(Part 3) Best products from r/InteriorDesign

Okay here's my idea of layout:

https://imgur.com/a/t1nMS

I would DEFINITELY move your TV away from the window because it is blocking so much of that lovely light! Look at the shadows it's making on the wall... it'd be a shame to leave it there. But get what you're saying about glare from the window. Any chance that you could mount the TV on the wall? The TV stand could still go underneath it, but you can get cable tidies to hide the cables. Get a nice picture frame or vintage vase/pot or something to sit on the glass TV stand (with the TV mounted above) will draw people's attention away from cables etc anyway.

There was another post on this subreddit today by somebody who had made a cool desk out of IKEA products: https://www.reddit.com/r/InteriorDesign/comments/80qy8v/ideas_for_office_carpet_and_complete_room. Notice how they've used 2x of the little shelving units and a piece of wood. If you don't want to buy the individual drawer units then IKEA do super cheap legs that you can just screw into a piece of wood. You could get the wood cut easily at any DIY place, or Home Depot or whatever. The beauty of this is that you can get it to fit your space perfectly and maximise the room available.

I agree your furniture isn't the most exciting but that's fine - we've all had free furniture! An easy cheap way to improve them is to cover it with a nice throw. Something like this would be simple and much more attractive:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075B5SQMR/ref=twister_B075BG9JG9?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

or

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20373065/

Good luck! Your space is going to be great

Yeah, but those small details aren't about leaving stuff laying around, unkempt. Those details are whatever makes a place look not just like a home, but instead, like your home. They're things you enjoy and clues about who you are. When someone walks into your home for the first time, what do they see and what do those things tell them about you?

Is your art just stuff to hang on the walls, or is it art you chose for some specific reason?

My home is an open loft, and it's kind of sparse, but I'm a minimalist so simplicity pleases me. The art on my walls is all black & white photography, and I have a few interesting items on shelves and my coffee table to add a pop of color and visual interest, and people always end up commenting on them (3 small sculptures of See No Evil/Hear No Evil/Speak No Evil monkeys, a metal chess set, some really cool painted wooden blocks, and books).

Books are a biggie! People always browse through a collection of books, but if you're into music and you have room for a turntable, a collection of vinyl LPs would be pretty awesome too - if it fits who you are, of course. That's what it's all about. I'd start with books if you're single. Books score points with dates, even if the books aren't novels. I have a huge design book on the coffee table behind my couch along with a copy of This I Believe and a collection of short stories.

So... the question is: Who are you? What details in your home give a visitor clues about who you are and what you're passionate about? And, perhaps most importantly, what makes your home feel like a place you're passionate about? It's not about buying expensive stuff. The most expensive thing I own is probably a $900 couch, so it's not like my place is high end, but it's nice and it's "me." And it's a place I'm always excited to bring a guest to - especially a date. And maybe that's the most important point of all: your home should be a place where you feel comfortable - a place that feels like you belong.

Good luck! Don't forget to have fun with it all.

First, I gotta say. I love your house. The stairway is amazing. The rooms are awesome. Second, I have to warn you that I'm horrible with spacing/bullet points.

This is all my own opinion btw. I’m not an interior designer/decorator. Read at your own risk.

I’m not sure whether you like traditional or modern style, but I think with this kind of home, you should go with “traditional décor”. Pintrest that stuff. It’s great. Tldr is that it’s new and old décor to look awesome. OR, even go with the style of this Redditor: http://imgur.com/a/AzALP

1. Slap a new coat of white on the ceilings. I know you like it, but you can see that they tried to fix the border with semi-gloss paint in the picture, and it kind of takes away from the actual design. I think the ceiling designs look great in the rooms, but the living room (especially around the fireplace) is another story.
   
   
   
2. Will probably be shanked for taking away the traditional appeal, but paint all the baseboards, crown molding, and window paneling white. It would look cleaner to be honest. (Here’s an example for the teal room: http://i.imgur.com/dcBAUmG.png More on the teal room, I would probably do what I could to knock off those little things http://i.imgur.com/bsMwlEa.png (not sure what they’re called). If it’s in the budget, I’d remove the fireplace. (Does it actually work? It doesn’t really bring any visual appeal?) Paint the doors white and get new outlets.)
   
   
3. Replace/clean and spray paint the vents (by the stairs in the living room) to white. The beige color makes it look really outdated/dirty.
   
   
   
4. Repaint the walls for sure. I would go with a neutral taupe/grey, something gentle. But since you like glitz, I’d probably do that thing that people do where there’s an accent wall.
   
   
5. It would probably be a little difficult (possibly tearing out the whole floor) to move a kitchen since the plumbing is already there for that and the bathroom as well. It could be super expensive as well.
   However, cheaply/rental, what I would do for the kitchen is:
   Paint the cabinets a new color. Add new hardware. Repaint that wallpaper thing. You could put contact paper over the countertops as a temporary fix. (Youtube it. Shit is awesome.)
   
   
6. Finally, tear down those curtains in the back.
   
   Please.
   
   Also, your layout reminded me of this post: http://imgur.com/a/5URyz
   Maybe you could get some ideas off of it?
   

WHAT?!

Is this for real?!

I haven't figured out yet how to tell who gave me these flattering awards. But when I do, I'm going to thank you shamelessly... extravagantly... to the point of embarrassment!

And thanks to everyone who gave me a uv! It's really gratifying to get a tangible response that tells you that you help flip on that mental lightswitch belonging to something that feels good to their brain. It is a pay-forward - someone else opened my eyes to the neuro side of art, design, and architecture. Now I dig it so much that it feels like a win to share it, and know that the share makes the recipient happy. I'll stop now before I gush.

Here are my best answers to the questions y'all asked.

u/dumpy_potato, asking for resources about this. YES! It's actually been kind of having a moment for a few years. You can find articles in all the places where neuroscientists, and neuropsychologists are likely to talk about designers; which are the same places where designer would never in a hundred years see them. Ain't science great like that?!

At the bottom of this comment, u/magneto_ms, I'm sharing some links to excellent books and articles on the fundamental principles of neuro-visual yada yada, and the way the brain instinctively responds to the sight of various lines, shapes, depictions of depty/height/mass, particular specific objects or things that resemble them, color combinations and contrasts, etc. (Spoiler alert: The instinctive brain really really responds to babies, faces, and genitalia including boobies. After that comes water, then food.)

Killer examples of designs that epitomize these principles - ones that make my eyes pop, and my brain feel good - is the work of Alexa Hamilton. For example, this cover on her book, The Language of Interior Design. Is that not an eye magnet?! Read her brilliant intro, about how good design makes they viewer's eye travel a particular path around the room. (I'm not a fan of her traditional, ornate style. But her composition is bomb.)

The Neuroscience of Design, Psychology Today

Design on the brain: Combining neuroscience and architecture

Evidence Based Design: When Neuroscience, Psychology, and Interior Design Meet

The Integration of Interior Design and Neuroscience: Towards a Methodology to Apply Neuroscience in Interior Spaces (pdf)

This one particularly rocks!
Picture This: How Pictures Work

Universal Principles of Design, Revised and Updated: 125 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal, Make Better Design Decisions, and Teach through Design

I hope some of these deliver on what you're looking for. HMU anytime if I can offer more.

Emily Henderson blogs about design. Her photos are gorgeous, plenty of backlog, and she's very descriptive and generous with talking about WHY and HOW she makes the design decisions she does. She's got 1 book out (Styled: Secrets for Arranging Rooms, from Tabletops to Bookshelves https://www.amazon.com/dp/0804186278/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_BslBCb624AN26) and another forthcoming. Also, if you can find episodes of her show Secrets from a Stylist, it's a gem of exactly the sort I think you're seeking.

Someone mentioned The Great Interior Design Challenge on Netflix. One of the hosts, Sophie Robinson, also co-hosts a podcast called The Great Indoors which I've recently found and love. I think they have an episode about interior design books they're digging. Color theory features highly.

Now defunct podcast (they're still blogging however) Chris Loves Julia has a wealth of good discussion, as well as the ever-entertaining Young House Love Has A Podcast. Both of these couples talk us through their own home renovations; the ups, the downs, the decisions, and the lessons learned along the way. I know you specifically asked for books, but...Style Matters is yet another podcast I enjoy. Look for the episode with one of my favorite home design bloggers, Ashley Goldman of The Gold Hive--and then check out her blog for more informative and beautiful goodness!

Haha I see.

Ok, we're going for Bohemian with a touch of slightly paler colours than the usual 60's pallet for some parts of the trailer just to balance it out.

I'm thinking something like Mad Men for the colour scheme but not too much since the space is small and by that, the colours would explode if not put together well. Thus, making it look cluttered and cramped at the same time.

We'll be fusing schemes together like, nuetral bohemian and traditional bohemian.

We'll base most of them here.

Product reference!(not mandatory)

For the bed, the cover should be white. I'm not going to put any links, ^(assuming 6 Billion people on earth own generic white sheets.)

Pillows: Red Stripe, ambersonne, and some white ones. Hey, they don't exactly have to be these items. We're just following the patterns and colors! There are tons of patterns but the colours are mostly yellow and red together with blue. Most of the would come in stripes and mandala.

Blankets: Birdrock. Let's follow the colours they have. Red, White, Blue, & Brown. You can add those printed ones or to make it more authentic, get the knitted quilts.

If you noticed in the photos, the pillows and blankets along with the rugs make the whole Bohemian look. That's why I'm letting you freely choose which kind of patterns because even with plain pillows that are accordingly to the colours I suggested, you can always get that look just with the quilt blankets and violet Persian rugs.

These items are easy to find in the home departments in malls. The quilt blankets, that I'm most certain of, can be found in thrift shops or in those gypsy stores( if there are any in your area lol).

You can add those weaved baskets for storage and this.

For those benches you've mentioned, just toss some white table runners on them. Could be thin linen or just some cloth runners like this. It would give the authenticity if you get those runners with dangling knots!

If you want curtains, you can get them in white.

Lamps: your gas lamps already give the vibe lol maybe some warm Christmas lights.

If you wanna add small plants, cacti would do. Small ones in small pots are the best.

Again, the hooks! These are important since you live in a small space. You can get the ones with adhesive attached at the back.

I'll give you a rough sketch maybe in a day. But here's a mood board so you can visualise. Again, these are suggestions! I'm only giving ideas for the aesthetics then we'll talk about the placements. :)

MOODBOARD I'm not sure why it's grainy. lol



​

Have you tried turning the TV cabinet and couch 90 degree so the cabinet is against the wall and the couch is off the wall? Can't really tell if there is room for it.

If there is, I know you said you wont be buying furniture, but if you decided to flip it and still wanted a divider, you could use something like this bookshelf. That way you have a pseudo divider and a lot of added storage, which would be a great place to add some color.

I saw you defended your frisbees in another comment, props to you. Everybody needs stuff that reflects who they are, or else we'd all be living in showrooms. However, you can do way better that hanging off the molding. Check these plate holders out. Using these you can display your frisbees on the top of your kitchen cabinets, which are empty now anyway. Or if you sprung for the bookshelf you could display them there.


As for art and what not, AllPosters.com is a great resource. I'd recommend actual art, as opposed to beer pong posters or whatever, but I'm guessing you know that. :P If you do pick some art pieces, read up on the artists for when people ask about them, also a great way to learn some art history. Personally I'm a fan of Rothko and more abstract stuff, but find something that suits you. Also, buying a cheap level works wonders for trying to hang/pin stuff to the wall. One last note on posters, find things that mean stuff to you, if you're not a fine art fan, think about stuff like the skyline from your hometown, or somewhere you traveled etc etc.

As for colors, btvsrcks, has it covered.

Good luck, Let me know if you want to know anything else or have questions, hope I helped. You better post update pics when you are done!

Main issues: 1) furniture layout, 2) couch cover, 3) color theme/decor, and 4) ceiling light.

1. Here is my guess at your current layout. It's not very balanced and all pushed on one wall. The radiator is also a bit of a challenge because you probably don't want to put anything in front of it. I would replace the shelf with something skinnier and taller, maybe a ladder shelf, and use the cabinet as a side table to the couch, which then would let you move the desk further down the wall, like so (could also add a chair to the desk).
   
   
2. I don't know if it's to protect the couch or if the couch is just in poor condition, but using a real couch cover instead of a blanket would help. Maybe a light grey or white.
   
   
3. Black, brown, and beige is a kinda meh color theme. I would choose 1 or 2 colors you like and add accents that contain those colors. To make it easy, lets go with blue. Get a couple solid blue or patterned throw pillows for the couch. A couple plants around the room (shelf, side table, coffee table, tv console) would really liven the place up, but also think about colorful vases or statues or lamps. A nice lamp on the side table would be nice (check local thrift stores for a good deal). Get at least 1 large picture/painting (or could be a multi-panel piece) above the couch and one on the wall to the left of the couch. Could be something simple and abstract or nature or prints or a mirror. Use them as a place to add color and personal style. (Maybe an elevated crazy dog lady piece lol.) You could also do a rug under the couch and coffee table, but it's not necessary.
   
   
4. The light could be a major statement or more subtle. Having other lamps in the room would help with overall lighting. A walk through your local home improvement store may be helpful in finding what you like, but here are some directions you could go in: fancy/formal feeling light, modern and geometric, home-y, ceiling fan, simple and understated.

There's no visible north arrow so I'm assuming north is at the top of this image. Do you have anything showing the space in section or elevation? Which would be showing the vertical heights rather than horizontal arrangements.

and alright I'm pretty sure the ovens and fridge can work like that it's just you might want to put some insulation of some sort between the two, or make sure the ovens you get are constructed well enough so as to not be radiating much heat laterally.

Which gets us past functionality and into design. Which is also functionality. Labels are dumb. Okay.

Last year I lived in a place that had a large, flat island with a stovetop set into it, similar to what you're proposing here. The difference in my place was that, due to the rest of the space, I had my TV backed up to the island "behind" the stove, so there was like 18-24" between the back of the stovetop and the back of my TV. Which seemed like an issue considering I enjoy frying things in pans with oil. There was also this little fan above it which I'm sure didn't do anything for all the water vapor I sent up to the ceiling boiling water. I did get one of these splatter guards but that's tacky and should only be used to solve existing problems, not as part of a design solution. IMO.

When you have a stove up against a wall it has its own backsplash which is very nice unless you want to be wiping down the surrounding countertop after every time you cook. I honestly cannot think of a solution to this problem which wouldn't either look awful, get in the way, or both. Then there's the subject of a vent hood. Those can look pretty spiffy over an island but they're just so weird and huge, you really need to make sure you get the right one and get it properly situated in the space.

Carry-over question from my last comment: is that a double sink next to the DW?

and that 1' - 0" deep pantry cabinet, that goes from the floor to the top of the wall cabinets? Or what? Do you happen to have an image of the sort of thing that goes there?

and that's all without really looking back at the plan, so I'm gonna post this, get started on the next round of thoughts, and hopefully you'll've gotten back to me by then.

(I bolded my questions so they're more visible. Don't let that fool you into thinking the rest of the words aren't important.)

Edit: I managed to catch my post in the spam filter. On a subreddit I moderate. +facepalm+

With minimalism the key is very geometric shapes - you could put a rubik's cube on it, or even just a cube made of LEGO, or anything really that has a geometric shape to it. The best looking bookshelves are actually very sparsely populated - keep an eye out for a rectangular vase - IKEA has one - or some candlesticks in brushed nickel or black glass. Something else I would recommend would be putting a nice lamp on top of the bookcase, a light on the wall above it, or one hanging; white chinese paper lanterns work well and are very cheap, brushed nickel shades are also a really nice choice as well, or anything black. Just get something like this from IKEA or any hardware store, or grab a cheap modern table lamp from watching craigslist or, again, IKEA. Lighting goes a LONG way in minimal spaces, as many modern-style lights are very sculptural and create a certain atmosphere. Make sure you get WHITE light though, anything else will make the room look dimmer/dingier. Minimalist looks best under lots of natural light or very white, bright light.

If you go with a small table/wall lamp, move the bookshelf toward the couch as far as possible and put a floor lamp in the corner to the right of the TV. If you get a larger lamp, get a modern-style corner shelving unit and grab a few more vases. The most important thing is that the items inside a shelving unit be cohesive - notice in the last link how all of the items are (at least in part) glossy white.

ok, thanks for the additional info. Looks like the photos of your options disappeared but i remember 3/4 of them were downlights and 1 was a clear glob with a bare bulb inside. The bare bulb option was lovely, but it'll glare right in your face so a dimmer is a must. That fixture is beautiful to look at and can provide a nice moody glow for dinner parties when dimmed down, you can go an step further and use a dipped bulb to cut the glare and direct light up onto the ceiling, but it will not be a good task light. If you want to do multiple over a 7' island, smaller is better. I really like this option in black, it's industrial and modern but the metal inside elevates it. Downside: pricey. Here's a more affordable similar one. Good luck!

Thank you so much! I LOVE your ideas. I really like the first wallpaper, but it wouldn't work like you said The keyhole wallpaper was an awesome idea, so I looked up some and this came up wallpaper. I ordered it! I really like it, you can't tell from the picture, but it's damask background behind the keys. I am only doing one wall with the wallpaper and possibly the hallway, but I am not sure yet.

I am definitely doing that pocket wall watch...I would have NEVER ever thought of something like that.

So, the big blank wall will have that wallpaper, I have to find a big mirror and then see what else is going to happen over there lol.

I love when people help me out with my ideas, so thank you!

I'd highly suggest removing the current light fixtures and cans you have, keep the same zones in terms of switches but change out the switches to dimmers that support LED bulbs and put in this type of recessed lighting. The 4" makes them look updated and using LED bulbs makes them amazingly bright and super cheap and safe to run compared to halogen bulbs.

Here is the Amazon link, super inexpensive at less than 10$ per fixture. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008BG6ZUO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_A7rHAb2N26AX2

I'd create a perimeter around the room(s) 2 feet away from the exterior walls and space them every 3 to 4 feet apart.

Here are a couple pictures of what they look like in our kitchen.
https://imgur.com/gallery/8yplP