Surprising Interior Design Trends That Won't Age Well

[@nanchesca3950]

My dad, 83, just decided to paint his interior a very saturated spring green! He loves it! My mom was always the decorator, with subtle classic colors but she is gone now and he's doing his own thing!😄

[@clarkpatient7950]

Sounds beautiful!! I just painted my living room a really saturated green and love it so much. I have lots of antiques and think they look fab against a dark colour. Would love to see your dad's rooms!!

[@nanchesca3950]

@clarkpatient7950 yes the wood does look lovely against the green, he was tired of brown and beige furniture on beige walls

[@cs4849]

My home is all earth tones, but I’m helping my son paint his first home and he is going with bold colors - a golden yellow for the living room and a deep royal blue kitchen. Not my style but he loves it and I have to admit, it’s pretty damn cheery.

[@triciag3311]

Green is my favorite color! My dining room is a bright spring green and I love it! Your dad has good taste!

[@lauralake7430]

Good for Dad!

[@motherglover2865]

This is so hilarious. The self awareness in "you've never met a hypocrite before?" 😂 is why I love Nick!

[@andaleeadamali2438]

Arches in the suburbs of Atlanta ❤😂

[@melisosh]

I actually laughed out loud. This is the first video of his I have watched and he won me with that line.

[@97B-p7g]

First time here, great fun. I love your banter and wit, thanks 🤗

[@paulinahafer7185]

I loved that comment, too. Reminds me not to take myself too seriously all the time 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@fionajansen395]

From someone who has lived in a home where the bathrooms have tiled countertops, it is so hard to clean them without making a big mess plus the grout becomes stained so easily. Whenever designing a home or picking interior furniture and fixtures, what is reasonable to clean should always be the top priority over design

[@johnsanford3596]

FWIW, similar challenges exist in other areas of life. There's a saying in the car communities: Nobody should ever be allowed to design anything on a car until AFTER they've spent a couple of years WORKING on cars. As an example, replacing a windshield wiper motor on the VW Toureag requires removing the DASHBOARD.

[@merrygrammarian1591]

In Indonesia, all we have are tile countertops, but each tile is HUGE and the grout is extremely thin, making it a lot more like granite. I absolutely LOVE my tile countertops here. They are so practical, easy to clean, and heat tolerant.

[@lexicat6177]

@@johnsanford3596 Son has been there on 4 different vehicles now.

[@sam12587]

The only positive I’ve ever seen to tile counters is if there’s a crack it’s easily to fix via replacing the tile.

[@CarolinaFlorezCoaching]

This is my perspective even when buying small items. I’m surprised how much crap is being sold (and bought!) in stores that looks unnecessarily annoying to clean. People just don’t think in terms of practicality.

[@MW-he4cp]

I think painted arches are a little strange, didn't realize it was ever trendy. However I think arched niches are timeless and interesting. Arched doorways are pretty in the right places.

[@damonroberts7372]

There are alternatives to soften the look of a doorway, like portieres (popular around the turn of the 19th/20thC) and timber fretwork.

[@dmarie7714]

I agree! I have an arched niche on one side of my fireplace and an arch hallway entrance on the other side. It’s almost 20 years old and I still love it! My niche normally has my small writing desk in it that goes to my bedroom so my Christmas tree can take center stage.

[@laurahumara5417]

Yep, my parents did an arch back in the 90’s to connect the kitchen and the dining room and it looks perfect. Just an arch, after removing a door an the walls around it. I love it.

[@AB2B]

Love doing the walls and window treatments neutral, then using decor to add color, like paintings, pillows, throws, rugs, etc. Inevitably I'll want to change the feel of the space, so keeping the base of the room neutral means it's not as cost heavy or time consuming. It's also fun to change out colors depending on the season and/or holiday.

[@nansi113]

Nothing says you don’t actually cook or bake like choosing to install tile counter tops 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@Lilacs4]

My grandmother always had tile countertops and she cooked and baked every day sometimes multiple times a day my entire life

[@JessieBanana]

Tile countertops have never stopped me from cooking and I make most things at home.

[@claudiaq5187]

Tile countertops are used all over central and South America and they stand up to a lot use.

[@ΒύρωναςΛαδιάς]

@@Lilacs4sure but it’s definitely more impractical for cleaning

[@danielled1720]

We had small-tile countertops when I was a child. My glass would slide on it, then catch in the grout and tip over. If I had Kool-aid in the cup, it dyed the grout. I couldn't just put down dough on parchment paper and roll it out since it left a pattern in the dough. The tile had to be scrubbed instead of wiped off because crumbs stuck in the grout. The products they have for countertops now are so much better. I still cringe when I see tile on countertops.

[@MamaT160]

When we bought our house eight years ago, all the kitchen countertops were white tile with white grout (that was not exactly white in some places). I couldn't stand prepping or serving food on those grouted tiles and I continually tried to whiten the grout without success. Our first project was getting rid of those tiles and installing smooth surface quartz countertops.

[@marenwilliams2787]

So impractical! I hate tile countertops!

[@cjhoward409]

We had a house like that. The previous owner raised 6 kids in that house. I don’t know how she cooked in that tiny kitchen with those 4x4 square tiles on the counter. They drove me nuts !

[@crystalrowan]

My house had the same thing! I despised it. Our kitchen remodel was spurred by that stupid tile countertop, lol.

[@TheAhhleena]

How are you liking the quartz?

[@MamaT160]

Love it. We've had it at two houses, Started with the tiles in one and Corian in the other, and once we made the change to quartz, I don't want anything else. No maintenance like granite. Beautiful patterns. We're talking about another move and I'm making sure the countertops throughout any house we get are quartz. @@TheAhhleena

[@rosezingleman5007]

2:05 “and arches fit squarely…” Nice one Nick. Good turn of phrase, you rounded the square with that.

[@DingoTheDemon]

The reason I have a TV centric room is because I'm using that room to watch TV and play video games 10x more than I am using it for guests. I live in my home, I don't host parties often enough to design my space just for that purpose. And when I have guests over, we're actually in the kitchen eating and playing tabletop games. 🙄

[@AScrapOfKindness]

I live in a desert area, sunny and hot pretty much year round. The interior of our home is painted in darker greens, giving the impression we are outdoors in a shaded or woodland setting. My husband and the contractor had huge misgivings but once it was completed (and we got rid of all the unnecessary "stuff" accumulated over years) they had to admit it was fabulous! Life is short -- go with what makes you happy.

[@DToschi415]

We are minimalist because of the Arizona dust.

[@StayAtHomeMeme]

I wish I could see a photo of that. It sounds really cool!

[@anne-mariep.5767]

I think the trend that I despise the most is no upper cabinets in the kitchen. People are really going to regret that one when they try to sale or even for themselves. I mean what a waste of space! Love you videos !

[@33Jenesis]

I didn’t get upper cabinet because my mother couldn’t use shelves beyond the first level. So I just use open shelf for easy reach. I do use tea towels to cover the dishes on shelf to dust proof.

[@erinsmith2589]

As a tall person, I can't stand upper cabinets!!! We just redid our kitchen without any and cooking feels SO much better! When we sell in 30+ years, the buyers will want to redo the kitchen anyway. I think it depends on how long you are planning to stay somewhere and your own needs

[@653j521]

@@erinsmith2589 As a not tall person I hated needing a ladder or standing on a counter to clean the top of cabinets.

[@ladycactus110]

I would like to see a return to the unfitted kitchen (pre-1940s). Done well, it’s both charming in a way the ubiquitous oppressive rows of upper and lower cabinets+countertops can never hope to be and flexible/functional.

[@lazygardens]

@@ladycactus110 I saw one in an adobe house that was several brightly painted armoires in a row and then a big work table on either side of the stove, and a free-standing sink. It was totally removable and functional. You can NOT easily install regular cabinets because adobe walls are just dry mud with plaster over them.

[@jerrywood4508]

Tile countertops? Oh my. We moved out of a house with tile kitchen counters in 1962, and I can still remember my mother trying to get stains out of the grout in the kitchen. I agree with you about the laminate counters. Just so long as the laminate isn't trying to imitate stone or wood. I'd love to see someone get creative with laminate counters in a kitchen.

[@deeeno6867]

I had old tile countertops for a while, and I had a love/hate relationship with them… they were such a b*tch to clean, but damn they were just so cute and charming 😭

[@MaximilianvonPinneberg]

When I first moved to London in the 90s the flat had tiled countertops. They were a nightmare to keep clean and some of the tiles had discoloured and chipped. It just felt gross all the time cooking in there.

[@daCubanaqt]

I have a laminate countertop from Home Depot in a rental that looks like quartz and it’s great. Fit perfect with the design. I will eventually upgrade to quartz, but for a short term solution isn’t bad. It depends on the style.

[@jacqueline6926]

My parents installed tile counters in their country house in the 70s. I live there now and it was a nightmare to clean. One of my first moved was to update the counters

[@jeancranston304]

I had laminate in my old house. We lived there 30 years and it still looked good. N

[@marshatolbert154]

I am never not over beige. 😂I’m also sick of gray. If I never see another gray floor or kitchen cabinet it will be too soon. 🙄. One color I never tire of is blue: light blue, navy blue slate blue; you can choose different accent colors and switch them out periodically if they get tired. Blue will always be my favorite neutral 😊

[@daryltownsley4562]

Farrow and ball blues. I love them

[@eleanoreagly4844]

So many haters of laminate, so glad you recognize it can be acceptable. It is easy to clean, does not require special treatment, lasts and lasts, and is affordable.

[@cilibekd]

I love a cute retro kitchen with laminate. I think it's stylish and fits. Sometimes you see where people added this monstrous earthy marble to modernize an old kitchen and it's ridiculous.

[@Linda-s7o]

I agree. As long as it doesn’t try to mimic stone/marble. I like a bold color in laminate!

[@beautybonvoyage8624]

I think for the neutral colors you can add colourful accessories, like pillows, paintings, and rugs to change the look of the space easily.

[@valerieceniceros3431]

Yes! That’s why I like neutrals, so each season I can add a fun pop of color

[@socalsal627]

I'm not an arch fan, but I live in southern California and I do love the older Spanish-style homes here with the Mexican tiles and archways between rooms. So I agree that they just need to fit the overall design of the home so they don't look forced and out of place.

[@Art-is-craft]

Arches only work when they are of the correct proportion. Those Spanish style building you are referring to are more than likely designed within a classical approach.

[@bewareofthewigglebutts]

I absolutely LOVE California Spanish-Style homes - especially the ones that have the unique fire places and fun colorful tile work. But, yes, that would not work in a Lennar suburb new build community...then again I'd prefer a 100 year old run down house with personality and history over those boxes any day! :)

[@dismurrart6648]

We were just house hunting. I loved the first place we saw because it had the Spanish arch aesthetic throughout the kitchen. It made it feel warm

[@joansmall9019]

Never ever ever tile countertops!! And arches sometimes. I love arches, not painted, but the space that can handle an arch or two. Always love your commentary Nick.

[@HopeWren]

I’m guilty of so many things you don’t like one being white & greys etc but what I like to do is add colour via things like the books on my bookshelf & my vinyl collection. To me it makes more sense to have neutral colours for your expensive big items and add any pops of colour with smaller less consequential items 💜

[@653j521]

That big neutral with pops of color has been taught relentlessly for decades.

[@jackieknits61]

I like white walls, though I lean towards warmer shades. But yeah, most of my color comes from lots of bookshelves and lots of art. Blank walls are not my thing. Fill them up with the things you love.

[@HopeWren]

@@653j521 Yeh, never said it hadn’t… 🤷🏻‍♀️ Was just saying that’s what I like to do even though the current trends have been colourful everywhere or grey everywhere

[@kathrynwitte3398]

I’m an interior designer too and HATE the white everything, especially walls and greys that are still everywhere and seem to be growing. I nearly ALWAYS use neutrals for big ticket items and permanent finishes such as bathroom fixtures/tiles and flooring- just not white walls or grey anything! It’s going to be the BURNT ORANGE of the future! Paint and accessories are cheap for people who need to change their color scheme periodically. I have ADD so I can’t really have too many things around me that catch my eye in the periphery and color draws my eye every 5 seconds! It’s EXHAUSTING! Taupe with clean line blacks and whites are basics in my house. Art and accessories can be colorful but change often.

[@femchud9255]

That’s my style too. A neutral bright backdrop where the art and furniture/textiles can pop.

[@samanthac.349]

I completely agree with doing away with 100% white, gray, or beige rooms. I found that trend from the beginning to be so dull. If I’m visiting a home that’s all neutrals with no color or texture, then I want to go back to my own home.

[@joshkeeton9616]

😅

[@jimbodimbo981]

Every time I see such rooms, I think I’m seeing a black and white photo. Although I am red green colourblind

[@oftenlucid]

I could not agree more. I know this is harsh, but when I go into one of these rooms I think "Sheep". Have some style and make a statement. You can be warm and inviting without sucking all the character out of a place. I manage a building that just had it's common areas done and here is my favorite quote from one of the owners steering the design. This is after the walls and trim were painted gray, then they wanted the floors to match. She asked me to put down some color samples on the floor and each was just a few shades of difference. "Can we go lighter on the last color? I don't want this too look like a prison". My thought was "Too late!!!". But since I am partial to living indoors and I love my job, I kept kept it to myself.

[@companyoflosers]

the problem is good taste is hard to come by and most people end up making ugly or gaudy design choices. neutrals when selling/buying is the safe choice. things can always be repainted later.

[@samanthac.349]

@@companyoflosers I get that, but few people bother to repaint.

[@Andy-ne5qi]

Nick, I just want to say thank you sooo much for being such a great teacher. You're the only interior design content creator I watch because You're so specific with your advice. I just finished decorating my new home 3 months after moving in and I've applied so many of your lessons. I binged through your channel the whole way!

[@bellareid3488]

"You've never seen a hypocrite before" made me laugh out loud

[@kristinrooney-erb501]

I think one way to subtly incorporate a trend to give it more staying power is to limit to one or two things. Maybe one shelf with arch detailing especially in a timeless material and colour can add interest beyond it’s time in vogue and your house isn’t time stamped to a specific year. Ex. A friend of mine has gone overboard with the rose gold and marble aesthetic which to me screams 2015. I have one rose gold picture frame now relegated to my 5 year old daughter’s room but because it’s used in restraint it works.

[@livsterk7943]

Nick, what’s your opinion on open concept ? In or out? Personally I can’t stand it especially since I live in an apartment. I hunted for the perfect apartment that has a separate kitchen (small but plenty for a single girl). I resent relaxing in the living room and then seeing the kitchen stuff in my line of sight. Thoughts?

[@happywanderer6307]

I just love your sense of humor and snark.

[@user-qp6lj6gu7s]

2:56 "As much as you love it, this is just a trend that you might have to say: this is for somebody else. And that's ok, not everything is about us." This is so true for *all* trends not just interior, it's equally important when it comes to fashion and grooming because we all have different body types, and to lifestyle choices like how to exercise, what to eat, where to live and how to work because we all have different personalities.

[@verchip8]

I'm totally with you on the overwhelmingly plain neutrals, but I still think it's much easier to sparkle it up with a beautiful accent colour, than toning down a room full of raspberry/peach/citrus...... etc. And also Nick, I think you have such great taste that you know exactly when and how to break the rules.

[@maryjanecollins8091]

I like the ombré tile idea under these conditions: NOT in a kitchen backsplash since it will make the countertop look too busy/messy In a largish place where it can be seen in its entirety (like the wall behind a tub or in a big walk-in shower) In a small tile with lots of colour gradations so it truely blends and is not just huge blobs of colour on the wall Oh and, about that ‘giving a neutral palette some personality’ thing. Isn’t that what art is for? My walls, furniture and floors are the the canvas…

[@chriscarson7384]

I also keep most of my walls a neutral gray or light beige and rely on artwork and some of my upholstered furniture to put color in the room. Just rearranging pictures on a rainy Saturday can make a room feel fresh and new.

[@BevMargaret]

I think a tile ombre wall art piece could bring this in without commitment!!

[@scottcampbell96]

The trend that I thought would die sooner is barn doors. Unfortunately, instead of dying, it’s expanded to include glass and brass (because every barn looks normal with a modern touch 👌). I think someone is going to make a lot of money in five years by repurposing barn door hardware.

[@lilolmecj]

Part of why they are popular is they allow for reasonably easy introduction of doors in spaces that otherwise are awkward. I put one on my laundry room. It is much easier to open when I have a basket in my hands, and it takes no space inside the laundry room, or kitchen.

[@CRTRRTinGA]

@@lilolmecj Yes, this. I'm building a home and while many doors will be standard, there will be doors hung on modern barn-door hardware simply because I want it to be a home where I can age in place. These doors will make it easy to move throughout the home if you need a wheelchair or walker. My late aunt had ALS, and her husband removed the door to her bathroom to get her chair through. It was also a struggle getting her into the shower - which is why mine will be a walk/roll-in shower without a door as well. I'm a proponent of function first, then as much form as you can muster.

[@lexicat6177]

@@CRTRRTinGA I'm working on that very same thing right now.

[@dddakotarose]

I wish pocket doors would could back, it would satisfy the same space saving desire without having the overdone copy + paste Joanna Gaines aesthetic that people are unfortunately clinging to.

[@lexicat6177]

@@dddakotarose Pocket doors take special framing, hardware and installation. We love them but it is also more work and cost to install or work on them.

[@prettybird367]

I think a very smooth transition tiled ombre can be timeless if the colors really work together and the size of the tiles allows for a smooth ombre effect. I agree that a chunky/harsh ombre is probably not going to age well, it just looks awkward to me. Also agree on the painted arches.

[@middlenameawesome]

The gray gradient one he showed toward the end of his examples looked fantastic

[@hazelem1266]

My son loves the white grey decor. I love the earth colours with burned orange because I’m… well I’m African and I grew up with that. When he came to visit me from Europe, he loved my colours but probably thought it was a bit too much. Now, he has incorporated some earth colours in his space like cushions and accessories and it looks beautiful.

[@BelleChanson0717]

I actually grew up without TV, so now as an adult with my own home we only have a TV in my husband's game room/office so he can play video games (and, rarely, so we can watch a movie or show together). Our main living room has no TV at all, and in fact is more of a library with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves! What I find interesting is how most people who visit comment on how much they like that we don't have a TV in our living room because it makes it easier to focus on the people who are actually present.

[@Зоряна-н4е]

I don't want to have a TV in my living room, but it's an only place where I could place it. A lot of such advices are based on that people live in large houses. Some of us don't.

[@clarissaherren7475]

As usual love your video! You have given me a lot of useful advice on what to consider before I make a change to my home. I think a lot of us who are past the age of 60 have encountered some of these design trends at some point in our lives, either through our own choices or they were in homes we purchased. Designs change and evolve over the years. Comfortable, low maintenance and affordable is what matters to me now.

[@Nick_Lewis]

I'm glad you liked it!

[@653j521]

I agree. It's interesting to me how people decide what is dated based on having seen it before. You live long enough and everything old is new again. :) The one I have yet to see come around is late 1930s-1940s dark, heavy woodwork and furniture, dramatic wallpaper, lush and insulating drapes, brass lamps, and a mixture of furniture and decor designs from the early twentieth century. It was a masculine aura, no doubt connected to soldiers and war. In the US that was purchased as the country emerged from the Great Depression, had cash in hand at long last, and there was something to buy before factories mobilized for war. In my extended family, that decor was in the background of every photo from the era. It was utterly different from the equally shunned these days postwar cheeriness of cherry red and metal in kitchens, Mamie Eisenhower pink and white in living rooms, light wood, odd colors in basement "rec room" floor tiles for some reason I can't understand, either Early American or Colonial styles mixed in, and an overall light and feminine aura, no doubt connected to the idea that a woman's place is in the home, not in the factories or military or MASH units. We seem to have rejected reviving the designs of the era surrounding The Great Depression and WWII like a bad memory, which it actually was for many people. I keep waiting for some influencer to "discover" those.

[@paulineacosta8409]

I like your couch. Where is it from?

[@patrickmurphy3179]

@@653j521Finally! I never thought I would see this in any interior design videos. My house was built in 1930 and the Great Depression to pre-WWII (with a touch of Art Deco) motif is exactly the look I am going for. Among a few of my design items, besides furniture, is a 1935 Western Electric telephone, a mid-thirties Plymouth mantle clock, and today I just picked up a prewar art-deco-ish Trav-ler vacuum tube radio/alarm clock made with real wood and glass, not plastic. There's nothing modern in my home, at least downstairs, save for a few small appliances and other knicknacs. When I was a little kid growing up in the sixties we often visited older and elderly relatives and all of their homes were decorated like this as their home decor was old but not really that old at the time. I thought it was utterly fascinating never having experienced this before.

[@herewego1115]

Same here, and I'm in my 50s. I don't want to spend all my time cleaning hard to clean counters, shelves or anything else. We have seen it before and know the good and bad. Clean, fresh, comfort is first with me.

[@jayashrishobna]

I LOVE your take on arches. I'm not a huge fan on them personally, but I have noticed that they work super well in some spaces and not others, and was trying to figure out why. I think you've really nailed it!

[@Sooz1234]

Totally agree on everything, including "Not everything is about us" and "You've never seen a hypocrite before?" You are absolutely priceless! Another awesome video, and thank you for keeping us under control, maybe.

[@AlanToigo]

Nick is the KING of diplomacy. Instead of just saying, “Stop, stupid” the way most of us would, he masterfully weaves words together to make sure you know you missed the mark, but still are valued. Love it! And it cracks me up. The archway section was filled with beautifully hilarious one liners. 😅

[@katiegenovese3349]

I can’t believe this is the first time I stumbling across your channel! I couldn’t agree more with what you’ve said in this video and trying to get clients to look beyond just what’s trendy right now is not always an easy task 😂 I love to see other designers embracing what’s timeless ❤

[@kellyann771]

I agree with all your points, except the last one about beige. Since every look eventually goes out of style, either for years, or for a little while, neutral tones will die the least brutal death. With neutral tones you can always update with accessories. You're not locked in, because you have a neutral base to work with. The lower your budget, the more neutral your plan should be, at least on large pieces.

[@orangeleprachaun4723]

I think that makes sense, but only with personal neutral colours. For me deep jewel greens, reds, purples and blues are neutral. I love and always loved those colours. Beige, whites and grays have never felt comfortable for me and are really harsh for me. So I think it's about personal neutrals rather than official neutrals make more sense

[@samanthac.349]

Your not wrong about it being a good wall color. He wasn’t advocating totally against beige. He was advocating against beige with no other color or texture. Any room that has only one color and texture feels weird. I’ve seen it in someone’s home before. It felt more like a liminal space than a living room.

[@sam12587]

I agree. My bath and master bed are a vanilla color that I love. I enjoy that I can quickly modify color schemes without repainting the room.

[@elisedasvin170]

​@@orangeleprachaun4723Couldn't agree more ! My personal neutrals, the colors I always loved and always will, are NOT beige, white etc. 😆

[@soude85]

I hate every shade of beige and brown, those are the ugliest ‘colours’…🫢

[@janetd4862]

I remember looking at a house in the 70s that had tile countertops. It was ugly then, and hasn’t improved. It can be cheap to use the same tile you used on the floor, but I hate the grout lines! My husband built custom cabinets for forty years, and he still likes laminate. When we remodeled a house eight years ago, we went with laminate - a playful print that is reminiscent of mid-century (it’s a 50s ranch house). It’s not bold colors, but it makes me smile. If I get tired of it, it won’t cost an arm and a leg to replace.

[@bather7483]

I do wish people would take these cheaper options more seriously! They look pretty when they're new and they're super easy to replace. People will spend 50-100$/year to paint or contact paper the countertop over just replacing with decent laminate.

[@CS-ki5uf]

My mother insisted on an arch in the doorway to the living room back in 1951. (plaster walls). Sold the home a couple years ago & every person who looked at this small cape cod house, LOVED the arch. It only led to the hallway but it elevated a rather plain room.

[@Ozziecatsmom]

My grandparents house, that grandpa built, had lovely plaster walls. I haven’t thought of that for years until I read your comment. Thanks.

[@fortmacmom3122]

My grandma had arches too

[@ladysuzilyon]

1. getting rid of the arch in my house was such a pleasure - and we found an original beam, yay!

[@clare8666]

Perfectly (and fairly diplomatically lol) explained, totally agree! Also, I always love your example photos, they illustrate your points so well.

[@Jules_Pew]

I remember one TV presenter (in UK) who did their outside walls in an Ombré yellow thinking it looked like the sun hitting it, but complained that everyone thought she had rising damp. LOL.

[@collenellsworth8149]

1000000000000% agree on tile counter tops. Lived in 5 different states across the US & while house hunting in each state 1 house would have them & it was always an immediate NO for me for all the reasons you stated!! Thank you for affirming my vote.😂😊

[@Chaotic_Pixie]

when my dad moved in with my stepwitch, he started putting butcher paper underneath is prep station when cooking. He'd never done that while I was growing up. I asked about it and he said tiles are so disgusting. The grout harbors bacteria, making it a wholly inappropriate counter surface. Now, this man is a plumber. He is the furthest thing from a germaphone, although he is a very clean & neat person. For him to be icked out left a lasting impression. I won't even have tiled counters in my bathrooms or as table surfaces because I have cats.

[@kaasmeester5903]

If you like the rest of the house, why not rip off the top and replace it with something decent?

[@nansi113]

@@kaasmeester5903It’s expensive. If the house has a backsplash, it’s even more expensive bc taking it out will ruin the backsplash. I just bought my house, I had to come up with $10k for closing. Dipping into my savings for another $3k-8k to replace the counters isn’t feasible. I skipped houses that required any kind of remodeling or major upgrade. All homes with tile counters where a big fat NO.

[@Nick_Lewis]

Yeah some of the pics online look cool right now, but we know how this ends.

[@653j521]

@@Chaotic_Pixie And cats don't ick you out? Interesting.

[@isabellaross1472]

I still love agreeable grey and white in 2023. I live in a home with lots of golden oak trim, cabinets, doors, accent walls. More beige toned paint colors tend to lean too warm against the wood finishes. Mixing in the gray and white paint colors contrast and creates a nice mix of neutrals without looking too matchy

[@lizcademy4809]

I own a duplex, live in one flat and rent out the other. I had the rental painted agreeable gray ... it works well with the 100 year old oak floors and stained woodwork. You get a mix of warm and cool neutrals that is ... agreeable. And neutral enough that it will work for any tenant. My own flat has similar wood tones, and cooler gray walls in different shades in each room. A bit more variety, but still a good backdrop for my other things. What I don't like is the gray walls, white painted woodwork and gray fake wood flooring.

[@patrickmurphy3179]

@@lizcademy4809I think the gray fake wood flooring looks good in small spaces (I have this flooring in my tiny bathroom and it looks great). Large areas with this flooring is not a good look at all.

[@lizcademy4809]

@@patrickmurphy3179 Your choice, of course - I don't like it anywhere, and it wouldn't fit in my duplex, except maybe the back (service) hall or basement. But if it works for you in your bathroom, great! My bathroom floor is tile and grout, in excellent condition and reasonably attractive, even with aged grout. I almost wish it wasn't so well done; I'd love to have underfloor heat in my bathroom but can't justify ripping out the tile.

[@guydw1251]

Nick, how about a few historic/ iconic home /building "tours". I would be interested in you talking about why they work design wise.

[@rosemarybanner]

Yes, Agreeable Gray is a great neutral and mixes with beiges and wood colors nice.

[@jakkijelene]

Admittedly, I don’t always see eye to eye with Nick, but I sure get a kick out of him! He is wildly entertaining! 😄

[@MrVisde]

I think it’s possible to have a comfy room for watching TV that’s also good for conversation. It’s when the TV is a monolithic 85” black void taking up most of the wall space in the room. Choose the right proportion.

[@MyFocusVaries]

:) I used to feel the same way. We bought a 50 inch. Then I saw a giant 65 inch TV. I would love the immersive wall size experience. 80inch even better 😂

[@MrVisde]

@@MyFocusVaries haha, yes! I was just shopping for new TVs after our 52” died. Technically, we could’ve fit an 85” on our wall…but it would’ve been a giant black hole. We went with a much more modest 65” 😉 I was very proud of myself.

[@amystanley3434]

Arches meets history nerd: people forget that the Parthenon is an extraordinary building and isn't how people lived. They lived in simple structures. It's a bit like, I don't know, recreating the Sistine Chapel because ooh timeless. Maybe, it's beautiful and should be preserved, but it's not an example of a... dwelling?

[@teresawright5054]

Love your commentaries! You say what you see & your viewpoints have real value. You are very funny in a relaxed, off hand manner. I find myself often laughing at your sardonic, but helpful suggestions. Thanks! 🇨🇦

[@Nick_Lewis]

Oh thanks!

[@michellematthews671]

I love arches, so I guess I appreciate the advice of how to do them well.

[@pheonix75287]

I'm an interior designer too and want to thank you for making this video because I agree 100%! I love your channel!

[@E4xtream]

12:53 I think you can do these white interiors successfully if you add back a lot of warmer tones through the furniture. Add a lot of plants. And yes, I'm still a fan of the accent wall. For me, neutrals in light or dark tones are the way to go for fixed elements. Then use art, decor, furniture, plants and those farmhouse signs that tell you you're in the kitchen (lol, jokes) to soften it up.

[@bricksloth6920]

I like gray better than beige (I loathe beige walls, always have -- the seventies was a traumatic time for me lol) but I don't do ALL neutrals anywhere except the bedroom, and then it's still not monochromatic. My partner and I were having a discussion just yesterday about how weird and uncomfortable monochromatic rooms were.

[@vaderladyl]

I am from the 70's as well and to me beige was always cozy. I don't like gray, too cold and stark for my taste.

[@texasnurse]

I'm with you. But in my living room with gray walls I have wooden floors, a green sofa, a couple of purple chairs, and a rug that incorporates all those colors. So no monochromatic rooms for me either.

[@lisaanderson3549]

I've lived in too many beige box apartments to ever go with that as a main wall color.

[@Elizabeth-rq1vi]

@@lisaanderson3549the apartments I’ve lived in & have seen are white walls! I’d like beige over white any day. And most houses I went into had white walls, with the exception of our next door neighbour who had black & reflective gold flocked wallpaper. Ghastly! Some homes had saturated colours on their walls but never really saw beige in the area I grew up in.

[@wisteria808]

@@texasnurse - Sounds lovely!

[@Rolzhey]

Your video style is kind of how powerpoint wants us to make presentations, very polished and well thought out.

[@unbreakable_jules]

I don't think you can even imagine how strongly I hate beige. There is something about it… I don't know what kind of trauma it gave me, but it's definitely a huge one. I really prefer the gray background and then to play with color all around it, using not so large nor permanent pieces of decor. Because let’s be honest if you like warm colors to play around gray, they match! If you like cold colors to play around gray, they still match! Buy when your background is beige… you’re much more limited in your choices. And I must confess my real trauma has to do with the whole brown palette, which is like the best beige companion (actually beige is part of it). I hate dark brown wood, so seventies’ (getting rid of it right now in my apartment), I haven’t been even born then yet. You see? I’m full of rage only thinking of it. But still, I agree with you on all the rest. Thank you for all the content you create for us.

[@lauraokelly2644]

I am on the other side of this. I loathe gray, particularly the carrara marble look. Blech! I used to be kind of ok with it but the powers that be where I work decided to go all in on it a few years back and now I feel that, if I never saw carrara again for the rest of my life, that would be just fine.

[@rebeccacasella]

I can't stand white or beige anything 😂

[@pjperdue1293]

Love this! I can't wait to see the grey trend go away: cold, lifeless, dead. Warm neutrals are cozy. Grey decor reminds me of a morgue.

[@653j521]

Gray does have different effects on people. To me, it is depressing. To others it is relaxing. Womb-like??

[@MyFocusVaries]

I think people should choose the neutral that is the same neutral they wear. If it flatters your skin tone, it will likely not be a colour that you'll get tired of. Beige and tan makes me look dead; I would never choose them as decor colours.

[@junesweet2159]

Arched homes, ombre tile, and tile counter tops remind me of some of the over the top impractical interior designs of the 80s. When I walk into a home that still has remnants of that style, I instantly think, 80s. On the subject of TV centric homes, I laugh. I have a sister who is the, 'I don't watch TV, I listen to NPR, person. Hilarious 😂

[@Sunshine-fy4fz]

I love your posts - I agree with 99% of everything you say, and I laugh out loud so many times with your completely honest observations (like with your comment about tile countertops and people having amnesia by bringing back a trend that was awful to begin with🤣). You always brighten up my day with your friendly reality-check conversations and tips for doing better.

[@Naademai]

Love what you had to say about tile counters, my dad put a tile counter in the kitchen of my childhood home about 20 years ago and those grout lines and the cleaning of them was a constant fight between my parents until they divorced(not just because of poor tile choice) about a year ago I got to speak to the people who bought that house and they barely use the kitchen because of that tile counter!

[@slbarbieri1725]

Tile countertops: SEAL THE GROUT every six months without fail. It will prevent it from absorbing anything nasty. And use oversized cutting boards and trivets! Voíla.

[@coleenhaen2383]

Agreed, I also hate barn doors!!

[@stepha7839]

Interesting video, Nick! It would be great to hear your advice on how people who are renting can personalise the space. With buying a house becoming more difficult, people (me included) are finding they need to live in rented accommodation longer. Would love to hear your thoughts.

[@Veronica-pv3qh]

Grout gets dirty too. It’s not great when you use tile countertops for food prep.

[@emryspaperart]

with the last one i think the important thing is really that value (bright to dark) and saturation variation is essential to neutral-heavy rooms. your living room is well balanced because you have the contrast of the vivid, warm, mid-dark woods against the lighter grey couch and lighter yet white walls, then the darkest accent nook at the back. it's when it's all constrainted to one part of the value and saturation range that it falls apart, because there's no visual interest when it looks like someone spray painted over the entire thing.

[@rosehughes599]

I'm not aging well either, so people won't notice the items in my home that are "past it"

[@cc1k435]

Exactly. Also, who says I want to have people over? 😂

[@beatlebob101]

I wish your section on arches would’ve touched on those beautiful archways in old Americana homes. The detailed wooden ones. I think people could play around with those and get something beautiful and timeless

[@camlacasse3760]

My furniture is probably 20 to 30 years old. My recent purchases are ten years old. Yet, my living room makes people almost faint as they don't expect this where I live in an over 55 community. It is Baroque style with a modern sofa, French pieces, and a collection of things I bought while touring this ole world of ours. Can change the pillows' colours when I get the urge, but the rest I leave alone. Love MacKenzie Childs and have these whimsical pieces spread throughout. Love my furniture even after 30 years and trying to teach my children how to select items they love and have fun putting them all together. I am now 81 and realize I don't take anything when I go, that is a realization which comes with age. My living walls are blue, rather a bright blue. With my darker wood furniture and my $Million view of the bay, it seems to extend the water all through the living room. The other rooms are a marine green (to transcend to the bright but).

[@solarhydrowind]

Oh, I love your comment and your space sounds so heavenly. I'm living solo in a senior and disabled community and am trying to pull out the eyesores in my space so I can enjoy my things that I love in my space. Thank you for your comment, again! So uplifting 😀☺️😊

[@jackiegray2211]

I love your videos! I agree with you on pretty much everything. You are helping me explore what my taste actually is. I’ve forgotten lol. I haven’t really decorated in the past but I’m ready to start and you’re helping with that. Plus, I love your personality. You gingerly address what needs to be addressed. Great job!

[@orinthiamartin1189]

The non-TV centric homes point is something new for me. I'm 15 and in the US- besides being in houses that don't have a TV, almost all living rooms I've seen have been TV centric.

[@TaurusMoon-hu3pd]

My entire 100 y/o house is Ancient Marble by Sherwin Williams, with creamy white molding and black accents. But my kitchen is ballet pink, it will always be pink, and that is a hill I will die on. 😂😂😂 In fact, when my grandkids inherit the house and paint over that pink, I will return to haunt them. 😂

[@anniet6292]

Nick, you are so funny and make my day! Quote from you..." What?, have you never seen a hypocrite before?" 😂 Have a great labour Day weekend. Much love from Ontario Canada! 🇨🇦

[@gaildickerson2226]

Lol, I know right! I love a good hypocrite. He's the best.

[@margaret77494]

Loved this comment of his!

[@margaret77494]

Also, one of the pictures where he was showing the all grey hallway - was full of arches 😂

[@RachelDee]

I have a 30s Midwest colonial house with awesome shouldered arch doorways and arch built ins. But I’ve also been mindful of not making it look too trendy and dated.

[@tinam761]

The arches work better in older homes… IMO … it’s probably why it works well in your space.

[@ifiveoh]

I demand compensation. My uncontrollable laughter at the painted-on arch over the front door at 2:13 gave me a hernia.

[@tealkerberus748]

If you're doing a tile benchtop, use larger format tiles so there are fewer grout lines, and use an epoxy grout so it's waterproof and hygienic. They will always be the lightest and most adaptable kitchen benchtop.

[@beautyallaroundme724]

I agree with all of these, and I didn't expect to. 😄 That being said, I would love to live in a chateau, castle, or old church where arches make sense. 😁

[@Willemijn0494]

Enjoyed the video Nick! I don't agree with your opinion on arches. Yes, arches will go out of style, but painting them (and later maybe painting over it) is way cheaper than buying arched furniture.

[@Nick_Lewis]

Fair enough. I personally think that arched furniture will look better than painted arches in the meantime but that is personal opinion.

[@Willemijn0494]

@@Nick_Lewis that's possible.. we'll see in time 😉 thank you for taking the time to write a response!

[@howellomaha]

I've never seen a painted arch in person (square doorway and they give the illusion of an arch) and not sure what I think. Kind of like some of the examples...and don't like others. But then again I'm old enough to remember in the early 1990's sponge painting my ENTIRE house. At least it can be painted over if you don't like it/grow tired of it.

[@MyFocusVaries]

Argh. I have painted over sponged walls. It's not easy. Tons of sanding or you can see the texture.

[@nane4849]

By accident I found you. You are funny and I giggled throughout this video. Now I will look for you. ❤

[@angelajohnson4245]

Aaaaand... I love that you own your own "hypocrisy"! Nick.... you are so awesome! Sometimes I watch your videos just for fun because your personality is so relatable. ❤❤❤

[@errhka]

I lived in a cookie cutter early 2000s tract development and the kitchen had white square tiles as countertops. Honestly can't say I minded it that much as it was very easy to tell when it was dirty and scrubbing the grout wasn't really that difficult. With the right cleaners it cleans up and disinfects easily. It's much better than a dark splotchy granite I live with now where you can never tell if you are missing a spot. I would never cut, bake, or cook directly on a nasty countertop anyway regardless of material so those arguments are a non issue for me.

[@Nick_Lewis]

Yeah I also don't like dark countertops in kitchens.

[@vaderladyl]

Yes you are not supposed to cut directly on any countertop.

[@tinapetropoulou6136]

Nick you are hilarious! So bright,great sense of humor and yeah…love the way you justify your opinion. Big fan of yours here!

[@kantimeowpaw4693]

For the tv, i would still put it as main point for gaming hangout, but for socializing without tv, you can add game or cozy stuff in the living room. Everyone like different thing. You like read book, put book activities related, like game, put more game, like sleep more pillow. Like food bigger table for food. Like that, make it lively.

[@beingkitschroeder2507]

I love arched doorways. Arched upper cabinets. Arched almost everything. My entire house is done in beige, grey and ivory, but I've done it in a way that's very warm, cozy and inviting. Yesterday we decorated for fall, and I threw some burnt orange into the mix, but I also have a lot of neutral fall decor for certain rooms.

[@PrinceDuCiel7]

The way I HATED every single boring dated gross single colour tile example. But the ombré tiles made me SO HAPPY. Thanks for the inspo! 😂 Specifically the scale tile in the bathroom and the cream to orange stripe tile wall in the kitchen. Gorgeous!

[@dreamie9868]

Lol I guess it depends on how old you are/how old your homes are that defines what is "dated" cuz I see the opposite

[@PrinceDuCiel7]

@@dreamie9868 Yeah all the tiles he showed looked like 70’s high school locker rooms and public bathrooms to me 🤣

[@arachnid33]

@@PrinceDuCiel7Shoot you're right. My local pool has the ombre tile!

[@mommiedearest5337]

You're telling it like it is without trashing anybody. Well done!

[@donnalevy4377]

I recently built a home and went with all clean classic things for the “permanent” stuff. I get tired of things too easily to be trendy. And, if I want to change the look I use a different color scheme or just buy accessories or paint

[@olliejilliangil8382]

Painted arches are really low cost and easy to reverse. If I was going to do an arch, that would be my pick.

[@cour2knee]

If you go that route, consider getting some wood waves, fans etc. The kind you can prime and then tack onto the wall. It would add a lot of interest and dimension in making it look like it has a reason

[@johnnyboyvan]

Looking very FALL already. My condo is designed with arches after an Italian villa...but it is a wide arch.😊 Love it.

[@jdbfortney]

When we built oour house, tile countertops. Fast forward 25 years, this past winter, new countertops, tile!!! I LOVE THEM!!! Theres sealer & antibacterial grout. Lol

[@Art-is-craft]

It makes perfect sense to layout a room to accommodate a tv viewing angle but a room that is designed to make the tv the central aesthetic does work.

[@cynthiajohnston424]

Good points & love the way you present them ! As much as I enjoy watching movies on tv , I've never understood the tv - centric room thing . My small-ish tv is in a wall unit w/ doors , appropriately sized & wood tone for the room , so that when guests arrive , the tv will be turned off & closed away . This invites full attention to guests & great conversations . 🥰

[@jackieknits61]

The house I grew up in had both a front room or parlor and a family room. The front room doesn't have a TV, but that family room does. So at Thanksgiving, the football people could be found napping in front of the game, and the rest of us could be found in the front room gossiping after the dishes were done. I do realize that with open floor plans and smaller houses, this isn't possible for most. The closable TV cabinet works great.

[@bobbert1945]

For many years I lived in a 1940s home in Austin that had the original white and baby blue tile countertops. We couldn't remove them, without removing the cabinets. We couldn't remove the cabinets without removing parts of the wall. Open the doors of the lower cabinets, and you'd see the studs and asbestos shingle siding of the house. Yes, they were dated--all the way back to the 40s. But we learned to embrace them, along with the baby blue gingerbread around the ceiling.

[@texasnurse]

I have to admit that I cringe when people rip out tile in vintage homes. I understand it having grown up with tile countertops. But it makes me sad.

[@bobbert1945]

@@texasnurse In my current home (also 1940s), someone decided to apply some sort of awful spray junk over the tiles and the bathtub in the bathroom to make them white, and they did a bad job. I recently discovered they were this awesome purple and yellow.

[@drea4195]

Tile countertops: so tedious to clean all that grout and they get so gross if you aren't anal about it. 1000% agree. The Tv centric room is so iconically American from even before the pandemic, it's never going away. Add to that, our gaming culture which is much enhanced with a large flatscreen, and you realize it's a permanent fixture. May as well get used to it. Neutrals will age gracefully, but you're right; add texture and color to break up the overload a bit. As for beige, it was everywhere for DECADES prior to the gray trend. 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s. I can't be the only one to remember this?? So ghastly.

[@vaderladyl]

Yeah just because you have a TV, doesn't mean you have to have it on all the time or your life revolves around it. Beige is a classic neutral, has been around forever and will continue so, it is a nice option besides white or gray. No neutral was meant to be the only color used, it is just a background for more colorful stuff and to tie up color combinations. The way to keep beige looking nice and updated is changing the undertone to one that is more modern and picking complementary colors and undertones that go with it.

[@surgemaestro7355]

Agree with the TV thing. And most people now prefer a 65", so not only yes to a TV, but yes to bigger. You can still have great décor along with it.

[@carolmelancon]

I haven't had a TV in my living room for the past 45 years since I left home for college, but I don't have children.

[@beverleyjones4179]

I’m currently artist that has started and aged student designer decorator. I bring with me a wealth of knowledge of being a naval wife that moved every 2 years the homes we moved into were monochromatic so I was very creative in my furniture that I brought into our home and found they fitted into most homes. I totally agree about arches and tile benches as the grout lines with my messy cooking style didn’t work well. However I disagree with the tile wall statement all the bathrooms that we had were mono or two colours and I hated them. I love the graded murals effect but only on one wall giving an interest point that you can decorate around.

[@nmt2893]

I want to put in a good word for tile countertops. In the 1920's and '30's they were pretty standard and putting them in a house from that period would be appropriate. The big difference between then and now is they used square edge tile with very thin grout lines that made a smoother surface. It's still possible to do that - for a price - in an older house.

[@karonivey9181]

OMG! I just love your personality!

[@Burbankelly]

I love how you make me laugh while delivering the hard truths! 😂

[@greggdoty3076]

Mostly agree with this one , Nick. The arches I mostly agree with, especially that you cannot put arches into spaces with the standard 8' ceiling. I've had tile countertops (in rentals) and I hated them. Impossible to keep the grout clean. And this is just me but I HATE TV-centric rooms. I'm with you, I watch TV, yes, we all do, but I hate seeing big-ass TVs alone on a wall. There is NO such thing as a purty TV, not even with the ones with those video photos thingies. It's STILL a TV. And, needless to say, don't even get me started on the TV-over-the-fireplace thing. 😆 And my condo? "Refreshed" by the previous owner about 6 years ago in...yes, gray. LOTS of gray, including the floor. Hate it, working on my own refresh. And it will not include arches, ombre anything, tile countertops, a visible big-ass TV, or much gray, if any. 😁

[@thedevilandhertrumpets4268]

I have a tv I haven’t used for over ten years over the fireplace of a tv-centric living room. I totally agree with you on finding the tv-centric design annoying.

[@patrickmurphy3179]

@@thedevilandhertrumpets4268 No TV in my home except my wife's 19" Panasonic on a metal stand in her office. I hate those huge screens you can see in someone's living room from the road a quarter-mile away.

[@GenXHeart]

Question: How many people have a house with wood, stone and neutral paints so when it's time to sell you can just swap out area rugs and throw pillows for the color trend of the year and be done with it?

[@UVIcki]

I try to do that

[@Cloudburst2000]

Not me. I love color on my walls. Neutral furniture though. Much easier to repaint than reupholster if you want to change color palette.

[@luminyam6145]

"Haven't you ever seen a hypocrite before?" Oh god Nick I love you so much, you are the best!🤣🥳💖