Furniture & Decor I Would Never Put in my Home as an Interior Designer 

Sitting back on my faux leather tan couch with my iPad perched on my beaded cushion, looking out over the grey expanse of my concrete tiles wondering where my life went wrong. I won’t be turning on my exposed bulb ikea lamp tonight. I don’t think my poor heart can take it.

That Egyptian marshmallow you're sitting on makes it difficult for me to take your advice seriously.

As a coastal decor lover, i get what you’re saying and i agree that too much literal pieces are a no-go. But a couple starfish napkins rings or beach painting is welcomed in my book. Restraint is key! 🩵

I have been trying to pray away the grey for over a decade now. Thank you.

I have been saying that about grey for years! I don’t want cool toned greys in my home when it is -40 out and I only get a few hours of sunlight a day.

😂 that chair you’re sitting on though

The chair you’re sitting in, would never go in my home.😊

II like your suggestion of featuring what design ideas you prefer. Always fun watching you.

Heavens. Couldn’t focus on the content as your outfit today kept reminding me of Fleur Delacour from Harry Potter.

Yes, that would be great if you can do a video with items you would put in your home! Thank you for sharing your expertise ❤

Yes a what you would have (but don't) video would be fun to watch.

Good advice. But that chair upholstery looks just like a prison uniform!

I think using wall moldings in just one room looks weird too, if none of the rest of the house is in that style.

Hey now, leave my seashell bathroom alone 😂😂😂🧜‍♀️

I didn't care what anyone says - I still love an accent wall! Mind you, i want it to be cohesive to the room but I still enjoy it 😊

Yes please, do things you would have. I get the whole grey palate too. I’m from one of the greyest, dampest parts of Northern England. I have more than enough grey when I look out the window without adding more inside.

I believe Extreme Makeover: Home Editon is the reason we thought themed rooms is a smart move.

Hard agree on the use of grey on interior floors & walls. And the picture frame feature wall has never made sense to me and I'm fed up of seeing this design on my IG feed sigh. Great video 👍🏾

I had a bad headache with exposed lightbulb...but the worst of all was, I felt like I was in a funeral home 😅

Re: Down pillow inserts, etc. I stay with the ones with the RDS label. For those unaware, this label indicates respect to animal welfare, and guarantees down and feathers aren't removed from live animals.

Hi Phoenix (btw I luv your name) I’ve watched several other designers but your aesthetic resonates the most with the styling I like. Please show us some of the items you recommend and would have in your own home.

I have seen so many pieces named “genuine leather” on Amazon or elsewhere, then when you read the detailed description, it is made of polyurethane that they are calling PU leather. It’s ridiculous. Be careful.

I’m with you on the beaded pillows, but the blue one with the beaded insects is SO pretty

I had so much fun with this video. 🤣 the beaded pillows I laughed loud haha you are so funny 😂 agree with everything 😅

I would add to this list of things I would never put in my home: towels that are beaded or have lace trims or tassel (useless); microfibre furniture (it shows every little water stain); modular acrylic chairs (they're "designer" looking, but you can't sit in them for more than 5 minutes without wrecking your back); sectional sofas (they sell you on the idea that they are "flexible" but who wants to sit on a piece that has no arms? Plus, they are extremely bulky for smaller spaces); anything with tassels (the tassels get all bunched up in knots after one wash and become ugly and impossible to untangle); bean chairs (anybody over 40 would have a hell of a time trying to get out of those things); backless bar stools; dried flowers (they crumble and gather dust); cheap-looking artificial floral arrangements.

My bathroom accidentally turned out beachy with deep blue shower tile , tan-ish wood grain floor tile, similar color real wood frame mirrors, and champagne bronze fixtures, and black/whire/sea green granite counters. I grew up in and island so I’m ok with it.

Finally! A designer who truly hates gray!❤️Subscribed!

“attempted homicide” 😂😂😂

Remember the show Trading Spaces, in one episode they did a beach theme aka pouring sand in someones basement. Ah the good ol days of taking themes to another level 😂 Sequin pillows are great for sensory just keep them somewhere, like a closet.

I think a theme can be fun sometimes, and the place to do it is the bathroom, since you don't spend a lot of time in there so you only experience your theme intermittently vs. spending hours at a time with it.

Love your content! Re leathers, "faux" leathers from reputable companies like Palliser and Decor-Rest are essentially fabrics with high rub counts. They should not peel or deteriorate except after many years. However, "bonded" leather is a disaster. It is a mix of left-over leather bits with plastics; these concoctions deteriorate and peel very quickly. For real leather, there are two kinds of 100% leather: Top grain and Split grain. Top grain is the exterior of the hide and is soft and strong, your best choice always. Split grain is the bottom half of the hide, when it is cut in half horizontally; it is 100% leather but it is hard and brittle, not as durable. Split leather is fine on the back of a sofa or chair but not as good for the sitting area or the front upright portion of the sofa back.

Ah yes, I've been binge-watching your videos - very enlightening! However, you'd have to pay me to put THAT chair you're sitting on in my house! :-)

love to watch what designs you would do!!! love your videos!!

Stumbled across one of your videos, and I am hooked. Such great design advice. But I had to comment on this sharp pant suit you’re wearing in this one. It is everything ❤❤! And the color looks great on you! Love it!

I live in Phx, AZ, where it’s sunny all year round (hellishly so during summer), so the main color in my bedroom is grey. It makes me feel cooler and calmer.

If you have throw pillows you don’t want to wash often, put them out in the sun fir a few hours. Sunshine also kills some bacteria.

What about those full scale wallpapers? Like those of exotic plants and stuff from europe in early 1900?

Agree totally with gray, gray, gray which has been overdone inside and outside for years. I can't tell you how many homes that are renovated to sell have gray exterior ... ugh ... I feel depressed when being surrounded by gray. Everything else you highlighted with, obviously looking at my pic, the exception of the signage. I have a few of these sprinkled throughout my humble home that resonate with me so my bad I guess! But it doesn't scream "Eat at Joe's" decor.

The sequined pillow is the decor version of the Tshirt that changes colour when you touch it.

I bought a faux leather office chair from Staples, and in no time it looked like the photos you showed. Never again! And Vancouver is the worst for grey days. It's a rainforest! I know. I moved there and only lasted seven months because I couldn't handle the dull days and damp cold that cuts through you like a knife.

Half of the examples for your first rant are not exposed bulbs at all but frosted glass spheres that contain bulbs and don’t glare at all!?? edit I also don’t see what’s wrong with the wall lamp from the thumbnail which also doesn’t have exposed bulbs and seemingly doesn’t even appear in the video

True grey is a horrible choice. But a greige in the neutral family affords a lot more design and coordination choices. And greige allows you to have a cooler base pallet to work off of and bring in other materials and colors to make other pieces pop and have more focus.

I got down throw pillows from pottery barn and I got feathers everywhere everyday! They stab my arms when we sit or relax on them! I hate them so much!

Greetings from South Africa. I concur.

def. this Chair..!

I agree about leather furniture it is very classic too

Valances also can help with insulation of your windows. I know they look bad, but here in Australia, most houses only have single pane windows, so a valance can help keep your home cooler in the middle of the day.

I have one of those exposed bulb fixtures. I would just add to put it on a dimmer. I have the frosted bulbs and 2500K bulbs but that dimmer really sets the mood I want. 😊

We had a pleather sofa when I was a kid. OMG, you would lose a layer of skin in the Summer every time you sat on (stuck to) the thing.

The color and pattern of your armchair is giving Nefertiti vibes ❤😅

I agree with everything you said in this episode 😊

I do love a sea shell mirror though in white🇦🇺🐨🦘

When I was a teenager I painted ,y bedroom battleship grey, but before you have an aneurysm, please let me explain. As background info, when you were gifted something - regardless of what it was - that you used and appreciated it without question or complaint. With that in mind, I woke up one morning when I was 11 to see my Auntie had gifted me new bedroom decor. Up until then, my parents had dictated what I had, and my Auntie knew I hated the baby pink and mint green scheme that had decided upon. She also knew my favourite colour, so she bought a new bedspread, lamp, curtains, and rug in it. Amy favourite colour is red. RED! The next time we moved, I asked the manse committee if I could paint my walls battleship grey. I knew I needed something to bring down all the red and that seemed to work. Before the grey paint, my room literally GLOWED when the rising sun shone in but the grey seemed to just take that over-the-top glow off. I have often asked myself if there was another colour that I could have used; do you have any suggestions?

The thin shutters! Grrrrr....hate them.

How do I make my space feel like im a whimsical forest fairy living her best life without feeling tacky. I love themed rooms, Ive just moved and planning what I want to do with the rooms...and now Im like 😅 uh oh. Im at a loss now

Yes! Things you *would* have in your own home please!

Valances are my top thing I can’t stand. My Sister recently put them in her house and I was like. Wow, 1980 wants there window treatments back. Loved the video. Thanks for sharing

Yes, I'd love to see a video on what you WOULD have in your space. I feel like you design moody spaces well. I very recently painted my bedroom what-i-thought-would-be a dark stormy blue (with a geometric accent wall behind the bed 😬😅), but I think i could've done it way better. For one... i actually think i could have gone way darker.... like literal storm clouds. I got scared since i am also a GTA girly and the master bedroom is not that big...

I agree with you on everything. I am updating my small bathroom and was looking for a new light fixture over the vanity. Very hard to find if you do not want bare bulbs or clear glass shades. I finally found one with frosted shades so you cannot see the bulb. Gray institutional walls and floors, no way. My grade school growing up was all gray. I also have to say that chair you were sitting in is a no go. Sorry lol.

The themed coastal stuff is like being hit over the head with a hammer. I get it, you live near a body of water, or worse, I don’t get it, you live nowhere near the ocean. We see this here in Hawaii with owners of cheaper short term rentals especially. There are the T.J. Maxx arrows pointing to the beach, the Ross pillows declaring that “Life is a Beach,” the metal fish or wooden turtles pinned to the walls, the ceramic shell soap dishes on bathroom counters. I guess it works if you are on vacation and need to be reminded of it 24/7 in a Disney type of way. 😂 Yes to restraint, concept and quality and unique pieces displayed in creative ways. Yes to curated collections. No to cheap, mass produced, themed junk.

Love and learn a lot from your videos😊. Could you do a piece on crown moulding, baseboards, and window and door casing. They seem like an affordable option that can add so much to space… have one mildly beaded throw pillow, Christmas’s decor - it brings me joy , feels like a restrained choice for a limited time so I give myself no sentence 😂

The exposed bulbs in my kitchen ceiling fixture weren’t that bad, diffusing the light reduces the amount of light that comes through.

Totally agree with every, single one of these! Great video!

I couldn't agree more with exposed bulbs. Although I actually like the vintage atmosphere that an exposed bulb gives, when I looked at them at the store I realized they're really bothering for the eyes. Having a lamp that you can't look at when it's on is kind of pointless, especially when you buy it for the looks in the first place.

I have three ceramic starfish and a metal silhouette of a mermaid in my bathroom and I love those pieces. I will never get rid of them, they bring me joy. As for leather anything, they are expensive cat scratching posts in my home! I am a beadwork artist, so if I were to have a beaded pillow (which I don't), it would be a handmade piece that I personally made. I rent and my walls are a very pale blue gray with white trim. I love them, but if the floors were gray wood, I wouldn't rent this apartment.

I lived in a grey rental with no direct sunlight; great in a south west summer, not so great in the winter.

Antique fixtures used with a soft white bare bulb work great. They’re not cozy but neither are pot lights. Lol

Thank God a professional is finally calling out exposed light bulbs. I thought I was the only one. Please let this trend die already.

I like it when you say ‘I get it’..

Cool video, as always :-) It would be interesting to see which items you would put into your home/house.

Can you talk about wainscoting please - I bought a 1960s colonial house in Smoke Rise GA. Wainscoting is common here/in these types of houses and when done well - works. Every room in my house needs to be updated. Except for the kitchen and master bath, I will only be updating not remodeling. I am developing the overall aesthetic for the main floor. Currently, the dining room and kitchen have chair railings and the den has PVC white paneling - ugly - I want it gone. Ok, Im getting to the question- Do I change out the PVC for wainscoting and continue that wainscoting to the entry and dining room - or do I take it all out and not replace it with wainscoting - thank you!!

Don’t care what he says. 2:03 this bed is GORGEOUS and I will die on this hill

Why is everyone hating on grey like it’s the devil? It’s a great neutral, not a style. Ya’ll must be using it wrong 😂

Hey, loved this video. Can you please do one on this new thing I heard about this week. It’s called “ dopamine decor”. Was fascinating but not much info about it. Thanks Mema from Toronto 🇨🇦

"Leather is designed and made..." Thanks Mother Nature.

Seashell bathroom. Dude. You’ve got themed tatts. Snakes. Honeycombs. Words. . Lol. And that can’t be changed. Stuff in a house you can. Your skin….not so much…. At 75. Yikes. Oh well. Lol but I do agree with your comments. I just gotta take bits and pieces. lol. I did pottery do I’ve got lots of weird art. That’s priceless to me.

I love seashells, kitschy, but I love❤

Thank you for the video.

Are super fluffy shag rugs design daddy approved? Particularly white ones

Yep …could you please do a video on items you would love in your home.

I haaate gray! Because places with bad memory for me were gray - but I also hated it before. People may hate my yellow and orange and green walls and pine wood everywhere - but at least it makes a human feel happier! Can't tell me gray does this, it's depressing by nature. Also in Germany it's often dark, too. And every new house here is white and gray and with dark gray stone front yards ... Ugh! The only flooring we could affort in the beginning of our home renovation was too gray for me, too ... 😢 But now it's there in the second floor ... I'm really sad about this, even tho it's not gray but just with a gray undertone.

I love black floor's....but honey!! The dust and hair shows faster than taylor swift and beyonc'e panty outfits.

Your chair looks like a bee but would look nice in velvet 😊

How about a don't do this - do this instead series like they do with food.

Grey color themes in the desert and mountain areas scream of cheap design trend and ought to be reserved for coastal homes.

I’m team down pillows everywhere, beds and couches. It’s unfortunate bc I try to reduce the harm I bring to the planet and the animals that we share it with, but after buying pillows at all price points, nothing feels more comfortable than a down pillow. I also have some neck/back problems that informs my verdict. And for me, throw pillows on couches aren’t as much about decor, but to make it more comfortable when my back is against the arm rest. Of course they have to look good too, but the function they serve is even more important.

White ceilings without white elsewhere in the colour scheme. Same for internal doors and door frames and trim.

0:46 Not exposed lightbulbs, but bulbs fulling enclosed in a fixture?

Faux leather is a waste of money, it disintegrates in no time. I love kitsch so I don't mind well executed themed rooms

Exposed light bulb are fine to me 😂

You should really consider adding that chair your sitting on to your list! Just saying.

The bathroom part 😂 😂😂😂😂

What color floor do you recommend? I have gray throughout my whole apartment, except the bedroom that has industrial black (which I hate). Love your outfit.

We need more videos on the accent walls

Your attire is 😍. Greetings from Uganda

Question: Phoenix, If there is picture moulding in one room, does it have to be carried over to all rooms? Enjoying your videos :)

Where do you get clothes.. love the cut and color. Oh, good advice on interiors as always

I can’t have a blue bathroom because I will automatically veer off into a water theme. I was raised with sea shell wallpaper. It’s ingrained.

Love the outfit! Where did you bought it? ❤

Who else is getting Arvin Olano vibes?!