Kiva, rule #9 on perspective is game changer. I am 5’1” and my partner is 6’3”. I stood on a stool to lean in and kiss him one day and looked around the room and realized I had designed the whole house around my perspective. Haha everything was short and I had no vertical interest in the house! So what he was seeing looked totally different to my experience. I’ve been meaning to post this to you as an “aha” moment pro tip, and here you are beating me to it. Love your content!
Haha, I can totally relate! I’m 5’2” and my husband is 6’4”. Only in our case he hung the art so it’s super high up and I have to crane my neck to see it. 😂 perspective really is everything, isn’t it?
The different hight in faux plants floored me, how did i not think of that??!! Literally going to fix my fake eucalyptus and roses arrangement right now, i always felt something looked wrong with it and couldn’t figure it out!!! (edit: omg it looks soooo much better, can’t believe what a difference it made, thank you!!!)
When determining the height of artwork, also consider how you will see it. Artwork in a hall will be higher because you will be walking past it. But you will be sitting in a dining room, so the art will be hung lower.
Love the fact that this video shows that consuming is not required! There is a way to do home decor within the limits of our planet. Me personally go for timeless second hand finds and treasures if update necessary. It would be awesome to get a video of some great second hand finds!
I personally like to do what I call shop the house. It's amazing how you can pull items out of cupboards and and rearrange them in the lounge etc and have a whole new look and haven't spent a thing! 🙂👍❤️
Thank you Kiva!!! For being the first person I’ve heard call Grand Millinial what it is - traditional decor. I would add “overdone” but that just my own personal bias.
I talk about scale a lot, but….I found an art piece that I really wanted for my tiny dining room, it was huge, wouldn’t fit in my SUV, finally got a friend to help me out, it almost takes up one wall in the tiny room and yet it works, but I don’t know what to say that justifies my using it, other than it works for me.
Maybe it reads as mural or another kind of wall art that embraces such size? Also, the scale of what is actually the picture influences a lot, if it has any kind of defined object represented. If it is an abstract, it's the balance between colors and/or between color and negative spaces that count. This is me talking as a humble observer of spaces, not a designer here.
I love the way u break it down and explain why things don’t look right. Sometimes I don’t understand why things fall so flat or don’t work in a space and u really help me realize why.
Your channel is such a gift!! Thank you so much for your insight. You’ve changed the way I look at my home design and your explanations are incredibly helpful!!
very practical help! Thanks so much for posting these easy to do hints, Kiva. I'm a faithful watcher. Two very minor points: 1) Did you ever address your hair color change? 2) Remember when we were kids and we'd say to the pushy ones, "Who died and left you boss?" or "You're not my mother?" Even today it still rankles for me if someone says "I want you to do such and so." I really don't think you are pushy, Kiva, so maybe I'm just an independent cuss, but when you say "Another thing I want you to do is scale your art" for example, it still sounds more like a command and sets my back up a bit. Maybe just leave the "I want you to" part off and say "Another tip is to scale your art."
The faux plant/flower thing is interesting, for a long time it was considered tacky to have them irrespective of how realistic they are. Funny how some items come full circle.
I think thaťs still the case, but Kiva has a very approachable and down-to-earth style. She always makes a point of meeting her audience where they are and not judging their choices.
This was such a helpful video!! I'm learning so much by watching your channel. I'm aspiring to be a minimalist (in life style not decor) and these just about all apply to me regardless of not wanting to own too many items. We don't have a coffee table, but even from that tip I learned to visually switch up shapes to make things stand out. Love it. Love you and your channel. I'd been following some other decor channels and honestly I'm not into them because the tips aren't practical or they're too expensive. We want to live in our home and have it feel beautiful. Keep 'em coming!
Kiva! I love you! BUT. But. (LOL) Videographer here. Can I politely suggest a 50mm or 35mm to better frame your sit down interview? There are many rules in design as there are in cinematography. 😀
LOVE your videos. I cosign this. Could you lower the camera height or prop yourself up so your eyes are at the top 1/3 of the screen? To do a grapic or text overlay you can pan over and pan back.
Kiva, I recently stumbled onto your channel and love it! You have such good insight and ideas. It is hard for me to understand what you’re saying, because you talk really fast. For people who have auditory issues, this prevents us from engaging fully, and closed captioning doesn’t do your vibrant personality any justice. Besides that, I’m hooked.
You know rewatching and reading the comments makes me realize how much I could observe better what I do to a room. Your content is full and useful already. So I watched ,took a nap on this overactive but rainy day and rewatched . Then saw even more use to the ideas. Thank you as I am replacing everything in a remodeled place and being more deliberate about it using you suggestions. Books I under the black vessel on the black surface hit like a thunderbolt.
I always appreciate Kiva's helpful and instructive style. I'm not sure if I agree in overstuffing furniture pillows. If the pillows are along the back of a sofa or an upholstered chair, they need to be able to squish and somewhat conform to a person sitting there. If the pillow is too overstuffed, it doesn't give to the person when they sit down. This obviously creates an uncomfortable sitting experience. Such pillows are aesthetic, but I believe there also needs to be functional comfort. A simple fluff will reshape a regular stuffed pillow after people get up from the seat. Try this home experiment. Next time when you have a guest over, have very overstuffed pillows on the sofa. Don't say anything. Watch what they do when the overstuffed pillow pushes their back forward as they sit down. Your guest will move the pillow out of their way. Nice to see, not comfortably practical. It's the same principle when people overload their bed with pillows; they're pretty but get tossed off the bed for comfort.
Kiva telling me to have my family members stand by my artwork so I can find a good height. That’s gonna cost me a lot since all my family lives in Puerto Rico 🤷🏼♀️😂
Yes! I did some tweaking on my coffee and side tables because of your inspirations. It certainly did make a difference, I so needed this instruction. Thank you beautiful Kiva! Love and blessings to you.💖🙏🏼👏
Hey Kiva!! Great advice!! We’re you the one who made everyone laugh in school?!? 😂You are so funny!!! I’m really glad I found your channel!! Have a great weekend!!!👻
Great video.. when I'm doing my home decor, I like to always pick different colors that are complimentary with different textures.. I will definitely use your tips for my next project 😊
Great tips, Kiva! Huge changes in little time and little money, exactly what you promised! The only tip I have trouble getting behind is the one that all designers seem to love, the rule of threes. I can understand it in the sense of how to create the blocking on a surface, but having three items looks boring to me, and I'd much rather have two or four. But that seems to be just me because I haven't found anyone else who agrees with me, so I'm probably just wrong ... 😁
Hi Kiva . Greetings from a loyal fan in Miami . I just admire so much your fresh approach and talent . Just in case you haven't seen it-Kader Boly spent 4 days in Nashville with Julia and Hunter Havens . He did a mural in a guest bathroom, and some paintings. Really fantastic! I know you're a big fan . I first learned of him through you . I look forward to everything you do , and wait to see how far you rise . You're just amazing!
Hi Mary! I saw! It was amazing to watch him work! I’ll be seeing him next week at one of his gallery shows. He’s amazing and I’m so happy for him for all his success! Thank you so much for all your support 💕
I have been binge watching these vids for the past two days and I need to stop, because I shall end up with nothing in my home! So far I have cleared out/re-organised a chest of drawers, ordered a new living room 'side table' with drawers to hide the junk, ordered new baskets for a kitchen cabinet, tidied up my bathroom cabinet, and taken down/re-organised a load of stuff on the walls. Somebody help!
I agree with you, 100%. You have changed my views about so many things, design-wise. I thank you for that. I just bought a new apartment and currently work is going on there. Once that is complete, I will follow step by step everything you have told in your videos. So much information. Thank you so much.
Kiva, Kiva!! 😁👏👏👏 I watched this earlier and commented on how my rug was too small. When I first moved in this place 2 yrs ago! I measured my rug, and it only fit long ways and was too small. I remeasured... It fits just fine! 🤦 Now the putting it back together part. Thanks so much! I'm glad I did this! 💜
Great video!! Helpful tips on things few of us even think about! You are so adorable and your personality is perfect for your videos. I want you to try a fashion design trick for me. I love your white vest, but try turning the shoulders in about four inches on both sides at the outer arm hole, so that it doesn't look like it has sleeves, and see how you like it. I think it would look great.
Kiva, I need those branches in that vase. Where did you get those? (I know you’ve told us but I don’t remember which video that was. :D) They lock better than the Pottery Barn ones.
I'm going to give you a pro tip with filming, don't put yourself in the middle of the frame, use the rule of thirds, don't leave half of the frame empty above your head. Get a higher chair to sit on or lower your tripod. Easy to fix in 60 seconds or less.
You should consider setting up an email for followers that need some interior help. To ask you questions and to get actual tips from you for their space since everyone’s space is different from the next!
Kiva, I feel like your video framing is a little off. You always have a lot of headroom above you. I think if your shot came down just a bit, it would look more professional! Just a tip, take it or leave it :)
What about Persian carpet on top of a wall-t0-wall carpet.Can that be smaller, that is not go halfway under the sofa. That way you see the entire Persian (in this case Heriz) carpet.
I'd been told that a buffet/sideboard should have a pair of lamps, one at either end. If I do this with my sideboard, do the lamps count as one of the three in the "rule of three" or should I have the lamps + 3 objets d'art as well?
