Out of all the interior design RU-vidrs out here, I feel the African American women have been cutting edge and ahead with their design picks 🙌 This is coming from an Asian American woman :)
Kiva, back in the day, we could not afford lux drapery. My mother used to make them, either out of discarded drapes, or yards and yards of clearance fabric. She could sew a straight line and that is all you need to know. So our drapery was custom made and looked very lux. Then came time to wash then, we could not afford dry cleaning, so we washed them in cold water with ammonia. We washed them but always hung them wet or damp. The pleats looked perfect. Hope this is of help to somebody, somewhere.
Hang artwork using paper cutouts first for gallery walls, and then use painters tape across back of painting to mark hanging holes on, and hammer nails into wall--directly into painters tape after leveling, than hang artwork!
I purchased a home last October and one of my BEST purchases was double curtain rods where I put sheers and double long velvet panels in my bedroom. Looks super luxe and beautiful. I couldn’t afford to do everything at one time but this one made the most impact relative to cost.
Floating the furniture also makes cleaning so much easier and if it's easier, because you don't have to move everything first, then you do it more frequently and much faster too. And a clean house is the most important and easiest way to make a home feel more luxurious :)
I liked your tips. But as a previous person commented, if you have hard water forget the waterfall and especially the black faucet. Also, I use the little plastic bumpers or discs that normally cushion your cabinet doors on the bottom 2 corners of my hanging artwork and it helps to keep them level if you have doors or other events that cause your artwork to shift. The self closing fire door coming into my house from the garage is heavy and all of my hallway pictures were shifting everytime it closed. The bumpers truly help.
Love it. Here is how I have been keeping my whites white: baking soda (a cup) in the washer drum and fill the fabric softener cup with white vinegar. It has worked for the last year. No fabric softener is used. I use dryer balls. If you don't know what dryer balls are (felted wool balls) you need to know. Lighting: make sure all the bulbs are the same kelvin and the same AGE. Bulbs change their color as this get older and if they were not all put in lamps at the same time, they are not going to look the same color.
The vinegar and baking soda 8s also great for removing odors! I use that combo all the time, but especially if I got clothing from the thrift store that smells of scented laundry products or candles. (I have multiple chemical sensitivities and need to avoid those chemical fragrances.)
@@geegs120 Yes I do use detergent and Oxyclean in the drum of the machine. I should have said that in the post. I don't like using chlorinated bleach given the washing machines I have access to. They are the machines in my coop laundry room. Their accurate dispensing of bleach is not the best.
use a credit card and wrap a piece of sandpaper around it, and it shaves so much better and faster. Pill shavers take forever. I use this on my sweaters and scarves all the time. Just use sandpaper like a 220
Love it all! Love the way u break down the “why” behind the decor tips . Understanding what these tips and tricks achieve and what you get when you do the opposite it is very helpful.
Helpful tips! A couple of notes: If you live in an area with a lot of minerals in the water, the waterfall faucets start looking bad when they quickly build up lime deposits. Ask me how I know. Also, an alternative to bleach, which is fairly toxic, is Mrs. Stewart’s Bluing. You can get it at places like Target or a hardware store.
Bluing is a very pale dye, it doesn't remove the dingy color. Whites do look better, because we see pale blue as "cleaner" than pale yellow. There are a few non-bleach ways you can make whites white again. Not all work on all types of fabric. - Add vinegar to your washing machine's rinse cycle. Don't use fabric softener. - Soak in OxyClean, washing soda, borax, or even dishwasher detergent and hot water. - Spread washed and wet things out in the sun all day to dry. - Boil the items, maybe with a cleaning product, in lots of water.
Vinegar will deal with limescale on your taps. Soak a rag well with vinegar and let it sit in the tap for a couple hrs or overnight and when it's time, a little light scrub and it's shiny and new. I live where there's hard water and just de-scaled the outside of my kettle with a vinegar rag.
Thank you! Great video(: another quick easy and free tip is just to keep clutter to a minimum, and clean! Shut cupboards, close drawers, hang up coats. Clean spaces always look luxury to me. And you can establish symmetry even without the same exact object. I have one bedside table, then a small bookcase on the other . It helps balance the space while allowing me to use what I have
My mom LOVED hospital corners. I'd make and immediately unmake my bed every day. I love to just 'snap' my comforter on, kind of skewed, even...snap n go! Tip for a white load....if u interrupt the wash cycle and let it soak overnight it will do wonders. Yes, baking soda or oxy clean will boost the whiteness.
@@kagitsune It used to make me cry when I was little, how tightly ent down my feet were. The bottom of my comforter HAS to be tucked around my feet...who cares about the corners of the bed staying cozy! My bed's all about ME!
Kiva, thanks to you my curtains look amazing. I put extra panels, layered them, and even hand-hemmed them (16 total panels 😩) so they fit perfectly. The real finishing touch is using the curtain rings instead of looping the fabric over the rod. So luxe and so smooth ❤️
Save money by buying inexpensive draperies and sheers that have the channel at top to slide onto rods by adding the curtain grommets at the top. That really gives a nicer upgraded look.
@@tinacarvelli6884 that makes it kind of hard to pull the curtains back and forth though because there is so much friction with the fabric, so I would recommend doing that if your curtains are just decorative and going to stay open most of the time
I love you! My husband and I are doing an entire home renovation, kitchen, three bathrooms, etc. I am SO overwhelmed and your ideas are really helping me to get centered a bit. Thanks so much!
For new pill shaver users: make sure to not press too hard when you are using it! My poor cashmere sweaters all ended up with miscellaneous tiny holes after my shaving extravaganza, it's easy to cut too much into the fiber.
Could you also demonstrate how to use the duvets and cover to create the loft and high end look for the bed please? Your advice is always so helpful for those wanting to upgrade their space. Those upgrades have a terrific ripple effect.
Another great video Kiva! Love how you deliver style advice on a budget. You make your viewers feel like we can all be great at design. I'm here for all that good energy too girl and any tea on how to make my home look amazing!
Hi Kiva. Just wanted to say that I did buy the conair pill shaver you had recommended in a previous video, and it is absolutely great. I have a new Ragdoll kitten with sharp little claws. And even though I keep Marty's nails trimmed, he still manages to snag the fabrics. The pill shaver removes the snags effortlessly and you would never know Marty had been a naughty kitty. Thanks so much!
Could you show the painting behind you? I have been loving just the small view in the background of the last two videos. And, btw, love your content. Even my brother watches now bc you are smart and entertaining.
✔ ✔ to all of them.... 20 years ago! My home still looks modern and classic even after all these years! And we still get wows from visitors who just love the East-West mix we've achieved because of our backgrounds!! Fantastic advice ur giving!!!!
KB, thanks so very much for these fun, affordable and chic tips! I've been toying with the idea of moving my love seat off the wall and closer to the arm of my sofa across the way to create a cozy new space -- and here you are telling us to "Float your furniture" lol😂. My apartment is small-- but I believe I can make that change work😄 And seeing that lovely throw across the back gave me even more incentive to implement it😀 And I totally agree about having that hook in the little of the draperies to hold and give them more stability-' because I noticed whenever I first put my shears behind my curtains how it started drooping in the middle and eventually it did fall lol! 😳 So I totally advocate that we put a nice hook in the middle of the drapes! Finally, prior to being in the Military-- having had an Army Dad--who made us make our beds every single morning with them-- I was not very pleased about the suggestion of the "hospital corners" 😌 However, I resigned myself to revisit them--😂😂😂 because-' when done correctly, they do lend an elegant touch to your space.
Years ago I was redoing my bedroom and I wanted to have sheer and thick curtains...they were a thing in my country...so I bought 4 hooks for windows 2 longer ones and 2 shorter ones. And I was able to have both curtains at the same time
I am not on instagram so can't send you the photo but I LOVE my new bathroom faucets. They are Tuscan Bronze. It makes me happy every time I look at them. Also, I ordered curtains from the Magnolia Collection at Target, put up four panels with black rings and clips (per your awesome advice) and they are a bit sheer for the front window of this condo unit where the neighbors can see in. So, I will be adding blinds. Meanwhile, I'm putting the two other curtain panels that were planned for another window in as well. So, there will be SIX panels.
Because I need to close my curtains at night, I attached clear rods to the back at the top corner so I can grab that rod and pull my curtain closed. My curtains are too high to reach easily. I found the clear rods in the Venetian blind department. Originally made to twist the blinds open/shut.
I love your videos and suggestions and look forward to each one. You always put a smile on my face and I'm always looking for ways to change up my space. Thanks.
I do not have any decorating style at all. Finding you is a gift. I painted my room, I'm laying down LVP and know what base moulding I am going to use but that is it. I have an adjustable bed, no frame. Where do I start? It is hard listening to you because you talk really fast. Can you slow it down some? Most of the time when I'm viewing your videos I'm not sitting to read the CC.Thanks
i do that i have sheers but on the same pole..might upgrade to add a double pole... snagged a very heavy very expensive down blanket and matching pillows from the goodwill... total $12! had for about 5 years...i use a duvet cover to change the look. i add a blanket on top but its not necessary. best investment ever...oh and i got throw pillows from goodwill also and i use pillow covers to change up the look
Thank you so much for your advice on the pill shaver. I am getting one! Right now, I keep using an Ikea roller, and I keep buying more and more of those...
Love this video. I'm getting a pill shaver! I'm also going to put some symmetry into my bedroom, right now it's scarcely decorated and bland, which is affecting my mood at bed time. Thanks KB!
Fabrics pill because of the fiber content. Wool tends to pill. Cotton doesn't. Polyester and other man made fibers pill a lot. Keep that in mind when you buy furniture. Also look at the weave of the fabric. Tight weaves don't pill as easily. I have a slipcover that is a tight denim weave and it doesn't pill.
Cotton can still pill, it really depends on the weave and the quality of the fibers though. Higher end fabrics use longer fibers so there are fewer ends that pop out and pill. I think those high end cottons just use long fibers and a tight weave
I have fabric blinds, or maybe they're shades. They're opaque, they're behind the drapes. I don't personally like the look of sheers, my windows look more tailored.
Love your videos!! You talk about cam lighting in the house. I have them in my upstairs hallway. Not sure if switching out that for a different light would be better, undecided here. Some say windows should not have curtains, only when privacy is needed, so myself and others may be confused.
Love your videos. Literally watch all of them. Your sound is always hit or miss though. Sometimes its panned to the left, sometimes to the right. Other times you sound soft, while other times you sound muffled.
I do not have any decorating style at all. Finding you is a gift. I painted my room, I'm laying down LVP and know what base moulding I am going to use but that is it. I have an adjustable bed, no frame. Where do I start? It is hard listening to you because you talk really fast. Can you slow it down some? Most of the time when I'm viewing your videos I'm not sitting to read the CC.Thanks
Great tips Kiva, really enjoyed the video. The painting behind you looks interesting, but I cant really see it fully also nice to see more color. Your place looks great, I'm just that kind of person who loves color with a splash of white. Looking forward to Thursday, thanks for sharing 😍😍
Duvets come in different weights, so you don't need to stuff two duvets in a cover. I have two duvets, one for autumn and winter, which is thicker and another for spring and summer.
Hi Kiva, what do you recommend where to start when you build a new home and have an empty canvas so to say? I feel so overwhelmed and most of my furniture just won’t scale to the new spaces in the house… It’s a lot and I wonder where to start… the only room “done” from a design perspective is the laundry room… it is small and kind of contained … how do I tackle the rest?
Thank you :) Good advice. :) 💖👍👍 How would you recommend bleaching/ cleaning a white sofa- the parts that don't come off and can be thrown in the washer? (Arm rest area, bottom of couch etc.) That's a toughie for me. Any tips will be appreciated. Thank you! 🥰💖🌠🌠
