Irwin & Nicola talk about the worst home and construction design mistakes and how to avoid them. How many of these "pet hates" are in your house right now, and how can you solve them?

Video Transcription

[Music playing] Welcome to Design to share Q and A. I am Nicola and I am Irwin. Nicola: Today, we are addressing most design mistakes. What do we feel that they are really mistakes? Irwin: There are so many design mistakes. The question is how can we tell which one is all the worst. Nicola: If you do not address them in the beginning that is when they multiply and have real problems on your hands. Irwin: Okay, so let us get through to some of them. Nicola: One of those mistakes that we feel quite strongly about are fake shutters, very often you see them on your typical, colonial and either the windows do not relate to the shutters. They are too small. They need to be able to close the fold with the windows. Irwin: In fact, there is a company Timberland, Timberland.com, of course and they are really wonderful in terms of doing very authentic shutters and different styles of shutters. In fact, in certain places the shutters traditionally were solid shutters on the ground floor and livid shutters on the second floor that was common in the East Coast here in the States. And then of course, down South in Florida had that kind of shutter which was sort of the shutter that were like leaves. So, the shutter is a very strong element but they really need to be done well. I think the biggest mistake of all these, this whole mansion thing. I think we got to actually pay a real price for it. In the WWII and after the depression, we launched house at the Victorian period were basically toned down, the idea being that the cost of the energy was so high that we interrupt actually having quite luxurious apartments and houses with just a foot high ceilings. They were more efficient to heat, more efficient to cold. I think we are getting to walls that I think you know that in today’s age, with the sort of the greening and so on of the United States and the rest of the world. We are still concerned with the cost and the efficiency of our energy use but maybe just making the space a bit smaller might be the way to go. Nicola: Right, sizes are not a waste. Size does not waste like that but of pet peeves, pet tape is actually a sliding mirage closet door and also the bifold doors which I cannot stand. You are far better off sticking with the proper details and having the regular passage stalls. I think they take up less space. Irwin: Having the sliding doors really cuts off half of the closet. I mean it look, there are times when we can actually use and one should use it. Someone had placed for the doors to swing that way. I understand and sometimes it is not the place we want to spend the money. If you are on a tight budget, and guest room in the back of the house or the laundry room, sure then leave it at that, fair enough but sort of described for the quality over the quantity, rather to have a small house with a better detailing is very much we should strive for. Nicola: Do you think we should really invest, spend more and get the real McCoy whether it is laminate flooring or whether it is terra cotta tiles that are actually porcelain and not real terra cotta and made to look like terra cotta. Not that there is anything wrong with porcelain tiles. Irwin: Of course, I mean if the porcelain tile is made to look like porcelain tile, let us say solid white porcelain tile or with a solid color. It is absolutely fun, of course but fully interior for kitchen room that is really used like you put so much money in the kitchen. You spend so much money in the kitchen cabinet tray and the appliances and then have a cheap floor that is worth two dollars to scrape the floors. It looks silly. Nicola: You are going to benefit from it because you got more mileage and then you suddenly loss it on a (inaudible). Irwin: Another pet high packed we want to share with you of course, is all about moldings. Moldings have become a very important especially with the awareness of traditional interiors on these colonial homes whether it is the moldings on the inside of the house or the outside of the house. And all of a sudden, because so much more of it is being used there is a kind of education that came with the architects and the designers who were trained using traditional, classical elements. Nicola: It is the overkill. Irwin: Why, so it is overkill or under kills, sometimes the moldings are too grumpy or too insignificant for the space. Sometimes, they are over scaled and sometimes incorrectly. The idea is think about it and we will have a research on this. You know, if you look at a book on that all the period interior that is really a period interior. If you got a copy of sort of French style or an English style and that is the style that you want, you will really do the research. I mean the internet is such a great tool as well as magazines and books not to mention a look in museum. Just have a look. I mean just looking and learning what really help with that. Nicola: Let us talk about super sizing. Super sizing as in with furniture or decoration. One thing that you do have to be very careful of is furniture that is too big of the sake of the room. So you have a smallest size room and you do not adjust the scale, you have this over sized stuff so far and matching chair that looks completely out of context with the room. Irwin: I think one of the reasons why people end up with this over scale pieces. I mean there are a few reasons. One of which is that the stores are very big. You walk into the store and you see a beguiler and it is comfortable and bring at home into your home which might have an 8-foot ceiling. I mean the space is actually furniture mongers and of course, the other negative aspect is that it makes the ceiling look that much lower and the space much smaller. And of course, the girl is so efficient. If you got the real thing that is any a very small percentage of the bed of the surface is actually engages with your body. The rest of it is just completely just bulk and it is just a visual thing. I mean, I think that one’s home is like a model. If you think of the model, a beautiful woman or beautiful man, they can wear any clothing and they can look right. Your home should be the same. If you got good burrowing and good architecture, good architecture detailing then you can come up for any thing that like. In summary today, I think the most important elements of what we are presenting is quality not quantity rather spend the money on details and space that is of a finer quality than having more of something that is not. Nicola: I cannot agree more. It is really the integrity of the details and the materials that you are using. Also, do your research and I think it really does pay to invest in quality. Irwin: And have a strong sense of self. I am Irwin and I am Nicola. Thank you for watching Design to share Q and A. [Advertisement]