The 12 Worst Interior Design Mistakes are a list of common mistakes that interior designers can make. Some of the most common mistakes include choosing the wrong color, not balancing the layout, opting for ill-sized furniture, using too small rugs, not having enough lighting, ignoring vertical space, not adding variety, and having no focal point.
Experts at HGTV.com share 35 decorating mistakes to avoid along with style. One of the most common mistakes is not having a clear vision, which is often committed by people rushing into room transformations and purchasing items without a clear vision. To avoid these mistakes, interior designers reveal the most common décor blunders they see and what to do instead.
One of the most common design mistakes is overfilling a room with too much furniture or decor, which can make the space feel claustrophobic and challenging to navigate. Clutter can range from children’s toys to family photos, and accessories and personal elements aren’t necessarily bad. Bad lighting is another common interior design mistake, as it can lead to bad décor.
One of the biggest challenges interior designers face is selling big ideas, often only having pictures or floor plans to try and achieve a cohesive look. Some of the worst decorating mistakes include buying things that are the same height, not checking for outlets, using too much of a good design, and not considering the placement of furniture or decor. By avoiding these common design mistakes, interior designers can create a more cohesive and visually appealing space that is both functional and visually appealing.
📹 9 Of Your Most Common Interior Design Problems Solved!
There are some interior design problems we all suffer with! Not enough storage, cluttered kitchen countertops, the list goes on and …
What is your biggest weakness as a designer?
The article outlines six weaknesses of graphic designers, including imposter syndrome and anxiety, which can lead to a negative perception of one’s abilities. These weaknesses include lack of communication skills, overworking, fear of criticism, difficulty maintaining a routine, and never finding a niche. To overcome these weaknesses, it is essential to differentiate between facts and impressions. For instance, instead of focusing on luck or being hired out of luck, consider the fact that you have been working for a long time and are professional enough.
Another way to overcome imposter syndrome is to find a mentor, especially if it’s not your friend, who can point out your strengths and help you overcome these weaknesses. By doing so, you can turn your weaknesses into strengths and improve your chances of success in the field.
What is the personality of an interior decorator?
Interior designers are distinguished by their openness and extraversion, with high scores in openness indicating a proclivity for curiosity, imagination, and a value for variety. Additionally, they exhibit high levels of extraversion, demonstrating a reliance on external stimuli, such as social interaction or stimulating environments, to achieve a state of happiness. These traits contribute to the overall characterization of their personality.
How stressful is interior design?
Interior design is a highly project-based field, with high intensity work cycles that can disrupt personal life and lead to burnout. Designers often have a strong attention to detail, leading to extended work hours and perfectionism. This can encroach on personal time and hinder the ability to disconnect from work. On-site work, including travel time and hands-on problem-solving, is integral to interior design and can extend beyond typical business hours.
This can result in fatigue and make it difficult to find time for personal rejuvenation. Therefore, designers must balance their work with personal life to avoid burnout and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
What is stressful about being an interior designer?
Interior design is a highly project-based field, with high intensity work cycles that can disrupt personal life and lead to burnout. Designers often have a strong attention to detail, leading to extended work hours and perfectionism. This can encroach on personal time and hinder the ability to disconnect from work. On-site work, including travel time and hands-on problem-solving, is integral to interior design and can extend beyond typical business hours.
This can result in fatigue and make it difficult to find time for personal rejuvenation. Therefore, designers must balance their work with personal life to avoid burnout and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Why not to be an interior designer?
Interior design is a demanding and demanding field that requires long hours, coordination with contractors, suppliers, and clients, and a commitment to continuous education. Breaking into the industry can be challenging for newcomers, as establishing a reputation and building a portfolio takes time and effort. It’s also difficult to secure clients and projects early in one’s career, making it a steep learning curve.
To succeed in the interior design industry, one must possess key skills such as creativity, communication, technical proficiency, and project management. A successful interior designer must have a keen eye for aesthetics, a strong sense of creativity, effective communication, technical proficiency in design software like AutoCAD, SketchUp, and Planner 5D, and knowledge of building codes, regulations, and construction methods.
Technical proficiency is crucial in design software, as it helps designers create detailed plans and 3D models, allowing clients to visualize proposed designs. Knowledge of building codes, regulations, and construction methods is essential for ensuring functional and compliant designs. Project management skills are essential for keeping projects on track, managing budgets, and meeting deadlines, including coordinating with contractors, suppliers, and other professionals involved in the design process.
In summary, interior design is a demanding and demanding field that requires a solid educational background, continuous learning, and the ability to work effectively with various tools and materials.
What issues are interior designers responsible for?
Interior designers are responsible for creating functional, safe, and beautiful interior spaces for various buildings. They determine space requirements, select essential items like colors, lighting, and materials, and must be proficient in drawing, reading, and editing blueprints. They must also be aware of building codes, inspection regulations, and accessibility standards. Their duties include searching for and bidding on new projects, determining client goals, considering space usage and movement, sketching preliminary design plans, specifying materials and furnishings, creating a timeline, estimating costs, placing orders for materials, overseeing construction, and visiting the site to ensure client satisfaction after the project is complete.
What problems do interior decorators solve?
Interior designers face various challenges in their careers, including making the most of cramped spaces, filling up large spaces, balancing timeless and current trends, revitalizing old buildings and features, fixing bad lighting, addressing accessibility needs, and fitting everything into a tight budget. They often find creative solutions to these problems, requiring creativity, technical skills, and strong communication abilities.
Some common problems addressed by interior designers include making the most of awkward room shapes and sizes, fixing bad lighting, incorporating accessibility features, revitalizing old buildings and materials, and balancing classic and trendy styles. By addressing these problems, designers can create a more functional and appealing interior space that meets the needs of their clients.
What is the hardest part of interior design?
Interior design firms face numerous challenges, including keeping up with social media, building workflow automation, managing client expectations, communicating with team, filling the pipeline, sourcing products, and clients shopping. Running a design firm requires dedication, patience, and grit, and CEOs may feel lonely at times. However, by focusing on every detail, such as social media and emails, they can complete tasks on schedule and achieve measurable results, ensuring a happy team and successful business operations.
What are bad things about interior design?
Interior design can be a challenging and rewarding profession, but it also comes with its own set of disadvantages. It can be stressful, challenging to meet client requirements, and may not be suitable for all clients. Additionally, the initial income may be low, the work may take time, and the hours may be long. Despite these challenges, interior design can be a lucrative and secure career, with clients trusting qualified designers for their skills and expertise. The profession requires continuous learning and staying updated with new trends and designs, making it essential to continuously learn and improve oneself.
What are the weaknesses of an interior designer?
Individuals may exhibit a proclivity for certain weaknesses, including difficulties in time management, a penchant for perfectionism, or an inability to effectively process criticism.
What is unethical in interior design?
The Code of Ethics for Interior Design underscores the significance of integrity within the profession, asserting that interior designers should undertake their responsibilities with honesty, diligence, and responsibility. They should endeavor to establish trust and rely on their judgment to ensure the continued prosperity of members and the Society.
📹 The Biggest Interior Design Mistake
In this video, I am breaking down the biggest designer mistake that I see over and over again! Yes there are lots of mistakes that I …
As a designer and a person that cooks, I say make the kitchen function first and foremost. I don’t worry that my food processor is 30 years old with a discolored housing. If I bury it in a cabinet, it’s not useful to use. I think it’s much more important if you have a smaller kitchen to NEVER sit anything on a countertop because it’s “cute” or “on trend”. If you need quick access to an appliance or your wok, style them as best you can and relegate all “decorations” to other rooms to get rid of clutter in the kitchen.
When it comes to clutter my biggest bugbear is “bed junk” – a crime typically committed by interior designers and slavishly copied by homeowners trying to be chic. You know what I mean: all those extra pillows, bolsters and cushions that decorate a bed for no good reason, since they are NEVER used or even intended for use. They’re supposed to add a luxe feel, but they just look ridiculous since they’re entirely superfluous and, more often than not, they stray into silly, with loads of tassels, sparkles, questionable embroidery and faux fur. Most of which would be instantly recognised as kitsch in any other setting, yet somehow becomes acceptable to some when they’re placed on a bed. Moreover, all this junk has to be tediously removed before you can actually use the bed (at which point it needlessly clutters up the rest of the room – and at the very point when you’re actually using it!), then laboriously replaced in the morning, adding minutes to bed-making that nobody really has. Whoever invented “bed junk” should be named and shamed and forever mocked for the offence. And any designer or decorator who perpetuates bed junk should hang their head in shame. A bed can look perfectly nice with just a duvet and a couple of pillows. Two extra pillows for reading in bed if you must, and at the very most. Anything beyond that is a bed junk crime.
Love this guy so much. I mean seriously, I am sick of these trendy articles where all the youtubers basically just copy each other with their “advice” that sound great but don’t work. With Nick, I feel I get real life experience advice. I also love the way he expresses his “hate” towards certain things, that he is aware that it’s only his opinion and you can still follow your own path. What fun and interesting 20 minutes on my Saturday afternoon.
In defense of open shelving: having those open shelves forces you to keep your space nicer. I can’t count the number of cabinets, drawers, and otherwise closed storage that just turned into drawers of doom containing gd-knows-what. With open shelving, I’m forced to actually think about what I own, and keep my space organized. Do I own things that aren’t beautiful? Sure, I guess. However, having the open shelving makes me think of ways to really honor everything I own. Am I sure I want to keep items that stay in a drawer for 90% of the year? Do I really want to hide items I love and use regularly just because they’re “ugly?” How is a little useless tchotchke that matches a color scheme not “clutter,” but my favorite books are?
I’m really bad at keeping things in storage because I’m very much an out of sight out of mind person. Keeping things out in the open forces me to assess what I really need and get rid of the rest, and also motivates me to ensure the things I do need look good. But it’s really hard to avoid clutter. The struggle is real!
4:28, generally it’s not a good idea to hide your soundbar inside a cabinet. Otherwise the sound isn’t going to be heard properly and what would be the point of a soundbar then? Actually, never hide your soundbar – it needs air! Also, electronic devices (gaming consoles, media players, routers) should have plenty of airflow because those things get hot! Keeping them trapped inside will more likely cause them to overheat and possibly suffer damage.
This one made me chuckle. It’s more about how my home looks on a daily basis vs how it looks for photos or if I’m inviting someone over. I mean, I’m here by myself, do I really need to hide everything? I do try to be relatively organized and put things away that I have no intention of using anytime soon…but still, my house does not look like a hotel. It just doesn’t, and that’s fine with me.
Husband: Oh, what’s your boy talking about today? Me: Calling me out, apparently… 😒😒😒 But yes, 100% agree on the kitchen countertop thing. We used to have a small collection of bottles next to the stove, and they just kept growing and growing. When we redid the kitchen, I banished everything to cupboards NEAR the stove, and it’s amazing how much easier it is to work in there. Also, those bottles got hella gross. So, now, we just have the microwave (we opted for no built-in one) and the toaster (used daily). The coffee machine, weirdly, lives in our living room, because that’s where we set it up during the reno, and we ended up deciding we liked it there. With two remote workers in the house, it gave us the feeling of having a break room we could retreat to. And yes, THAT got very nice storage options. Now I just need to clear a bunch of other spaces, apparently…
First, I completely agree. Although I have a couple of open shelves in the kitchen, they only hold pottery and nice glassware. In general, clutter just makes me antsy. I’d add this – don’t just stow away things that ought not be displayed, but seriously consider whether they deserve a spot in your home at all. Most people have too many clothes, too many toiletries, too many gadgets, too much kitchenware. If you pare down, it is much less of a problem to stash things away that don’t need to be out and you don’t need tons of storage.
Lol. You remind me of the HGTV renovations shows I used to watch. When they show the reno people walking through the spaces they’re gonna work on, half the time they don’t need a renovation. If people just picked up all the junk and store it or toss it, problem is solved 😂. Speaking of that, time for me to go “renovate” my kitchen 😉😁
Nick, thank you for mentioning medicine cabinets. We just put them in our new bathroom. Gorgeous! Restoration Hardware has the most beautiful ones. They do weigh about 500 lbs each bc they’re mirrored inside & out. So #1 put heavy 2×4 framing around & below the opening in the wall to support the weight. Tip #2 choose faucets & lighting that don’t block the cabinet door. Then enjoy the view.
Our last home had modern built-in bookcases on either side of the fireplace. I loved them at first because I curated/styled them appropriately. But over time, I started questioning WHY they were there just to hold STUFF I just had to dust all the time. What I had first loved started to appear cluttered to me – even when it was beautifully styled. It was just so much…stuff! With the house we’re building now, I opted to place beautiful consoles (with doors for storage) with artwork above them on either side of the fireplace. I still have the low storage I had with built-ins but was able to find some really great pieces for the space. And instead of stuff on shelves, there will be art as the focal point. I swear it took our builders a while to get used to the fact that we were not doing built-ins. They kept questioning me because built-ins are still so commonly done. I get it, but it’s not for me anymore! Great article as usual Nick!
Hey Nick, I have a recessed medicine cabinet because when my home was built, they were standard. I have a very small en suite. When I remodeled the bathroom, behind the door I had a cabinet built into the wall. They removed the drywall between 2 studs and the cabinet maker built a cabinet with doors to fit in there. It isn’t very deep but it holds a lot of bathroom personal products. One of the best decisions I made. When I remodeled the guest bathroom I had one put in also. I am definitely a put it away behind closed door type of person.
I love your tips and solutions. As a maximalist, I’m always interested in how to keep maximalism from turning into clutter. Always taking notes during these articles! Don’t forget that if your bed doesn’t have much space, you can get lifts that go under the bed legs to give you more space. For maximalists, there’s nothing wrong with a cool bed skirt made from fabric used elsewhere in the room to hide it all.
Hey, I like being able to see my books and DVDs all the time. My visitors also seem to like it: they’re often a conversation starter. Not everything needs to be hidden behind doors. Exactly how much needs to be stored is a personal matter. But I have to agree about clutter on the coffee table etc. Horizontal surfaces really attract junk.
Oh yes, the medicine cabinet! Love mine – I actually added them to my house (no linen closet in the bathrooms) to add storage for my razors, shaving cream, perfumes, nail polishes, toothpaste/brushes (on a tray), medicines/cough syrup/calamine lotion/Claritin, and band-aids. I had them recessed into the wall so they blend in seamlessly as would a regular mirror. Thanks for mentioning this!
That all make sense to me. I have a very small main bathroom with a pedestal sink, but just outside the door, in a small hall, is the best built in linen closet with three shelves that go to the ceiling, a pull out board for folding things, and four large drawers that I use for bathroom things. Next to it is a broom closet with upper storage for toilet paper, dusting supplies, tissue, etc., love some of these 50’s homes! 👍💕
This is so true, and I’m a bit embarrassed by how long it took me to figure it out. If something is ugly, store it. If you can’t store it, make it not ugly. My ironing board bothered me for years because I have no storage for large items and have to keep it in my living room. A few months ago I finally realized I could just buy a cover for it that matches my design style. Now it looks intentional (like artwork) and it even gets compliments when people come over.
Nick, we bought a stainless steel large storage cart for our appliances and put it into our laundry/ pantry area. Its easy to access and keeps those appliances off the counter. Coffee & Tea station on the counter because its in daily use. Toaster in the bread drawer. It’s in the appropriate area for us. Thanks for your honest advice & assessments.
Great article! I am totally on board with storing stuff behind closed doors. I recently exchanged the pedestal sink and builder-grade mirror in my condo powder room for a vanity and medicine cabinet. It freed up an entire cabinet in my kitchen because I finally had the right place to store medicines and cleaning products.
I looooooved this article. 🤩 I’m not a minimalist but since I moved into a smaller house 3 years ago I’ve become acutely conscious of stuff, junk, and clutter. Until this house I always used the space under the bed for storage. Here, I decided I no longer wanted to sleep with all my unused, ill-fitting clothes that I might wear ‘someday.’ When I got rid of all that crap I felt so free. I also got a different bed frame a little lower to the ground, so no boxes will fit under there. It’s like a breath of fresh air – no more pretending that ‘someday’ I’d need any of that crap.This is not a new house but it was recently renovated before we moved in. It’s got a galley kitchen with some open shelving and I love it. I store everyday items in matching bins which are so easy for me to reach. My dishes and glassware are stored in deep kitchen drawers which, IDK, might sound weird but for the first time in my entire life this short person can reach her damn dishes and drinking glasses!! There’s an enormous kitchen island, with absolutely nothing stored on it. My coffee maker, toaster oven, etc. are on the opposite wall, where the open shelving is. My bathroom has a large counter space with nothing stored on it. Seeing it clear of clutter makes me happy. Everything is stored away. I’ve had bigger houses and newer houses, but in this house I’ve gotten a handle on clutter and it feels great.
I do agree with all Nick’s points, but I think organization styles should be taken into consideration. For example, people with ADHD often forget about items that are stored out of sight. The Clutter Bug website has an interesting take for “butterflies” method and shows how things can be out but organized and more aesthetically pleasing
Hey Nick!! I just wanted to say that I LOVE the sound effects that you added whenever there’s an image on the screen. I listen to a lot of your articles so this “water drop blurp” sound really alerts me that I should glance at the photo on the screen. GREAT JOB! I absolutely LOVE that! It’s incredibly helpful and I wish more creators did that! 👏👏
This is the MOST helpful article I’ve watched in years. Will watch it over and over until it sticks. I’ve watched c9untless articles on organizing in order to try to get rid of the living hell of clutter but they’ve never motivated me. This one does!! Seeing organizing stuff as an aesthetic decision is so much more motivating than seeing it as a matter of practicality. Thank you Nick!!!!
I’d be curious to know how you’d address clutter and such for someone with ADHD who may need to have seemingly more things than necessary out in the open. For example, I don’t use my toaster often, but I will completely forget that I have one if it’s not out on the counter. I’ll forget to take my meds if it’s not on my vanity. I like having my space looking clean and organized, but it never stays that way because I end up having to leave so many things out in the open On a side note for anybody else who struggles with this and might be curious: one of the best organizational tips I’ve come across is to store things that you know you’ll routinely reach for (condiments, flour, sugar, etc) in the less visible places. Put the flour on the bottom pantry shelf or the ketchup in a fridge drawer, things like that. I’ve been doing this and it makes a huge difference. Canned goods are on the lowest shelf, flour and sugar are the next up, theeen it gets into the less commonly grabbed things the closer to eye level the shelf is.
“Micley Mouse mug..unfortunately.” haha.. I love you’re humor, Nick! Nick, would love to see a tour of your home. That dark wall and those beautiful wood kitchen cabinets which are in the background – would love to see these and hear your comments on them. Thank you! You’ve inspired me to declutter.
I agree for the most part, but as a person that cooks and bakes every day, I can’t see having to haul out my heavy mixer, food processor etc. all the time. If you’re just preparing wine and cheese and you eat take-out the rest of the time, I guess the “no appliances on the countertop” method would work.
Honestly, taking the doors off of my closet and switching to hanging storage for almost all of my clothes is one of the best things I’ve done. Helps so much with picking up after myself and actually putting my clothes away 🙂 Also kind of works as a bedside table since I don’t have the space for one lmao
Always worth perusal your articles and this was no exception!!! 🔥 I’m such a detail person that…I actually spray paint my chapstick gold, so it goes with my bedroom design. Yep. I do that. I had a bunch of them. I put the cap ends in small holes in a piece of cardboard and spray away. Because I want a chapstick out on my nightstand, it’s gotta look good. (crazy? I think not!)
I needed this. I felt like you were pointing out every wrong thing in my condo! I’ve always been a disorganized mess. Trying to declutter and every top was helpful. Thanks for listening links to some of the items in the article. I loved the shelf from CB2! Do you have a link for a simple sideboard? Needs to be less than 60 inches and doors of course! Trying to hide the instapot, air fryer….they have cheap particle board ones and I want something a little longer lasting than that but doesn’t have to be all solid wood! Thanks if you have recommendations.
Biggest interior design mistake imo is living in a house that isn’t a home. Home is where we LIVE and real living can be cluttered in the best possible way. If it’s part of your daily routine, it needs to be accessible so you can enjoy your home. Tidy when guests come if you have judgey guests, otherwise they don’t care because they’re true friends and family and they’re there for your company 😊
Whew! I think I made it through this one okay. Nick, how do you feel about a small scattering of family pics on the shelves of bookcases. I have a whole wall of shelving in my living room. It’s mostly books, vases, plants and a clock. We get so used to seeing our own stuff every day, but I don’t know what it looks like to someone who visits. I love all of the frames being the same, but I also like a pretty and unusual frame. Also, how do you feel about painting over wall paper. I have freinds who have done it successfully. Nobody wants to remove wallpaper!
Ooorrrr, don’t buy an open shelf console! Most people live in their homes and don’t just design a house for Instagram pictures. 99% of people will have a bunch of crap in their house so buy cabinets and shelves!! Have to know the way you actually live and not what you like on a magazine picture, because those homes aren’t functional. Style for your real self, not your fantasy self
Nick, you crack me up! 😂 We actually live in an old farm house. Internet connection here sucks so we have DVD players to play the articles we rent from Redbox. The bathrooms are tiny. When we renovated we left the pedestal sinks because there was no room for traditional vanities. I did find an under sink cabinet for the upstairs bath that fit and allowed people to move without constantly stubbing a toe. For the other bath we put in partial open, partial closed cabinets that fit in the corners. Also, we have a very specific farmhouse piece of wall art that speaks to the fact that we live on a horse farm. I get it about the misuse of that theme. My stepdaughter lives in an urban community and she has horse farm stuff throughout her house. But she grew up on a horse farm. That’s who she is. Generalities sometimes miss the mark. Having said that, I hope they make some changes when it’s time for them to sell. Not everyone will appreciate her style. 😉😆
We have a small house but dedicated one large room to be the “stuff” area where we keep it semi-tidy but it’s anything goes. It’s an exhaust valve for all the things we want that we don’t know what to do with. That’s where the TV, gaming, and exercise equipment lives so the rest of the house can be peaceful. It gets out of hand sometimes with a teenage son, but at least it’s contained.
Nick, love your advice! That being said, your “too small rug” photo shows a pretty rug which works somewhat in that space. Your farmhouse sign is an exact one my neighbor owns which fits her space well ( also her small- town personality). And the photo you showed at the start of the dining bench was also something which worked. I understand what you’re saying about open consoles; a curated collection is far more chic and, yes, beautiful. It’s a side jab and unrelated to the same topic: don’t display what should be hidden. BTW, what’s that behind you, drawing our attention under the statement wall clock? Two hand soap pumps? Looks messier than my functional, clean, and joy- filled open kitchen shelving. I don’t care for my kitchen to “look chic and modern;” I want to be able to grab what I need quickly and easily with a spoon in one hand and maybe spaghetti sauce on the other, not having to open a cupboard door. If your aesthetic is always pared down, why are you displaying your pump hand soap in your living room? Wait, upon closer inspection, that looks like a decanter of whiskey next to an aerosol room freshener ( but where are the whiskey tumblers…hmmmm)? The pedestal sink comments about them being not meant for a primary bathroom— not true, especially historically. The problem is that people are using a vanity as their personal cosmetic sample store and again, not storing what should be hidden. They need a dedicated place to make up, and might consider using fewer products or get a rolling caddy.
In my small kithen remodel I had a full height double door cabinet built with plug points inside and slide out shelves.. In there I have a shelf each for the microwave, airfryer, blender, mixer, etc.. The shelves high up get used for all the small appliance attachments. When the small appliances are in use I just slide out the shelf and use like that so it has adequate ventilation and when not in use all shelves are pushed in and doors closed! Remember you need to use strong heavy duty shelf tracks!
Hi Nick, love your articles, I’ve definitely implemented some of your prior suggestions. As someone who struggles with object permanence (due to ADHD), putting things “away” where you can’t see it can be a bit of an issue. I have things strewn on almost any surface so I can tremendously to do something with it. Do you have any suggestions for someone who needs to see things to remember they exist or that they need to be dealt with?
Completely agree with 7:15. Honestly my wife and I took away our toaster and Mr. Coffee coffee machine off the kitchen counter and put them in a cabinet. We only pull it out when we need it and put it back and out counter space looks so much better. I thought having specifically those two on the counter but it turns out it looks better with out them
I think it’s totally okay to have small appliances out on the counter tops IF they look nice and fit with the style of your kitchen (and if you have enough counter space to begin with lol). Some appliances just look nice like a Kitchenaid mixer or a nice espresso machine. It just doesn’t look nice if your appliances look… appliance-y… and if they are all random in style/color/etc. In my last apartment, my fridge and range were white so I got white appliances and it all looked cohesive. In another past apartment, the fridge and range were black so I had black appliances. It’s just about being mindful about your choices. I avoid buying gimmicky appliances that come in all sorts of random crayon colors because they just look tacky to me lol and it’s a waste of money to have a whole bunch of little unitaskers that you will only use like once or twice and then they just collect dust.
I’m currently in a bit of a cold war with my husband about open shelves for the kitchen in our new flat. Whilst I’m happy to have some over the sink area for a dish drainer (saw this in Italy once, and it’s genius), and a metal rack shelf to store/drain the cooking pans we use everyday, as well as a shelf for some houseplants… He also wants to put all the small appliances on open shelves, no matter how much I tell him it’ll be a pain in the arse to clean every other month for appliances we might use twice a year 🤦♂️
Of all the interior design idea articles, this one really and finally help me understand the very important concept or difference between storing and displaying. I used to think that a bookshelf is a functional piece of furniture so it is really OK to just put my assorted books on it. Now I get it. Thank you so much. This is a very helpful article for me.
I absolutely love your articles Nick. Really wish i coukd send you pictures of my place. I have a really prickly situation with open shelves in my livingroom with my CDs and DVDs. It was almost impossible to find a unit to hide them. But for psychological reasons, i need to constantly see my music, like an emotional crutch. But im slightly minimalist, hate clutter and really wish my home looked elegant throughout.
The cluttered bathroom sink drives me nuts, thankfully I’ve managed to clear ours almost completely off save for a couple of necessary items that need to be easily reached. I had makeup out for the longest time, collecting dust because I hardly ever actually use it. It was organized, but didn’t really need to be sitting out, so I moved it into a cabinet. My boyfriend is more of a clutterbug than I am with bathroom stuff so I got him one of those over-the-door hanging shelf/basket things to put his stuff in. Makes a huge difference not having all that stuff sitting out.
I have been following Suzanne Salk and her interviews with the top world designers. The underlining theme in EVERY single interview and tour is for people to purchase and live with the things that they love. Their homes are, ALL, layers upon layers of colors,textures,patterns and items that they love. Of course their homes are all very clean and organized but other than that,they live in environments that reflect their personal since of style and don’t concern themselves with furnishings/color palettes that are considered on trend.
My open nightstand is part of an all steel 1946 bedroom set that belonged to my Oma and Opa. I love that it is open as forces me to keep it tidy, my rule is no more than three books, plenty to be reading. I have the books, a lamp, and a travel alarm clock, nothing on the dresser, and clothes always go back to where they belong.
I had an open bookcase in a study, which was one of the first rooms you see walking into the house. I had my son’s board games on it. Brightly colored boxes of all shapes. Ugh. I finally bought a beautiful cabinet with doors where the games now live. The top is styled decoratively with a beautiful round mirror over it. Huge difference.
Nick! I have ADHD and when something I need is tucked away in storage that I can’t see I literally forget it exists. What are some options for people lacking in object permanence? Semi-transparent storage? I’m lost! Help! P.s. I’ve been binging your content all day, thanks so much for being a friendly teacher.
You can never go wrong with a medicine cabinet, I don’t know when the trend of not having them went into fashion. I remodeled my 6×6 foot no storage space bathroom and bought a huge Koehler mirrored cabinet that had built in led strip lighting set inside the mirror on both sides, very trendy and modern looking. It had a huge interior that was all mirrored as well including the back of the door which had an adjustable magnifying mirror on it. There was thick glass shelves and the bottom shelf had two electrical outlets so you could plug in your razor and toothbrush and still close the door, I loved that medicine cabinet and it set me back $999 usd but it was worth every penny and really solved the storage issue a lot.
My best kitchen ever had no wall cabinets. I hung art. It also had an 8×8 pantry with wire shelves. I liked it so much, I converted my current 8×10 bedroom into a pantry. I thought it might be too far away, but it is perfect for unloading groceries from my car. I don’t mind shopping it for dinner and I have a regular pantry for coffee, tea, bread. It holds my entire annual garden output and canning and dehydrating supplies.
Can you please do how to use dramatic jewel tones in small rooms. Im into academic aesthetu…but i also love plants, so i probably have the boho vibe going too. Im ideally suited to living in a castle. Old European grand house. But my budget is more just the nooks and crannies of the big house…i think i could still decorate with the aesthetic i like, if im going for the ‘cosy reading nook’ vibe for all the rooms. Im happy to use gold paint, chinoisery wallpaper, etc, the rooms are small but the ceilings are high…any mistakes i could look out for on this path?
I think you should think of ways to work with this open storage ‘trend’ because the thing is i dont think it really will be a trend. I think people are finally accepting themselves and trying to accommodate their brains more, with people realizing that they really are ‘out of sight out of mind people’ or who acknowledge that the best way to keep their home chaos free is to give their everyday (tbh ‘most’ day) things a home out where they are easy to grab and put back with essentially 0 effort. For many adhd people like me this IS how we keep our place looking nice and uncluttered because function is prioritized. (i am really liking your vids btw, theyve been very helpful, i just think you should consider that this trend very well may be here to stay, and finding a way to work with may be to your benefit)
I have books, dvds, bluerays and a player, vhs tapes and two vhs players, one 32″ t.v. and a Kindle for audiobooks and the shows that I download while I am at work. I don’t plan on tossing old tech and spending tons of money, just because a new tech comes in fashion. I enjoy your content and appreciate when you acknowledge and allow for differences in opinions and styles. I do like to keep all of my media on shelves. Visible and neat. It impresses only me and that’s okay.
I love physical items (books, LP’s, games, Blu-Rays etc.) and I also greatly enjoy living in a tastefully refined minimalistic space. I prefer to have those items on display, partly because if they are easily accessible, they are more frequently used. In my experience, anything put in storage is simply ignored. Out of sight, out of mind as they say. What works for me is ensuring that the items I have are items that I am passionate about (e.g. games, records and movies that I play on a semi-regular basis). I also enjoy new friends discovering these items and chatting about them. This may not be the most aesthetically pleasing presentation, but I think it is a minimalistic balance that works for me.
If you’re ADHD, or this type of “always put things away beautifully” tips don’t work for you… that is also ok. Remember this website is about design and aesthetics, and functionality to some degree – but that these won’t and can’t work for all brains. You are not failing if these things don’t work for you. Hooks you can drop garments or towels on, rather than the floor. Leaving lids of bins (if it’s safe for children, pets, and your items) can make it easier to simply drop things in the correct place to put them away, while taking the bin out, taking the lid off… That may aggravate executive dysfunction. And hidden things can get entirely forgotten. Having thing stored less aesthetically, but making it so easy to put away, and find and remember it… needs to be prioritized over aesthetics. Your space needs to work with the brain you have. There are books and websites with tons of tips on this type of organization if you feel it could help your household.
I agree with you about not liking open shelving in the kitchen – don’t take away my upper cabinets!!!! My dishes and glasses do NOT need to be on display 24/7. And I don’t want another place to have to dust every week (or more often), AND just where do you think all of your cooking oils/grease go? Does it know not to land on the items on your open shelves? Nope, no you have to degrease everything on those shelves – which I don’t have to do when my items are stored safely and sanitarily behind closed kitchen cabinet doors.
This is really tough for those with ADHD. if you can’t see it, you don’t have it, and thus it’s time to make a trip to the store or Amazon. That’s why so many ADHDers have multiple items of the exact same thing, making their problem so much worse. One thing I’ve seen help is to have dedicated drawers and baskets, which works to increase the “visible space” to places where others can’t see. If you can find two AAA batteries in the battery drawer, you know you have them and you can check whether you need more. If you can find the pet detangling spray inside the grooming basket, you know you have it. The battery drawer and grooming basket have become visible spaces to the ADHDer, even though no one else sees what’s inside. For whatever reason, thinking about it this way makes a big difference.
Parts of this sound reasonable. Others border on “if you want your house to be beautiful, best stop living in it”. The first and foremost function of your home is for you to live there. Not keeping stuff laying around in the open for no reason is certainly good advice, but if the looks of your room come in conflict with your comfort of using it – either re-think the style (since you made you not resilient enough to withstand actual use) or screw the looks. It’s your home. You live there. Sacrificing your quality of life to achieve better looks means that you’re sacrificing your goal (good life) for what should just be a tool to reach that goal (nice-looking home bringing you joy and making your life better).
I like this advice. I like my kitchen counters as uncluttered as possible. How do you wipe your countertops with all that clutter? I’m telling you, as a house cleaner, most ppl don’t bother to move that stuff to clean. Also, why are most style trends impractical? Maybe there should be storage cabinets for your living room that are like medicine cabinets. The front could be a nice big living room mirror or a nice art print. Open shelves in the kitchen are so impractical and also unsanitary. You’d have to wipe down those dust catching shelves all the time & the seldom used items will not be clean when you take them down to use.
I very much am about putting stuff away, behind doors/drawers. Most recently, in my front hallway, where I keep recycling and where of course shoes and boots are stored, I invested in a really nice bin holder for the recycling with a top that opens and a door to remove the bag/bin inside (it’s so nice and all thick hardwood), and also a shoe rack with no open shelves. When I was looking for an office organizing piece of furniture, I ended up with an armoire with two upper and two lower doors, and in addition to a shelf for my work-related stuff, I have a shelf for my cookbooks, and a shelf for blanket storage. My media storage was difficult to find, because SO MUCH of the stuff that’s out there has at least one open shelf! NO! DUST COLLECTORS! GET AWAY!! I don’t ever want to have to have to pull out stuff and dust it all every week or whatever. Close it up, don’t display it because it’s not worthy of being displayed. Also, the floor isn’t storage. That’s a hard one to accept sometimes, especially if I want to keep buying things like blankets (lol), but it just isn’t. If you have to store something on the floor, and you’re not forced to because of circumstances beyond your control made it necessary to live in a tiny room with an apartment-worth of belongings, it’s just not meant to be. Either that, or you need to make space by donating something you already have.
i am guilty of two things. i have the short curtains in my daughters rooms. however, in my defense, since my grandkids were born. we had to put in shorter drapes as we moved the furniture around to accommodate sleep overs and the beds are partially under the windows. i already caught one of my grandsons trying to see how long it would take him to pull the long ones down from the curtain rods. nope. not happening. let him pull his parents drapes off the walls. secondly, i have a matching thomasville bedroom set. bought many, many years ago when my husband and i were engaged. it was the style then and we paid a butt load of money for it. it’s all solid wood and i can’t, in good conscience, get rid of the pieces to buy something that won’t even come close to the quality of what i have now. so i shall smile, agree with you in telling people to not do what we did, and just keep what we have. when i hit it big with the lottery, i’ll buy mismatched pieces
The exception I would make for the media center is that if you or your partner are gear heads they will fight to the death on the fact that something that is visually pleasing and enclosed is usually really bad for air circulation and usability with sensors etc. We couldn’t afford a luxury unit that would make my husband happy and have the style I wanted so the compromise was moving it all to an open bookshelf and tidying up the cords and storing all the loose things in closed boxes. I like the idea of having nothing on shelves or visible but it’s also not always reasonable when the house is small or the budget is tight.
I totally get that this advice works for some people and more power to them. I am truly an “out of sight, out of mind” kind of person due to ADHD. Unless it is something I use all the time, I forget where everything is…I’m trying to make all of my things have a home, but I struggle. I’ve been told to label things but due to small working memory capacity, I would literally almost need a long long label for most items inside the storage lol. Thankfully, I am quite clutter tolerant or I kind of have to be – everytime I clean and put stuff away, about a few days later I’m back to cluttered again 🤦🏻♀️(also doesn’t help that I grew up poor with parents who hoard – I start accumulating things “just in case”…) What kind of storage and organisation advice would you give someone like me? Or am i doomed 🙃 haha
Nick, you’re right, but gosh it stings to hear it. it’s so hard to find a decent balance between availability and attractiveness. Especially for nerdy engineery folks, who might be grabbing for tools or references all the time. You’ll hate this but I keep considering putting pegboard in my bedroom. I’d splurge for the metal stuff but, I know that doesn’t make it any less ugly!
Open shelving has actually been around since kitchens were first created. They are essential for people who are serious about cooking. They are not necessarily the best place to put a bunch of stuff that you don’t use, but I think it can create a very homey and cozy atmosphere where you have items that are specializedand geared toward a beautiful meal with family and friends. Don’t diss open shelves as being trendy as they are not they are very historical
Some months I feel blessed to have a kitchen. And then I run to Trader Joe’s and fill up the refrigerator. And then I cook. And then I’m happy. That’s nice. But you can get rid of stuff or put it down below. If I haven’t used an appliance in a year I know I will never use it and I just donate it out. The two that I do keep in a separate part of the house, back where I keep some extra towels is a $5 thrift store George Foreman grill (for grilled cheese/tomato sandwiches) and my Foodsaver. On my counter is my Keurig in a large round rattan, bronze-handled platter that I’ve had for five years for $4 At thrift shop. I was at somewhere a few weeks ago and saw a crappy knock off over priced wooden piece of junk that was $80! You could buy a lot of Trader Joe’s coffee for $80 when you’ve got a four dollar tray holding your Keurig. And of course my air fryer is on the counter because I use it at least two times a day. That’s a winner. And I bought a coffee tree holder at target out of teak. I bought some Pendleton mugs at Costco of the various colors in different national parks. And they are very funky and cool and it’s very useful right there by the coffee pot. So I guess that’s my three sins .. for now.
I think the sink should be outside the bathroom. Not only will people be more likely to wash their hands (since people are more likely to wash their hands when others can see them), but it also makes the sink accessible when someone else is in the bathroom. Heck move the shower and toilet to separate rooms too!
What’s so confusing and frustrating with minimalism is that it’s usually preached as you have to get rid of everything you use occasionally and it’s pretty ruthless. But if you have hobbies or want to have games or movies for when friends have over there’s shame to have stuff. It’s a hard balance when it’s just get rid of everything.
I think this article highlights a big problem with design and that is form over function. I need functional design, how do we accomplish this? I cook A LOT, so to haul out my food processor, vita-mix, instant pot over and over in a day is a bother, not to mention, where do I put them? I have no room for food if I were to store all the appliances that I actualy use. Also, in the bathroom, we are still designing bathrooms as though all we have is our sad little bar of soap, our sad little toothbrush and our sad little comb. We need functional design to store and yet still make it easy to use all our products and appliances like water-piks and hair appliances. This could be a good article topic, functional design for people who actually “live” in their home.
>are you instant potting that much? As an Asian, yes we are😅 I try to minimize the things we keep on our counter top but they would eventually feel cluttered. Because the items we use more than once a day is just as many. And I find putting away big appliances are too much work, appliances are usually big and heavy, for example, the smallest instant pot is about 4kg. Finding a space in the drawer to store it. Moving it from cabinet to counter, clean and let it dry, putting it back into the drawer would be a lot of work. I actually have no problem putting all the spices and utensils away, as they are usually small and light. Why haven’t anyone invented Kitchen Cabinet that’s on a wheel, with counter height, that we can just shut the door when not using, and open the doors and use the appliances in the Cabinet when we need to, yet? I couldn’t be the only one with this problem.
I’m new to Nick. I think I am in love! OMG play this on repeat. I was perusal another high end decor article from a woman that people hire and pay to decorate their space…..and she had so much crap in her shelving I had to stop the article and move on. OMG….NOT GOOD! This is an awesome article I wish everyone would watch
Hi Nick you’re so right it does make a big difference and it makes one feel so much lighter looking at clear tops. The problem is we seem to collect soo much stuff and putting it away can be a chore if you using certain appliances on a daily basis. But you’re right most of it’s just stuff to add to cleaning. I’m sorting my kitchen cupboards out and making more room to store the stuff I’m not using. Thanks once again. Luv to you and Mike. Hope your new home is progressing. Xx 😘
4:28 telling people that sound bars should not be in open sight while there’s a sound bar in open sight behind you: busted 😉 I think that might have been a slip-up because hiding a sound bar inside closed storage would be pretty impractical. You’d have to keep the cabinet doors open every time you’d want to watch TV or listen to music! And furniture with integrated sound bars don’t look so great, either. I think the only good solution is buying a decent-looking sound bar, though those tend to be more expensive.
As a hairdresser… no my fifty million styling products are gunna be out where I can get to them easily. 🤣 Specially since my bathroom is annoyingly small and the only above toilet shelf that fit was an open one. But I found a little lazy Susan I can use in the bathroom, so they all stay on that in one contained area! Now if only I could find One company to love all their products so the aesthetics would all match. 😅
We live in the country on a farm. Open shelves mean everything on those shelves is perpetually covered with “dust”, and dust on heavily forested farm with large animals is not just tiny particles of dirt, it’s pollen, and silt, and micronized “stuff” I would rather not have inside my home. Dust, with its questionable composition, is an ever present decorating accessory in our home. I spend my life de-dusting and often needing to wash functional and decorative items that just can’t go inside of some piece of furniture or a cabinet. Anything on open display in our home collects dust like magnets collect iron filings. Arg. In my dream world all my lovely collectable foo-foos, from my Depression Glass to my Fiesta that I want to see would be in clear lighted view – behind glass doors! I would love to stash eerything else in closed drawers and cabinets. I don’t live in that perfect fantasy home yet, but I’m working on it.
Such a simple but so underrated way to make your space more manageable. I have open shelving in my bedroom where I put a bunch of stuff. It always stressed me out to see so much clutter. but once I bought beautiful storage bins and put them on the shelves, storing unnecessary items, I felt like I could breathe again. No more clutter in my sight, just pretty storage bins.
You would most likely cringe if you walked into my house. I am an artist and my walls are covered (neatly) with my work. However, I have a bedroom that I turned into a paint room and it isn’t well organized and I use my dining room table as another work space. This area is for making jewelry and the table is almost always covered with things. I have a big cedar cabinet that I had custom built for my supplies and it’s full. Next to my dining table is a three-tiered shelf with different colored heavy duty plastic bins which I think is cool looking. These bins hold all of my watercolor supplies. I prefer to do watercolors on the dining room table because of the big windows in that room. I could never be a minimalist and it makes me feel uncomfortable when I see rooms that don’t have much in them. Too sterile looking, too barren.
Love your website and its minimalist graphics and NO music. Thank you! But I’m extremely tidy and organized. I can curate an open shelf well! I like to see what I have, otherwise, behind a cabinet door, it’s a black hole. I think open shelving works if you don’t have clutter. I like to have nothing beneath the bed because I worry I’ll get dust bunnies and bugs like silverfish
I would love to see a article addressing old houses. My home was built in 1904 and while I love the 10″ baseboards and front porch, there are NO original closets. No front hallway closet, no linen closet, no bedroom closets! (Heck, there was no bathroom, either; a bedroom was sacrificed for that luxury.) Perhaps clutter isn’t inevitable? Thanks for the excellent and fun articles you produce!
Absolutely agree with everything you said Nick! I live in Japan where there isn’t a whole lot of storage space (one big closet for futons and a tiny bedroom closet and if you are lucky a tiny pantry closet in the kitchen.) Oh yeah, kitchens only come with 3 cupboards above the sink so you are probably going to have to buy storage solutions for your kitchen as well. Although there is a shoe cupboard, there is no front door closet so you also have to buy something to hang your jackets on. What does this mean for most people living in Japan? A LOT of open shelving and hooks. If you look at realistic Japanese design (not high end stuff that is more appropriate for millionaires, hotels, and tea rooms), you’ll see that most people have exactly this (just look at MUJI furnishings – a lot of it is open shelving or open storage). Anyway, long story short, like most people, I had a lot of open shelving because it’s cheap and trying to completely furnish an empty box is expensive. But the last two years I’ve been buying proper cupboards with closed doors and other storage units with doors and it has made a HUGE difference to how everything looks. Unfortunately I can’t change the awful unit vanity I have in the bathroom which means clutter everywhere, but the rest of the apartment looks so much better that I’ll take my wins where I can get them!
You always say things just right. I have felt for a while that my house was too cluttered. I dont like styling for the sake of styling. Until I saw this article I couldn’t put into words the thought whirling around. You put it ALL into focus for me. Yes Yes Yes!!! This is my #1 mistake. We have zero storage and therefore have had to build it into the spaces as needed. I wish I could post here my awful bookcase—filled with books but not nice so you could use it as a what not to do. 😅. That is our next project. Build CLOSED shelving/bookcases for books and things.
Yeah, open shelving in the kitchen seems especially nonfunctional, especially if you’re using it to store things you actually eat off of. Who wants to be forced to wash the nice fancy dishes every time company comes over so they aren’t eating off of plates that have been collecting dust and oil splatters for ages? If they’ve been kept in a cabinet, the most you need is a quick rinse if you’ve gone a long time without using them.
I’m a BIG fan of the medicine cabinet. I’m about to move and I’m really going to miss the one I had installed in my primary bathroom. It spans across the whole width of my double vanity. Three mirrored doors, with mirrored insides as well. Too perfect. Not just for storage, but when I open the two doors, I can style the back of my hair really easily!
I have autism plus VERY bad ADHD. If it’s in a drawer or behind a closed door, it might as well not exist. “Storage” = a giant mess in a container/things I’ll never find again and will end up buying it in duplicate or triplicate. Open storage = more functional & so much easier to organize. Is it the most stylish? Maybe not. Is it a necessary accommodation for my disabilities? Yes.
I LOVE this article! I am very particular about my bedroom. I have a mid-century(ish) bedroom set and I hate having things sitting out on my dresser so I bought two decorative boxes, one has my watch collection and the other has my wallet, keys, collar stays, etc. This way everything is handy but out of sight. I am lucky enough to live alone and have two closets so I put a closet system in one that has a 4 drawer chest unit and I use the top of that for all my other random things, that way I can close the doors and everything looks perfect.
I have a sister who loves nicknacks, but her husband doesn’t. My place looks cluttered and so does my mother’s, and I realized most of the things on our shelves are from my sister. She is decorating our place, because she can’t do her own, and we didn’t want to hurt her feelings. We put everything out, because at the time theyre thoughtful gifts. Then she started buying for my teenage son, I finally said STOP. I’m buying tubs and cleaning house.
Yeah about the counter tops, however try out my kitchen for a week and you’ll run away screaming. Deep cabinets with shelves about 15 cm apart. And I only have two of them. Or a pantry with with 2 shelves one about 80 cm high, and the one on the boom again 15 cm, and deep. This kitchen is older than us, about 55 years now. Unlawful covered wiring in the walls, and outdated plugs. I call this kitchen my hallway to hell, because it is so narrow on one side, and too wide on the other. I would redo the kitchen, however it is a rental and I cannot see spending my own money on it. This is Denmark. Our bathroom has no storage. No medicine cabinets, no towel racks, oh and the chalk from the water is a terrible to clean. There is no fan, and popcorn walls. You remember the popcorn ceilings of places from the 70s and early 80s, now a hot steamy room without a fan. Like you want to open a window when it is -5 C in the winter, or windy as hell that you think it will break the window off,
Personally, I hate open shelving. All it does is give you more to dust. And if there is one chore I refuse to do, it’s unnecessary dusting. Also, I have dogs. Big dogs. They love to run and romp and play. We don’t have a coffee table or an ottoman for this reason. Open shelving is just asking for something to eventually get knocked over and broken. Yes, even if it’s anchored to a wall. I’ve seen it happen.
Kitchens really are a tough one. On one hand, the items you use every day need to be accessible. But if you have limited counter space, you are forced to put the larger things away just to work. At our old place, I had a big kitchen in terms of storage and square footage, but hardly any counter space(no island). Now I have a dedicated counter to cut veggies, prep baking etc. A lot of people don’t have both.