Ada’s Home Store has been in a price war with David’s Furnishings, a home furnishings store, due to their lower prices. The two retailers have not rebounded from the post-pandemic slump, with major players reporting drops in first-quarter sales and rising mortgage rates. To initiate a price war, Ada’s Home Store must respond by offering lower rates for similar products.
In response to David’s Furnishings’ lowering prices, Ada’s Home Store could directly compete with David’s Furnishings and intensify the price war. This competitive strategy aims to undercut Ada’s Home Store. In an attempt to force David’s Furnishings to raise their prices, Ada’s Home Store took David’s Furnishings to court.
Ada’s Home Store lowered prices even lower than David’s, as seen in Euntishings. This strategy aims to undercut David’s Furnishings and intensify the price war. The company’s PRICEBEAT guarantee ensures that the final price is at least 10 less than the original order.
To improve warehouse facilities and processes, home furnishings retailers should consider using metrics such as the founder of Hobby Lobby’s Hemispheres stores, which have opened three upscale Hemispheres stores. By understanding the inner meanings and motivations associated with purchasing home furnishings, retailers can better serve their customers and maintain a competitive edge in the market.
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What is the markup on most furniture?
The typical markup for distributors of consumer products, such as furniture, is in the range of 20 to 30 percent. However, markups for retailers vary considerably depending on the product type and business style. In general, markups for retailers fall within the range of 50 to 100 percent.
Is it normal to negotiate furniture prices?
Furniture prices are negotiable, with most stores open to negotiation up to 20-25%. However, the type of store, clearance sales, and time of year can affect negotiations. Smaller stores are generally more open to negotiation than large franchises. The goal is to find the perfect piece at a price that fits both parties’ interests. It’s important to remember that furniture stores have a wiggle room built into their pricing, so don’t hesitate to negotiate.
What is an expected benefit of ADAS?
Parking assistance is an ADAS feature that helps drivers park their vehicles safely using cameras and sensors. It helps navigate the vehicle into the parking spot and may also include steering and braking systems. Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR) is an ADAS safety sensor that enhances driver awareness and allows them to make informed decisions. Driver Drowsiness Detection is a system that monitors attentiveness and fatigue patterns in drivers using cameras and radars. It alerts the driver and recommends rest, preventing severe accidents. Overall, these features contribute to a safer driving experience.
What is ADAS and how does it work?
Advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) are technologies that enhance vehicle safety by utilizing automated technology, such as sensors and cameras, to detect obstacles or errors and respond accordingly. These systems are designed to reduce road fatalities by minimizing human error. ADAS can enable various levels of autonomous driving and can provide features such as adaptive cruise control, collision avoidance, obstacle alerts, lane departure warnings, lane centering assistance, satellite navigation, traffic warnings, navigational assistance through smartphones, and automated lighting.
Tesla has even enabled ADAS to assist in lane centering, allowing the vehicle to maintain a safe distance from the leading car. ADAS have been proven to reduce road fatalities by minimizing human error. Overall, ADAS is a crucial tool in enhancing vehicle technology and ensuring the safety of drivers on the road.
Who are the suppliers of ADAS Tier 1?
The rankings encompass the top 20 ADAS Tier-1s, including APTIV, Bosch, Continental, Denso, Mobileye, Valeo, ZF, Baidu, Alibaba, Amazon, Huawei, and Foxconn.
What is the normal markup on furniture?
The typical markup for distributors of consumer products, such as furniture, is in the range of 20 to 30 percent. However, markups for retailers vary considerably depending on the product type and business style. In general, markups for retailers fall within the range of 50 to 100 percent.
How much is the ADAS market worth?
The global advanced driver assistance system market was estimated at $30. 61 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach $32. 14 billion by 2023. The market is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 11. 0 from 2023 to 2030, reaching $66. 56 billion by 2030. North America dominated the market with 32. 8 shares in 2022, attributed to major players, technological advancements, improved manufacturing infrastructure, improved economic conditions, and increased adoption of new technologies.
Why has the price of furniture gone up so much?
The surge in home improvement projects during the pandemic has led to a surge in demand for furniture, particularly in mid-range and high-end furniture markets. In 2023 and 2024, furniture prices, particularly couch prices, have been sky-high. The reason for this sudden surge in furniture prices is inflation. Inflation has caused sofa prices to skyrocket across the board, with 2023 being some of the highest on record. Whether you’re shopping for an IKEA sleeper sofa or a high-end sofa like the Lovesac Sactional, you’ll notice some eye-popping couch prices.
While some may feel like a fainting couch due to sticker shock, it’s important not to give up on your leather sofa dreams in favor of a beanbag couch. By understanding the reasons behind the high furniture prices, you can find the best deals and make the most of your furniture shopping experience.
When should you not haggle?
Haggling is not typically allowed in the West, especially in Southeast Asia, where locals negotiate for goods and services from street markets to hotels. This is a cultural norm and is acceptable for both big purchases and small transactions. In contrast, Western society restricts bargaining to big purchases like cars, antiques, and real estate. Haggling is also part of the local economy and is a way for travelers to save expenses, especially budget-minded travelers.
Negotiating on the road can significantly reduce costs, especially for food and accommodation. However, if prices are negotiable and negotiable, travelers may end up paying more than they should. Visiting Southeast Asia from Europe and North America, accustomed to fixed prices, may question the ethicality of haggling when traveling to these developing nations.
What are the disadvantages of ADAS?
ADAS systems are a crucial component of autonomous driving systems (ADAS), but they can also have limitations, such as difficulty functioning in low-light or inclement weather conditions. This can lead to false alarms or missed warnings, so drivers should be prepared to control the vehicle if necessary. The calibration techniques for ADAS systems vary depending on the type of system, the make and model of the vehicle, and the year it was manufactured.
Additionally, ADAS systems are based on different technologies, and some work better than others. Lane departure warning systems may be more accurate in some vehicles than others. ADAS features are subject to errors, so drivers need to be aware of the accuracy levels of different ADAS capabilities in their vehicles to use them appropriately. The SAE is an aid in assisting drivers in understanding the accuracy levels of different ADAS capabilities in their vehicles.
Which company makes ADAS?
The report ranks and ranks the top 20 ADAS suppliers in automated driving (ADAS) for May 2023. Key companies include APTIV, Bosch, Continental, Denso, Hella, Hitachi, Hyundai Mobis, Magna, Mobileye, Valeo, Veoneer, Zenuity, ZF, Baidu, Huawei, Microsoft, Qualcomm, Samsung, and Tencent. The report covers 160 pages, 200 tables and figures, 53, 317 words, and is available in PDF format. The product may vary due to product enhancement.
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Before I owned a restaurant, I agreed that open shelving in the kitchen is a bad idea. After perusal a few chefs work, I changed my mind. Sometimes you just don’t want to open a door to get to something. When I designed my new kitchen, I added a stainless steel shelf on either side of the cooktop. One holds a stack of tea towels, a small microwave and has space for the tea kettle and a small skillet.. The other holds a small toaster oven, a kitchen timer, a stack of 8″ plates, a small bowl of salt, sugar, flour and a pepper mill. Everything else is in cabinets or the pantry. Every item on those shelves is used every day. It’s not the prettiest kitchen, but it is totally functional and easy to clean.
I avoided the flat bottom sink but bought a pretty flat topped faucet/tap for the sink. Every drop of water that dries on that smooth shiny surface leaves a mark! I’ve got a cloth hanging at the side of the sink so I can wipe it dry every time I use it, but of course the rest of the family can’t be bothered. And I chose those for 3 bathrooms. At every stage of designing our apartment, i asked, “how hard will that be to keep clean?” It annoyed my husband and architect daughter, but I’m 60 and raised 5 kids. I’m tired of cleaning!
Good information thank you. I think vintage carpets are the way to go if you can. I have my grandparents rugs. Guess all the shedding happened 75-100 years ago. New mass produced wool carpets and rug do shed a lot! But it is a natural fiber and shouldn’t have Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) which are a concern for families
The wool rug fibers I knew about, and was ready to deal with the carpet brush, but here’s the reason I ended up not buying a wool rug: my 2 adorable cats! I bought a 2×3 foot sample of the rug to see if it was the right colors and if I liked it. Great colors, low pile, just beautiful; I loved it. My cats thought so too. They DESTROYED it! It became their newest, favorite scratching spot and they shredded it to bits. Wasn’t going to spend $1200 on a cat scratching post! Sigh…I can never have nice things. 😢
I once sublet an apartment from a very short couple. When cleaning the kitchen, I was surprised to discover the refrigerator had a matte, textured top surface. I had never seen that before. Imagine my shock when a corner broke off and I realized it was just the congealed, dusty top of a kitchen appliance which had likely never been cleaned in years.
Also, another thing about dark surfaces; they can sometimes be hard to get completely clean. Maybe more so if they have a pattern on them. I find myself having to look really close to make sure I haven’t left a spot of something because it can be hard to see. On the one hand, if you can’t see it it might look tidier, on ther other, it’s still dirty.
I loved my laminate (middle of the road price wised) that I put in about 20 years ago…4 years ago I replaced with premium vinyl wood look tile. yuck. It does not clean as easy and the furniture scratched it almost right away ( I have since put felt on everything) so I disagree. I also like my open kitchen shelves. I put stuff I use often in regards to plates, and the upper shelves are just decorative so not as big a deal that gets cleaned at christmas and spring (when decor is moved around) I agree that stuff does get dirty, but above the stove I keep the oil (used often) in decorative baskets, and the breakfast booze above the coffee station. easy to wipe off. It definitely helps with keeping my junk to a minimum! I agree completely on the flat sink. I put in a stone sink in the kitchen, and even with the spray hose, it is hard to keep the corners clean. Plus it is too flat to drain well. But it is huge, and I like that.
Very good article as always but I have to disagree about the dark kitchen units. I use to have a dark brown slightly textured IKEA kitchen with a matching countertop in my previous house and I had absolutely no issues with the problems you mention here. I now have a glossy white kitchen and it’s an absolute nightmare! Also, wool rugs and carpets are great! They shed a bit at first but it eventually stop. They are far better than synthetic rugs full of polluants in my opinion. For the rest, I agree!
All my shelves are open shelves in my kitchen I love them. Stuff gets dirty inside cabinets as well. I also cook a lot and I don’t have this grease and dirt problem of which you speak. However I do have a pantry for storing crap and the lowers are cabinets. The solution to the carpet problem is to have no carpets lol. They just get dirty and you have to clean them why bother. I have Mexican tile everywhere. I don’t even have a bathroom rug.
We bought a house with a black composite sink. Everyone who sees it mentions how pretty it is for a sink. I tell them to never get one. Especially If you live in a hard water area, as it basically is covered in a dull white finish. Even with water softener, mineral deposits build up. We even bought the recommended cleaner made by the manufacturer, to no effect. It needs a special cleaner and treatment to keep it looking black, which we have to apply every month.
Great article and I agree with almost everything except the matte black ban. It’s the glossy piano black that I feel shows every speck of dust and every fingerprint. I painted my desk and a drop down kitchen breakfast bar in matte black and find it very easy to clean with one swipe of a moistened micro fibre cloth, no surface cleaner or chemical of any kind required. Unlike a high gloss black granite finish I lived with for a couple of years that drove me insane, and I never wanted to even use it, because even touching it walking by would show a fingerprint. And it needed paper towel and a quality chemical surface cleaner to make it look clean, and the entire surface had to be done. This doesn’t happen with matte in my experience
Where have you been? ❤ Since I left school I’ve been tortured by bad design. It’s everywhere. And it inflicts suffering and contributes to global warming. There’s no reason to continue enduring it in this day and age, when the principles of good design are widely known. Except we let amateurs on tv and the intertubes influence our industrial design. We in the western world happily allow untrained imbeciles to form our taste! (I’m not really kidding about torture. Well… discomfort, at least.)
I have kitchen handles from Superfront that look a bit like tab handles, but are in a half circle kinda shape that bends slightly downwards. I think they are still relatively slim and unobtrusive, but also nice to grip and without sharp edges. And they’re really nice subtle accents! I think that’s a much better solution that rigid tabs
Thank you for your attention to the design of items. Would love for you to discuss things to look for in appliances, outlets, fiixtures, cabinet designs, especially about ease of cleaning. Wood countertops in kitchens, especially around the sink are awful. They stain so easy. I have to sand and re sesl the countertops every 3-5 months just to keep it looking sanitary. Have open shelving in my kitchen, HATE it. Yes I am shouting. If a fly or fruit fly gets in the house, I have to wash every dish before I use it.
I feel like the absolute best option for flooring is porcelain tiles. In this day and age, they can perfectly mimic any surface or finish and yet, they come with the guarantee of strength, durability, and beauty without the worry of mopping with too much water, or spills, or stains, or lifting or ANYTHING.
A couple of comments on this list 1. Wool rugs with tightly knotted/Berber weave don’t shed 2. Epoxy grout solves all problems – it looks good, its easily cleanable and in my experience its the only type of grout that doesn’t discolor or gunk up. 3. Engineered hardwood floor is a great middle ground between actual hardwood and laminate.
I think you’re probably wrong about the wool rugs. We have 4 wool rugs, 2 Persian rugs, 1 endo-Persian, and 1 more modern with a flat/reversible weave. None of them have shed but these are hand tied rugs with very good construction. I think you may have purchased a different construction, or cheaped-out on the rug.
Maybe it’s because I hate cleaning but each time I buy something, it’s always the number one thing on my mind: how easy is it to clean? I even plan to change our kitchen pending lights because it’s literally a dust catcher. One thing I bought that I hate is our bathroom faucet, it’s not long enough and it’s really hard to clean our hands without touching the back of the sink.
– Stone countertops. Say hello to your new life of needing to regularly needing to buy new glassware, and googling “ring stain removal”. – Lightweight rugs that are huge. Vacuuming them is infuriating, and carrying them outside for beating is not as “lightweight” as you’d imagined. – Polished bathroom fixtures & glass shower doors. Stains instantly. Pretty much standard in every Swedish bathroom…
👏👏👏 excellent suggestions. I love my handless kitchen cupboards, my mom regrets all the pulls in her kitchen. Something that I did when I remodeled my kitchen and a bathroom was to choose extra large tiles, I hate cleaning grout lines, grout in the same colour as the tiles and the thinnest grout lines possible. It makes the floor look like it’s a continuous material. Installation usually costs more, but I think that it’s totally worth it.
I had a co-worker who did not like any colour in her home and everything was white including her sofa and dining rooms chairs. She was a neat freak so was constantly cleaning! And she almost never had people over to entertain at her home. I will never understand folks who treat their houses like museums. I like stylish stuff but I am also very practical and don’t intend for the epitaph on my grave to read, “She kept a super clean home” would prefer to be remembered for who I am and how I treated people. In the end no one will care that you had a spotless white sofa!
I like your points, just wanted to point out for wallpaper in the bathroom look for moisture proof wallpaper. For light couches, go for leather if you can and either way there are great sprays out there to keep stains of your couch and make them very wipeable. I’ve had a white leather couch for 10 years and I’ve spilt wine, coffee and all sorts of things on it. They wipe right off and don’t stain at all.
Ugh. Those tab drawer pulls are the worst! My cousin renovated her bathrooms and put in cabinets and drawers with those metal tabs as handles. There’s nothing quite like getting out of the shower and walking over to the sink, tearing open the skin of your thigh because you can’t see without your glasses on and you didn’t see the little tabs sticking out of the bathroom cabinets…
That was an excellent and useful article, Daniel! Some excellent comments there. And what a smooth segue into your sponsorship segment. And I mean that. It was the best sponsorship inclusion I’ve seen for a long time as most content creators don’t convey much sincerity. I actually watched it rather than fast forwarded! And I have no association with Bellroy in case anyone thinks that 😆
OMG, yes, about the rugs. Years ago, a friend, whose into home design, convinced me to buy a cream coloured wool rug. I was hesitant, because I thought it would get dirty easily. She assured me it wouldn’t if I was careful,. The first time I sat down on the rug. I was wearing black leggings, and when I looked down at my legs, I immediately thought ‘when did I touch a dog?!?’ 😅 it was the carpet. 5 years later, it’s still shedding. And because I’ve lived in apartments, the rug has always been in front the balcony, in the living room which is a super high traffic area. I would walk around it just to make sure I wasn’t tracking dust on it 😂 and would cringe every time a guest walked on. I love the look of it, but definitely was an aesthetic over function item
Can you please do a article for lazybones who hates dusting, cleaning and mopping and what types of Ikea furniture fits someone like me? 😅 I need to buy furnitures that won’t accumulate dust. Also, a article for people who are off grid, or when were on budget cuts, be stingy with electricity bills, anything to have money on utility bills by buying furnitures that saves money on the long run, also what and where we can add lights and live during blackouts Thanks.
The advice about sink forms was really valuable to me because I’ll have to buy a new one shortly, thanks! Only point I don’t agree with is the last one about closed kitchen cupboards. Opening doors and shuffling through stuff dozens of times to get to the most basic things just isn’t worth it. IMO, the statement that shelves are for displaying things is oversimplified, they’re for having easy access as well.
A kitchen needs balance between open and closed storage. Look at professional kitchens as the best example. Pots, pans, ladles and everything else hanging somewhere from a hook and being easy to access. For someone who is adamant about form over function with regards to the bathroom it is an impossible contrast to go with fully closed kitchen cabinets. A kitchen needs function as the absolute highest priority if you want to find joy in cooking. 12:56 is the look of a kitchen that’s never actually used in real life and you know it. But I agree 100% on the pale sofa. Grey is the brightest I’m willing to go.
I agree about “cheap” laminate floors, but we have had good quality name brand laminate floors in 25 years worth of homes and never regretted it. They have stood up to children, dog nails, mopping, you name it. The only issue we had was a big earthquake which sent a lot of items to the ground and some heavy, sharp object made a dent. I recommend them.
I’m always surprised at people who have open storage shelves in the kitchen. Those shelves are spots for grease and grime build-up. Even if you don’t use the kitchen often, you still have to dust those shelves constantly. As for the bathroom, when I buy another house or condo, there will be no grout anywhere. That’s just too much extra cleaning!😄 I need my life to be easier, not harder.
I don’t really see a problem with trough sinks. You got that cup for when you are brushing your teeth, right? Just fill it with water and swirl around the sink a couple of times to clear out the debris. I mean, I find myself having to do this to sweep things down the drain in my “regular” sink anyway.
The laminate floor bashing is quite unnecessary. I’ve had budget laminate flooring for years and years and it is absolutely not as dramatic as it is said regarding water. Of course you don’t want to pour out a bucket on the floor, but it is NOT jumping from the ground if anyone mentions the word ‘water’! (I might have exaggerated a little here 😉) Just be careful (no need to panic, just normal caring for your stuff) and you’ll be fine. Heck, I even had an AQUARIUM accidentally emptied on the laminate floor that I had just put in one week earlier!! (Mistake was made when re-connecting the water pump after moving house 😖) My new downstairs neighbor came over to my old house (I was still busy in both houses) to tell me that her ceiling was DRIPPING! Rushed over, found about 3cm (about 1 inch) of water all over the living room floor!! THE HORROR!! As fast as we could, we mopped it up and then I actually went UNDER that newly laid floor and I put lots and lots little wood blocks all over to keep the floor lifted a bit for about 4 or 5 days. (We had to postpone the actual date of the move with a week, but okay) We never expected the floor to survive this, BUT: as if NOTHING happened!!
Agreed on the pale grout! We’ve been renting for the past 7 years. Lovely bathroom with pale green tiles and… pale grout. Floor and walls. The cleaning of that bathroom has put me off grout for all eternity. There’s just no way I’m going to scrub every single line of the floor and walls often enough for it to look good, I swear I have other things to do.
I can’t believe the architect missed what I consider ‘a big one’—‘self closing’ or ‘soft closing’ drawers with badly designed mechanicals. And I could tell from how he opened his drawers that his are the worst of these! (Watch at 2:45 where even he, a strong, young buck can’t pull open the drawer in one smooth motion.) Bear with me here as I try to explain this very real, but almost universally overlooked huge, ‘forever’ irritation. In a nutshell, some self closing drawer mechanisms, when badly or cheaply made, have a stronger ‘resistance’ when you pull them open. This leads to your having to ‘really give ‘er’ each time you pull a drawer open. In contrast, in well designed (i.e. not cheap crap) quality soft closing mechanisms, you barely feel any resistance when you pull open a drawer. With bad soft close drawer mechanisms, you’re essentially ‘fighting’ with your drawer (albeit on a minor scale) at about the 2cm to 5cm open position where the resistance is strongest, before you can continue pulling it open the rest of the way. I noticed this, what is to me an unbelievably irritating design failure when self closing drawer mechanisms first came out. I vowed then that if this feeling of ‘pulling past the pull-back’ was endemic to this soft closing ‘feature’ then I’d never have it. But since then, I’ve witnessed some are much, much smoother and don’t fight with you, to the point you barely notice it. This, I could live with.
Re. laminate. I have cork-backed vinyl laminate and I love it. I am now a senior and I’ve had carpet, sheet vinyl, ceramic tile, first generation laminate, pre-finished hardwood and finished in place hardwood. The cork backed vinyl laminate wins hands down. Quiet, water friendly, cushioned, warm, attractive…….best.
Pale grout is a nightmare anywhere in relation to long term maintenance. Dark grout is better (although this will depend on the tile and choice of aesthetic). Other than that grout sealant maybe another alternative. Also there are some great quality hard floors (engineered) on the market at top end. I have had both engineered and solid wood parquet flooring. From personal; experience, the parquet flooring was a complete nightmare 2 years after laying ie, sun damage, foot traffic damage and both shrinking and buckling!. None of which was experienced with the high quality engineered (and it looked better!). Has with wool rugs and shedding, yes some wool rugs do shed, but I will always purchase ‘tight woven’ wool rugs over a synthetic rug, after making that mistake many years ago with what is now so in fashion and everywhere…..viscose!. This has got to be the worst material for a rug to be made out of. Yes they look great in the showroom, (and on your floor as long has you do not walk on them) but for high traffic areas a complete. waste of money. They are made from wood pulp, and if ‘any’ type of liquid (even water) spills on them, the material instantly disintegrates, kind of melts (leaving a ‘dry hard and indented puddle stain’ and you cannot revive it no matter what you try. Also unlike a hand woven /carved wool rug, a lot of synthetic rugs have that unsightly stitched on seam edge that makes rugs look cheap.
I wholeheartedly agree with your list, EXCEPT for the wool rugs evaluation. Quality wool rugs rarely shed fibers. Thé cheaply manufactured rugs from India are usually to blame. Wool rugs are great and « green ». They are warm underfoot and naturally stain resistant. I have a rug I purchased new 25 years ago and it’s in perfect condition. Another rug is over 75 years old.
I tried a wool rug once because I was told they would clean up easy. A dog (not mine, I board dogs at my house) peed on it and the stain would not come out. Rug ruined in less than a week. I love how wool rugs look and feel but they are not the best choice in every situation. I like my machine washable rugs the best but outdoor rugs work too. I actually like open shelving in my kitchen but I don’t cook often, I don’t cook anything super greasy and my shelving is a bit away from the stove. Yeah stuff can get dusty but only if it sits for a while. Plates, bowls etc get used daily so its not an issue with everything. I love having all my dishes on display (I have studio pottery dishes, vintage corningware etc that I want to see) and the extra storage makes my kitchen so much more functional. I do not have a large kitchen and my cabinets would be packed without the shelving.
Being surrounded by black. Ugh. Used to work in an office where black file drawers and other cabinets were black. No natural light in the “worker bees” section of the office. Imagine walking into a black hole in the morning from a Florida day, day after day. I finally realized how irritating black can be for the psyche.
I’ll vacuum happily. Wool rugs are a life saver with children. The wool fibers have lanolin, and naturally repel stains. The way people have animal hair all over their homes these days…🤢, I would definitely recommend the wool rug: it will allow those pet stains to come out easily. In my real estate experience, most people are not very clean and tidy. Sad, but true.
I really enjoyed this article. Whenever I see open kitchen shelves, dark counters, dark flooring (which shows every speck of dust), glass tables, bathroom mirrors that extend behind the faucet, etc., my question is ‘who’s going to clean that?” This is a key reason I like the minimalist aesthetic, it’s low maintenance.
Great points. I would only argue a bit about the furniture colors and fingerprints. It doesn’t depend on the color. It depends on the type of coat. I have dark green kitchen and a wardrobe which are in different coat. In kitchen I don’t have to clean it because it’s dirty but out of reason while the wardrobe is constantly fingerprinted. The same color. Material knowledge is really hard, especially paired with practice. I had many discoveries about this subject making my first apartment but to be honest I wouldn’t know what to choose most of the good things again because the parameters don’t necessarily say how they’ll behave. The brand also is a lottery. To the sinks I would add not to buy flat batteries that have edge (and especially not those with joined parts). Jesus, this was the worst thing I bought. Also I’d mention that you don’t have to sacrifice the look of modern washbasin. I bought two similar ones and they are bowls, both looking very elegant, but one (circular bottom) is in fact flat and … Too small to wash face and not to splatter water next to it. The other one is a bowl of a more rectangular shape but still looking nice and round and there is no problem with it.
I wish I would have seen your article before painting my lower cabinets in the kitchen with a black charcoal mat color. A few days after I was thinking about the fingerprints and stains I could see all over and I was thinking if I made the right decision. Now I know I was wrong 😢… Too late now for regrets 😂 so I hope it will not drive me nuts in the near future as my husband will kill me if I tell him I want to change that again😂
With you about tab handles, mat black, white/very pale bath flooring and pale sofas, bathroom wallpapers, cheap laminates. Tabs one are rubbish. I have no problem with woolen rugs, I hate carpets anyway. Why Brits are obsessed with them, I wonder. It is compltely unhygienic. Open shelving in a kichen is only for items used (and therefore washed) all the time, or for items you won’t mind dusting regularly, but strictly for decoration.
Good comments but I do disagree with the opens shelved kitchen. I have done 2 now. Completely open shelved above and below benches. They are the best kitchens I’ve ever had. I have cane baskets for kitchen utensils and some baking items and overhead shelves are full of glass jars with all food items and all different teas and 2 rows of herb and spice jars. Everything is easy to find and it stops you having junk in your kitchen. I got cheap zinc pipes with joiners to make shelf rails etc and it functions so well. I’m never having cupboards ever again 😂
My new Alienware black laptop is very dirty in a couple of days. The surface feels odd to the touch around the keys. The lights on the keyboard actually makes the dust sparkle like glitter. Beware black computer surfaces too. Just looked under the mouse. The fur coats the bottom to the point I just peeled it off. Reviewers take note because I have never had a computer show dirt like this and yes I have had black ones with regular plastic that were not this bad. I hate black glass on a table and was really glad to get rid of it because regular glass coffee tables are not nearly as bad. Maybe we need wood keyboards and mice. As a side note if your glass lamps are stained glass instead of clear they don’t show dirt. Hate my modern glass formal dining light but love the Frank Lloyd Wright style stained glass in the family room and it is a focal point. Wool carpet is not something you want in certain climates. In some places like LA bugs do not die in the winter. I had issues with every thing including moths getting into wool clothes, carpet and even food I purchased from stores. Ants of course attacked the kitchen so I needed air tight containers. There are cockroaches in Nordstrom believe it or not (and my office on the 40th floor because they fly ick). I found salt which is baby powder fine can be purchased and swept into your carpet to get rid of fleas by drying them out. Sprays/bug bombs do not work at all (I think they have immunity). Love warm climates means love your bugs. All my bathrooms got sponge painted with color, pearl and metallic and look like marble to solve the wall paper issue.
I will never let a woolen rug into my home after I helped my mom roll up and dispose of a one that had been infested by clothes moths on the underside. We had been wondering for about a week where the adult moths were coming from and since we’re both avid knitters and mom has woolen yarn and items all over the house, we were worried they could have infested those things. Thankfully the moths only stayed in the rug (I guess it was like a christmas feast to them) and didn’t return after we threw it out. Sucks, it was a cute rug too, but yeah. No woolen rugs!
Wool carpets are brilliant. They’re hard wearing, warm underfoot and last for many years if you look after them. You have to understand that wool is s natural fibre and will behave in the same way as if you had a pet in your home. Pets shed fur so does wool. I don’t see that as a problem- at least it doesn’t bring in fleas.
my worst home purchase was a moroccan berber rug. I bought this when I was in Morocco, spent a fortune on it as it was quiet large, brought it back to America and after having it on my floor for a few weeks, my cat comes along and knocks my water over. The water gets onto the rug and my beautiful rug went from a beige color to bright blue. The dyes in the rug are so unstable that the second water hits it is changes the color and leaves a huge blue blotchy spot that cannot be removed. This means there is literally no way to clean it. You spill on it, you’re screwed. Your cat throws up on it, you’re screwed. It happened to my moms rug as well. When I contacted someone locally about fixing it by weaving in a new section ( mind you its maybe 4″ x 4″) and she told me it would cost about the same cost to buy the rug new. NEVER buy one of these rugs
The lady we bought the house from had a thing for country chic. The bathroom vanity is an old dresser with a vessel sink. IT SUCKS! Obviously she never disinfected the “counter” The first time I used comet on the sink, and then wiped the top with the same damp sponge, the finish was ruined. For me, dusting spray just doesn’t clean well enough to use in the bathroom.
We once rented a vacation condo that was all white. White carpeting, white furniture. We spent a part of every day cleaning, and I went into a panic when I spilled apple juice on the carpet. As for open shelves in a kitchen, maybe one small shelf for the things you use every day is OK. I live alone, so I use the same coffee cup, the same cereal bowl, etc. every day. A quick rinse and they’re good to go, though they go in the dishwasher for its infrequent runs. Everything else needs to be protected from grease and dust in a closed cabinet.
Really helpful, worthy advice – given I’m in the market for most of the stuff you’ve covered! Always enjoy perusal your articles, however, an observation about the post-production (??) handling of this film. Are we looking at Daniel, or aiming for the look and sound of an ‘avatar’? There seems to be some heavy-handed techy stuff going on: an overly animated Daniel, exaggerated gestures, jerky, lots of strange looking away to the perimeter of the room, diction paced really unnaturally…I found it somewhat distracting at times. Otherwise, thanks – none of those 9 items will make it to my shopping list.
I understand that open kitchen shelves cause visual clutter, etc., but imo they are kind of necessary for creative cooking at home. It’s like a visual board made of jars and ingredients. You can put appliances away, but I want to see all my ingredients at hand at a glance. Then I can make delicious food. And that is function.
I very much enjoyed your article and agreed with the majority of your advice (absolutely no pale furniture or cheap laminate) but I disagree with a couple of points. First off, I would never get anything but a wool rug or carpet. The shedding, which I haven’t experienced much of, is well worth the durability, the warmth, and the color fastness. Plus it’s not made of whatever horrible petroleum product synthetic fibers are. And secondly, I inherited my parents home with wallpaper in the kitchen, half bath, and full bath. That stuff lasted from when they put it up in the early 70s until the 2010s when I took it down. The full bath had a bit of separation at one seam but no mold or any other issue. I plan to put up wallpaper in all those spaces because minimalism is not my jam and I don’t have any worries about it.
I should start off by saying I really enjoy your articles! Today, I have a comment about sofas. I’ve had white or off white slip covered sofa for years. I waited until my kids were grown and gone, but I do have dogs (they’re small, don’t shed but can still be messy). I use throw blankets in the same or similar color as the sofa. That has been enough to delay cleaning the slipcovers. (Please note: I’m sitting on the sofa drinking coffee!) Darker sofas might seem like a solution, but they can show dirt that light fabric does not.
The black surfaces. Bane of my existence. What you often dont realize going in, is that for it to work, you need a spectacular lighting schematic. And then you are going to need to have all those lights on evrrytime you are in that space, regardless of the time of day. Natural light just isnt going to cut it, even if the room was flooded with direct sunlight. Those surface just eat up all the light and reduce the brightest time of day to complete gloom.
How do you keep a tiny kitchen feeling open with upper cabinets? We have a small farmhouse where the front door opens straight into the kitchen. I insisted the upper cabinets be taken down because that was the first thing in my face when opening the front door. Is it best to get shallower cabinets or no shelves/cabinets at all? Storage is a struggle.
Previous owners decided the kitchen floor had to be matt black. Every time any amount of water is left there we end up with a lot of annoying footprints. Even worse the stone for some reason just won’t dry by itself so I now every time I drop even just a tiny drop I need to get on my knees and dry it with a microfiber
I use an industrial shelving in my kitchen to hold appliances such as micrawaves, coffe machines and others that would probably be on a countertop, as well as cointairners such as jars. Adds great vertical space and lowers problems with dust on food more specifically. You can also add a bit of decor such as plants to brighten the place, looks great for cheap fixes in rented houses for all your kitchen apliances, so I disagree with the not belonging in there bit. But agree on mugs and plates stored safely in a cabinet.
I love the aesthetics of my trough sink but ABSOLUTELY agree with everything you said about why I also “HATE” it 😂. I also dislike my kitchen cabinet knobs because my pockets get caught on them. I dislike my black granite kitchen sink because we have hard water and it shows sooo many spots and they are impossible to remove. I don’t mind my matte black kitchen faucet though. I agree with all of these even though I still like some of them and sometimes it’s worth suffering to get the look you want…even if I am a bit crazy ha ha. Wow I’m on a roll.
Aaaagh! Pale grouting. I inherited it from the previous owner of my house on my terracotta tiled kitchen floor. 14.5cm tiles means 150 metres ( yes really) of pale grouting needing regular cleaning. I can’t replace the floor so my options seem to be a dark grout pen/ floor paint over the entire space/ or leave it dirty all over and pretend it’s dark grout. Any suggestions anyone?
I highly regret buying the drawer pulls we have in our kitchen, which we got when we remodeled it several years ago. They’re beautiful, and modern with a satin nickel finish that compliments everything. The problem, and I wish I’d thought of this before buying them, is that they are so long that they protrude from the surface of the cabinets and drawers by about 2.5 inches. So, every time I walk by, my pockets get caught on them, or, if I’m leaning against the counter, they’re effectively stabbing me in the hip.
I agree with the view on laminate flooring. I think your better off with vinyl plank for tile plank flooring. I like the feel and look of laminate flooring but you always have the fear of spilling drinks or damaging the floor. Open shelves have their place but they should only for display or as secondary space to store in use items like seasonings and oil in a small kitchen.
1. My apartment has those square corner sinks in both the bathroom and kitchen. They drove me nut with cleaning. 2. I only have matte black on ceramic dining ware, coffee cups and flower pots. They make a dramatic accent. 3. Wool rug is so high maintenance. It definitely calls for a carpet cleaner. If you have little storage space like me, an additional appliance takes a lot of considerations. 4. Open shelf storage is not practical if you have cats 😢 I pretty much agree with all your points. 🎉🎉
Great article, thanks for those useful tips! Idea for a future article – Most durable or future-proof home furnishings! 💡 Right now I’m in the process of planning my future apartment renovation, and matte-black kitchen cabinets were at the top of my list… until now. Thanks for helping me dodge a bullet there! It would be amazing to see actual examples of which furnishings are the smartest choice – being the most durable (especially in a kitchen), and most likely to withstand the test of time, as well as constant abuse. 😄