WHOA. These DECOR MISTAKES are RUINING YOUR HOME!

[@RitaVernoy]

Minimalist design makes me feel alone and isolated. Maximalist design makes me feel smothered. I’m a Middlemist. 😂😂

[@HouseofValentina]

I absolutely love that!!! Middlemist!!!

[@juli1037]

A minimax? 😊

[@AnnFran9093]

Same; I'm a middlemalist too!

[@lorimoore9862]

I think you've just found the word i'm looking for to describe myself that I couldn't put my finger on.

[@robinbirdj743]

@@HouseofValentinait’s middlemalism!

[@yreneromogannon9174]

We are seniors, my husband has become physically, and visually handicapped. I’ve made changes to our decor from our bedding to the floors, to the light bulbs. I’ve had to become even more creative to hide the endless medical supplies, pill bottles, softer light bulbs so the light doesn’t hurt his eyes, removed all floor rugs etc etc. I still live here, so I want my home to feel cozy, not like a hospital ward but still accommodate my husband. I am slowly being pushed to become more of a minimalist which I am not. I love your style, straight forward approach, your honesty and your happy energy. I’d love to hear/see what your thoughts are on this. A video on this subject would be so very helpful!! Thank you!

[@bEverCurious]

Do you have one room that you can decorate as your retreat? All the fluffy rugs, floofy cushions and so on? It can be a way to feed your soul while looking after his needs.

[@bEverCurious]

I fell in love with lighting when I was studying theatre. Seeing the dramatic change simple lighting could make to the space was an eye opener. If I didn't have a fear of heights that prevents me going up tall ladders, I would have studied theatre lighting as a career.

[@kaystinebrink1220]

My biggest decorating mistake is keeping something I really don't like. Most of the time, it was because it seemed wasteful to get rid of it.

[@yourconnection9303]

I totally get that. Then I found that many animal organizations have "Garage Sales" periodically to raise money for food, the cost of medical care, etc. for animals in shelter. I also donate items to other organizations as well. It's a good feeling to know that my items are going to a good cause for helping animals and humans, and that I'm letting go of something that someone else can enjoy that they may like.

[@barbarahuff117]

Right on as usual. Good talking. Thanks

[@desireewest9136]

Yeah thats why I just donate everything.

[@desireewest9136]

Yes!! The lighting might be the number one most important thing to focus on in my opinion.

[@myeyes9574]

Laughing when you was referring to minimalist saying “ That’s not minimalism. That’s to many things“ and You said “WHO’S COUNTING !! “😂😂😂 ❤. You are just amazing Valentina.

[@robinmariegould5314]

When we moved into this home 6 years ago, we pretty much got rid of everything and started over. My goal was to only select big pieces of furniture and art, very few decor pieces. I still have those, but it wasn’t very cozy or “us.” Now, I have curated a very nice toolbox of decor that I swap around in certain areas, like the mantle, shelving and consoles. Also a collection of pillow covers and textiles to suit the season. Watching your channel was a huge part of my new aesthetic, I truly appreciate all of your content Valentina. You are a joy to watch and I love watching your beautiful home evolve! Thank you! ❤

[@mechellecooper2486]

You are so right!!!! I am starting over and having a hard time this time around and find myself telling myself “I don’t need” and even when I go into the stores I tell myself this is a “want store not a need” so thank you!

[@mjbroussard66]

Yes 🙌🏾 Let there be light 💡 ❤😊

[@NoemiLopez-qq9ed]

I’m a minimalist, and I approve this message. 🤣

[@melodymulhall7860]

I think the older you get the more minimalist you become. At least that is how I feel. Less is more. I don’t need all that chaos.

[@TheSushmaHomeSellingTeam]

Your suggestions are blessings to us. Thank you, Valentina. ❤❤

[@MarishaDelgado]

I never would have thought I would love having windows with no blinds. It made a huge difference!!! It made my rooms 10 times brighter and when I sold my house, it only lasted on the market for 8 days!

[@DonnaRo]

Signed, sealed, and delivered so well Valentina! 😁😍🥰

[@HouseofValentina]

Yay! Thank you!

[@skhjs9246]

It is important to remember that art has a function. It’s function is to inspire, encourage reflection, tell stories, etc. If a piece isn’t inspiring to you anymore, time for a change. If there is too much other stuff to allow your art to shine, it is time to let some of that stuff go. I change out pieces that are feeling flat for ones that sing out every few months (with multiple artists in the family there are always new pieces coming in).

[@HouseofValentina]

That’s so awesome that you have access to so much art!!!

[@skhjs9246]

@@HouseofValentina we are all very much “enjoy the process” amateur artists, so quality is all over the place, but the good pieces stay and the others have a moment in the spotlight for discussion and learning.

[@KimLittlejohn2023]

Valentina -- I love your definition of "minimalist" . . . removing the clutter! Yes, no decor or ALL white shows as cold and sterile and no personality! I decorate a bit abbreviated, but with layers, lighting and repetitive pop of the same 1 or 2 colors throughout my home. I love your style and I, too, approve this message. LOL! Keep on teaching us!

[@deborahLeighton-em2zt]

Love all your advice and tips! Always inspirational!! Thank you for helping me love styling my home again! Adore your family!! Thanks so much!!

[@sashae672]

I’d like a video on using mixed metals in the home.

[@firestick4991]

Lighting is also important OUTSIDE too. I hear people complaining about how dark it is when they look out the windows and can’t tell if some _thing_ is lurking around in the bushes.

[@yourconnection9303]

It's a fact that our outer world - with how we have our home, (including the way we take care of ourself - good or bad), is a reflection of our inner world - what we have going on within us.

[@HouseofValentina]

So true!

[@yourconnection9303]

@@HouseofValentina Oh yes!

[@eurydicestanton6108]

This was a very useful video, thank you Valentina

[@-nellie-m3711]

Another Great Video V, I’m going to be helping my son decorate his home and will be getting inspiration from your videos to help me make his kind of empty house into a Home. Thank you for sharing all your knowledge and inspiration here, I greatly appreciate it. 🖤🖤🖤🤍🤍🤍🥰🥰

[@joycehunt1307]

I decorated my first home very traditional and realized I hated it. My next home I shopped at estate sales and picked things that I loved and helped me to have a home that both my husband and I enjoy. Living in FL, no curtains won't work. But I discovered pleated shades are a great compromise. No curtains hanging to the floor. The pleated shades go up and down so easy and really block out the summer heat. I open for the morning light and lower for the afternoon heat. I love them!

[@marciamakoviecki3295]

Do you have them on a remote? What brand of shades do you like?

[@joycehunt1307]

@@marciamakoviecki3295 I purchased my Light Filtering Cordless Pleated Shades from Lowes. I don't know if they had the ones with remotes back then but it sure would be nice on a bad back day. Although saying that, these blinds are so easy to push up or pull down. Mine are 20 years old and look new and still work perfectly.

[@ruthgarrett277]

Love the Amazon art light too.

[@jeanettefujikawa]

Loved every single tip!

[@robinh6623]

Your ideas have transformed our empty nest. Love these thoughts!

[@tbissonnette1835]

The minimalism concept is not a bad one I think it strives for not only aesthetic but also peace of mind. Consumerism & materialism to the excess leads people down the path of becoming a shopaholic (behavioral addiction) with a constant cycle of buy, buy, buy, bringing in the new and perhaps not getting rid of the old and likely leads to high credit card debt and crashed relationships. This type of cycle is madness. For anyone interested in finding a middle ground try reading A year of less by Cait Flanders or Stuffocation by James Wallman, Shopaholic Burden by Brian Gibson, Spent by Sally Palain, To Buy or Not to Buy: by April Lane Benson. My spending habits and how I decorate and the stuff I choose to bring into my home drastically changed by educating myself.

[@sinat422]

Hei igjen Valentina! In Norway our bed pillows are 50cm x 60cm. Too small! I buy headpillows in the Nederlands 60x70 and bring it home to Norway! 😂 But I find tilefloors and very hard surfaces in Holland cold and uninviting. So my house in Holland is filled with "Hygge"... woolblankets and velvet pillows on the sofa. Soft curtains and big floor carpets. Ergo: there must be a balance og straight and soft. ❤ to yu & Jack

[@susanpera2131]

I know it may be controversial to have an area rug on wall to wall carpet, but I feel it defines and grounds your seating area instead of looking like the furniture is floating.

[@shannonpolk4701]

I do too. My carpet is boring and my living room needed some layering, texture, and a defined style.

[@janetbof4]

Many photos of the minimalist homes, truly look like they just moved into their house, I say house not home because the photos don’t have the ambience of a home, not a comfortable home and far from warmth. The owners must love that and more power to them but definitely not my personal interest. Re curtains or shades, sadly when you live in snow country, having window coverings are really important to be able to close up at bedtime for home warmth but I have a combination of drapes, natural shades and shutters in the front of house. I completely agree I’d love to have some rooms without.

[@StudioE-ID]

Agree with the layered lighting approach but single centrally located overhead light fixture is awful.

[@rosemarywvmom]

I completely agree with you on laying in furnishings and lighting. I would love to purchase a rug for our living room but our dog and cat throw up on the only rug which is our hallway jute runner! I'm afraid they'll do it on another rug too.

[@dreamie9868]

Do you have a video that shows a full view of the sideboard that is next to you? I'd love to see how you decorated it!

[@vickielarson5444]

I love my old wood floor! My oval rug in center in living room is perfect & the dog loves it!🤣I just love a rug with wood floor in the center. Carpet in bedroom is fine to me but I prefer wood floors!

[@mariazlata5398]

As always, you are absolutely ✅️

[@janwood5585]

Amen, Sister!

[@afeefacellularhamzacellula4730]

Great advice thanks

[@dawnjohnson8823]

Perfectly said! I feel exactly like you do about blinds. I was the only one out of all my friends who did curtains. However we have a house in the neighborhood who has curtains only and they use crazy patterned ones and they are not draped properly. You see this on all their front windows and it drives me crazy. I feel like I want to knock on their front door and ask if I can give them curtain etiquette 😂

[@HouseofValentina]

Ha!

[@NyamekaDana]

Am the subscriber fro sa..i like u..have a good sense of humour..i love u more when u laugh

[@Aksi25]

Can you help me with my room I can’t seem to figure out how high or what color drapes to use 😰

[@ritarushing3274]

I love my fabric blinds that match my wall color. I designed my door and window trim and I love it and don’t want to cover it. I know, silly me, but oh well.

[@vincentpham299]

Love your jacket May I have link to buy it

[@jangriffiths8013]

Whether or not you have window coverings depends on whether or not you enjoy good privacy. Your living room windows are beautiful, a real show piece. Presumably you enjoy a level of privacy that you are comfortable with. I wouldn't cover those windows either. A bedroom is a different animal because it has more to o with light/dark and being able to sleep!

[@rmcar549]

Love your style! But definitely wouldn't say it's "paired back" or minimalistic in any way!

[@debbiearellano8339]

Love this video, so true

[@ritarushing3274]

Minimalism is just sad for me.

[@hillarywolf5889]

Love this gal!

[@lblak59]

No drapes in my new home. We had the windows cased out in style. Shades on bedrooms only but we are on acreage with privacy. If you have cats curtains can be annoying. They play with them and hair all over the bottom (like my bedskirt)🤦🏼‍♀️

[@patwilkinson2182]

Always delivering the best tips

[@04nbod]

Are the Sanela curtains heavy? Everyone recommends them but I don't have a local Ikea to see them in person.

[@nikitanikita877]

Yes they are

[@rebelliousraven]

We live in the middle of 40 acres. We don't have curtains anywhere either.

[@AnnMargaretCP]

Sounds idyllic, my idea of heaven (and my dogs').

[@vickielarson5444]

Depending on my mood at the time I’m decorating.

[@lisa34478]

Serious question: Does the US have really cheap power? Every designer I listen to recommends layering lighting. I’ve lived in Aus and the Pacific. There is no way we could afford to run all the lights all the time, let alone the A/C!

[@AnnMargaretCP]

Also an argument for having curtains at every window if you live in a cold climate lol

[@sara_387]

@@AnnMargaretCP Not just a cold climate. In Australia we predominantly have single glazed windows and curtains make a huge difference in winter.

[@NoseyFloridaGirl]

Layering lighting doesn’t necessarily mean all lights are on all the time . I don’t have all lights in a room on at once . But it’s handy to have reading lights and mood lighting when needed .

[@jo-annstrudwick8487]

Can’t believe I’m awake. 1:30 am in Australia 😊

[@dawnjohnson8823]

Hello 👋 Australia, her videos are so worth watching any time of day or night 😉

[@HouseofValentina]

Wow, that is awesome! Thank you so much for staying up for us!

[@HouseofValentina]

Wow, thank you so much!

[@janeth.3283]

Wow, that’s early, it’s 5.30am now here in Sydney, I thought that was early!

[@mcanultymichelle]

Some were in the middle.

[@elisa5560]

Growing Up in Germany, i never knew there are people WHO need more than one pillow to sleep 😅

[@HouseofValentina]

Ha!

[@AnnMargaretCP]

If you look at this topic from a child's perspective, it all becomes clear. Can you imagine how uninspiring a bland, empty house would be to grow up in? In the same way, how overwhelming it must be for a child to live in a cluttered, chaotic home? The home environment can literally make or break a child. Children and adults thrive when their homes have personality, comfort and decoration that nurtures their imagination.

[@mikam8801]

Please don’t be too offended, but that nubby vase/urn gives me the creeps. Trypophobia related perhaps.

[@robinsmith4499]

🙁 be kind!

[@mikam8801]

@@robinsmith4499 That WAS stated in a kind manner. - Maybe reading comprehension isn’t a strength of yours? And, do you even know what trypophobia is? I had to block the screen with my hand to not see that urn, and I thought maybe she would find the feedback interesting? Just who do you think you are to tell me what to do, anyway? My comment to you, unlike my original comment for Valentina, isn’t meant to be so kind. See the difference?

[@kennethbailey9853]

❤❤❤AMEN TEACHER ! 😊😊😊AMEN!!!😁😁😁❤️

[@dinapawlow1622]

Additions that are meant to make the home look cozy often translate to clutter.

[@jaysonx5576]

“KZbin designers” mistake #1:-Assuming we all live in the same city they do. Example: Hollywood hills home, I’m not doing curtains. Malibu, I’m doing curtains. Yet, both are considered LA. And I didn’t even mention the house being designed in Tennessee yet. Totally different. Maybe even shutters. Depends on the location, location, location. Happy designing! 👍🏾

[@HappyHarryX5]

How much you have in your home is about your clutter threshold, and everyone’s including your family’s, is different. It needs to be enough to make your soul sing and little enough that you can manage it, it has a home and doesn’t affect your ability to keep it neat and tidy and safe to live in. It can take years to find your threshold and life is a constant declutter and now my ex hoarder has moved out I’m really looking forward to finding my threshold and creating my home that’s not box chic or hard core hoarder core as I call it!

[@firestick4991]

I look at minimalism and wonder when they are moving in.

[@terryzumwalde9180]

I do not have a rug under my kitchen table. It’s easier to clean without a rug. That said I love padded carpet in the upstairs and living room area. It makes me laugh when people don’t carpet the living room but then get a rug for it. Yeah, you can say but the dirt that collects in the carpet is icky… well vacuum it. Carpet clean it. And if it gets heavily stained replace it. Carpet is cheaper than tile anyway. Wood too get scratched and worn. They all have their drawbacks. But if you have kids and a dog they are going to wear anything out. Plus I love the feel of soft carpet under my bare feet. But the irony of a person says they hate carpet and then turns around and gets a rug. … heh! 😂

[@willsx2]

I don't have carpet anywhere in my house (I put in all hardwood). I do have rugs in every room except the kitchen. I have found good rugs last longer than carpet, they can be sent out to be cleaned and sanitized as well.

[@lblak59]

We use rugs in uncarpeted areas to anchor and define the space. You can choose not too but bare floor rooms without area rugs looks like it’s floating.

[@ibislife]

I have a Scandinavian style, being a Norwegian, I have all the traditional textures from sheepskin, wool, white walls, offwhite sofa, persian rug on a white oak floor. No rug under the dining table. I have art on the walls, and another Scandinavian, or maybe Norwegian essential, the antique ship oil painting, in a beautiful frame. No minimalist here 🙂

[@veronicajensen7690]

yes extreme minimalists are not that common in Scandinavia in my opinion, and certainly they are great at using different lights, I'm from Denmark and have never been in a true minimalist home, it's more in the middle, that said if a single mans bedroom is seen as the standard you might find minimalism or if commercials for expensive furniture where the use few thing to highlight the sofa or chair ect. is confused with an actually Scandinavian home then I understand how people can think that is the typical style, Scandinavian home is in general a little more to the minimalist side compare to many American homes but it's not an extreme

[@kimharrison8816]

How about kitchen...curtains or nothing?

[@HR-re6mr]

I’ve learned I can like some rooms or aesthetics like minimalism but not the super bare images. But I don’t want to live that way. I need color, textiles, art and more art. So I can appreciate but yeah gotta know who you are and stick to that…

[@EllisBell]

❤

[@tjordan78]

Minimalists being obsessed with restrictions and rules is so on brand, TBH,

[@lornamarie5544]

Curtains and rugs are not non minimalist they serve a function. Bowls filled with green moss or concrete tennis balls, not so much. 🤔

[@milinjc]

I have always appreciated Valentina, but this video sounds a lot more like bashing minimalism. I’m sorry, but some people don’t appreciate living a lifestyle that requires owning unsustainable products probably made with gruesome labor standards. People especially in my generation have moved on from owning a lot of things to living a sustainable lifestyle while making the best out of home decor at reasonable price. I will be looking forward to more videos from her.

[@Lilly-xg5xw]

😂😂😂

[@jangriffiths8013]

For me, it's not so much having a little or a lot in a space. Do the items I decide to keep (because I have purged some things) have a meaning for me? Most of my "decor items" are things that have a story -- books, old family photos, remembrances bought in travel, gifts. If you house is just filled with "stuff" bought on Amazon, to me it's cold and meaningless.