The Worst Living Room Mistakes And How To Fix Them | Part 1 

Love the content ❤️. You have great ideas and great taste!!!! I usually agree with you. You’re my new decorating teacher!!😀

"Although name a child that doesn't love an eye patch" 😂😅😂 I'm wheezing ㅋㅋㅋ (×_×)

I so agree with you about books that are turned around ! That is indicative of the fact that the homeowner isn’t reading them, so WHY? Just why?

I was ready to subscribe after the first of your videos I watched. Ran a couple more to be sure it wasn't a fluke. It wasn't. Your content and advice are right on the money, and your asides/rants are hilarious. When this channel explodes it will come as no surprise to me.

🤣😂 and if we didn’t already love Garrett enough… he linked eye patches for us in the affiliate links 😂🤣

So glad you addressed the fragrance issue.

Excellent advice! Thanks again. We had friends in whose house, I swear, there wasn’t one comfortable chair! Awful!! Maybe because I am, in my dotage, increasingly sedentary, I have made sure that EVERY chair and sofa in our house is comfortable. They must be - no one ever wants to leave.

Thank you for calling out smells as a migraine or fragrance allergy trigger! Generally speaking, real essential oils are less triggering for many people with fragrance issues, though that's not a guarantee.

The link for eye patches in the description box!!🤣🤣

Some people have no idea what 'scale' is. Think of it this way: small room = smaller pieces of furniture. Medium size room = medium sized furniture. Large room = larger pieces of furniture (not necessarily MORE pieces!) I had a client who was the perfect example of lots and lots and lots of pieces. In her dining room, she had her table and 6 chairs around it.... then she had 13 more pieces of furniture around the edge of the room! She had to learn that the room was not a storage room, but a dining room and to keep the furniture appropriate to that purpose. Love your channel Garrett. As I said before, it's so refreshing for me to listen to a TRAINED Interior Designer. Where did you attend design school? I went to New York School of Interior Design and Virginia Commonwealth University's Design Program. Keep up the fun, INFORMED design work! :D

Coasters? PREACH! :) I will never leave a circular ring on someone's wood furniture.

Small things everywhere…I concur. I am in no way a minimalist but I came home one day and there were framed 4x6 photos on every shelf. My husband wanted to contribute. I have been trying to rectify the situation ever since. I want him to feel included but I also don’t want a cacophony of photos arbitrarily scattered around the house. I’m nice about it but my 2 daughters give him a bad time about it.😂

You have really educate me above coffe tables and tables that go behind the couches and Art work hanged the correct way.

I don't know which I like better... your tips or tangents! HAHA! This time kids and coasters! hahaha! I have shared my past designing mistakes in previous comments, but you really helped me with a design mistake I had been ignoring... I have tons of books and in my library... kidding! It's my study! Ha! In my study, I have books that I could organize in a way that's aesthetically pleasing. I placed them in order by topic but since this is not a PUBLIC library but indeed my home, I can organize them any way I want! So, will reorganize them by color! I will also lay some flat to break up the monotony of vertical placement. LOVE LOVE LOVE your vids - you are an excellent teacher - but love even more your personality!!! Hugs from Maryland!

I saw several comments about turning books around (or over) to make them look more matching - do they literally mean turning the spine to face the wall and having the open side of the book facing out, if so, I have never heard of this before and it sounds really nuts! :D

Love the eye roll about kids running around. the table, I think you are so funny! Keep the humor and insight coming!!

Thank you - We just bought a house with large cabinets/shelves in the living room and I’ve been fretting about how to fill the shelves. Listening to you discuss this, a light bulb went on about how I can combine my favorite things with my favorite books to make it meaningful and interesting to me and visitors. Plus incorporating white space into the design. I love the way you discuss, explain and show these issues!

On the point you made about too many small furniture pieces, too many side tables has always been a pet peeve of mine!

I don't like to have a coffee table at all. I'm short, so it is either close enough for me to reach and no one can get around it, or I can't reach it at all. Lots of side tables. Book cases, I weirdly Dewey decimal them, having them by color makes me uncomfortable.

Oh my goodness, Yes! I completely agree, don't fill your space with magazines. Bookshelves with too much stuff just looks cluttered. I know I've been guilty of this. We learn, we grow.. thankfully.

I thought you were going to talk about balance, that the visual weight of furniture is more or less evenly distributed, that you don't feel as if you're sitting on the deck of a listing ship when all the weight is on one side or in one corner. I am not an interior decorator, but I was told this once when I was a teenager by a neighbor who owned a furniture showroom in Grand Rapids, Michigan. And I've never forgotten it. Can you talk about it--with examples? I think it would be very helpful to people.

Love that you linked eye patches. 😂 I’m dead.

Great ideas in this video as always. A mistake I see often not storing non-decorative pieces. Thumb worn paperback books and other items that aren't decorative would be best hidden in cabinets while decorative books and objets d'art can adorn open shelves. I agree, books should not be turned backward, sorted by cover color, nor arranged in anyway that advertises that the homeowner is not a reader.

My granddaughter saw me watching you & she said, I like him!. I said, me too!

I feel all the rug size guidelines are for non-Persians. 'Cause if you're Persian, you likely have Persian rugs, and Persian rugs are art on the floor, not flooring per se. So you don't cover them up with furniture, the same way you don't put art on the wall and then drag your bookshelf over to cover up half of it. So I hear all the rug size advice and it's footnoted, in my mind: "This advice is for normal people, only. Not my people. So I'm still good."

Ha, I just bought the book: Bibliostyle: How We Live at Home with Books. It's about how we live with them. Excellent video!

Girl, I wore an eye patch as a toddler and it was pink!

Thanks for talking about fragrance, or as my allergy prone husband says: stink. We have had to leave people's houses and hotels because of too much stink.

I have to have comfortable seating and my cocktail table is higher. I'm glad you brought this up because so many people think it can't be even an inch higher. I don't know where that came from.

One design mistake I’ve found isn’t just the rug size, it’s the rug shape. Square sectional? Square rug, even if it is in a rectangular room. I made the rookie mistake of doing a rectangular rug to fit the space, but not the sectional in my own house and I’ve been kicking myself about it ever since.

LeChic and coffee > ahhhh Sunday morning 🌞

YES to the comment of those people turning their books to face the other side! I saw that in other channels and I thought the same thing! How could you tell which is which? You can't, that means you don't read them at all... I feel validated now :D

I applaud you stating the obvious, that the first design question is how one intends to use a room. The old form follows function. This was rule #1 in the design courses I’ve taken. The biggest design mistake in living rooms for me is those hideous StayPuff Marshmallow Man sofas. Especially ones with cup holders and/or recliners built in. In faux leather.

I have a problem with book shelves! We had over 300 books and no library. So many paperbacks too. I got it down to 200 but my husband has put his foot down. I am definitely taking your advice on the book shelves!

Can we TALK about how eye patches are linked in the description box😂 Garrett is hilarious and has impeccable taste and style

I am so so so so excited about the new home we just bought. There is an extra den area halfway up the stairs and I'm going to have a library for the first time. It's going to be cozy af. (And if you're ever in Ottawa, yes you're invited! Haha)

OMG! I love that you posted a link for baby eye patches! 🤣

Love your ideas. I always loved the bookshelves filled with books until I did it in my living room and hated it. Now my bookshelves have a few hardcover books and other items. I realize I love a lot of things in other people's homes that just do not work in mine.

You sourced eye patches! 🤣 Too funny!

Coasters! Yes! They are our go-to souvenir, since they are light-ish to pack, not too expensive, and unique to place. Frank Lloyd Wright from Chicago, Botanicals from NYBG, colored glass from Corning, ceramic from Lisbon, etc etc. There they are -- use them. And don't DARE put a glass on our piano! I'm sure you can relate.

Garrett, you are so right about comfort. I have made furniture purchases that were so uncomfortable and ended up not being replaced years later.

OMG Garrett, I thought of you when I saw an online listing to a 2bed 2bath Chicago condo that looked like Marie Antoinette had thrown up all the pink rococo she ever came across. The bathrooms had OTTOMANS, yes, multiple, velvet and floral frilly fabric ottomans, next to the toilet. And pink theater curtains with lace on the shower. Floral pink pattern and white lace EVERYWHERE, including above kitchen cabinets. Every flat surface had the most number of guilded statuettes it could hold. And yes, this was a staged condo for sale. I imagined you would have gone catatonic if you saw it in person, because every way it could have been overstyled, overloaded and over-patterned was done so, and even though they tried, it was just not LeChic.

Lmao! Not an eye patch! You are killing it with these videos 👌

My condo has a corner fireplace, unfortunately it creates that large corner shelf that I find so difficult to accessorize. Now I know I have too many pieces….pictures of my kids, small items from traveling, etc. Thank you Garrett! I’ll work on that tomorrow.

Love everything you said; thank you . But as to books; in my case they are orgnised according to subject ... otherwise, they are only there for decoration ...

What an informative video. I think you just saved me from buying a square coffee table! Thank you 😄

we close on our home august 6th! so i’m def glad u did this video. ✨ i’ve learned to refined so much thru your videos.

Excellent video thank you for simplifying

You have made "elevate and upgrade" my newest decor motto. I'd be saying "I need to elevate and upgrade my (insert room)" aka "redecorating".

I appreciate the examples you are showing to illustrate the points being made!

Clutter is ugly! And cramming large pieces in a small space is 😳🤯who can relax in a mess?? I agree with Garrett about having pleasing scents in the home it’s more inviting 🥰

Love it! My house has many of the problems you said!!! Running to take off some of the overcrowded chairs and books all over the place! Thanks I didn't notice until you class today

I feel like I attended Design School. What a wonderful episode. Thank you.

Hi Garret, so happy I found your channel! We are currently preparing to renovate/remodel our kitchen/dining/den and I am getting so many good ideas from you. Thank you.

Really excellent advice. I'm happy to say that the only design mistake on this list that I am making is having way too many books in my bookcase. Time to edit and restyle. Otherwise, my living room is comfortable, functional, and beautiful. I'm proud of myself because it was a tortured path to get there. Wish I had your videos sooner. Thank you for your advice, lovely personality, and humor.

I am elated that you mentioned fragrance because a pleasant sensorial experience is an integral part of Interior design in my opinion, it creates a relaxed, enjoyable ambiance and is the first thing I’m aware of when I enter a home. Thank you for the candle link, I’m always on the hunt for a great fragrance and l’ll be sure to let you know how I like this one.

And I love the sense of humor.

Thank you for mentioning the smell factor. I have almost no sense of smell so I have to be super careful with clothes and body odor, but I have never thought about it with regard to rooms. I'll have to get some friends' input I think...

I'm glad I found your channel. I just bought my first place, A loft in denver. I know nothing about interior design so furnishing this place has been a headache. You have definitely made it so much easier, thank you!

Glad you discussed shelving in this video, I'm going to move into a small cottage with an awkward living room layout, and there is a built in shelve on the side, plus I'm bringing another book case with me. I'm worried about the flow though because of how tight the room is, plus I don't have the money to update on furniture and was lucky to get a nice couch for free. Trying to see how this can work while including an additional cabinet for office supplies, it's likely something has got to give.

I like to color coordinate my books but in a way that it doesn‘t look color coordinated. I will have for example 80% of my red books on two shelves with neutrals one‘s and then to break it up, so it doesn‘t look to forced I put some green one‘s or blue one‘s but more muted one‘s. So it looks appealing to the eye but not nessecarily rainbow. But that only works if you have a lot of neutral colored books (brown, beige, white)

"Name a kid that doesn't love an eyepatch." My cousin. She had one crossed eye as a little kid, and fixing it required many months of eyepatch wearing on the "good" eye. :)

My favorite scents are natural. I like to get a mini crockpot and add some orange slices, a cinnamon stick, maybe some cardamom or star anise, and water. Just plug it in and check in it to add more water occasionally. Smells really good.

Hi Garrett l, I enjoyed watching your video. It is my self-care practice for the day. You are funny, kind, smart, and talented. I laughed when you said, "this is not a doctor's office." I hope your channel continues to grow.

I don't know what to say. If you weren't married I would marry you. You are not only a fine interior decorator but you have a warm, healthy understanding of the differences between what people want and what they can get. You appreciate that we should make the most of what we have and not simply copy and buy what others have. This way you encourage us and teach us how to use our creativity and homemaking skills in the design of our home interiors, stretching our imagination. And, of course, I also love your little fur babies. Best wishes for a continuing, wonderful career.

Excellent points.

Bonjour Garrett : As usual you are giving wonderful tips in order people improve their decor. Yes about using coasters in my house LOL and it drives me crazy I have one friend that I have to tell her EACH TIME to put her glass ON the coaster pointing out that is not a piece of decor but a practical thing and it HAS to be use - *laughing !!! Have a good week my dear.

A piece I find missing in most living rooms is a good reading lamp. I'm one of those people who has a mini library, a wall of books on three 30x84" shelves (Liatorp) but I put some books on their sides and not all of the shelves are packed (even though I love the look of a library). Finding a good reading lamp isn't easy. I stay in a lot of Airbnbs when I travel and have started packing a small flexible neck lamp from Ikea, the kind with the eyeball-sized light, in my suitcase. I recently downsized and no longer have my studio building and office. Trying to fit a 400 ft² studio into 10x12' room has been an organizational challenge but I don't want it to look like a dorm room. Finding a way to incorporate my office into my small living room hasn't been easy but I'm looking at it as a fun challenge. I lived for a time in various European countries and remind myself all the time that my small space would be considered large in France or Switzerland. And when that does not cheer me up I think about the fact that you could fit four New York City studio apartments into my small condo lol Love your channel! ❤️

Another great video... yes I make some of those mistakes especially candles. I bought a diffuser so I can go more natural. Thanks so much for your help!!!

Thank you for this video as always very creative

I love that you addressed a home library. A goal of mine. Love your channel! 💕

About the overpowering fragrance issue...If someone always have air fresheners, candles, etc. giving off scents, they become nose blind. My advice, if you love them, use them, but stop a few hours before a guest is due to arrive. Personally, I use mine in the space I'm in, so it doesn't knock out everyone else! Love all your comments!

Your a vessel collector... the shade of it all 🤣

Love this video! The smell of my home is important to me, so thanks for your tips and links on that was well!

I love your videos. Small cheap rugs make me nuts. I also agree wholeheartedly about overpowering scents.

You are so much fun to watch- informative infused with humor!

Re book display, I love standing the book upright and have the cover face out. That's in addition to laying them on their sides, to break things up. I don't care too much about seeing all spines.

Oh good…you listed eyepatches…😂🤣😂. Cracks me up.

Excellent advice, as I'm finding is usual for your channel. I was blessed to move from a mobile home into a "real" house last December, and I love my new home. Ironically, the one thing I mourn is my library. I had an alcove in the common area into which I'd had built-in bookshelves installed. Tragically, when I went to pick up mail from my old home, I saw the owners (lovely people) had ripped out all the shelves. *sigh* Moving on...the design mistake that seems to be so common, and is a bit of a pet peeve for me, is wall art hung too high. Makes me crazy...

Omg at 5:37 I want that coffee table it's so perfect 😭😭😭

Hi Garret. I just found your Channel and I really enjoy your presentation and informative knowledge. Greetings from England

I have a small bedroom that I use as a library. I had my books categorized by author. I wanted a different look so I grouped by color. I was happy with it until my boyfriend said it reminded him of Goodwill. 🤔😠

You make me smile. I find stuff to give away every day. A box for Goodwill is on my table now. I still have lots of stuff. I am thinking about your vessels comment. Tina

Thank you. I do laugh to myself sometimes when I hear somebody saying they are minimalists hahaha. Of course I am not lol cheers

Hello 👋 Ones home should not have an over powering smell of fabuloso no mam, and I don’t really get the small stool thing there cute but why? Some negative space is a good thing. Love your video as always.

I appreciate your perspective and knowledge on design. I am so happy that I found your channel ♥️

good examples.

Another very enjoyable video! You are soooo funny!!! It's always fun and informative to watch you, thanks!

The look on your face when mentioning children running around! 😂 "Children running around living rooms... They're tacky, and I hate them!"😂😂😂

This is a terrific video. Nice to continue to learn useful and sensible information. 👍🏽

Amen! I’m the guilty one with wanting to be a minimalist but a hoarder of vessels! I’m interested into incorporating sculptures if you could help with that.

I’d love to hear your take in how to style a large empty wall in a living room or family room.

Love love love!

The face he made when talking about kids running around 😂😂😂

Okay I'm about 4 videos in. You gained a subscriber 😁

Do you have a video on how to style your bookcases? I’m struggling!

How do I get a T shirt???? Love ❤️ it!! 😊

Thank you

I enjoy your videos so much!

7:20 Like whoa. That looks EPIC.