'm doing that with large heavy duty drawer slides. Hanging art over my TV. Then slide one to left and one to the right to watch TV. No tracks sticking put above or to the side of the TV

[@dw7939]

May cat said 4 inch basket maximum, and he chews the baskets too.

[@meridethhendry5733]

Love these ideas! Thanks for sharing!

[@KivaBrent]

Thanks for watching! 💕💕

[@OliviaLarisaChicos]

I love your energy ! Just watched 2 of your videos for the first time and I suscribed immediatly !

[@KivaBrent]

Welcome!! Thank you so much! 💕

[@Tena0582]

I love all these tips! I would love to see tips on how to hide cords.

[@carolinekings4247]

"the dogs cant read anyways" PLEAASSEEE 😭

[@Mycozymnbooks]

Hahaha you would lose your mind at my shelves. I have hundreds of books for my work and I will proudly display the coho books 🤣

[@poojashah5958]

No home will look ugly when Kiva is here 😀

[@saritacruz3020]

Such clever ideas!

[@Stellaperez658]

Good video Kiva! Getting a few small boxes.

[@SpiritLedLisa]

Thank you! So helpful

[@KivaBrent]

Thanks for watching!!

[@Whatintheworld-d7o]

Great tips!!

[@EweOlive]

The cats are a bit too big for the cubby in their tree, so I started throwing their toys in it. They grab what they want and what doesn’t fit, mostly interactive/wand toys, goes in a cloth cube in the tv stand.

[@Where_you_been_loca]

My utensils holder is a cookie jar and I love it lololol

[@LydiaHJR]

Great tips! Thanks a lot.

[@KivaBrent]

Thanks for watching!! 💕

[@JordansChronicles]

Air registers and Air vents can be changed with decorative grilles as well

[@AriKitae]

The jewelry armoire idea is so great. I need something like that to keep my dog leashes and such out of sight

[@tinahillsdon2776]

Love your videos, you are so easy to listen to. Regards, from Australia

[@KivaBrent]

Wow, thank you!

[@99xara99]

Great video and ideas! Unfortunately I figured that my dog doesn't like toys, I only own a handful of books, have no jewelry that I need to put anywhere, my kitchen utensils are hanging on the wall, our thermostats are attached to the radiators and boxes everywhere? Risky, out of sight, out of mind! I prefer trays and drawers. But I'm sure it's gonna help other people haha!

[@pineapplesoda]

Picture frame on a hinge!?!? Genius.

[@sophievanderbilt1325]

I love the jewelry mirror idea. I’m a big fan of putting things away in boxes and drawers to make everything look sleek. I hate those utensil holders, tho, even if they’re pretty vases. Like just put them in your drawer…no emergency will ever require you to grab a utensil in record time! Take that extra second and open a drawer 😅