9 Non-Negotiable Design Rules For A Beautiful Space

[@edi9892]

I wish that I had that problem of too much space. We in Europe, often have to deal with a bedroom where the smallest bed you fit in takes up 70-80% of the entire room! Or that you don't know where to put shoes and coats because the entrance or corridor gets so narrow that you constantly bump into things!

[@MsJeanneMarie]

I’m American and we’re in the same situation. We bought a 1960 home and everything was smaller back then. The hallways are narrow and we can’t even fit a king size bed in our bedroom, which we need because my fiancé is very tall and his feet hang way off the end of our current bed.

[@edi9892]

@MsJeanneMarie I'm 7ft tall and I hate hotel beds and airline seats! Also, I couldn't find a single trousers/jeans in an entire city. I literally went to all shops.

[@MsJeanneMarie]

@ heheh jeeez!! You might have better luck shopping for pants online where you can order from retailers that cater to tall people.

[@firestick4991]

My house has BOTH problems. Enormous spaces and no storage. Tiny spaces where the bed is the entire room. I raised the bed and used the space underneath for bulky items. Vacuum bags are good for coats you only use occasionally. Hooks are great for stuff you use everyday.

[@LythaWausW]

I'm in the bedroom with only room for a bed club, and I'm also in Europe so we have the no closet thing. No closets at all, the recycling and vaccuum cleaner and water bottles are in the stairwell. Which is embarrassing when the chimney sweep comes, I have to make way for him to get upstairs.

[@LadyUnderhill]

Anybody else here too tired and busy to actually implement any of these tips, but are still here to listen to the most relaxing interior designer everrrr?

[@save_from_comments]

Ha. He has a tone of voice worth commenting on.

[@Moonshine54321]

Yeah… except for the non-stop fake camera shutter sound every single time a photo enters the screen.

[@marijkewoelfel5977]

This man is a breath of fresh air, and he has very good advice! Don't do it all in a day, start by looking at your room and comparing to his recommendations for placing and scaling. Then pull that couch away from the wall. You'll want to go on after that.

[@jsimp4050]

I think I’ll just keep it in mind for the next time I’ll need to redo a room. Good knowledge for future purchases.

[@jungcarol]

🙋🏻‍♀️

[@jeroenvermiljoen]

The tiny coffee table at 0:54 made me laugh.

[@karenm2669]

Honestly? The stuff in my apartment is awkward because I bought it for a previous apartment where it all worked. But I moved and there aren’t that many apartments in my city and within my limited budget that I can choose a place because it suits my stuff. I can’t afford to replace every couch, chair, table and bookshelf so I shuffle it all around till it’s workable. (I don’t watch interior design channels to grumble, really. I pick up tips & inspiration & apply where I can. I have a hunch I’m not alone in this.) This is a good video, though. Enjoyable as always 👍

[@xpaperxcutx4588]

You're fine. No need to apologize for expressing your opinion. I imagine alot of interior design ideas are for forever homes, and majority of us currently are the millenial and Gen Z renters. You are not expected to change your furniture every time you move. Just keep it minimal without spending too much.

[@karenm2669]

@ how sweet of you 😁 In 35 years online I’ve never once been shy about expressing my opinion, or offering my perspective on someone else’s for that matter, but I appreciate the pep talk all the same 😂

[@emilyx8377]

You took the words right out of my mouth. I'm too cheap to replace items that don't "work" in my space, just because they're not the right color, texture, or size. I'm 51 and I'm a little ashamed of how bad my apartment looks because so many people my age or younger are doing a much better job of getting their homes to look aesthetically pleasing--and many of those people are also homeowners, not renters. But then I remind myself I just don't care as deeply about interior design as they do, and maybe that's not a federal offense, LOL. Still, I really love watching channels on furniture arrangements because I find the subject to be fascinating, and because I genuinely admire the skills of experts like this guy here. If I had a million bucks, I'd just pay people like him to do it all for me since it will never be my forte, nor my passion. We can't be good at everything, and we can only become good at the skills we are willing to practice with enthusiasm and consistency. :)

[@GwendolynnBY]

as a 'buy it for life' type of person, I have carried the same furniture around with me through multiple states. sometimes, it really can be about how you arrange it, rather than the furniture itself. i like to create cozy spaces. for example, i don't use my whole living room as a living room; my couch is in the middle of the room (facing the fireplace), with an armchair angled toward it. I used to use an old trunk as a coffee table, but then decided I didn't need a coffee table, so it's against the wall to be used as a bench for people to sit on. my TV is in the corner on an old bookcase. there's a rug in the center of this space (and I got a couch cover that paired well with the rug). the other half of the living room is an entryway now. it has an old dresser from when I was 12, but I now use as a 'sideboard'. it makes for good storage and a place to set things down when I enter the apartment.

[@Tchika]

I totally relate. I brought only half of my L-shaped couch to my new apartment in october, because the rest of it just didn't fit right 😅

[@claudiamizukychan2350]

A house, as a person, never stops evolving, so this videos are always welcome. Thank you for helping me to make my house a home. Greetings from Chile, South America 🥰🥰🥰

[@wilhelmina8843]

All good advice. Love what you said at the end: Your home should make you happy, trust your feelings, and if it still feels off, use this video as a guideline.

[@sherrierichard2848]

You are so articulate and therefore easy to understand when you are describing these general design rules or suggestions.

[@BornIn82]

Step one: have the moneeeyyy 😂

[@TalkativeFM]

Thats always the first step they skip 🤣😋

[@BornIn82]

@TalkativeFM 😂

[@Emily-r4p]

You need to have money to do anything in this world. So what? 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@BornIn82]

@@Emily-r4p 💯

[@DramaCritic-f6u]

I repurposed and repainted a lot of my dated furnishings and shopped at numerous thrift stores to furnish my newly-constructed home. Everyone that visited was amazed at the finished product. This video is a great guide for people who have no sense of proportion. I’m self-taught, but I learned through trial and error. The key is to not decorate your entire home with trendy pieces that look dated after a couple of years.

[@rebecca3758]

🙌I like the pace of this video! Info given conciselyy. Not monotonous just chill. Didnt need to slow speed skip ahead. Which is rare and not necessarily about the topic

[@suzannecarter445]

I really appreciated the tip about not building a room you feel "meh" about.

[@LythaWausW]

Your voice is so meditative. I'm totally relaxed. Glad I found your channel tonight. Greetings from Germany.

[@Skelbiner]

Lol

[@Nancy-rc6kg]

you’re right, don’t forget to do what makes you happy 😊

[@deborahmac1997]

So many good points for thought here. I do appreciate the natural conversation tone.

[@vampht81]

A+ content for designers, would love if you did a series with each video focusing on a specific design principle. Like one on contrast and all aspects of contrast in design development and execution.

[@SenasQuizJunction]

Yes please

[@27Spiritgirl]

Excellent as always! I send all my friends struggling for inspiration ( or to figure out that their layout is a disaster - without me having to say it😅) to your channel! Xo from Canada ❤️ channel

[@supergran1702]

Every point you have discussed is helpfu to me. I'm going to save this video to watch again Thank you very much.

[@endlessvoyageca7518]

Great Advice - I am finding your videos the best on KZbin . I would love to see a video that talks about rooms where views are a serious component

[@GaijinMo]

Great writing and presentation as usual, Reynard.

[@gregorykim1344]

Thanks

[@Pipsterz]

Reynard, I love your videos! You are the clearest and calmest designer. Thank you :)

[@Thomas-d4w7x]

Many of the male interior designers on KZbin a somewhat aloof and a bit condescending in tone and presentation. Reynard is one of the few who isn't

[@Kaderlid13]

At almost 68y and with a beautiful home of my own (still at times struggling w the mortgage installments 😅) I still live w furniture which is part handed down (beautiful old genuine stuff which was considered “old fashioned”), part drawn out of big trash (loooooved to go for big trash as a youngster!), and part bought - for one of my previous dwellings. Nothing “fits”. Like my life. Nothing is designed to “fit”. It happened - colorful, adventurous, sometimes (often) arduous and painful. Like lives are, I suppose. ❤

[@nadine80r]

How help was this? Thank you a million Reynard. We recently bought a house in Italy and I have been trying to make an effort make it look beautiful. Watched lots of interior designers videos but you just nailed it with he amount of useful tips you are giving in just one video. Well done and thank you again!

[@sunshinetogo4221]

Listening to you is an education in common sense decorating. Thank you. I especially appreciate the spatial rules.

[@rla1000]

Excellent, excellent video. Great advice and outstanding delivery. Subscribed.

[@dyanalayng5507]

The 2/3rds rule is good to pull things together. Paired lightings should be at the same height, though

[@randywesterberg2488]

Most helpful tips I’ve heard on interior design.

[@reneeb.2702]

Great tips. The following may be in other videos here. I have figured out some things that just helped me when I had a low budget. When you move to a new place or have colors that just don’t go, buy much cheaper that do go, for temporary harmony. Most people can’t completely do all their rooms for quite awhile. Pick a room, like a den or kitchen that you feel is important & work towards a plan. I work around a few favorite pieces like a painting or couch. Also, bring in a couple friends separately, usually women, but not always. They may have very different tastes, but may immediately see something that you feel is off. (But can’t spot)

[@NeilPennington-f8o]

Hi Reynard, I'm a few hours up the coast from you and really appreciate your videos. I'm lucky to have bought an old boarding house from 1918 with 10 foot ceilings, ornate chair rails, Victorian fireplaces, 6 inch hardwood floor boards and skirting (tallowood) and 6 inch wall and ceiling lining (red mahogany) so there is so much detail above plasterboard lining. Saying that, I rely on your advice regarding rug size, stepped and varied lighting and so much more. My wife and I hope to incorporate a bit of your design magic into curtain size and so many other finer detail features like mid wall accent lighting. Of course you know how fortunate it is to have 10 foot ceilings so lighting can be 2 foot below it to properly light the space and even accent the tongue and groove ceilings. Also, I'm 6 foot 3 and my wife is 5 foot 1 so we need to compromise on TV height but we'll get there!

[@DaydreamingSophie]

Your voice is so calm and relaxing. My first priority is always wheelchair accessibility so some design tips like placing rugs or spacing just aren't practical for me.

[@leahkarp29]

Agree! My daughter is in a wheelchair so we've never had rugs, and our lounge looks just fine :) Maybe you could do a video on furniture placement taking wheelchair users into account.

[@DaydreamingSophie]

@@leahkarp29 I would love a videos with tips for wheelchair users. Just because we use one doesn't mean we can't have nice/stylish homes too.

[@katie7748]

Also walkers.

[@babyboomertwerkteam]

sooo using these tips when i move into my own apartment in 5 months!

[@virginiahernandez9531]

Congratulations❤

[@hooka2k]

The rule I’m willingly breaking is leaving a large open space between our sofa/coffee table and the tv for our kids to run around in! 🤩😅 Thank you for your helpful video. It helps design dummies such as myself understand the “whys” of an amazing space so I can implement it myself in my own home! ❤

[@Elizabeth-d1n]

Love this video. At 2:20, you call out the cohesive and beautiful room, but don't mention shapes. All the accent pieces are rounded -- lamps, sconce, pouf, coffee table, accent table. I find that repeating shapes really pulls a room together -- as you go on to say later in the video!

[@Eduard2004]

4000 Kelvin?! Here in Scandinavia we think of 3000 K being too harsh and blueish already, preferring 2700 K for main lighting and 2200 K for ambient lighting. Apart from that: great tips!!

[@dyanalayng5507]

Lighting, warm lighting is key, absolutely! Southern Ontario, Canada

[@routex1]

Agreed. 2700K is the highest I'll go in my house, other than my laundry room.

[@wendyduncan9084]

I live in the southern US with loads of light all year. I use the daylight bulbs in the kitchen but can change them to warmer when I’m not working. Maybe more northern light is more blue so you are trying to gain warmer light? I would love to visit where you live to see what color your natural light is.

[@katam6471]

​@@wendyduncan9084I'd say it's the other way around. Here in the north, most of the year the sun sits lower in the sky wich makes the light warmer. So that's what we are more used to and genarally prefer, I guess.

[@wendyduncan9084]

@ This is why I need to come there. To see all the beautiful things I don’t know about. 💚 Thank you so much for chatting with me.

[@beesknees947]

Fantastic video. Subscribed!

[@MaryPatLevitt]

These are excellent standards to follow. Thank you for sharing your expertise.

[@tiffytiffelsberger5807]

As long as noone steals my carpet I´m fine. You know, it really ties the room together.

[@paulbradbury5792]

I used AutoCAD to layout my future rooms lol and scaled out the interior plan they gave me to get dimensions for the whole home at once

[@TiagoRamosVideos]

Great tips 👌 thanks 🙏

[@pinkroses135]

I hate the tv up high above a fireplace trend. It feels like a sportsbar or waiting room. Who thinks its a good idea to contort your neck like that?

[@marijkewoelfel5977]

I do too, I think it a monkey see/ monkey do thing

[@eddgrs9193]

Apparently it's popular in the US.

[@txknitnurse]

Thank you for mentioning this. I don’t like it either. How many times do I stand up to watch tv? Zero!

[@TylerAndToast]

The examples of dos and donts was extremely helpful

[@KathrynGoldman]

Creating a design plan for a room then implementing it as you can afford it is brilliant! I have a few inherited pieces that I just do not like, but they are useful and fit in the space. I'm gonna plan and replace when the time is right. Thank you.

[@Ghisteslohm139]

nice video. interestingly enough I seerm to have unconsciously applied pretty much all the rules already....now I just have to get rid of all the clutter and chaos. But the home not beeing a mess wasnt one of the rules so I guess its not that important :P This is one of the videos Im gonna come back to once I get a new appartement, these are really good and easy to follow guidelines. thank you

[@SHVWNCOOPER]

side note: i bought the bambu labs p1s for their black friday sale. they sent me a used AMS unit that grinded up the filament and ripped the spools out of the unit. their customer service is horrible, after returning the unit, they assured me it was reshipped over night and it was not. it's been a month of lies and finally they told me it was out of stock after assuring me i twas in transit. it's still not been replaced. i had to call my bank to reverse the charges

[@cristina_h]

Easy tips to implement, and still, making a difference, thank you!

[@JoachimLT]

Love your recent content! Keep it up! 😊

[@AnatolyLeonov]

Thanks for the video. Wish I would watch it earlier!

[@christ163ggggf]

I find this very helpful to design the interior of my house Thank you

[@adbills]

Great ideas! I can’t wait to think them through for my 1st floor open floor plan.

[@Peachfaerie]

First, make sure people in the room like each other😂❤kidding aside, thank u for this video🎉

[@TRArchi]

Very good video 🙏

[@elizabethtangora4353]

1:50 beautiful city skyline followed by a shot of Chicago? I subscribed 🎉

[@Orientalbackyardgarden]

Beautiful and very understandable advice ❤❤❤❤

[@Cocolicious08758]

Awesome advice ty sir

[@glitter._.goblin]

Omg i laughed so hard when you mentioned the subreddit 😂 cuz i immediately cane to comment a link to it 😂😂😂

[@MsLilyFay]

Very nice tips ❤ Thank you! I love beinf in well balanced and decorated places like in furniture stores, where they have example rooms. But I've never learned how to create that, so my own home just doesn't feel like that. We just moved from a flat to an amazing old house with really big rooms, so we need somw.new furniture anyways. Inhioe we can pullnit off, thanks to your tips! Merry christmas ❤

[@BritishWestIndian]

I didn’t expect to die laughing when I first clicked on your video. 😭 thank you, sir!

[@alovero]

great video reynard! i liked your custom b reel in this video too. good work!

[@carmenmonter1050]

Most designers say one must have a rug to pull a space together. We decided no rugs when we moved. It's so much easier to clean when one has pets.

[@leahkarp29]

100%

[@Psoodox]

I disagree. Rugs are especially important when u have pets. Protects their joints. Yes a pain to clean but healthiest for our fur babies

[@mandylee7377]

One???

[@jamesblizel5983]

Great video

[@deborahcampbell2400]

Sometimes there is no choice in size of furniture when it’s brought from a larger house and you don’t have the luxury of buying new furniture…

[@debbieredfern2267]

But hopefully you will be able to swop things in the future and this is good advise to save😊

[@firestick4991]

You have a choice in where you put it. You can sell it and use the cash for different items. Somehow, we had 7 COUCHES/LARGE CHAIRS at one point. You don’t need to keep everything. We got rid of all of them, and took in some other free ones instead that fit our space when a friend was moving and didn’t want to take them. Being resourceful is what is important.

[@Sass_inaglass]

Theres still a a CHOCIE. Maybe you cant afford that choice at that time, but there’s still a choice….

[@rockshot100]

Reynard, I like your channel so I always try to leave a comment or 2 to help boost the algorithm. I would like your thoughts on a concept or a design technique I haven't seen done before. In a room that is very lux, refined and formal I like to mix a few small elements that fit in color and scale, but are actually rustic and worn. OR. Now I live in a rustic cottage, so I like to add some over the top expensive elements, as long as they are right for the space. Not so crazy as a chandelier in a shed, but almost as contrasting. Example might be an expensive velvet side chair and an ornate marble coffee table, with a small gilded mirror. This example is too extreme but the basic idea. This type of contrast creates a tension that I think is very interesting, and very unexpected. Do you have any thoughts? I haven't seen this done, and I discovered this by accident. But I like it and don't know why exactly.

[@milo_thatch_incarnate]

Gonna use this to break out of my interior designing rut in my Animal Crossing house, as well as my own house! 😆

[@paulbradbury5792]

The advice about how high above floor to mount the center of TV is invaluable advice for me right now. About to move into a new home and I have to install a TV mount before anything else is in the home, (i.e. no TV, couch, tables, chairs, rugs, nothing) so that when the movers show up to move my shit out of pods and into home they can help me lift TV up onto an already installed mount so I don't have to hire anyone else to do this or ask coworkers

[@strawberrydialectics]

good tips though the thumbnail was a bit of a trick. the good pic had nice daylight. the "bad" pic was only missing art or something on the wall. it was night time with only the overhead light on, even though there is a table lamp in the room

[@Najobajo]

Best design tip, in general. Thanks

[@ozmagic223101]

Hey Reynard! Love your interior design content That black lighting in your room caught my eye - it's absolutely stunning! Would you mind sharing the brand? Your taste in lighting is impeccable and would love to check it out for my space.

[@spryshenoy]

Can you please make a video of book cases / shelf ideas. The ones from ikea don’t look good and others are way too expensive. There are no videos that help in this area.

[@dunjabakic4012]

Hey, we set some Ikea shelves in small room so nothing apart from toys is on the floor. Works for us ❤

[@alicey.c.7316]

love your content!

[@mariamathioudakis1141]

You’re a treasure ! Thank you

[@Cherrific14]

Thank you!

[@SanktMoritz-oj6nt]

love the comment section :) ❤

[@pierrex3226]

Very nice. I like books. What would be your 3 top book recommendations on that topic? I bought an apartment with furniture in it I feel very much meh about, and plan to make changes. So I'd like to read books to help my thinking

[@LLLadySSS]

1:42 honestly I just go by eye. If it looks off then it's off (the table lol)

[@anneann9127]

Your video has some very interesting information. I detest this whole, putting a tv above the fireplace, talk about neck strain. We have a very small living room and I'm thinking about putting matching sofas facing each other with a Frame T.V above the tv that has a wall behind it and then adding art work around it. The other sofa has a bay window behind it. Would this work? Thanks for uploading this video.

[@pavelp80]

I like those tip, however, it's getting bit more problematic once you have kitchen with dining table and two rooms, now you have to somehow add bedroom, living room, place some corner for work/hobbies such as 3d printer, temporarily soldering station, some table used for writing and then other table with a PC. In Europe, most people including middle class can't afford flat with 150m3 and four rooms located in the city. Old flats are often designed in such a way that there are two rooms and kitchen which have windows and you can't simply separate them without creating dark place with little to no light from the outside.

[@aguadotito2814]

Ouuhhh what´s the ceiling rosette in 3:13 ?

[@gerardocamacho9824]

Do you have a video on how to break up an open concept small/medium home?

[@njcanuck]

I'm in an open plan bungalow. Cannot add ceiling accent lighting due to heavy attic insulation. Would like video on how to run cords on floor for lamps. The open area means lights can be far from a plug!

[@lcbrittain]

Super helpful. I have subscribed! Thank you!😊 14:33

[@gillessirois5321]

You recommended Castlery for furniture...they do not have stores...hard to tell quality and color of fabrics on a picture...

[@Lulu-oi9ue]

I don’t know how people buy furniture online. I need to see and feel the furniture in real life. To risky for me.

[@reynardlowell]

They do have a showroom in Australia 😅 That said, whenever I shop online: 1. Get sample of fabric - useful to get the feel of the fabric, and how it looks 2. Make sure there is a free 30-day or more return period (if it doesn’t work out, just take them up on the return)

[@snowboarder2017]

Sadly, my new place has no alternative to tv above the fireplace. I debating redoing the mantle so I can get it as low as I can

[@mrpablomx]

Where’d you get the Framed Art behind you?

[@mariamiu9045]

Reynard, what is this tall plant you have in your office, please? :)

[@khatijasyed7256]

Hi Reynard, How many of these design principles should a space have? Should all be there in every space. I understand scale n proportion is non negotiable. Contrast and repetition should also be there in every room?

[@acash93]

Rules of thirds Golden proportions It's not easy to get these all in harmony and being functional too

[@YouB3anz]

can someone tell me where I can find a floor lamp like the one behind him?

[@ScottRawdin]

Thank you for this great presentation. It really does help understand. Unfortunately, I did scan the qr code which allowed me to fill in my email, but I checked every tab and spam... I didn't receive the pamphlet... perhaps there is an error somewhere in the processing ?

[@kozache_5477]

Thank you, I’m interested in how to combine shapes, any ideas about that?

[@cynthiacrumlish4683]

Where did you get the green night tables?

[@jsi4064]

My place looks great. YT got your target market wrong.

[@user-hm5zb1qn6g]

excellent video. but i gotta admit I don't like that Willy Wonka bedroom with the 19 different patterns and colors. The "boring" room the precedes it, with the black window trim and light blue accents calms me.

[@cherylynnradziunas8539]

Just found your videos. Great advice. I’m having a problem with my curtain lengths . I have hot water baseboards as my heat source. And they are located on all my exterior walls beneath my windows. Should the curtain length go to the floor in front of the baseboards or just to the top of them? Thanks

[@LythaWausW]

I have radiators too in every room and I believe if you put curtains over radiators you are wasting heat/energy for appearances. Radiators need to radiate: ) I use only plissees in my house, cuz our ceilings are so low (7 feet) curtains would take over the entire room.

[@LythaWausW]

Both contrast and repetition are vital? Oh, then you said find the balance. Hm, I need some time to think about this.

[@aammssaamm]

No links to videos at the end.

[@kathyw3466]

Where are you living Reynard? It helps to get a perspective. I'm from NSW Australia.

[@babyboomertwerkteam]

his channel's about page says Australia, but don't know which state

[@annecarter5181]

@@babyboomertwerkteamI think its Melbourne.

[@reynardlowell]

Same here! I’m up the coast.

[@mtnshelby7059]

In a cathedral ceiling living room, I bought a small apartment sized sofa to maximize the beautiful view the sofa faces. I chose not to buy a normal size sofa to face inside the room and block part of the view. My version of functionality. 😂

[@merryhunt9153]

What about the scale of people? I have never heard a designer admit that people come in different sizes and that furniture, especially chairs, should be designed accordingly. My shortest adult friend is 4' 11", and my tallest is 6'6". How do I seat them both comfortably? As for children, forget it!

[@cores163]

it is recommended to get friends that are approx the same size as you.

[@kashiichan]

​@@cores163xD

[@sisvic]

😂 ​@@cores163

[@Stardust475]

Whats the name of the plant behind you?

[@lovegoodmusic2477]

😊👍🏻

[@elenamakarova764]

Does anyone know where I can buy the nightstand at 11:04?

[@Aishao-c5c]

Get a screenshot of it and run it through Google lens