The Most CONTROVERSIAL Design Elements for Your Home (This Gets JUICY)

[@tescherman3048]

I've made this comment on another video a while ago, but I was employed at a small residential architecture firm some years back that specialized in kitchen remodels. We literally called the giant islands "autopsy tables."

[@mrphoenixgrey]

Hahaha! Perfect name for it 🤣

[@NH-pk7eb]

That’s the best description I’ve ever heard describing this.

[@thornyback]

I lived in one and these kitchens are SO IMPRACTICAL. In my old small kitchen everything was just one step away and really compact, in the new kitchen everything was at least 2 steps away and since everything else was also oversized I got so tired of walking. I vowed then to never again have a huge home, there were so many impracticalities.

[@Mijah1016]

Hahaha.. that’s a good one.

[@katereznikov8792]

We just bought a very old house. Built in 1869. Unbelievably beautiful floor plan. All rooms are separated and your favorite pocket doors. We are so excited and happy

[@lsamoa]

Oh congratulations!!

[@cookiedais]

That’s so great . It’s exciting to have a project & bring an old house back to life !

[@queenbee3828]

Jealous!!😁 congratulations!

[@rheinhartsilvento2576]

Wow! Lucky you 🤗 Congratulations!🌈

[@aricakritz2765]

I’ve never liked the open concept home. They look drab and lack personality. Old beautiful homes from the 1960s and prior to are goals or should be…my opinion of course but it’s timeless and cozy.

[@JustAlex-f1s]

“Jail. Right away. No trial, no nothing. Jail” Love your no nonsense approach and sneaky references 😂😂

[@emilybrandt3]

Thank you for talking about people's TVs being so freaking high up on the wall! I don't care how tall your mantel is Suzy, it's impossible for anyone to watch TV like that!

[@Savvygal]

I despise those mantles.

[@SmillaIsAmazing]

He also confirmed my long held suspicion that high TVs are torture for a neck!

[@jayjones9219]

It is literally everywhere too, in every new build they have the TV wiring above the already high mantel. It’s so messed up, makes me wonder if these builders ever watch TV.

[@SmillaIsAmazing]

@@jayjones9219 my builder was very very anti-TV over fireplace & I’ve sent him this so he also feels validated 😂

[@bethanyweber3989]

Re: open concept. I just want to be able to chill in my living room with being able to see all the dirty dishes I left in the kitchen sink.

[@rebelliousraven]

I think having SOME openness is ok. Maybe the kitchen into a den, but for the rest, I like distinct rooms. Separate rooms allow for privacy and sound containment. They also allow more options with decor. I may like a dark, moody dining room, but I wouldn't want my entire first floor painted navy blue.

[@JohnMcLovin-xq3qg]

Agreed!! Everything in moderation, especially in home design.

[@mrphoenixgrey]

Yes, we need a level of balance with open and closed for it to function properly

[@lucieciepka1031]

I have a small apartment in Paris. I took off the kitchen wall, but it’s still cosy because it’s still small. If your floor plan is as big as a furniture showroom, then I guess without the walls, that’s what it’s going to look like. And I too regretted the wall a little bit during Covid.

[@nonamenoname1133]

You hit the nail on the head about separating rooms. We've got divisions for the living room, formal dining room/entry, and kitchen/DINK dining room, and we're able to style them differently without affecting the sightlines much. It's a gift to those who enjoy trying different things.

[@cjtoler9726]

I love that--if you're designing your house for re-sale value it's not really your space! I love that. I so agree with you that off-white is better than stark white in kitchens!

[@mrphoenixgrey]

Thank you for watching! And so many people are worried about the resale! I get it to a point, but not when it limits how you feel in your space. 🤍

[@matthewmcdonald9238]

9:15 “And you hear clapping…” …and Design Daddy doesn’t blink or miss a beat! 😂

[@Croberts3190]

Many people that have families will pass on seeing a home without a bathtub. Kids need them for quite some time and even as they get older they sometimes prefer a bath over a shower.

[@Lovesapuzzle]

One tub/shower combo in the common bathroom. All the rest can be showers. As an older person, a shower is safer than a tub that I have to step into and out of.

[@NBportofino]

My 39 year old daughter hates showers and had I known that I’d have installed a luxury tub in the bathroom she uses when she visits. We’d maybe see her more often. 😂

[@kimwaltz6114]

If you are thinking of a freestanding monumental tub, be sure to try getting in and out before you commit. Some of them are so deep and have no outside supports that you can't get out once you are in there. If you need a trapeze to drop down from the ceiling, be sure to include it in your design.

[@ashdav9980]

You are so right! I have a 67 inch free standing tub and it has a lot of depth as well, I purchased it for the shape but they didn’t have it in stock as it was special order so I didn’t get to sit in it. I hate that stinking tub, it’s so deep and long and I am not real tall so I am constantly trying to find somewhere to brace myself so I am not slipping all over the place. Recently took a bath in it because I had a cold, miserable experience.

[@kalikeleka]

I don't like them from a cleaning standpoint. A built-in tub has only one exterior wall to clean. A freestanding has the entire outside of the tub, the floor under it, and often tight spaces to clean around.

[@thornyback]

I can't stand them, they're also so out of place in small spaces and difficult to clean around.

[@dennyb759]

My sister had a whole new bathroom put in . A beautiful big shower n a large free standing tub. She loved to take baths but had a hard time getting in n out. She hated cleaning it ,to reach inside was hard. This tub is beautiful but very pricey n she no longer uses it. She’s sorry she put the money out n didn’t think about getting in n out of it.

[@h.a.harris7423]

Yes!!! You addressed every aspect of current home design trends that I don't like. I live in a 1920's bungalow with a center hall layout and closed kitchen with butcher block countertops and whenever someone suggests a "renovation to update" my house I roll my eyes. It's cozy and efficient; not changing a thing.

[@The_Smith]

My best friend-in-law has what I think is the perfect compromize between open and closed concept. It is an old (1920s) 4 square that has double pocket doors between the huge farmhouse (it is an actual house on a farm) kitchen, dining room, and parlour(living room) so can be a huge open space, or closed as needed.

[@margaretschaufele6502]

Growing up, my priest and his wife hosted a lot of parties. Their house was designed like that as well with a lot of pocket doors. When they hosted, they opened the pocket doors to open the dining room and playroom to the living room. They also had a wrap around porch and a big backyard for the kids to run around and have water gun fights.

[@Zaguzah]

​​@@margaretschaufele6502 Your priest was married?! 😮 Anglican?

[@margaretschaufele6502]

@@Zaguzah actually yes.

[@Zaguzah]

@@margaretschaufele6502 Cool! I'm ex-Catholic, but it's still strange to hear about married priests. 😅

[@sharonluvisi6069]

This has nothing to do with the topic of this video but I want to say that I really love the tone of this video. You gave so much helpful information and guidance with such a positive spirit and constructive criticism that I really enjoyed my time with you tonight. Please keep it up!

[@PriyankaGawas]

Hahaha. NGL I thought I was the only one who thought bookmatched marble looked like that 😅

[@mrphoenixgrey]

Haha! It really depends on the cut, but most of the time it does 🤣

[@kathymarshall220]

It really does look like that in most cases though 😂😖

[@Lovesapuzzle]

Rorschach inkblot tests.

[@RoyalAir968]

NGL, I love double height ceilings but I think it is only appropriate if you have a great view outside of the double height windows.

[@mrphoenixgrey]

Agreed

[@margaretschaufele6502]

How do you clean the windows? Or change the lightbulbs? Do you just use a big stepladder or do you have to hire someone?

[@RoyalAir968]

@@margaretschaufele6502 for windows, we just have wipers with very long handles. We hire professionals to clean the chandeliers and other out of reach light fixtures. Fortunately, they do not need to be cleaned so often.

[@Kathywake23]

​@@margaretschaufele6502they make a tool to change the light bulbs i think.

[@staciii]

@@margaretschaufele6502 amazon sells window cleaners where the handle is long enough but they rarely get dirty. Changing a bulb? Someone else can risk their life to do that 😂

[@timward3116]

Ah, double-story spaces! I had a house once with a small living room with 20-ft-tall walls. Not only was it not energy efficient, but it actually made the living room feel much smaller because the walls were so tall. A lower ceiling elongates and widens a room. Not to mention making painting much easier! I would never have a home again that had super tall ceilings unless the floor space itself was large (and I were rich enough to pay painters and the higher energy bills).

[@JillianSiobhanMal]

I’ve noticed sooooo many ppl in the comments on design vids are tired of open concept. I’m here for closed concept even if just for the ability to design less neutral. The sound difference is huge. This must be one of the reasons wallpaper stopped being as popular too.

[@annemurphy9339]

Wallpaper is huge again.

[@JillianSiobhanMal]

@@annemurphy9339 Yeah I’m loving it, it seemed like it was never gonna be popular again for awhile. I wonder if borders will ever come back sometime in the future ☺

[@Lovesapuzzle]

Families members have different interests and need the ability to enjoy those interests with or without friends while in the same house. With open concept, the noisiest activity takes over the whole space.

[@annroth6794]

A huge THANK YOU about the note on bookmatched stone. I would not have considered that and would have driven me insane to make that mistake!

[@Noreenlee1]

I agree! Don't scandalize me with your marble!

[@mrphoenixgrey]

😉

[@sorbabaric1]

I always thought closed concept was also due to the practicalities of heating a place, and not heating rooms not in use.

[@lillmolnar3831]

I am so on-board with all of this. Apart from the vulva stone. What has been seen, cannot be unseen, and I do not want to see that😂. Thank you for all your ideas and tips. I love that you take into account that there are people with average income who cant afford to spend lots on interior design, but still want a nice home. Would LOVE more tips on that.

[@MV-nn4yo]

me too, me too! :-)

[@therightangle2bseen]

Completely agree with the bookend slabs! When we were looking at houses, we actually referred to one of them with bookend slabs as the "vagina house". You could see the discomfort on people's faces during the open house!

[@Lovesapuzzle]

Older homes have the best design features, separate rooms, hardwood floors throughout, efficient (not showy) kitchens, visually comfortable tile in the bathrooms. It aint broke, don't fix it.

[@auggiedoggiesmommy1734]

I love having my kitchen open to my family room

[@agnieszkajakubowicz7485]

Design Daddy nailed it! I understand some of those might be appealing to people that have not directly experienced it but, coming from a person that sees a lot of luxury homes ( I am an interiors photographer in Silicon Valley) believe me: he knows what he's saying. And for the last point - once you see it, you cant un-see it...

[@akinyiomer4589]

Re: open concept - I hate when building developers don't give future residents a say. In both my childhood country and my new country all the house builders are creating smaller and smaller apartments & houses which *force* you to go open-concept whether you like it or not. The units are still expensive but you get less spatial freedom than ever before. 😢 And just when everyone needs that space even more! Agree with pretty much everything here. The only thing that made me shrug was the bookmatched marble part. I'm a woman so I'd feel quite smug if my fancy marble mirrored that anatomy lmao.

[@firestick4991]

I just realized what the tall, two story living rooms remind me of - the elevator in the Haunted Mansion. “Yes, these walls are getting taller…”

[@JohnMcLovin-xq3qg]

Great video DD, I think the comment section will be popping off. I have friends with extreme open concept homes and the double vaulted ceiling and you're dead on about the cons about them. Open concept homes can definitely look like furniture showrooms and those double vaulted ceiling really aren't cozy at all, I really do up up looking at the ceiling a lot. Thanks for the great video DD!!!

[@mrphoenixgrey]

Thank you so much for watching 🤍

[@JohnMcLovin-xq3qg]

@@mrphoenixgrey you're very welcome DD!! I look forward to the next one!!

[@niamo5102]

I’ve never been this early lol but one I’m dead 😭 I did not see where the book matched stone was going and it honestly caught me off guard, I CACKLED like boyyy you better stop playing wit em! But also I love my so white kitchen it’s so bright it feels like I’m in heaven lmao 😅🕊️ but thank you but the design inspo and the laughs!

[@mrphoenixgrey]

I may have ruined the book match for some people now 🤣

[@AlisonMurray-c4f]

I love open concept except for the lights - it's so difficult to stop it looking like a light shop !

[@mrphoenixgrey]

Floor outlets are the best solution for this to evenly distribute low level light with floor and table lights :)

[@mikerudd4943]

I really appreciate how you are in touch with the marriage of ultimate design and practical. How the "average" person doesn't have a separate TV room. Good for tou DD. Spoiled princess podcasts are for their fan boys not for actual people

[@jeannig7565]

Temperature control is difficult and expensive with open concepts and double high spaces.

[@Lovesapuzzle]

open and super tall is only good for a sports court.

[@oscargustavoarcosruiz4925]

All-white kitchens? Of course not! The latest and most chic thing is kitchens with floor-to-ceiling leopard skin 🐆 . Pure class.

[@rheinhartsilvento2576]

😂

[@Kathywake23]

Very cutesy, very demure

[@mistydevillier2197]

I agree completely with the whole "TV over the fireplace" situation. There's nothing elegant about that. Concerning high ceilings and heat, if it's new construction, go with the spray foam insulation. Our studs had to be 2×6, and we're filling up the walls and ceilings with it. Your home will be an ice chest, which we need for living in a rather hot climate.

[@kathiegraceffa4900]

Totally agree !

[@kimwaltz6114]

Typically your walls will be R-20 or better, the roof R-49 or better, but the most energy efficient windows will be about R-3 or U=0.30. Glass is not a good insulator.

[@lesley4085]

I loved all your comments, personally I’m not a fan of the two storey spaces, the dimensions of those windows just looks off. I live in Scotland so definitely need carpet in the bedroom for cosiness and as I’m in a flat to deaden noise for my downstairs neighbour ❤ The vulva comment 😂😂

[@MV-nn4yo]

chiming in from the SF bay area. i just finished remodeling my 1 bed/1 bath (768 sq ft) condo and you seriously hit on all my challenges/decisions in my space! open concept, high ceiling, TV over the FP, consistent laminate flooring throughout, removing the bathtub (for a walk in shower), two tone tiny kitchen (off white uppers with matte porcelain countertop, matching backsplash and natural white oak lowers) and trying to figure out overhead lighting. it's been a lot! the basics are all done...now i need to tackle the interior decor/furnishing. help! 😂

[@jaysonx5576]

TV over the fireplace tip: Measure the temp above the opening (fire on full blast) to figure out the lowest safe positioning. It’s much lower than most people assume. Sidebar: I have 6 TVs for my friends in this vacation spot. I entertain A LOT, friends stay over for days. I personally never watch TV. Working in the industry does that to you. But walking into this house you’d assume I have 1 TV. But a “TV ROOM”? Absolutely not.

[@mindingminds]

Glad you addressed the 2 storey greatrooms because I've been struggling with whether they were practical or not.

[@torib2298]

Not the point of the video, but I love your comment about not styling for resale value. The thing I love about my house is that it works for me and it is my home. And only one small island bench in the kitchen. 😊

[@gerardofernandez6339]

Love your videos. Very informative. Thanks design daddy!

[@kathiepierro1031]

I couldn’t agree more. Especially the tv over the fireplace. I don’t want to feel like I’m in the first row of a movie theater looking up. Also the two story spaces. They just aren’t cozy. This is the first time on your channel but will definitely come back. I like the straightforward style of your video.

[@B-Th-Change]

I love open designs that includes some closed design elements ie-and office, a studio, and a gym.

[@margaretschaufele6502]

I like to imagine my dream home and I have the kitchen open to the living area, but the office separated by the bathroom and thick interior walls.

[@breathpresent53]

If you cook with any spices, a separate kitchen is a must to minimise the smell getting into your soft furnishings ❤

[@kathiegraceffa4900]

Haven’t read what anyone else is saying - but I say to every single point (which you articulate intelligently and artistically) SPOT ONE! I LOL’d on the figure 8 race around 2 islands! Please make a part 2,3,4.. however many you want to bring these things to light. Well done !!👏👏

[@ladylyonteeth3952]

Closed concept is better. Walls give you more spaces.

[@sassychimpanzee7431]

The freestanding tubs typically only work in very large bathrooms. The average homeowner doesn't have a big enough bathroom for them to have a freestanding tub that has open space around it. They can also be very difficult to clean around. Also need to have an additional shower somewhere.

[@margaretschaufele6502]

True. I grew up with a freestanding claw foot tub in a small bathroom so obviously no shower. There was so much dust and hair collected under the tub and it was too much of a headache to keep clean. Also, our cat's would hide behind it when we were trying to get them. I'm also not a big fan of combo tub/showers because of the limited space and the trip hazard getting in and out of them.

[@IzzyRumi]

Think about ADA also.

[@Lovesapuzzle]

Difficult to clean around similar to a vessel sink.

[@susanlueem8267]

Love my cozy bedroom carpet!

[@shelleymalone2456]

If you live in an area where water is of any concern, a tub of any kind won't do. Only showers and, even then, short showers.

[@enlightenmentbarbie]

Disagree on the vaulted ceilings daddy! I grew up in a home like that and it felt like magic. Cozy vibes, either way a touch of grandeur. The way it goes wrong is when there’s no detail to the ceiling- when it’s just plain white drywall. Currently building my home which is an A frame with a great room with vaulted ceilings… you don’t understand... We are doing it JUSTICE!! Instead of trying to have lights over the “zones” in the space (kitchen / dining / living room) there will be 5 symmetrical chandeliers- 4 landing a little lower, and one in the center nearer to the peak of the A … When you walk out of that 2nd floor bedroom and look over that balcony out the massive windows- honey, it’s views for days and gorgeous lighting. What’s not to love?! ♥️♥️♥️

[@kristinapreedy7069]

Great video as always! I’m so glad that our 1993 ranch is really kind of partially open concept, partially not, with a great room in the middle and large openings to the kitchen and den but they are still separate rooms. Tubs: full disclosure - I’m only 5’1” so I love a good soaking tub LOL. In a recent remodel, we went from a tiny corner shower (only) to a zero entry wet room with an enclosed undermount tub, giving us a nice bench/ledge and way to get in and out of the tub as we age. Two practical cons I don’t think you mentioned about the freestanding tubs (as you usually talk about the practical 😊) are cleaning around them and getting in and out of them as you age. We had to upgrade to a quartz deck for the undermount and the entire shower/tub enclosure is tiled in 24”x48” tiles (except for the floor which is matching mosaic for traction). Agree that the freestanding are beautiful to look at though!😊

[@margaretschaufele6502]

Add insulation to your interior walls to isolate noise, if you can. Especially where you don't want sound to travel, like your bedroom, bathroom and office. The 2 story foyer or living area, what always bothers me is how do you clean away the cobwebs that inevitably appear or clean those high windows, or change those light bulbs? I am terrified of ladders and I can only manage a few steps on a step stool. The high gloss cabinets in an all white kitchen with too much natural light will probably give me migraines as well as blind me. I have a chronic illness where I already suffer migraines. I don't need my house to give me more of them.

[@kimwaltz6114]

Largest sound leak will be the doors between the rooms.

[@margaretschaufele6502]

@@kimwaltz6114 Perhaps, especially with the hollow core doors. I think you can upgrade to better doors (I don't remember what they're called), but it does cost more.

[@anazario2012]

Two islands are great for people who likes to cook, that extra space is a plus (and have a lot of storage, its not a dead space 😊)

[@lisapearrow4674]

Ok! I’m so glad I’m not the only one who sees anatomical parts in decor items. Damask wallpaper (which I love) always has a uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. I see it and then can’t “unsee” it! 😂

[@sari0is0here]

Thank you for mentioning the book matching stone! I've always noticed this and it's VERY awkward at places like Washington State capital building with the zebra/gray marble. I can't UNSEE see it and I really wish I did. It's so pretty otherwise.

[@anamunoz7803]

Great video. I support all your ideas, specially in regard to the unnecessary 2 islands in the kitchen. Overall: bravo!’ 👏

[@ScaryMannJK]

As a former TV salesman, mounting over the fireplace has become the bane of my existence. So much is required to do it, everyone thinks they can do it themselves, it becomes a whole thing…

[@foxxybrown291]

In England most homes are closed off. I actually have a kitchen which when my American fiance came to look after me after a 3rd stroke for a year couldn’t get used to the washer and dryer being in the kitchen 😅

[@PLuMUK54]

I'm in England, and I have never had laundry equipment in the kitchen. I remember the shock when I went to a neighbour's house and saw that they did.

[@firestick4991]

I live in a place with a vaulted ceiling in the living room. It’s so cold in the winter months! We literally close it off and huddle in the bedroom and in the rest of house with lower ceilings. We only go in there when it’s sunny because it’s south facing. It’s not as bad as the two story look. At least it is shorter on the sides for scale.

[@sdophoto1405]

I can not stand a white kitchen. I am looking at redoing my current kitchen cabinets and I am considering doing a matte black or a black and a walnut wood. Also my condo kitchen is not open concept and there is no way to renovate it to make it open. I know you love black kitchens I would love if you did a video on how to do it right. For example can I still do a black kitchen in a smaller condo kitchen?

[@veritorossi]

I love vaulted ceilings but not done like they do them in USA and Canada. They are just too big. I have high ceiling in my 110 year old French style building but they are not 5m high. They are 3m at most I think.

[@olgastanford6813]

I think the right answer is open concept kitchen/dining room and pocket doors to separate the living area.

[@mrphoenixgrey]

Agreed!

[@akinyiomer4589]

​@@mrphoenixgrey Design Daddy, are pocket doors actually accessibility-friendly? Maybe my view of them is skewed because I've only seen them showcased in ultra-expensive homes, which can't be the entire market - but all those doors have the _tiniest_ and most awkward handles you have to grab. I can't imagine that's ergonomically accessible for people with larger hands, people with joint or muscoluskeletal issues or the elderly.

[@firestick4991]

Book matched stone with that “look,” only works if that’s what you’re going for. Why else would you have multiple showers in one space, anyway? I do feel bad for anyone that gets that look unintentionally! 🤣 You can’t unsee it!

[@jvanvuuren8461]

The last one gave me such a big laugh. Now I can't unsee it. :-)

[@KLewis-ih7xm]

Open concept is awesome in the tropics, much better for cooling, since residential air conditioning is not common.

[@mrphoenixgrey]

The area dependent really can make or break the space

[@sorbabaric1]

Double islands in the kitchen look like an obstacle course to me. Annoying.

[@mati.benapezo]

I'm with you with the blank kitchen one; it seemed to me that in some reno shows they just splash WHITE all over there, with huge windows, and then call it a day. It's too SHINY.

[@Jellybean0207]

I agree on your opinion on the kitchen - open concept. While I admire seeing it open and spacious, I cannot imagine cooking with the smell all over the house! It will stick to the fabrics like curtains and chairs.

[@reneedavenport4322]

I have a mount on the tv that allows us to lower the tv while in use. It’s perfect . I don’t have the space for a TV room .

[@WomanRoaring]

We have what I call a semi open concept house. It was built in the late 90s. Our family room and kitchen are separate by a large cased opening and a pony wall so when you’re in the kitchen you can see into the family room. I love this. We still have a formal dining room and formal living room but the kitchen is far enough away that you don’t see the mess if you’re in the middle of cooking. Our family room has a half vaulted ceiling but it’s not 2 stories. We don’t have the TV over the fire place because our furniture doesn’t face it lol. Our kitchen has a dining area so I don’t need 2 islands 😂. We removed the carpet from our bedrooms. I have really bad allergies and it’s so much easier to keep wood floors clean, thank you Rosie the roomba 😂, than the carpet. The 2 things we have that you would hate is a jetted tub in the master bathroom, we hate it and will replace it when we redo the bathroom but for now we have the gross thing. The other is, we have grey in most of the rooms. My hubby and I like grey as a neutral rather than beige, but we don’t have all grey furniture on top of it. Our family room is a dark maroonish color but the room is very bright so we can get away with darker colors. Anyway, I do like your tips and your dislikes and why! I would love to put bookend marble or a nice quarts that looks like marble when we remodel.

[@Savvygal]

I like delineation with a build out jamb separation of kitchen and higher ceilings in great room.

[@s6r231]

My 1970s semidetached house has always been open plan. The kitchen is somewhat tucked behind a corner though which I think helps with zoning. That's the problem with some open concept homes - they don't have zones within them to separate the areas while also allowing them to coexist in the same space. I'm on the computer right now and it feels very separate from the kitchen on the other side of the room. I feel like I'm in my own little study zone.

[@mariagomes9882]

Open concept all the way!!!! I made a linear gas fireplace a focus point. The TV will be on the side because I like to watch my shows at eye level while I am seated. I saw your video about the free-standing tub being out and the tile tub being in. Exactly what I did.

[@kittylynndale5264]

No carpet in my home! I ripped that crap up immediately, even though I couldn’t put down new flooring for another two months.

[@hagun6535]

A linear fireplace so low with venting allows the TV to be lower, plus I'm taking the tip regarding making that wall section dark, with a frame tv.

[@markita.hardenhome]

"Open legs".......BWAHAHAHAHA😅😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 loooove your honesty........🤣🤣🤣... I'll never look at that design the same😅😂

[@AsTheCrowSquawks]

Totally lol'd at the last point, because it's SO TRUE! 😂

[@CarrieV9]

How often are people entertaining? Seriously!

[@staciii]

We have our TV over our fireplace cause it's the only layout option but we tilted the TV down a little on the mount and we have reclining chairs so it's not unnatural to look at the screen

[@handleisGG]

i like open concept with glass bifold doors as a wall to keep flies from going into the kitchen whilst cooking and also to keep smells from going to the rest of the house

[@evelynmurphy9102]

What is the highest you would recommend for a great room ceiling? At what height do you lose the cozy feeling? Great room is 25 x 23.

[@samiyafikree7993]

I also hate TVs over fireplaces but all black ??!!! Genius!!

[@jackieredish2627]

Just found your videos, love all the design advise and tips. Would like to see a video on cornice boards vs. draperies to pair with shades. Can't decide which way to go!

[@dominaevillae28]

I can see the attraction to a more divided house. The original plans for my house had a pony wall off the entry-I hate pony walls🤨. Surprisingly, my husband was against closing it off even though he hates seeing the shoes and coats, but I won. Our living room and kitchen open to each other, but the breakfast bar hides any dish clutter. 2 beds, 2.5 baths and a laundry are off the hallway that surround a the kitchen, and two offices and the master are off the living room. Our kitchen island is 5.5 X 3ish feet and it’s wear we do all our food prep and serving. Though my husband’s office and the kids have different color paints, I’m happy with BM’s Indian White everywhere else. It was a challenge giving the rooms their own look with the same paint and flooring. We have pot lights everywhere but bedrooms 2 & 3, and the offices because they are small. I hated having to rely on lamps in my last house. The fireplace is to the side in the corner, the tv hangs alone on the wall. BM Natural Wicker cabinets and off white /creamy backsplash but a black, white and green granite. Drop in tub with tile-I didn’t want to clean around a clawfoot tub.

[@julzm7067]

I had an apartment with 14' ceilings. A previous tenant had installed molding/moulding 2 or maybe 2.5 feet down and painted the tops of the walls and ceilings the same dark color/colour. I swore if I ever met her I would give her a design award. If I wasn't single closed concept would be preferable. Being able to shift things around I have hosted much larger parties with seating for all having an open plan, tablecloths hide the ugly card table tops and cushions make folding chairs bearable. Dimmed lights, good food and drinks!

[@Savvygal]

Someone give the memo to these builders that white kitchens are out!

[@therealcarolwright]

Now I can never unsee that!!!!

[@saramarie5628]

I like engineered hardwood so can’t put them in bathrooms and kitchen and laundry room for the wet aspect can ruin them though

[@jcs3330]

Personally, I prefer open concept. But I believe it goes wrong (ironically) when it is done on 'too' larger scale. i.e in multi-million ££$$ homes etc. And due to this this , that vast space becomes just another of the seating area etc of the 5 that already exist in that same space!. Across the UK there are many victorian, edwardian, georgian built homes that are in high demand . Although some may not agree, these home when opened up with there original features ie mouldings and arches etc retained, and then given a modern/eclectic twist with furnishing or a ultra modern extension (if designed and built well) look absolutely stunning in an open concept. I think people are just tired of feeling exposed when the space is far too large, staged and soulless. Regarding TV's over fireplaces I agree. But a lot of people do not have a fireplace and personally I think TV's look great at seating height and a great piece of art hanging above it. We need to give tvs a rest, we all have them.

[@lynnpomajzl6209]

I feel like a built in tub, at least for me is nothing but a huge indoor planter. Fill it with dirt and plants at least it can be somewhat useful.

[@nancy78811]

Ugh, thank you about the all white kitchens! So sick of them! Lots of new apartments going in around my neighbourhood and they've all got the all white kitchen! High gloss too! I'm here to make food, not perform surgery 😂

[@fufufuaru]

oh my god I agree with you so much with the all-white kitchen. tbh I absolutely despite anything and everything all-white. It’s giving unseasoned, overboiled chicken breast.

[@Agentxile]

I love your commentary. I agree with all of it. The one issue I have that you didn't touch was the kitchen island in general. I hate stools at the island. How many chairs do you need in the kitchen? I typical see four chairs at the island and six chairs at a table. Are that many people eating at your house on a daily basis? The other issue I have with the island is the view. Why are the stools facing the stove? What is so interesting about dirty pots?

[@lunamiku4166]

I'm a sucker for two story spaces but I blame watching a house tour because of it since that two story living room stole my breath especially since they added bookshelves around the in the 2nd floor (kinda like how some libraries) and the view in that living room must be so pretty since it looks so cozy along with the floor to ceiling windows (must be a pain to clean tho but definitely pleasing to the eyes)

[@CMTHFAF]

I took out my tub 25 years ago. Never missed it. But I also got an outdoor jacuzzi.

[@Timoeltejano]

I'm a designer and sadly my new home has carpet in the bedrooms. Cheap new gray carpet with boring white walls. Can't wait to save up enough to have my floors all match. I'll have to do transition strips though because the engineered planks with come from a different lot and batch, or I'll possibly change the direction as it goes into the bedrooms and baths from the hallway

[@KatieB33]

I have an open concept kitchen, dining, and family with a white kitchen, but it’s not large and I have no windows on the west side, southern hemisphere, I was told the room would be on the darker side. But with wood planking and light furniture I’m hoping it won’t be too dark.

[@richardsmith579]

We have friends with an open concept house. The minute we walk into the space we just dream of getting out and being home. Open spaces work in a furniture shop, but not a home.

[@fufufuaru]

i don’t live in a large house. I’m good with just the bedroom (and bath ofc) being separated. idgaf about living room so really i just need spacious dining+kitchen.

[@rhkips]

I used to be all for huge open-concept spaces, but over the last few years of living in it, I've shifted more towards a balance of open and formal spaces. My formal dining room is now a spacious and moody home office with doors, living room kitchen and eating area are one large open space for entertaining and general living, and the former office (bedroom) is now a small but dedicated games room, and because it's tucked down around a corner, I will be eliminating the door and leaving it open for better flow in and out, while still giving some of that feeling of separation. I'm a wall-to-wall carpet in the bedroom kind of guy. I just need that super-plush, super-soft warm cozy space to retreat to, and a rug just doesn't do it for me. I totally get the appeal of same surface throughout the home, just gimme that comfy squimsh in the bedroom! ...And maybe tile in the laundry/mudroom. :] No vulva-walls, please. I'd much rather invite friends over for bratwurst and hotdog nights. You could say it's a bit of a...sausage party. ;)

[@janellek6022]

Hahaha “I’m going for more mountain, less open legs”

[@mrphoenixgrey]

Hahahaha! It all depends on the slabs, but it can be either or 🤣

[@janellek6022]

@@mrphoenixgrey I love your controversial designs videos 🤗