Genius Home Hacks!
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 31. 05. 2024
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In this video, I go over some of the most genius design hacks I can find. I am such a sucker for storage hacks and finding hidden storage solutions because I think it's one of the best ways to make your space look cleaner and more curated.
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â± Timestamps:
00:00 - Genius Home Hacks!
00:50 - Thanks to Our Sponsor - Wayfair!
01:51 - TV Shelf
03:41 - Books To Hide TV Tech
06:23 - Spice Cupboard
08:11 - Hiding Inside Furniture
12:28 - Hidden Rooms
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CZcams was a bit glitchy with me on this video for some reason, but all links for products discussed in the video are now in the description and timestamps are back in!
Thank you!
Do you have the youtube link for the DIY book spin cover? I'm only seeing the amazon link.
The Covobox Amazon link isn't working for me and even searching it by name doesn't show it. Do you have any other link I could try please? It's such a great idea!
your kidding please say your kidding us on youtube
I do not think hidden rooms make a great sense in high rise apartment buildings. But living in the USA in single family homes where high crime rate and home break-ins are an issue. Hidden room can offer a hiding place when someone is breaking in. It can provide enough time to hide in and call the police while the criminal is trying to figure out where it is if they have beard someone being inside.
As a librarian, I give you all permission to make DIY stuff-hiders with old books, as long as they're not rare. It's the ideas that are sacred, not the paper and glue!
Oohh, beautifully said! đ
Half price books will sell you old books by the pound. You know, if all of the ones that you own are so precious! And you have rescued some older books & given them a home & gainful employment.
OMG - thank you for this. For some reason the idea of tearing apart a book made me cringe really hard because it feels so destructive but then I talked myself off the ledge and realized there are plenty of remainder/used books that are one of millions of copies of said book that would be safe to do this with, lol.
I only have rare books I handpick for my reading pleasure đ
Try going to the charity shop and asking for encyclopedias. They usually just recycle them because out of date encyclopedias are pretty much useless. They'll probably give you them for free or for a hamd full of loose change in the charity box. I volunteered for a while, and the book section was my area.
Hidden rooms: I once had a sewing room that could only be accessed through my walk-in closet. The point was that I didnât have to worry about it looking messy when I left an unfinished project spread out all over.
Hidden rooms are fantastic for kids' play rooms. They love showing them off to their friends
Are you kidding me, ânot a sexy topicâ? Storage is the best topic of al đl, thank you Nick!!
True story. My husband got lost in the Wolcott Hotel in NYC one night and somehow ended up in a abandoned service stairwell that led to a very art deco ballroom that must have been closed off for at least 10 years, It was completely disheveled with at least an inch of dirt on everything. He's always looking for neat hidden spaces and rooms because growing up in old town Lunenburg, it was common for homes to have hidden spaces for sometimes odd reasons.
Wow that is so coolđđ maybe a speakeasy, there are places like that in Florida.
He is a Door Jiggler. My sister is like that. You never know what you'll find when you try a strange door.
đ
Who cares
Thatâs exactly how the plot of The Shining started.
My grandmother had a Narnia style wardrobe that was a hidden room I found it super cool when I was a kid.
I LOVE books, but not every copy of every book is valuable. Think about how many mass market copies are printed. Libraries and thrift stores throw out a ton. Make your router box out of those.
"Why not just put a fucking door on it and call it a day." That made my day.
âThe jig is up! â on the hidden roomâŠyou live there! I laughed so hard. Iâve thought the sameâŠlike who are you hiding fromâŠyou live alone!
I have a pretty small house and the primary bedroom is right off the living room. I've always thought replacing the bedroom door with one of those swinging bookshelf doors to make it more hidden could be a cool way to hide a private area when entertaining in the public living space
Great idea
Iâm actually doing this in my small home!
So, for the secret-keeping books, they actually sell "books for making art" which are actually designed for this type of project and other projects. They have spines for classics in the public domain but they either have no text at all on the inside or its all text filler. Using out of date reference books that aren't old enough to be of historical significance (meaning they're new enough that they were heavily mass-produced but old enough to be irrelevant for research) is another great option. Like, if I were doing this for my spouse's office, I might go looking for some out of date engineering textbooks I can pick up for a few dollars rather than sacrificing materials others could use to learn from or reference. For myself, being an artist, I wouldn't dare sacrifice a real book for mine but would opt for the books for making art.
Yes to the out of date books. Libraries often have to weed out such books. Ones that just arenât being checked out but are still valuable and useful (a lot of fiction) are given away, but out of date history, science, and other nonfiction books are often just thrown away because they arenât useful and might actually be harmful depending on subject matter. Talk to a local library to find out when they do their weeding and ask if you can buy or even have these books destined for the dumpster anyways. Iâm sure the library staff will be happy these books will be given a new life, even if it is to hide your wifi router.
@@TwirlGirl2197 how can a history books subject matter be harmful? Our history is our history. And many of the old history books have more truth in them than the newer editions because a lot of our history has been hidden from us in the updates.
Even Roald Dahl books are being rewritten for the sake of political correctness.
Iâll tell you why those hidden doors that look like bookshelves are great even if you live in the house. We have a bifold closet door in the middle of our living room that leads to our hot water tank and water filtration system thatâs under the staircase. It means we have this stupid bifold door in the middle of the living room. Which isnât aesthetically pleasing at all. And also that I have nowhere to put a tall shelf or any display in the room because of the rest of the living room being as it is ( a fireplace wall and various doors and windows etc). One of those shelf Murphy doors with a bookcase would be an incredible solution there.
Lots of book so come with Dust jackets & while they often don't look as classy as the book themselves, they'll be easier to wrap around and you can keep your books intact. :)
*The Clock* stores time. All of it. Forever.
For years we had this beautiful sidewalk cabinet. When you opened it you saw 8 solid wood folding chairs and table inserts, you pull what looked like a drawer and it pulled out to a table for eight (we actually sat 9 it with an extra chair pulled up at the end). We were so said when we lost it in a fire. It was from either the 60s or 70s really well built, I believe imported from Europe, with the play of wood tones I think Scandinavian. I have never found the same quality in construction or design.
That's heartbreaking to lose such an iconic piece of furniture like that. Mind you, I'm guessing that you likely lost a lot more. Living in the bush in Australia the landscape is ablaze half the year. It's a risk we live with constantly and know the devastation it causes when people lose their homes and loved ones. Thankfully, my timber cottage is still standing.
My mom is an architect, so when we remodeled the bedroom where I grew up in, she put a small bookcase on hinges so that it was actually a door that led to a staircase/fire escape. I wish we had a photo or video of that. Too bad, this was back in the day (decades ago) and our house has been demolished to make way for new construction. My siblings and I always teased mom and called her "MacGyver"! ;-)
When we built our fairly compact kitchen, we had a few odd spaces that we decided to make into very needed storage. We have to bump our fridge forward to make the layout work & have access to the water line. We ended up with a very deep, but only 5â wide space, the height of the fridge, so we added a door on the side of the fridge cabinetry and made it a broom closet and a shelf above for cleaning supplies. We also had an odd niche up high between a ceiling beam and upper cabinets, so we added a wee little door and a couple shelves. Itâs only 3-4â wide but deep enough to keep medicine, matches, birthday candles and flashlights. We also planned & built toekick drawers that slide open under most the cabinets, it was wasted space but now they open to store large serving platters, placemats, cookie sheets, gift wrapping supplies and I occasionally hide Oreos, from my kids, there. Totally invisible but so easy to access.
One bit of caution with the TV niche: the TV _will_ get replaced. The replacement may not have similar enough dimensions to fit and the hole pattern for the bracket may be positioned differently. We encountered that, the new TV sits higher on the bracket and, no, we cannot just reposition the bracket as the new holes, in the wall structure, would be too close to the old holes.
oh! I know the answer to this since I lived a similar situation: try installing something sturdy (sturdy plank etc) to fit to the drywall so you are not direct screwing into the same drywall holes.
I had the same thought. I think a niche for cords/outlets/AV equipment is still brilliant to hide behind a TV. But trying to get the whole TV flush mounted seems like a recipe for frustration later. Besides, modern TVs are so slim anyway that personally I donât find them all that intrusive just wall mounted.
Buying the same size itâs very easy. Possibilities are endless. TV can be slightly bigger to prevent overheating. Nowadays TVs are 1/4 inch thick.
@@mylifewithmarmalade4624 We have one placed amongst a built-in bookcase and the replacement TV sits higher on the bracket, and you can see the difference.
@@erina6319I had a similar thought, except I was wondering if you could attach a small piece of plywood to the studs that could be replaced if necessary. Your planks would be sturdier, though. I donât know that plywood could support a large TV hanging off it.
I donât need a hidden room, but for reasons unknown, Iâd love to have one. Realistically, It would probably become a dumping ground for all my unfinished craft projects.
It looks like you could just pull the tv out a bit to watch it (for ventilation purposes) and then push it back when it's off. Problem solved!
Yes I think so too. Some things like video game consoles might need more ventilation but you can work around that.
I think hiding a door/staircase makes sense if you rent out part of your house as a separate unit. Especially if it's on the tenant's side. No one wants to have a sad door reminding them their landlord lives upstairs, and extra shelving is always nice.
The murphy bed/ bookshelf/ table combo & the drawer/ chair/ desk combo are my faves. Clever designs!
That Expand Furniture coffee table that converts to a dining table is amazing! And it looks really high quality also.
If I could have the hidden room installed while the other family members were away, I could finally have the peace and quiet I crave. Only I would know it was there; the others would only care that I was missing when it was dinner time. Lol.
I am both a book lover and a book hater. Once read, they go to the library. My husband will hang on to them for some reason even he can't name. We have a beautiful ceramic crock on our coffee table that my daughter made; I put the remotes in it whenever I straighten up. The crock is right there on a table in the open. The TV gets watched, but the remotes never get put back in the crock. Maybe I should get one of those hidden remote boxes, but I don't have any books I can spare without my husband dying. Sigh.
I just sent my sister a set of books that were destined for the pulp recycling place but had been repurposed. The covers had been covered in a beautiful world map paper and the spines when stacked say,â Paris is always a good idea. - Audrey Hepburnâ. Such a great reuse.
Hidden rooms can also be a security feature if one ever need a panic room
I haven't figured out how to keep the dog from showing robbers where we would be hiding...or if the dog was in here with us, how to keep him quiet.
@@BuckSecord Sound proof it? Obviously more expensive, but that would solve the problem of the dog making noise.
Or make it so secure they can't get in the room or find the entrance even if they hear dog barking
Or a tornado shelter.
@@BuckSecord and if tips from other comments are not achievable - last idea can be to put your dog to sleep, I mean some type of SAFE, vet-approved injection. It might seem drastic, but if you consider this as valid, possible situation that robbers might be interested in your place then you can go with it... I mean it is not great idea, but still better than being found out and hurt
I have the "4 inch deep" pantry thing, and I have a friend who redid her whole kitchen, with a house extention, $120K, 6-burner gas oven, walk-in pantry... and she was still jealous of my little spice cupboard LOL I love that thing!!!! No more hidden spices in the back!
I love storage. In a smaller home everything needs to do double duty as much as possible.
Here's a thought: If you don't have a guest room, give guests YOUR bedroom and YOU sleep on the couch. I do. Mostly, I do it because I normally wake early and it's just more comfortable to be able to follow my normal routine in the morning. And, yes, of course, I change the linens before they arrive.
I find it completely impossible to convince guests to use my bed, and I've tried! Better for them to have their own space.
This is exactly what I do!
Sensible idea, done such sometimes, others people were too embaressed to sleep on master's bed. But for me the trouble is to fit everything into my one living room. I used to have a great foldable chair but I gave it to my friend for everyday use and it actually gave me more space which I desperately needed...buuut now I only have an old good orphaned mattress and sleeping bag for when guest stay over and that's a bit sad
As a guest I would hate this...
@@erina6319 Hmm. Why?
Actually, that trick with book covers from old books that will absolutely never be read again is also a decent way to hide some valuables too - though it's also why some thieves will pull all the books off of bookshelves (if they do it on TV there's gotta be some IRL that do it too đ€·ââïž)
I really love reading the comments because so many people have extra ideas of what they did in their homes.
Another tip: buy those storage boxes from Ikea to place things above your wardrobe if it doesn't reach all the way to the ceiling. Also, just get everything with built-in storage. Everything.
For the fake book idea, some books have water damaged pages, but the covers are still intact, could be a good use for those.
And some books are really boring but have beautiful old fashioned covers.
Perfect. Reusing ruined books is good.
I think this is the first CZcams video where all of my thoughts are addressed during the video. Like the heat issue on the flush mount TV.
Really shows that you've actually thought about the consequences of life with these things instead of just "oh, this looks neat. *Share*" like most things I see on Facebook and Instagram and Pinterest and other CZcams videos đ
Great stuff đđŒ
Your pillar spice cabinet reminded me of what my friend JUST DID in her kitchen! She wanted to encase the fridge but didn't have the space for a full pantry cabinet next to it and didn't just want to have a slab of wood next to it so there's pull out cabinet that's about 6in wide. It perfectly holds a folding step stool, the broom and dust pan, and the swiffer and you'd not know it was there! It opens by being pushed on (like my dad's old stereo cabinet). She also did similar pull outs on either side of the waterfall edge of her island but in those she stores her cookie sheets and spare oven racks.
I actually like the idea of the hidden room for a utility/storage room I want to build in the future. Thanks for the tip - great show
Doors are a waste of space, so if you can use an easily movable storage solution (like those bookshelves), especially for the access to a space you don't use much or want to hide because it's not the most classy, that's a good use of space.
I love the hidden compartment behind the TV. I wonder if overheating could be avoided if the TV was pulled forward, when in use. To remember to pull it forward, I could store the remote in the compartment, as well. Just a thought.
In general, I appreciate your fast delivery of information. Thanks for the tips.
I recently built one for a client and one issue with hiding the Apple TV and cable box behind is that the infrared remotes won't work. Solution is to get an IR extender.
I have to disagree on one point, I think clever storage is incredibly sexy, or if not sexy per se, then perhaps thrilling and delightful! There are few things I appreciate more than clever ways to deal with daily life stuff in an aesthetically pleasing manner! Your floor to ceiling wall of spicy storage was my favorite along with the paneling that concealed wonderful cabinets! Brilliant use of space and aesthetically pleasing! I think the conversion furniture is smart but the complete opposite of my style and I would never go modern just for some storage. Built ins are my favorite thing ever! Great video! đđđ
Hi Nick. Would you consider doing a video on designing for function and behavior vs just style? I struggle with ADHD and being messy but I need order to function so Iâm torn between my natural self and my functioning self. Most decor advice I find is for style over function but after all we live in a house not a museum right ? Thank you so so much â€
If you're not familiar with them, both How to ADHD and The Spiral Lab have videos on neurodivergent spaces and design.
It can be really difficult to keep a "nice looking" space when hiding things from view makes stuff mentally disappear because of how our brains work, and we can be so inconsistent/impulsive in the moment, but we also need to have order to avoid overstimulation.
It calls for a completely different kind of visual and functional space than most interior decorators would ever advise or recommend.
I have major ADHD and everything Hass to function and be organized. Iâve become creative with it living in small spaces by furniture that doubles as storage, making storage part of the decor for example baskets with lids That match the wicker on the shelf, the dollar tree! Thereâs tons of videos on how to organize with dollar tree stuff. It is an expensive. As for decor, keep it simple and Let it flow. There are always things to find for free, hand me downs or even store-bought items but that is not as important as functionality and a lot of these channels as you said arenât as focused on functionality. With all the vessels, book says decor and needless things to purchase that donât add anything to your life really. Oh another thing I swear by our bins all over the house and hooks. Hooks over the doors every single door so things can get tossed upon hook and/or. Thrown into the baskets that are readily available throughout. Of course itâs not a perfect system, itâs sometimes an unorganized mess but stuffs off the floor and I know where to go look for it.
For me, majorly minimizing my belongings in my entire house was a huge help with my ADHD. Fewer visual distractions, fewer items to organize, fewer decisions to make (what to wear), etc.
Yeah, Iâm hanging out for Nick to do a designing for ADHD because itâs tough to get aesthetically pleasing interiors that are functional; and having personality in a space that doesnât create overstimulation (unless thatâs the purpose of the space). There is a huge market for this.
A video like this would find viewers who donât have ADHD too (or who donât realize and may never realize they do). I love how good Nick is about making space for people with different tastes and how his design style videos include a âthis is not for people whoâ part. He could do it for function too, like âthis is for people who feel like a house fire might be a blessing in disguiseâ and âthis is not for someone who feels like their house is devoid of personalityâ.
To me, hidden doors can make a lot of sense. They provide privacy for the space behind them so that guests or intruders are less likely to find the area that you may want to keep private. I come from (and also married into) a family of people who will come over and open every door in your house just to look in. I love the idea of hiding the space where I write away behind a false bookshelf. The whimsy of it would fade for me, but the main benefit would be the privacy.
I have a bookcase door for my bathroom door and once it was installed I realized I'd accidentally created a panic room, since it's a bathroom there's obviously a lock on the inside. So if I ever have an intruder my plan is to hide in the bathroom and they'd never know it was there.
What is WITH people who feel free to open closed doors in other people's homes?! There is a reason those doors are closed! I also married into a snoopy family and it drives me and the rest of my family nuts. Even so far as walking through my bedroom and into my walk in closet/room! It's just rude. I wish all my doors could be hidden!đ
@@GodessSiri I imagined confusion of those intruders when that would be ONLY bathroom in the house/flat XD
This whole video was great. When I was having my downsized house built I insisted on using the space under the stairs. The builder just couldnât grasp what I was talking about, even with pictures. I finally managed to pull it off but I must say that looking at all the options online was great fun. Everything from bookcases to home office to reading nook. My other clever thing was to have built out cabinet space over the fridge that has vertical dividers for cookie sheets, platters, muffin tins and extra cutting boards. Would love to see more on storage hacks. Or please just write a whole book about it.
My husband is just at this minute installing a cupboard above the fridge. I intend to put all my serving trays, baking trays and stuff. He is also making different levels on the side of the cupboard for different things. This will give more space in the pantry which will also be customised.
My previous house had a slim cabinet that previously stored a fold-down ironing board. I installed thin shelves throughout and turned it into a large spice rack.
I was going to write about this same thing! Only in my case it was a framed opening in the kitchen wall. I bought 1 by 3 shelving and quarter round molding. I cut the shelving for shelves, and used short pieces of the quarter round as supports. Glue and nail the quarter round to the opening, glue and nail the shelves to the quarter round. Our landlord left a partial can of kitchen trim paint, I used that to paint the unit to match the kitchen.
We stored spices, oils, soy sauce, etc. on the shelves ... they even stayed put during an earthquake! [California]
Very clever!
A cabinet that is four inches deep can store brooms and small dustpans, with shelving higher up for, say, cans of cat food.
Omg I did the same thing!
I love books! But I think the second idea is still genius because a lot of books can get really messed up and it's easier to use these things to hide stuff if you already have a bunch of other books. Sort of like camouflage!
We're buying a new house and whenever we looked around I was obsessed with planning storage, my husband thinks I focus on it too much but it's SO important... It makes such a big difference to everyday life, and it's often not thought about much in newer homes here in the UK. They seem to just put in endless bathrooms instead lol.
do check out Singapore/ Taiwan/ Hongkong interior designers. due to small homes , there are tons of extremely creative storage and conceal solutions!
When we built our home (14 years ago) I opted to put double cabinet doors on the pantry rather than an awkward door in the kitchen, or putting a glass door with the word Pantry etched in it like many were doing. It was just more aesthetically pleasing to have it all blend in seamlessly. It's not a large panty, it's walk-in, lol, rather step into. Also added a motion sensor light. The builder thought we were crazy but ended up loving it and doing the rest of their houses in this manner.
For those that hate destroying books, go to a thrift store and buy the boring ugly books. Usually there are ton of them, and they only throw them out if they don't sell after so long to make room for new ones. I bought ugly books, but then I decoupaged small pictures of flowers, or faces, and other things on the spines to cover up words and make my own fun books. It was easy and fast. I turned my book stack in to a lamp, but this could work just as easy for any project you want to use books for.
Two things from Expand Furniture that you missed that I love. The bookshelf table is also great for small spaces, and I love that they have freestanding Murphy beds. Most apartments won't let you anchor something like a regular Murphy bed to the walls (especially if the walls are concrete slab or cinderblock) but they actually have twin and queen sized Murphy beds that are stable without anchoring. Fantastic for a spare room that needs to do double duty without risking your damage deposit, and you can bring it with you much more easily if you move.
Is the Murphy bed he featured from expand? I loved it
I really loved the work from home unit. When the chair came out, I actually gasped! I havenât gasped at a video in forever!
Installed a Murphy Bed into my snug and it is just genius. To be able to offer a queen size bed to my guests without losing an entire room to a "guest room" when space is at a premium...is amazing. Love the drawer mantel. đ
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Which murphy bed did you buy?
Storage is sexy because mess is not!
For those of us who just donât ever have enough bookshelves those door/shelf ideas for stairways or under stair storage are đđ»
The other thing with the TV niche is that TV sizes will change, and then the wall would have to potentially be reconfigured. Still like it though
Thatâs exactly what happened with us. My husband built a double wall to hold the flat screen tv that was available in 2011. Now itâs far too deep for our newer flatter tv. Ack!
My first thought, too. Electronics donât last forever, and the sizes are not standard.
I do love the hidden room idea as a way to help redirect visitors too. My friend ended up putting a bookshelf door in front of the stairs to go up to the second floor (bedrooms and office space). Because of the kitchen lay out, the ugly stairwell was a prominent sight line, so she figured aesthetic shelving would be much nicer to look at. It is. A nice surprise however was that it discourages guests, especially young ones, from wandering upstairs exploring/snooping. Sheâs been thrilled with the additional security/privacy boost.
What kind of guests is your friend hosting that she has security concerns when they visit?
She tends to have big open house style parties where sheâll invite the whole neighborhood, or host house concerts for local musicians where she doesnât know a lot of the people coming. Mostly works fine, as the whole lower floor is all open except the powder room so she and her friends can keep an eye on things. But the upper floor bedrooms/office/baths are another story. She used to just lock everything off at the top of the stairs, but if the stairs arenât even visible even better.
@@mylifewithmarmalade4624 Even the thought of that makes my introverted brain explode đ€Ł
@@bluewren65 100% with you on that. But she loves a big party they way I love an evening with no plans, my favorite takeout and the remotes all to myself.
@@mylifewithmarmalade4624 đ€Łđ€Łđ€Łđđđ
I love the Harry Potter under the stairs cupboard that is turned into a cozy space for the pet. Some are crazy little well appointed bedrooms for bigger dogs. A quiet space for the "place" command or if a guest is allergic, or the even just to contain their stuff-toys, bed etc. If I was a little kid, I would have loved a little place like that for myself!
I love your spicy sense of humor. One of the most fun videos Iâve seen recently.
I love the books, though I kind of do that already with my books. I have books I use for reference that are very me and very pretty that I display. Behind those books? Ugly stuff no one wants to see. So functional since it's a spot for my books, pretty since I'm using the more artistic ones, and great for hiding things.
Besides if I had fake books, everyone would think I've gone mental.
I love all of these! I like a smaller hidden room, say, through a mirror in a bedroom or office, if it's well designed, to store any valuables etc. A safe! Perhaps not every thief would think to look there..... they may not have time to discover it. I love the shelf that is a drawer. And recessed medicine cabinets that look just like an ordinary mirror!! đđčđđ»đđ» ... Oooh lala!
Goodwill is a great place to find pretty vintage books too!
Love the Murphy bed / shelves & desk combo for our guest room.
Hidden rooms are a terrifying idea in terms of firefighters clearing a burning building.
We have our tv mounted up under a soffit and have the wires go along the top of the soffit so you donât see any of them. The guy didnât even know how he was gonna do it until he did it. Itâs so clean and pretty!
Hidden rooms are neat if you have a multiple entrances to a room or corridor. Hiding one of the cabinet or room that is rarely used can improve the aesthetics by not having doors in every corner.
make all your bathrooms hidden rooms and watch your guests just panic
Wish we could take credit for this one, but it was done by the previous owners. When we replaced the countertops in our kitchen, we discovered about 4 inches of empty space behind all the bottom cabinets. This space pushed the cabinets out from the wall for that extra 4 inches, thus expanding the overall, counterspace.
I live in a 126 year old house, and storage is an issue. Closet space is at a premium, to say the least. In one room, the 'closet' was just an 8" deep, empty space, that runs about a couple of feet behind the wall. (I assume that when central heat was installed at some point, it cost the closet space quite a bit of depth.) So, I had a handyman build several shelves into it, and was able to store away a ton of stuff.
Very Macgyver of you! Creative solution working with what you have.
@@stefs3460 Ha! :)
In 1900, people had armoires. Furniture versions of great big closets.
@@elizabethclaiborne6461 Yes, and I've seen closets that just had a few hooks on them for hanging clothes. People didn't have near as many clothes then, as we do now. And armoires (or 'chifferobes' as they're called down here) were usually all one needed.
Our old house also had those kind of closets. The rod for hanging clothes was perpendicular to the door, not parallel. They were called clothes presses. We put in shelves and added regular closets.
Iâve been wanting to comment for a few videos. Now is the time.
You. Are. Hilarious. In the best way.
Educational in the most entertaining way.
I think the hidden electrics behind the TV won't have a problem with heating up too much because the TV is out from the wall while they are watching it. That space holding all the boxes and wires is wide open during use. Cool ideas!!
The best "hidden room" ones I've seen actually hide the litter box! The one I've seen IRL, the cat goes through a little cat door in coat closet by the garage door, through the coat closet, and into a little cubby in the garage that holds the litter box. The one I hope to do someday when I have a house (instead of condo) is to have the cat go through a flap in the side of a kitchen cabinet (I'll sacrifice the back half of the cabinet) and into the cubby in the garage. It keeps the smell out of your house and provides a place to catch the litter. There's also lots of smart furniture that does something similar. Another friend has a bench in their mudroom that actually holds the litter box, all the litter supplies, and has a place for the litter catch mat. It just looks like a bench with cubby doors under it until you look at the side and see the cat face shaped opening.
For the hidden rooms - I need to see Nickâs reaction to the South African decor trend of hiding the ensuite bathroom behind the built in wardrobe doors! I personally love it but itâs a very South African thing đ
As a South African living in Melbourne, I remember that. Here in Australia, with new homes being built, they DONâT even put a door on the ensuite! During Covid we couldnât go to building sites and when we discovered this, the big construction company said we didnât ask for it. I said you never offered it, nor did you mention it. Lol. They said it was modern. I just said kak man. đ Anyway, my husband is now making a barn door, for a doorway thatâs 2.3 x 880. Insane.
To the bibliophiles with a modicum of crafting patience that want to avoid destroying a book binding - look up some book binding videos and adjust the instructions so that you only make the spines and/or covers.
Alternatively, take some scrap paper and/or fabric and adhere it to some reclaimed cardboard and styrofoam packaging that you've cut down to the size of book covers and/or spines. Use those to imitate the books covers and spines and then you've saved your books and cut down on some wastage.
I love small space and double duty furniture. I've seen these before, and there are so many more amazing ones out there.
The one advantage of the shelf door it is double duty.. if you don't have much wall space for a book shelf, then the doorshelf to the stairs is a great solution. And a door infront of the stairs is often needed eg in old English houses because they are not well insulated. So the door keeps the heat in downstairs in the living space.
Fun vlog.
The "Book Hide" is a great idea. Bye Bye "Remote Boat". I don't want the butler's pantry hidden room unless there is a butler that goes with it. I Totally came up with the add on hidden storage in my kitchen. I added 10 inches to the over hang side of my island. So under the marble top where the bar stools go four large hidden touch open cabinet doors. When open they house all my books. I don't need to clean book shelves or have a wall of books somewhere in my smallish house. Nobody realizes there is storage there as the bar stools are in front of it. When I need a book, I pull back one chair and pop touch the door to open and retrieve the book or replace it etc. I also store serving pieces I use for the holidays or gatherings etc.
Nick I absolutely love you in your videos! You are so very talented in adding humor into your wonderful videos. The world needs more people like you these days. â€â€
I love stuff like this! I have a 1952 time capsule home (including furnishings, appliances, decor, etc) and am always dreaming up ideas to hide the necessary modernity without harming the bones. Even when I see solutions that wouldnât work for my home, they spark ideas. đ We do have a huge family room on one side of the house that we use for TV, computers, exercise equipment, etc. It is SUPER helpful to have that separation to keep the main area historically accurate.
I love the idea of living in a time capsule! Does that mean things like kitchen appliances are also from the 50s?
@@sarahwatts7152 Yes, and they cook better than any modern appliances Iâve ever owned! My oven looks like the front of a 50âs car and is HUGE. We have heavy steel cabinets that look brand new. Itâs a privilege to be the stewards of this house, we absolutely love it. âš
Wow Iâd love to see you home
I have an original 1956 oven going strong in my house!
That book thing where you can hide stuff behind it is so cool. The only issue I would have with something like that is they are likely all books that I personally wouldn't ever own.
Nick, I can think of one possible application for the hidden room. I looked at a house with a bathroom right off the entryway. I didnât like that at all. A hidden door might solve the issue I had with that. Shutting the regular door would have helped too, but once I saw that bathroom right as you walk in, I was done. Just me.
8:39 Oh Nick, you don't know.... that's for blankets!!!! ALL the blankets!!!!
That mantel drawer will get heated up from the fireplace, as will the TV. Also, the TV over the mantel creates neck strain. You need a console table for the tv and a mirror over the fireplace, thereâs a reason weâve done this for centuries.
Agree ! Also , make up your minds , people ! A TV over a fireplace ??? It's either / or , not both , to have an aesthetically pleasing room .
I have a relatively small livingroom which has a huge old computer armoire from when they were furniture and expensive and well built (this one is two pieces) and you are so right: hiding away all that stuff is magic -- but I just realized, it feels like a hidden room (my office). I love closing those doors and shutting off the overhead lights at the end of my work-from-home days. I have a console table that opens to a 50 x 40 inch dining table on the other wall. Most of my friends are happy sleeping on the sectional sofa occasionally but I also have purchased a 4" memory foam trifold mattress I keep in the bedroom closet for when the grandkids come over.
The book project is perfect for an old encyclopedia. The books look nice, they are the same size, and the books themselves are outdated so you're not killing a book anymore.
The previous owners of my house lined the inside of the pantry door with spice racks. So useful! BTW, I credit Nick for causing me to stow away my Instant Pot when not in use. My kitchen island looks so much better without it!
I love seeing home hacks others have done even if I canât personally do them. â€
I would love to see them make the spines of the books created from scratch with titles that can be customized when printed. "Remotes are Ugly" by Hide M., "Dan Needs to Pamper Pam More" by Pam, etc.
I love home hacks like that, please do more video of these! I aslo love how japanese appartement hide small kitchen appliances under cabinets and even add vent to use them safely. Another hack i saw is electrical outlet in drawers "docking drawers".
ââŠnot a great way to make friends in the building.âđđđ
The storage behind the TV is a good idea, to improve the idea would be to integrate some small quiet fans to exhaust the heat. The TV's are definitely mounted a bit too high but overall these hacks are worth trying.
Hiding doors can also eliminate symmetry problems in decorating.
I've incorporated a hidden room into my house plans, because I decided last minute to add a spare bedroom off the end of my house, but the adjoining wall was already planned to have 1 metre deep 'nook' storage all the way along it. I didn't want to sacrifice my sewing nook for a door, & also didn't want the symmetry of that wall of nooks to be thrown off... so I decided to hide the door to the spare room in the back of my sewing nook & have my sewing machine cabinet swing out on the bottom half of the door panel, whilst the top half swings all the way back. This is actually better, because now I will be able to watch tv while I sew, instead of staring at the wall. And, that wall is one continuous line of moulded panels.
My favourite right now is a dining table that folds to the wall as a framed picture. :)
Nick! This is your BEST video ever! the leaf inserts on the "coffee table" is Geeeeniuuuus!
The only person who talks faster than you Nick - is Kiva. I need a cup of coffee before I watch her videos or I need a nap afterwards.
You can slow down or speed up in your playback settings.
We live in a tiny 1 bedroom (approx. 400 sq ft) so I am always looking for these types of ideas. Absolutely loved all of it. All the way through, light bulbs were popping. Thank you so much! I also subscribed to that link for Kiva's videos for Wayfair. You always provide such great and helpful information, Nick! Totally loved the spice cabinet idea as well as the expanding furniture. The hidden book storage idea was great too. It was all great!!! LOL
If I owned my own house I would totally make hidden rooms. And hidden corridors and slides and one of those poles firemen use in movies to go down to the ground floor.
I am from Mexico, and I think that in general in the whole American continent is kind of more normal to have bigger houses, so you just have more one function furniture. I remember when I came to Poland (around 14 years ago) and I saw the tables transforming from being 4 people table to 8 people one, or sofas transforming into beds with storage in below, or desks out of the "wall". I was flabbergasted. As you said I thought they were Ninja storage everywhere :D
I'm collecting ideas for a future home design, and the 8" cheater wall for spice storage was a fantastic idea! Since I store my pantry dry goods in 1-qt mason jars, as you do with your spices, it would be easy to incorporate this where a wall return separating rooms would otherwise be wasted. Combine that with a hidden-room pantry for bulkier pantry items and small appliances, and I can create a "magic kitchen" capable of producing far more than its' apparent footprint suggests.
Another benefit of the "cheater" wall, is that you still have a wall to hang art work.
I've done two things to hide "ugly" which might work for others....
My sewing machine is an older Singer preferable for its durable metal parts but therefore too heavy to move about for frequent use. I made a cover for it that would both hide it and keep it free of dust. The cover is basically a lightweight wooden box with no bottom panel. It sits upon my sewing cabinet, completely hiding the machine inside, and is easily set aside when I wish to sew. But it is not just any wooden box. I bought a victorian style balsa wood dollhouse kit in the necessary dimensions. I sanded, painted, and glued all the zillions of parts to build a house with windows, shutters, doors, a railed porch, shingled roof, omitted the interior walls and floors, and added a back panel so the house would have 4 walls. Sometimes I leave the sewing machine light turned on so it looks like someone is at home inside the dollhouse, a ghost in the machine. If that was not wacko enough for you, I had other method to my madness. As planned all along, I cut a mail slot in the roof of the dollhouse, added a temporary bottom panel, and displayed the house at my wedding reception. (I had spare shingles to make repair). My wedding guests filled the dollhouse with all their delightful greeting cards and gift envelopes.
My other hideaway is a wall cupboard in my teeny tiny bathroom. I bought a homemade plywood cabinet at a yard sale for a few dollars. It has the proportions of a typical medicine cabinet so when hung on a wall it does not project into the room far enough to cramp the space. It happened I already had an amply supply of tempered glass narrow enough to use for shelving. These I had salvaged from one of those older model louvered storm doors that someone had discarded. I took the louvres to the local hardware store to have them cut to length. I bought adjustable shelf brackets for the inside of the cabinet and heavy duty wall brackets that I modified so I could remove the cabinet from the wall as needed to clean and paint. The wall unit is about 2 feet wide x 3 feet high so it holds an amazing quanity of small toiletries, medicines, and cosmetics that women are prone to collect of a sort that would otherwise be jumbled into a drawer.
Love these. When I had my very small en suite remodeled I had the contractor remove the dry wall between 2 studs and had a cabinet installed behind the door. It is not deep but it holds a lot of bottles, etc in the bathroom. Amazing how much I can it in it.
When I had crown molding installed I had the contractor run the cable for the tv behind the crown molding since the cable comes in the back of the house and the tv is in the front and it's a slab house, so can't go under the house and 2 stories so can't go through the attic.
in my country (Poland) we have space for cables in the back of baseboards (I hope it is correct word, I mean something like crown molding, but going next to floor), they have two layers: one that is screwed to wall (base) and second - outer that you put onto that base that have hallow space for cables. Second part can be taken off to add another cable and then put back on the "base". It is useful when you want to add something (TV, optical fiber etc) and don't want to drill trough whole room
My super duper console to dining table transformer is about to get on a boat from Italy to Australia this week and it's the most exciting furniture I've ever purchased! Downsizing to an apartment mid year and I have been coveting this thing for at least two years