there is totally everything wrong with white walls XD i can't stand white walls anymore.. i even paint the ceilings with pastel colour.. everything but white
Re: rental friendly peel-and-stick, they also make plain white that can be painted! If you're not allowed to paint your walls, buy white peel-and-stick, lay it flat on some cardboard and paint it, then (once it's dry) peel the backing and hang. And re: art pieces, you can also have a gorgeous piece of fabric, like a vintage scarf, matted and framed.
People have been really hating on shiplap recently, calling it overdone etc. to a point that it’s like a dirty secret to admit to still like it. Just because something is constantly featured on TV doesn’t automatically mean it’s in everybody’s house. We recently house hunted, and of the countless houses we saw not a single one had shiplap anywhere. We just installed it in our main bathroom behind the vanity, which is fitted into an alcove, and put two swiveling mirrors over it. We then put it up behind the toilet, which is also sitting in a previously bland niche. It brings some contrast. We are not in a farmhouse, but shiplap works in coastal settings as well, at least for me. It has it’s place, and is less formal than other types of wainscoting.
I kind of hate white walls out of spite - growing up, my mother never let me paint my bedroom walls a dark or bright color, because she thought it would be stressful or I'd get tired of it quickly. When I was a teenager, I rebelled and demanded a bright, barbie-pink wall, which I had for years. Now my home has zero white walls, and my dark green bedroom is the coziest thing ever😅
I hate white walls too. In the three houses I’ve lived, I painted my bedroom a pale green. I saw the color at the paint store and decided it was perfect for me. Even better was the color name - Dreamcatcher. I took that as a sign right then and there.
My whole family feels this because Military housing and rentals just have such boring white walls that once we had a home of our own I was desperate for unicorn wall paper and pink walls
I definitely did get tired of my bright red wall I begged my mom to let me paint but I had fun with it for awhile lol then I just painted it white again no walls were hurt in the proccess
Any wallpaper can become temporary if you use double-sided scrapbooking tape. It is meant to hold paper and can be easily removed. I purchased Van Gogh's Almond Blossom wallpaper in blue and will be hanging it in my living room with the double-sided tape.
Hey Nick! Thanks for adding more pictures to your videos lately, and keeping them on screen long enough to do a deeper look, as you speak. It really helps in taking in the examples illustrating your point. Cheers!
“ I can’t be expected to remember exactly what falls out of my mouth“ Is something I say as a therapist on a weekly basis 😂 love the video today, I have a couple of walls that just aren’t right and I think it’s time for more drama
The first room we re-did in our 1970 vintage living room was to install a wall-to-wall bookcase. If you use kitchen base cabinets, then stack double wall cabinets on top, you get an 8' high bookcase. Across the top of the window, we used the size that goes above a refrigerator - and the same size below, with cushions to make a window seat. The shallow cabinets were filled with plexiglas "glass" because the kids were small enough to throw toys and break glass fronts. Then the rough-sawn paneling was painted a sandy color for texture.
Here in scandinavia we rarely paint our walls. It is almost always wallpaper. its a tradition since forever and it looks so good. Easy to change and set another mood if wanted. Thank you for sharing!
Deviating from white walls is a bit of a pain when you live in a renter area (Switzerland), in a renting apartment. And also I don't mind white, maybe one or two accent walls in a color are nice. My experience is that a color can be quite a commitment and I don't want to be repainting my walls every two years just to chase after or get rid of a trend (or get rid of a poorly chosen red in my bedroom that made me feel constantly nervous after a while, and made my bedroom look like a red light district room when lit and seen from outside.) So my solutions have been: - big PHAT framed poster art (Switzerland has a huge history of graphic design, production design, lettering, and cool vintage stuff from previous exhibitions or tourist advertisements - I'm sure there's stuff like that in every region). I am talking min 3ft x 4 ft sizes. Make it a statement. - Hang selected items of clothes that look cool or have an interesting cut/print/pattern (and maybe you've grown out of them *cough*) on a nice wooden clotheshanger, onto a wall. Even draping a silk shawl or funky tie over that clotheshanger looks great. It's a nice statement in the bedroom, and it's a cool thing to do with clothing items that you don't wear too often anyways. And easy to switch out when you get bored of it. - Postcards/photographs, paperclips, and little nails. Put the paperclips on to the postcard where you want it to hang, hang it on the nail/wall, ta-dah. You can collect artsy postcards from museums/exhibitions, develop your own photos that are somewhat artsy and colorful, arrange them linear in a tight space (like between two doors), or as a loose (!) collage on more wall space. - Work with strategically placed lights and spots. Direct a lot of the light at the art or just the blank wall (indirect lighting). - Get colorful high quality drapes. By that I mean, cotton/linen and/or well woven, and semi-opaque to full-opaque. - Work with colorful statement lamps. Think bright orange-red plastic space-agey, or anything else colorful. Architect desk lamps that you can direct wherever you want, placed in unexpected spots (e.g. in the corner of the bedroom, pointing to the ceiling) - Give your bold accent colors/items enough empty space around it to work their magic. Mind you, these are very Swiss-design-centric tips.
I picked up a poster at the post office in Switzerland back in the ‘80’s of 12 different Swiss stamps. It says “Zackig durch das ganze jahr!” It’s colorful and fun and reminds me of a great trip.
"Deviating" is the word you want here. In my bedroom with white walls, I have also hung some very cool clothes I don't wear much, like a black button shirt with flames. Also a Bruce Lee flag, a supersoaker, different kinds of hats, blue-green-red string lights in broken lines, Batman art, magazine covers. A vintage scarf over the window to shade the sun. Glow in the dark stars, with blacklight of course.
@@ribbrascal Thank you, I've now corrected it. As a non-native English speaker, both words have somewhat similar meanings in a way and I tend to just use one of the two when in a rush. :) Honestly, not a big fan of glow-in-the dark-stars and blacklight in an adult space. Personally it reminds me too much of a child bedroom's decor, since that how I encountered it. Maybe using smart bulbs (e.g. Philips hue in the whole color spectrum) in strategic places without going nuts (the underside of your bed does NOT have to glow in a green hue) can give you a similar effect.
Great suggestions Nick. When considering shelving units to fill a wall, please remember that good quality sideboards and hutches are often cheap as borscht when sourced secondhand or at estate sales. This is especially true for dated pieces. One of my neighbours sourced a massive unit to fill an awkward niche in her unit and painted it an amazing red to excellent effect. When moving somewhere else, there's no great sorrow in letting go of such a piece and re-thrifting it if it doesn't fit the new digs. When I sold my house and downsized to a condo very little of the art from my home was suited to the long bare walls of the condo's great room. Though I paid a bit more for them I found a couple of very large pieces. One was a giclée from a local artist that was about 1/3 the price of the original oil painting. Before I downsized and moved 100 km inland, I lived no more than 15 minutes from a beach. I rationalized that an expensive giclée of crashing surf the size of a picture window was a lot less expensive than a unit with a waterfront view. Never regretted that purchase.
I have a cabinet in my home that I thrifted for $20. It's narrow and tall and to look at it, you'd never guess it was once a gun cabinet. I think someone made it themselves, so it has some quirky hardware and details that I love. I stripped the gun racks out of the inside and had wood cut to make normal shelves. It actually has wallpaper inside covering the glass doors--it's wallpaper that looks like grasscloth. I painted the cabinet dark green, distressed the edges, and waxed the whole thing to make it look old. It really does look nice.
HHmmmmmm white wall dilemma - in the last decade the solution was to paint it some shade of battle ship grey to match your battleship grey floors and battleship grey furniture, and then top it off with great big huge wrapped canvas picture of the seaside, with no frame. Perfect look of the ever popular pandemic depression decor. Folks anything is better than grey and white to encourage you to get out of bed in the morning. And if you can't possibly get out of bed paint it black.
My gf absolutely detests grey as an interior colour, our home isn't colourful but she loves earthy greens and blues and all these colors go well with our SW portico
Not anything.. The house I bought has a bedroom painted pale ocean teal and it sucks so much.. depending on the time of day its green like dirty pool water or a weird aqua toilet water color. White would have been better. I need to paint it so bad.
I like not having an open concept home mainly because I can collect more art because I have more wall space to hang it on 😂. I really want to do wall molding. I’m seeing a lot of people diy-ing it and it looks good. I think the next phase of gallery walls should be grouping larger pieces and bringing them closer together rather than a bunch of small pieces spread out over a larger wall. It is difficult for most people to afford a larger piece of art, so gallery walls are a solution for that.
My issue as well! The more open, the fewer places to hang art. The last time we moved (6.5 yrs ago) I was very conscious of that. We were lucky to find a house w the perfect balance -- somewhat open but plenty of walls for art.
I have three large white (snow season colour) walls in the stairwell. I’ve imagined them with Hamptons mouldings - imagined them with a dramatic mural or tall tree forest wallpaper - imagined them in a rich dark blue like the colour behind you Nick - imagining takes a lot of energy 😳consequently they’re still white 🙄but I love your suggestions adding to my imaginings ☺️
I knew a woman whose son died when he was hiking in the Rocky Mountains. When they found his camera, she had the photos blown-up and displayed in her home to remember him and have some of the last moments that he saw before he died. It was sad of course, but the photos he took were really beautiful.
Re mouldings: My last apartment was tiny (18 m2), in a 1920s building, and while it was generally a dump, it DID have picture rails, which are terrific in a small apartment. Picture rails are mouldings that extend across walls, near the ceiling-firmly hammered into every stud-with a lip on the edge you can hang hooks on, from which to hang pictures. The thing is, you can hang anything else from them, too, so you can more easily use the vertical space. As they're attached to all the studs, they'll bear a lot of weight [1]. I hung my bike from them, a coat rack near the front door, curtains, a spice rack, and some plants [2]. (Also, some pictures and mirrors.) _____ [1] The 20 or so coats of paint they received over the years probably also contributed to their strength. [2] I also used them to support my blanket fort. I kept the fort up over my bed for more than a year, changing the elements-vintage tablecloths for spring, blue saris for winter, plain white sheets for summer. I don't have one right now, but the experience convinced me that bed forts are a woefully underutilized design feature.
I never have had picture rails, but hanging a bed fort from them is enticing. If Texans had bed forts, fewer might have frozen to death. I have been using semipassive solar to provide 12 hours of free heat for my house all winter, but in emergency, a bed fort sounds a treat.
@@RebeccaTreeseed It's even better than that. My bed, and consequently my bed fort, were right up against the window with my air conditioner. So during summer nights, the AC only cooled the space within the bed fort instead of the entire apartment. I think the seasonal increase on my electric bill was about half what it would have been otherwise.
@@marlabrunker738 Thank you for extra information. Historically, enclosing beds was common, and folks slept together in them. Of course they could build extra bed platforms, but didn't. I have been using passive solar for 12 hours of free heat daily. I would love a window unit too. I found an old wooden picture rail I like. It occurs to me that my smallest bedroom is barely larger than the bed, I think a picture rail would sure turn it into an I Dream of Jeannie boudoir. It is only 8x8, 8x10 if I remove the closet. Moving everything out of there, ugh. Does have a window. This is an awesome idea.
I have framed photos of sunsets that I've taken at different times and I love the look and it's cool because it's personal since I took the photos myself.
The one thing I found a bit intimidating about dark wall, is that any imperfections and chipping would become extremely evident, especially if it's painted over a light colour. It has not even been a month since I painted a wall in deep green, there is already a few white spots from something bumping on it, once even my toe nail caused a chip. Just the thought of drilling hole to put shelves on that wall is making me tremble.
What finish have you chosen? Have you gone for matte or something like a satin? The more matte, the easier it is to ding. I will say though that my navy hallway has a couple of dings where a bench sits. It doesn't bother me that much but I also keep a tester pot of hale navy to touch up every few months or so. It dries to look the same and no one can see.
My fear with dark walls is a bug will live incognito in my home. I want dark walls or intricate wallpaper but I worry if there's a spider or some other bug, I'm less likely to find it bc it can camouflage.
Great timing for this video! I have a giant white wall in my dining room and just decided on doing a modern slat wall, paint it black/dark gray and I'm having a friend paint me a funky art piece. Now I just need to figure out the empty wall in my narrow hallway 😅 Love your suggestions Nick!
Great ideas. I'm a maximalist and I hate plain walls. I'm trying to find ways to accent all the white spaces without going overboard. I got some good ideas here. I have a bookcase wall in my LR that really doesn't have a lot of books on it. The books are more like decor, and it has all my pretties in and around the books. The bookcases were gotten at different times and don't even match, but I painted them all white an d they are wonderful.
I'm stuck with white walls (long story) so I painted my living room ceiling blue and my dining room ceiling peachy pink. It helps. I try to choose colors that make me and my guests look nice.
Only my kitchen walls are white. My library is navy but the rest of downstairs is done in the palest possible blue so people are never quite sure if the walls are blue or if they are white which just adds a little interest, especially as the light changes through the day. It is an option for people that aren't sure they want to go with color. Another option for dealing with large walls is to hang textiles like a vintage rug.
The are few things I abhor as much as a stark white wall. I wish I could show a picture of my new br. I'm a widow and the room has felt forbidden since he died, like it was our room. So I decided to make it mine 100%. Deep forest green and black walls, a black canopy, vintage hand embroidered ivory curtains. Crates hung up for storage. Original 1925 wood floors. It's a combo bedroom/art studio and it makes me really happy.
Thank you for your video! I love when you warn us about beautiful decor that can be a nightmare in the ling run, e.g. non-removable wall paper, and glass lamps in another video. Thanks again!! ❤️
things on my white walls 1- periodic table with isotope 2- Iron carbon solution series chart 3- ACLS chart 4-X86 operand matrix 5- frequency allocation chart 0-25ghz 6- Maps , lots of maps 7- fire evacuation plan 8- edged weapons 9- Tapestries 10- paper decorations for that coconut grove effect
After I saw the video where you showed the house you were designing for yourself, I saw how sophisticated your taste is and now I take you much more seriously. You are very kind and generous when you make a video. Thanks.
As a child I was tramatized by white walls. In the 60's the entire downstairs was white walls. But, what recovered me was the lavender walls my upstairs bedroom had! So I will never have white walls as an adult!
Really good ideas Nick! Minimal does it for me .. on a white wall. Lovely to think what I can do with a picture, painting, wall-shelf and some greenery, sculpture and glass on it. And some lighting to jazz it up, or not. Thanks again, enjoyed this.
Loved this video! We just bought a house and need to redecorate EVERYTHING and these tips were so helpful to spark some creativity. Would love to see more videos talking about window treatment options... that's my next challenge to tackle.
Nick, your videos are a wonderful combination of sound advice and your personality... I view them for education and entertainment! Greetings from the Okanagan
I wouldn’t say I’m a maximalist, but I hate an empty wall. In my youth, when money was tight I had framed posters of art that I enjoyed. I didn’t try to pretend that I had a framed Van Gogh, for example. The frame was big enough to show the name of the gallery. It’s a poster. Even now, in my older age where I can afford more, I have a framed poster of an advertisement for a French vet in my bathroom that I love. It’s from Target. 😆
I painted the walls in my first ... and last house in Wisconsin. So many beautiful earthy colours! It made me so happy. No more rentals with white walls. Yeah!
I saw someone who had covered a wall in those serviceable-but-meh paintings of flowers that you always find in thrift shops, and when they were put together it looked like a garden! (This was in a summer house/cabin, it might have been a bit much to have all year round unless you have a large home.)
This video, and your channel, is very informative. I always know when a room doesn’t feel right, but can never put my finger on why. Your channel has given me the knowledge and understanding as to what is wrong in all the rooms of a house. You’re also a very funny guy! With this video in particular, I wish I’d known this info when I lived in a rental apartment which was all white. It was a beautiful apartment, but it never felt warm and homely. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and expertise!
Hi Nick, I also subscribe to Mark Tobin's RUclips channel and wanted to say how much I enjoyed your broadcast on Wednesday with him. As for this video I just wanted to say how much I love your channel, you crack me up every time I watch you and are always giving me great ideas on how to decorate my home. We will be renovating our home starting September and your's and Mark's videos have helped me greatly.
Though I don't have any problems painting colors on my walls, one thing that is an issue where I live (SW Florida) is almost all the walls are very textured. The only walls that aren't are bathroom and kitchen, and that is done so that you could put up wallpaper. It would be hard to put wallpaper on top of the texture, and I'm not sure that even the molding would look as good, though something like ship lap would cover it. I also have vaulted ceilings in most rooms so large expanses of walls to cover. Most walls have a furniture piece or a landscape painting that I've found at thrift stores.
OMG Nick! That was the fastest talking video I’ve ever seen and heard! I may replay it with the sound off to make sure I caught the decorating ideas. I feel very tired now, like I ran a marathon 🏃♀️ which I would never do!
Thank you for this video ❤️ I'll be moving in a new build flat in 3 months (if all goes well🤞). I didn't factor painting in the budget. The stereo, sofa and kitchen were the priority.
I just found your channel and have been watching your episodes. So glad I found you. Love your style and taste! Thank you for sharing your gift with us. ❤️
People shunning grey color in the comments:I still love that dark grey/anthracite color panelled wall behind Nick. Look how rich and gorgeous it looks, contrasting with the light wooden finish of the kitchen!
A showcase/displaycase can be really cool if styled unexpected or uniquely.. (I don't know if showcase is the correct term for what I mean, I'm not a native speaker; I mean those mostly/traditionally wooden, now sometimes acrylic or metal frames with compartements, that are meant to be used as kind of mini shelves for little collected items.) Styled in a theme or colour theme it can really be nice & interesting, not frumpy & oldfashioned.
Well, we're building at the moment... My parents keep buying art and have no more wall space to put it. So that's where we're at. The art is there, walls still need to go up :)
Controversial opinion - I really don’t like mirrors and paintings on the floor (or on on a cabinet) leaning against the wall! It just looks like you’ve not got round to hanging them yet! Pictures sitting on dedicated picture shelves look ok because it looks like an intentional design choice but otherwise it’s a big no from me. I think we’re going to look back at those and think how dated it looks too. Not to mention the safety risk from a large unattached mirror that could fall on you or a child. Otherwise, thanks again for a great video Nick!
I need more wall space too. Every room in my 1903 house has three large windows and openings. Also doors all over the place.Architecture Depot has nice polyethylene moldings.
It's interesting, because I find the idea of doing white walls much more intimidating than colour! Maybe because I'm aware that it's so easy for it to look dumpy? I don't know, but unless I had perfect walls (aka no imperfections) and lots of natural light, I don't think I'd have the nerve to do white walls.
First time to watch your video enjoyed same you make your ideas sound dooabill im 68 yrs old have no diy skills your video makes me think I could try some of your suggestions thank you Denis
I think wall mouldings look great! They definitely not my style - they do not speak to me personally, but they are a really interesting way to give some structure to a space. If you’re on the fence, and wall mouldings excite you, I say go for it! I don’t know many people who have them in their homes, so it’s a really cool way to stand out.
Re postcards or standard snapshots: I saw a neat trick (probably BH&G) where a ledge was created with molding in a breakfast area to hold current/favourite photos. Same molding on top.
I don't like plain white but I do like off- whites. Neutrals are my favorite. I don't get sick of them. Change your decor as accessories instead. I agree with art that is too small for the wall, it's all about composition.
I watched an obscene amount of your videos because I bought a house and I’m going to pretended I’m you and design it. I’m both 5’8” and not an interior designer; I’m literally AND figuratively not going live up to you, but we gonna try! Thanks for making these videos. You’re amazing.
*Sitting here with my blank white walls* (just moved in)... perfect timing, despite me being an artist and having lots of ideas. Still, it's hard to decide!!!
Oh I know totally. If you go with things that are easily changed out like paint or peel and stick wallpaper, it makes the decision making easier. Mouldings are a commitment.
Same here. I bought a home a lot of blank white walls. I’m overwhelmed and so afraid to commit to anything yet. I’ve checked out so many art places online, and nothing really has caught my eye. Ugh.. stressing out here
Hi Nick. Would you like a video idea? Considering how many people now work from home, I just thought you could always do a video on how to turn one room into 2 rooms (Example: living room and office space).
For art on a budget you can get white or clear contact paper, cut to size for your wall and you can draw, paint, add texture etc right on your wall w/o damage! It looks really great if you need large scale art.
Yes I want more walls! Oh my God. I've been buying from Wayfair since 2011 or so. Oh heavens to Betsy I think I have 52 pieces from them. Yes you can do that when you're having a good time over the years.
Nick this was super helpful! I'm renting an awesome older house with a long awkward-ish wall. I think a fun peel-and-stick wallpaper might be just the thing for my Mid-century vibe!
Ok I'm being a bit dramatic... there is nothing WRONG with a white wall. However if you are looking to change it up, here are a bunch of options!
there is totally everything wrong with white walls XD i can't stand white walls anymore.. i even paint the ceilings with pastel colour.. everything but white
It's probably been said a million times already but WE NEED A HOUSE TOUR!!!!
Hate the white wall- hospital like style! Glad you are talking about this.
Clicked to defend the white wall. Love a white wall.
I love wall moldings but my walls have that orange peel texture! Do I need to sand that all down first to make a flat wall?
Re: rental friendly peel-and-stick, they also make plain white that can be painted! If you're not allowed to paint your walls, buy white peel-and-stick, lay it flat on some cardboard and paint it, then (once it's dry) peel the backing and hang. And re: art pieces, you can also have a gorgeous piece of fabric, like a vintage scarf, matted and framed.
What a hot tip! 🔥
Totally, and for a rug, you don't even need a frame!
Wow, brilliant even for your own home!
Love those ideas!!
You can take 1/4” sheets of 4x8 wood (cut them for appropriate scale) and paint them out, add some molding, backlight them, and hang art on them.
People have been really hating on shiplap recently, calling it overdone etc. to a point that it’s like a dirty secret to admit to still like it. Just because something is constantly featured on TV doesn’t automatically mean it’s in everybody’s house. We recently house hunted, and of the countless houses we saw not a single one had shiplap anywhere. We just installed it in our main bathroom behind the vanity, which is fitted into an alcove, and put two swiveling mirrors over it. We then put it up behind the toilet, which is also sitting in a previously bland niche. It brings some contrast. We are not in a farmhouse, but shiplap works in coastal settings as well, at least for me. It has it’s place, and is less formal than other types of wainscoting.
So true, haven't seen it in a single home while househuntung. We looked at hundreds and hundreds online
I kind of hate white walls out of spite - growing up, my mother never let me paint my bedroom walls a dark or bright color, because she thought it would be stressful or I'd get tired of it quickly. When I was a teenager, I rebelled and demanded a bright, barbie-pink wall, which I had for years. Now my home has zero white walls, and my dark green bedroom is the coziest thing ever😅
I hate white walls too. In the three houses I’ve lived, I painted my bedroom a pale green. I saw the color at the paint store and decided it was perfect for me. Even better was the color name - Dreamcatcher. I took that as a sign right then and there.
@@mocowan6642 aw I love that. The paint name gets me too!
My whole family feels this because Military housing and rentals just have such boring white walls that once we had a home of our own I was desperate for unicorn wall paper and pink walls
I definitely did get tired of my bright red wall I begged my mom to let me paint but I had fun with it for awhile lol then I just painted it white again no walls were hurt in the proccess
Any wallpaper can become temporary if you use double-sided scrapbooking tape. It is meant to hold paper and can be easily removed. I purchased Van Gogh's Almond Blossom wallpaper in blue and will be hanging it in my living room with the double-sided tape.
Oh great idea!
That’s a beautiful pattern
Hey Nick! Thanks for adding more pictures to your videos lately, and keeping them on screen long enough to do a deeper look, as you speak. It really helps in taking in the examples illustrating your point. Cheers!
I like white as wallcolour mainly for lighting reasons.
For me it can (nearly) never be too bright.
“ I can’t be expected to remember exactly what falls out of my mouth“ Is something I say as a therapist on a weekly basis 😂 love the video today, I have a couple of walls that just aren’t right and I think it’s time for more drama
Change it up! Go for a bold colour at the very least!
The first room we re-did in our 1970 vintage living room was to install a wall-to-wall bookcase. If you use kitchen base cabinets, then stack double wall cabinets on top, you get an 8' high bookcase. Across the top of the window, we used the size that goes above a refrigerator - and the same size below, with cushions to make a window seat. The shallow cabinets were filled with plexiglas "glass" because the kids were small enough to throw toys and break glass fronts. Then the rough-sawn paneling was painted a sandy color for texture.
Here in scandinavia we rarely paint our walls. It is almost always wallpaper. its a tradition since forever and it looks so good. Easy to change and set another mood if wanted. Thank you for sharing!
Deviating from white walls is a bit of a pain when you live in a renter area (Switzerland), in a renting apartment. And also I don't mind white, maybe one or two accent walls in a color are nice. My experience is that a color can be quite a commitment and I don't want to be repainting my walls every two years just to chase after or get rid of a trend (or get rid of a poorly chosen red in my bedroom that made me feel constantly nervous after a while, and made my bedroom look like a red light district room when lit and seen from outside.)
So my solutions have been:
- big PHAT framed poster art (Switzerland has a huge history of graphic design, production design, lettering, and cool vintage stuff from previous exhibitions or tourist advertisements - I'm sure there's stuff like that in every region). I am talking min 3ft x 4 ft sizes. Make it a statement.
- Hang selected items of clothes that look cool or have an interesting cut/print/pattern (and maybe you've grown out of them *cough*) on a nice wooden clotheshanger, onto a wall. Even draping a silk shawl or funky tie over that clotheshanger looks great. It's a nice statement in the bedroom, and it's a cool thing to do with clothing items that you don't wear too often anyways. And easy to switch out when you get bored of it.
- Postcards/photographs, paperclips, and little nails. Put the paperclips on to the postcard where you want it to hang, hang it on the nail/wall, ta-dah. You can collect artsy postcards from museums/exhibitions, develop your own photos that are somewhat artsy and colorful, arrange them linear in a tight space (like between two doors), or as a loose (!) collage on more wall space.
- Work with strategically placed lights and spots. Direct a lot of the light at the art or just the blank wall (indirect lighting).
- Get colorful high quality drapes. By that I mean, cotton/linen and/or well woven, and semi-opaque to full-opaque.
- Work with colorful statement lamps. Think bright orange-red plastic space-agey, or anything else colorful. Architect desk lamps that you can direct wherever you want, placed in unexpected spots (e.g. in the corner of the bedroom, pointing to the ceiling)
- Give your bold accent colors/items enough empty space around it to work their magic.
Mind you, these are very Swiss-design-centric tips.
I picked up a poster at the post office in Switzerland back in the ‘80’s of 12 different Swiss stamps. It says “Zackig durch das ganze jahr!” It’s colorful and fun and reminds me of a great trip.
"Deviating" is the word you want here.
In my bedroom with white walls, I have also hung some very cool clothes I don't wear much, like a black button shirt with flames. Also a Bruce Lee flag, a supersoaker, different kinds of hats, blue-green-red string lights in broken lines, Batman art, magazine covers.
A vintage scarf over the window to shade the sun.
Glow in the dark stars, with blacklight of course.
@@ribbrascal Thank you, I've now corrected it. As a non-native English speaker, both words have somewhat similar meanings in a way and I tend to just use one of the two when in a rush. :)
Honestly, not a big fan of glow-in-the dark-stars and blacklight in an adult space. Personally it reminds me too much of a child bedroom's decor, since that how I encountered it. Maybe using smart bulbs (e.g. Philips hue in the whole color spectrum) in strategic places without going nuts (the underside of your bed does NOT have to glow in a green hue) can give you a similar effect.
Great suggestions Nick. When considering shelving units to fill a wall, please remember that good quality sideboards and hutches are often cheap as borscht when sourced secondhand or at estate sales. This is especially true for dated pieces. One of my neighbours sourced a massive unit to fill an awkward niche in her unit and painted it an amazing red to excellent effect. When moving somewhere else, there's no great sorrow in letting go of such a piece and re-thrifting it if it doesn't fit the new digs.
When I sold my house and downsized to a condo very little of the art from my home was suited to the long bare walls of the condo's great room. Though I paid a bit more for them I found a couple of very large pieces. One was a giclée from a local artist that was about 1/3 the price of the original oil painting. Before I downsized and moved 100 km inland, I lived no more than 15 minutes from a beach. I rationalized that an expensive giclée of crashing surf the size of a picture window was a lot less expensive than a unit with a waterfront view. Never regretted that purchase.
I have a cabinet in my home that I thrifted for $20. It's narrow and tall and to look at it, you'd never guess it was once a gun cabinet. I think someone made it themselves, so it has some quirky hardware and details that I love. I stripped the gun racks out of the inside and had wood cut to make normal shelves. It actually has wallpaper inside covering the glass doors--it's wallpaper that looks like grasscloth. I painted the cabinet dark green, distressed the edges, and waxed the whole thing to make it look old. It really does look nice.
This is by far the fanciest and most loquacious RUclips comment I have ever read.
HHmmmmmm white wall dilemma - in the last decade the solution was to paint it some shade of battle ship grey to match your battleship grey floors and battleship grey furniture, and then top it off with great big huge wrapped canvas picture of the seaside, with no frame. Perfect look of the ever popular pandemic depression decor. Folks anything is better than grey and white to encourage you to get out of bed in the morning. And if you can't possibly get out of bed paint it black.
Well said and I could not agree more .
My gf absolutely detests grey as an interior colour, our home isn't colourful but she loves earthy greens and blues and all these colors go well with our SW portico
@@kevinmayers4346 That sounds really nice Kevin.
I think you just described my place... (disclaimer - it was like that when I moved in)
Not anything.. The house I bought has a bedroom painted pale ocean teal and it sucks so much.. depending on the time of day its green like dirty pool water or a weird aqua toilet water color. White would have been better. I need to paint it so bad.
I like not having an open concept home mainly because I can collect more art because I have more wall space to hang it on 😂. I really want to do wall molding. I’m seeing a lot of people diy-ing it and it looks good. I think the next phase of gallery walls should be grouping larger pieces and bringing them closer together rather than a bunch of small pieces spread out over a larger wall. It is difficult for most people to afford a larger piece of art, so gallery walls are a solution for that.
My issue as well! The more open, the fewer places to hang art. The last time we moved (6.5 yrs ago) I was very conscious of that. We were lucky to find a house w the perfect balance -- somewhat open but plenty of walls for art.
I have three large white (snow season colour) walls in the stairwell. I’ve imagined them with Hamptons mouldings - imagined them with a dramatic mural or tall tree forest wallpaper - imagined them in a rich dark blue like the colour behind you Nick - imagining takes a lot of energy 😳consequently they’re still white 🙄but I love your suggestions adding to my imaginings ☺️
I knew a woman whose son died when he was hiking in the Rocky Mountains. When they found his camera, she had the photos blown-up and displayed in her home to remember him and have some of the last moments that he saw before he died. It was sad of course, but the photos he took were really beautiful.
That's awesome. What happened to him?
@@ribbrascal I think he fell from some cliff or something. I don't remember all of the details.
@@clinetalbo I knew a guy who lost his footing in a river and was swept over a waterfall
I love this idea - such a sad event but a lovely way to remember him
Yikes. That’s …. Hmmmm. I don’t know how I would handle that…. 😥
Re mouldings: My last apartment was tiny (18 m2), in a 1920s building, and while it was generally a dump, it DID have picture rails, which are terrific in a small apartment.
Picture rails are mouldings that extend across walls, near the ceiling-firmly hammered into every stud-with a lip on the edge you can hang hooks on, from which to hang pictures.
The thing is, you can hang anything else from them, too, so you can more easily use the vertical space. As they're attached to all the studs, they'll bear a lot of weight [1]. I hung my bike from them, a coat rack near the front door, curtains, a spice rack, and some plants [2]. (Also, some pictures and mirrors.)
_____
[1] The 20 or so coats of paint they received over the years probably also contributed to their strength.
[2] I also used them to support my blanket fort. I kept the fort up over my bed for more than a year, changing the elements-vintage tablecloths for spring, blue saris for winter, plain white sheets for summer. I don't have one right now, but the experience convinced me that bed forts are a woefully underutilized design feature.
I never have had picture rails, but hanging a bed fort from them is enticing. If Texans had bed forts, fewer might have frozen to death. I have been using semipassive solar to provide 12 hours of free heat for my house all winter, but in emergency, a bed fort sounds a treat.
@@RebeccaTreeseed
It's even better than that.
My bed, and consequently my bed fort, were right up against the window with my air conditioner.
So during summer nights, the AC only cooled the space within the bed fort instead of the entire apartment. I think the seasonal increase on my electric bill was about half what it would have been otherwise.
@@marlabrunker738 Thank you for extra information. Historically, enclosing beds was common, and folks slept together in them. Of course they could build extra bed platforms, but didn't. I have been using passive solar for 12 hours of free heat daily. I would love a window unit too. I found an old wooden picture rail I like. It occurs to me that my smallest bedroom is barely larger than the bed, I think a picture rail would sure turn it into an I Dream of Jeannie boudoir. It is only 8x8, 8x10 if I remove the closet. Moving everything out of there, ugh. Does have a window. This is an awesome idea.
"Hi Joanna 👋🏻" This absolutely killed me 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I have framed photos of sunsets that I've taken at different times and I love the look and it's cool because it's personal since I took the photos myself.
Sage green, of course. Also dragonfly wallpaper (Art Deco/Nouveau black background version) from Spoonflower.
Totally. I am loving the combination of sage green and aged brass right now.
The one thing I found a bit intimidating about dark wall, is that any imperfections and chipping would become extremely evident, especially if it's painted over a light colour. It has not even been a month since I painted a wall in deep green, there is already a few white spots from something bumping on it, once even my toe nail caused a chip. Just the thought of drilling hole to put shelves on that wall is making me tremble.
What finish have you chosen? Have you gone for matte or something like a satin? The more matte, the easier it is to ding. I will say though that my navy hallway has a couple of dings where a bench sits. It doesn't bother me that much but I also keep a tester pot of hale navy to touch up every few months or so. It dries to look the same and no one can see.
Same with my wall (also painted deep green), I wish I kept the paint around for repairs!
@@doctordonnanoble If you remember the wall color you can probably get a small sample jar that you can use to touch ups.
I think there is slso black or dark colored primer out there....but I maybe mistaken 🤔.
My fear with dark walls is a bug will live incognito in my home. I want dark walls or intricate wallpaper but I worry if there's a spider or some other bug, I'm less likely to find it bc it can camouflage.
Great timing for this video! I have a giant white wall in my dining room and just decided on doing a modern slat wall, paint it black/dark gray and I'm having a friend paint me a funky art piece. Now I just need to figure out the empty wall in my narrow hallway 😅 Love your suggestions Nick!
Great ideas. I'm a maximalist and I hate plain walls. I'm trying to find ways to accent all the white spaces without going overboard. I got some good ideas here. I have a bookcase wall in my LR that really doesn't have a lot of books on it. The books are more like decor, and it has all my pretties in and around the books. The bookcases were gotten at different times and don't even match, but I painted them all white an d they are wonderful.
I'm stuck with white walls (long story) so I painted my living room ceiling blue and my dining room ceiling peachy pink. It helps. I try to choose colors that make me and my guests look nice.
Only my kitchen walls are white. My library is navy but the rest of downstairs is done in the palest possible blue so people are never quite sure if the walls are blue or if they are white which just adds a little interest, especially as the light changes through the day. It is an option for people that aren't sure they want to go with color. Another option for dealing with large walls is to hang textiles like a vintage rug.
I’m glad you encouraged people to try DIY art. Even people with zero art experience can do amazing things.
The are few things I abhor as much as a stark white wall. I wish I could show a picture of my new br. I'm a widow and the room has felt forbidden since he died, like it was our room. So I decided to make it mine 100%. Deep forest green and black walls, a black canopy, vintage hand embroidered ivory curtains. Crates hung up for storage. Original 1925 wood floors. It's a combo bedroom/art studio and it makes me really happy.
Thank you for your video! I love when you warn us about beautiful decor that can be a nightmare in the ling run, e.g. non-removable wall paper, and glass lamps in another video. Thanks again!! ❤️
things on my white walls
1- periodic table with isotope
2- Iron carbon solution series chart
3- ACLS chart
4-X86 operand matrix
5- frequency allocation chart 0-25ghz
6- Maps , lots of maps
7- fire evacuation plan
8- edged weapons
9- Tapestries
10- paper decorations for that coconut grove effect
If you get rid of # 10 you may not ever need #7 .
@@johelenfugate3498 😂
@@johelenfugate3498 heh heh
After I saw the video where you showed the house you were designing for yourself, I saw how sophisticated your taste is and now I take you much more seriously. You are very kind and generous when you make a video. Thanks.
I painted a huge mural on my living room wall it’s artwork… that’s one of a kind and very interesting and beautiful!!
As a child I was tramatized by white walls. In the 60's the entire downstairs was white walls. But, what recovered me was the lavender walls my upstairs bedroom had! So I will never have white walls as an adult!
I would also add lighting. You can do some interesting things by throwing some colour or shadows on your walls to make some dynamic or subtle accents
Blank white walls are the best for colorful artwork.
Really good ideas Nick! Minimal does it for me .. on a white wall. Lovely to think what I can do with a picture, painting, wall-shelf and some greenery, sculpture and glass on it. And some lighting to jazz it up, or not. Thanks again, enjoyed this.
Loved this video! We just bought a house and need to redecorate EVERYTHING and these tips were so helpful to spark some creativity. Would love to see more videos talking about window treatment options... that's my next challenge to tackle.
Shiplap = no. 😂 Always no for me. Love you Nick! ❤️
Nick, your videos are a wonderful combination of sound advice and your personality... I view them for education and entertainment! Greetings from the Okanagan
"Paint over those suckers" love your personality, just like we are all having a coffee and chit chatting😅 with you. You're the real thing.
I wouldn’t say I’m a maximalist, but I hate an empty wall. In my youth, when money was tight I had framed posters of art that I enjoyed. I didn’t try to pretend that I had a framed Van Gogh, for example. The frame was big enough to show the name of the gallery. It’s a poster. Even now, in my older age where I can afford more, I have a framed poster of an advertisement for a French vet in my bathroom that I love. It’s from Target. 😆
There are some really awesome posters out there!
OMG! I was pondering what to do with my white wall behind the toilet this morning! Nick..thanks to a very creative guy! Linda from NJ
I hope I gave you some ideas!
Kiva and Nick is the cameo I didn't know I needed 💖
I painted the walls in my first ... and last house in Wisconsin. So many beautiful earthy colours! It made me so happy. No more rentals with white walls. Yeah!
I saw someone who had covered a wall in those serviceable-but-meh paintings of flowers that you always find in thrift shops, and when they were put together it looked like a garden! (This was in a summer house/cabin, it might have been a bit much to have all year round unless you have a large home.)
I love the modern look of a slatted wall. Maybe that's just what I need in my bedroom, for the wall behind my headboard!🤔
This video, and your channel, is very informative. I always know when a room doesn’t feel right, but can never put my finger on why. Your channel has given me the knowledge and understanding as to what is wrong in all the rooms of a house. You’re also a very funny guy!
With this video in particular, I wish I’d known this info when I lived in a rental apartment which was all white. It was a beautiful apartment, but it never felt warm and homely. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and expertise!
Hi Nick, I also subscribe to Mark Tobin's RUclips channel and wanted to say how much I enjoyed your broadcast on Wednesday with him. As for this video I just wanted to say how much I love your channel, you crack me up every time I watch you and are always giving me great ideas on how to decorate my home. We will be renovating our home starting September and your's and Mark's videos have helped me greatly.
Though I don't have any problems painting colors on my walls, one thing that is an issue where I live (SW Florida) is almost all the walls are very textured. The only walls that aren't are bathroom and kitchen, and that is done so that you could put up wallpaper. It would be hard to put wallpaper on top of the texture, and I'm not sure that even the molding would look as good, though something like ship lap would cover it. I also have vaulted ceilings in most rooms so large expanses of walls to cover. Most walls have a furniture piece or a landscape painting that I've found at thrift stores.
OMG Nick! That was the fastest talking video I’ve ever seen and heard! I may replay it with the sound off to make sure I caught the decorating ideas. I feel very tired now, like I ran a marathon 🏃♀️ which I would never do!
Funny enough, I found your channel looking for the perfect white paint for my baby’s room 😂 I’ve stayed because I’m learning so much from you! ❤️
So good! I'm tired of white walls - this was great!
I didn’t know about Kiva’s new show 👏 good for her!
Excellent, especially molding that upgrades a space.
A room with ornate paneling painted white looks fantastic with ultra modern furniture
Thank you for this video ❤️ I'll be moving in a new build flat in 3 months (if all goes well🤞). I didn't factor painting in the budget. The stereo, sofa and kitchen were the priority.
I just found your channel and have been watching your episodes. So glad I found you. Love your style and taste! Thank you for sharing your gift with us. ❤️
I don’t have a plain white wall but I have a plain dark blue wall right now this video was so helpful to inspire some ideas for this plain area I have
YOU ARE spot on getting my navy paint shelf and trims for my tv wall.. thank you🥰
Really enjoyed this video, great stuff Nick!
People shunning grey color in the comments:I still love that dark grey/anthracite color panelled wall behind Nick. Look how rich and gorgeous it looks, contrasting with the light wooden finish of the kitchen!
A showcase/displaycase can be really cool if styled unexpected or uniquely..
(I don't know if showcase is the correct term for what I mean, I'm not a native speaker; I mean those mostly/traditionally wooden, now sometimes acrylic or metal frames with compartements, that are meant to be used as kind of mini shelves for little collected items.)
Styled in a theme or colour theme it can really be nice & interesting, not frumpy & oldfashioned.
Well, we're building at the moment... My parents keep buying art and have no more wall space to put it. So that's where we're at. The art is there, walls still need to go up :)
Controversial opinion - I really don’t like mirrors and paintings on the floor (or on on a cabinet) leaning against the wall! It just looks like you’ve not got round to hanging them yet! Pictures sitting on dedicated picture shelves look ok because it looks like an intentional design choice but otherwise it’s a big no from me. I think we’re going to look back at those and think how dated it looks too. Not to mention the safety risk from a large unattached mirror that could fall on you or a child.
Otherwise, thanks again for a great video Nick!
Love the bedroom with the mantel headboard at 3:33 - gorgeous!
I need more wall space too. Every room in my 1903 house has three large windows and openings. Also doors all over the place.Architecture Depot has nice polyethylene moldings.
It's interesting, because I find the idea of doing white walls much more intimidating than colour! Maybe because I'm aware that it's so easy for it to look dumpy? I don't know, but unless I had perfect walls (aka no imperfections) and lots of natural light, I don't think I'd have the nerve to do white walls.
We have a paneled Navy accent wall in our bedroom. Looks great!
Okay but vertical ship lap is AMAZING!! So much better and high end looking than horizontal. It kind of gives off bead board vibes but nicer.
My big white walls are full of books, so I don't know why I watched this video, but I liked it 🙂
First time to watch your video enjoyed same you make your ideas sound dooabill im 68 yrs old have no diy skills your video makes me think I could try some of your suggestions thank you Denis
Thanks Nick, always enjoy your videos!
Great photos to illustrate each idea, Nick
So many great ideas! Thank you Nick. Love your Energy & style. :)
Thank you so much, you’re such an amazing inspirational person. Love you 🥰
Thank you! Just the info I needed!
Thank you for these fun ideas!!! 😊🦋
The video I have been needing because all of my walls are long overdue for repainting. Or maybe wallpaper. One of these years it will happen.
Your videos are awesome! you go to the point, you're funny, you have great taste.Keep it up
I think wall mouldings look great! They definitely not my style - they do not speak to me personally, but they are a really interesting way to give some structure to a space. If you’re on the fence, and wall mouldings excite you, I say go for it! I don’t know many people who have them in their homes, so it’s a really cool way to stand out.
Good for Kiva. I love her!
Fantastic ideas! Really helpful.
A recommendation is to not hang the art/photos/objects too high - please😉
Re postcards or standard snapshots: I saw a neat trick (probably BH&G) where a ledge was created with molding in a breakfast area to hold current/favourite photos. Same molding on top.
I don't like plain white but I do like off- whites. Neutrals are my favorite. I don't get sick of them. Change your decor as accessories instead.
I agree with art that is too small for the wall, it's all about composition.
I love your videos! I've watched maybe all multiple times (I'm not the process of designing my new home) and I hope you'll be proud!
That’s a lot of me! Good luck with the new home! ❤️
@@Nick_Lewis Oh definitely! I will email pics in a few months for "roasting my subscribers" series. Hopefully it'll be a light roast!
Right on time exactly what I need now 😍
I watched an obscene amount of your videos because I bought a house and I’m going to pretended I’m you and design it. I’m both 5’8” and not an interior designer; I’m literally AND figuratively not going live up to you, but we gonna try! Thanks for making these videos. You’re amazing.
This is my new favorite channel
*Sitting here with my blank white walls* (just moved in)... perfect timing, despite me being an artist and having lots of ideas. Still, it's hard to decide!!!
Oh I know totally. If you go with things that are easily changed out like paint or peel and stick wallpaper, it makes the decision making easier. Mouldings are a commitment.
Same here. I bought a home a lot of blank white walls. I’m overwhelmed and so afraid to commit to anything yet. I’ve checked out so many art places online, and nothing really has caught my eye. Ugh.. stressing out here
Love this guy...on point every time 💯
Wonderful Video. Great ideas. Thank you!
This was a super handy and inspirational vid thanks!
Would love to see a video on figuring out the proper proportion for art!
Hi Nick. Would you like a video idea? Considering how many people now work from home, I just thought you could always do a video on how to turn one room into 2 rooms (Example: living room and office space).
For art on a budget you can get white or clear contact paper, cut to size for your wall and you can draw, paint, add texture etc right on your wall w/o damage! It looks really great if you need large scale art.
Yes I want more walls! Oh my God. I've been buying from Wayfair since 2011 or so. Oh heavens to Betsy I think I have 52 pieces from them. Yes you can do that when you're having a good time over the years.
Love you! Keep the videos coming 😀
Nick this was super helpful! I'm renting an awesome older house with a long awkward-ish wall. I think a fun peel-and-stick wallpaper might be just the thing for my Mid-century vibe!
So jealous of your energy level… honey please teach me… Love you Nic.
4:13 I had to stop painting to regain composure So funny