OMG... sorry I premiered this so late guys! Yes, the.dezignclub.com LAUNCHES TODAY at 1;30 PM (PST)! My team and I have been working on this for over a year, so make sure to become a member today and get a ton of "founders VIP" perks! Oh, yeah, this is a really fun video too! HAHAHA!

The thing is, I spend way more time in my “public spaces” than any visitor ever does, and my little gathering of vintage photos of generations of family makes me super happy. Hopefully the discomfort they cause will be offset by the supreme pleasure of my company! 😉

The only thing about restraining family photos in “public spaces” is when you are staging to sell. Otherwise, surround yourself with things you love.

Oh, Lisa, I love most of your advice but I must say this: My living room is not a public space and if someone is in there and they feel uncomfortable with pictures of my family, then they must have entered my house by mistake and are lost.

I have never felt uncomfortable in somebody's house because they have family pictures. I enjoy looking at others family pictures hanging on the wall

My home IS my private space! Covid Era, apart from loved ones, made pictures all the more important. But, enjoyed this video...

I am in my late 60s, and I grew up with the understanding that formal portraits were fine in public spaces, but that photos were better in private spaces. I think we have become more flexible, but I get where Lisa is coming from. Actually, when my parents passed away I discovered a treasure trove of black and white family pictures from the late 1800s and early 1900s. I framed them with black frames and white mats to make a gallery wall in my very modern dining room. People ALWAYS spend time looking at them because they are interesting. If you display pictures intentionally, following good design, it will work.

Agree....I dislike family photos all over the walls. I keep my special photos in my office. XOXO Doreen

My friends parents have a huge gallery wall in their staircase leading from the main living area upstairs to the bedrooms. The gallery wall shows pictures of the whole family at different stages of their life and pictures from when the kids were baby's (now grwon up) to their first grandkids. And I always loved it as a guest. It's not so much in your face on the living room, but when you are close enough to the family that they would let you upstairs you would quickly pass all their pictures. I sometimes walked extra slow to see all of them. I think this is a great idea to handle it!

I like to have a few family photos in my living room and my bedroom. Those are precious memories.

S3:E12 "Friends & Family" in Schitt's Creek, in which the plot surrounds the Roses' gigantic family portrait from their old mansion now in a tiny motel, demonstrates Lisa's rule #5 so well.

Am I the only one who doesn’t want family photos in my bedroom? I have some in other areas of my apartment (and they’re public), but my bedroom is a place to relax and at times, my family stresses me out more than anything else in my life. 🤔🤔

I agree about the photos. Put them in a hallway and make a gallery wall. It makes more sense and looks great. My mom taught me this through her decorating and I've just always done it that way. It's pretty cool too because you can give your kids a history lesson about their ancestors too. 😉 Unless you're the queen of England, don't put a huge picture of yourself and your family above the fireplace. Its tacky and uninspired jmo.

The thing designers seem to forget most times is that outlets are on the walls. If you “float” your furniture most times you are creating tripping hazards with cords.

Retired Interior Designer is laughing and nodding and totally agreeing with EVERY point that you made!

I actually love seeing personal photos in people's homes. It shows what they love. And you can learn more about them and their experiences.

one of the most positive people on the internet! just watching you makes my day Lisa!

lol i'm sorry, did i hear correctly, are we now viewing living rooms as ''public spaces''? it's your space, hang whatever you want and feel happy spending your days surrounded by

Great tips. I hate the way people put their TV above their fireplace. When I had a fireplace I never did that. Did not want to have a conflict. I want to only be looking at my fireplace. These were all great comments today. Excellent.

Lisa, I watch your channel religiously and love your advice. One of the things that stood out in this video was that most of the examples of “do this” rooms had furniture against the walls or windows and that seems contrary to your first “don’t” which was not to put furniture against the walls. What am I missing?

Lisa, I love that “ star” shirt with Jacket and your new frames. Always looking chic! ⭐️

I can see where she's coming from with the photos. Having like a big main pic of your whole family or a couple of little ones throughout the room is fine, but I work as a nanny for a family that literally has photos of them on every square inch of every wall and it's incredibly overwhelming. I'm talking giant 50-photo collages on every hallway, pics by the kitchen sink, giant canvases, and even a pic in the bathroom. They stare at me while I'm on the toilet and it's super awkward. Keep that shit to a minimum

Hi Lisa, I admit that I felt a little left out in this video as the tips seemed to be for large homes. Such as don't put living room furniture against the walls. I'm sure if someone has a small living room at least one chair or sofa will end up against a wall. The no family photos only makes sense IF you have a separate family room aka the living room is really your parlor which isn't the case for many homes and even then it seems a little exaggerated. I doubt people would mind seeing a small photo or two say 4x5 or smaller in a frame along with other items like on a shelf or side table. I'd just try to avoid making the photos a focal point. As for the fireplace... well my house won't have one. My parents do and it is over their fireplace as there are shelves on both sides. They normally watch tv from the kitchen or dining table which is a little higher up. I am going to instead have counter height storage built into that wall to mirror the height of the kitchen peninsula opposite it so my TV will still be a little higher that sitting eye height. This is important for me since my house will be very small and I don't want to store everything in the kitchen cabinets!

Cozy lighting can help your mood. It’s really important especially if you live alone.

Oooh I can’t go along with personal photos in public spaces. No. Just no. My home is not a gallery, it’s a HOME. I have never felt uncomfortable seeing family photos in someone’s living room. Lisa is a designer…that’s her perspective… that’s what we’re here for, but I will always have select family photos in my living spaces. Only exception would be if I’m staging a home for sale.

I agree with the tv and fireplace ! It's so frustrating trying to lay by the fire and straining to watch a movie with the family 😭

I’ve also found taking a video of a space and looking at it on screen can help identify any areas that could be better styled or designed. Thanks for all the tips, I managed to check all off the list as already something I already do, but it did help validate my design logic 😆 I can understand that some people will not appreciate the point about personal photos. I think that they could be displayed as works of art or in beautiful frames as a design statement, but too many in a prominent place might be a bit overwhelming. I personally have all mine in our hallway as a gallery wall and in bedrooms, but wouldn’t be at all offended to walk into a home with personal photos in a living space.

Great tips as always Lisa!!!!! I agree with family photos in more private spaces. I read this many years ago, considered the pros and cons and decided it was the way to go. We have black and white professional photos of our sons-I believe the style was called baby body parts, and they are in our bedroom hung in a gallery wall style. Absolutely love it and so timeless too. We have our extended family photos and our sons senior and personality graduation photos in black frames with white mat boards hung in the main hallway. The colorful photos are made cohesive by the unifying matboards and frames. I also have a few favorites pictures of our parents and grandparents wedding days framed in my home office. - This is a funny little thing I've noticed about having photos in the hallway...Many times someone has gone to use the guest bathroom in the hallway and emerged with a comment to the rest of the group about how great the photos are in the hall etc. Having the family photos to peruse in the hall is nice for people. So if they happened to go MIA in the bathroom for a bit, they were simply held up enjoying all the photos down the hall! Or just have some fantastical art !!! smiley face

I enjoy looking at family pics when I go to someone's home.

Thank you for stating the obvious in regards to TV over the fireplace.. your ABSOLUTELY right!

You are absolutely right about family photos ~~ Very professional advice ~~👍👍

Lovely lisa loved the lighting tip and the family photo tip. I agree i did this amazing family gallery wall in our upstairs hallway. I always treasure them at nite before bed. I love the look of a nicely decorated house. My husband has his family and dog pictures on his dresser. It looks great!!!

I always enjoy your videos. Sometimes I disagree, though. For example, I don't consider my home to be a public space. It is not a dentist's waiting area. I don't see why I can't have my personal pictures displayed throughout. The only visitors I get are friends and family and they DO want to see my kids' pictures displayed.

One of my favorite things to see in a home are the family photos. I do like the consensus that you don’t need to go overboard and have them plastered everywhere, but definitely feel a designated wall is the way to go.

Lisa provides 3 points of light on our dezign problemos!!

I never thought of painting an outlet plate before - what a fantastic idea 💡! Thanks Lisa 😃

They make awesome moveable tv mounts so you can place above the fireplace and move down for viewing! Works out perfectly in our home. When entertaining we often use it to showcase digital art so it isn’t just a black screen.

I could only put my tv above the fireplace, but bought a Mantle Mount. Great solution. Allows you to pull the tv down to a perfect height/position. Works on a hydraulic system so super smooth movement.

We have a big framed caricature of the proposal we brought from abroad (where it happened), framed on a wall in our living room, always makes our guests laugh. 😅 Also if we move the furniture from the walls it will all get in our way, it only works for huge rooms not a humble condo 😆

Omg! I love this video! I keep on ticking the boxes haha! Must have watched all your videos when we were building the new house. Three layers of lighting make a huge difference esp in the evening. Visitors said it makes the house really cosy ☺️. And yes, no personal photos in the living room, just big wall arts

I'm always so glad that you mention design suggestions for small spaces - thanks for including us!

Mantle mount TV mounts are made specifically for the fireplace so that TVs can be pulled down to eye level and pushed back on top when not in use. I have one and love it, as my family room is very symmetrical and having two off focal points just feels wrong.

THANK YOU! I never understood why people are mounting their TVs up near the ceiling! Even if there isn't a fireplace below it. So happy you addressed this, now I don't feel crazy ha

LOVED THIS! I in a new home and I'm loving the clean simplicity of it. So designing my LR to be a comfortable, stylish space! I plan on putting photos in the hallways and bedrooms, so I totally agree. So this video resonated with where I personally am in life!

Knitted cozy electric cover had me laughing out loud. Thank you so much for sharing your professional advice and enthusiasm. LOVE LOVE your channel! :)

Love the video as always! And I agree re the living room is a public space… I think people can apply a little balance and add some personal pics but should think about which ones…. I’ve seen plenty of…. Interesting shots in people’s living rooms that I’m sure have special meaning to them but they don’t always ‘deliver’ the intended sentiment to a visitor!!!!

I really love your energy on a Saturday morning! Thanks for the tips!

I am so addicted to your channel. Learnt so much from your content. Please do a video on basement decor, especially with little to no natural lighting.

“Stop putting your furniture against the wall” and them you show a photo (sectional) that’s all against the wall. Why? Because sometimes against the wall really works best for living.

I have a gallery wall of family photos going up my open staircase and into the upstairs hallway. I also have two living rooms on the 1st floor. The family room where we have the television has no family photos. However the sitting room has no TV......a piano instead. Above the piano is a gallery wall of more family photos. People rave about our family photos. Taken professionally in a less posey way... put in black and white.... framed with matting looks like art. I saved the wedding photos for our bedroom and instead opted to keep our wedding album in the sitting room in case folks ask about our wedding photos. I also keep a pretty box of family pictures from years ago for visiting family to delve into when we're chatting about the old days.

I hate having my tv over the fireplace but it's literally the only place it can go as I have no other wall. Thank you for all your great videos and can't wait for the dezignclub!

This was just sooo helpful to me (and really satisfying to checkist watching it again). I still haven't nailed the lighting. But I'm getting there. Thank you so very very much.

Love your advice on personal photos and TVs. Drives me bananas.

Okay I too am struggling with a couple points from this video. I'm moving my family of six into a very small apartment for the next couple of years, so we will have to put our couch along the wall, and we won't have any spaces but two bedrooms for photos (granted I don't have tons because kids grow so fast I can't keep up!), But I do know what she means. I've been in homes where there appeared to be almost a shrine to each child, and or pet in the living room. It can feel awkward after a while. All of that being true, I have also been to homes, my husband's great grandmother's for example where I found every photo enchanting and captivating. They went back almost 100 years! This is Lisa's professional opinion, of course you can take it or leave it. I'm glad she shared it here!

I adore you!! So fun to watch!!! And....I LOVE THE DEZIGNCLUB!!!

So true about the personal photos! They weird me out.

I feel grown up- at 37 and have plants in nice pots lol and actually take care of them. It's been a year now and I'm loving it haha

I freaking love this lady, her videos feel like university lectures in a fun and fast way, its just very informative

Oh Lisa! I love you. But this was not fun realistic for so many of us on a couple points. I'm in a lovely home of 1050 sq ft, family of 6. We don't have public and private space! 😂 1 bathroom too so not even that is private. Well, I mean it has a door and lock... 😂 I even work from home and have clients in all the time. They always compliment and ooh and ah my family photos. I'm also not sure it possible to not have my couch against a wall. 🤔 Maybe..🤷‍♀️ it's a small living room and we need seating for 6 or more.... You are delightful and helpful and I adore you style.

Love your videos - great tips and advice. Super helpful and Wow do I need help!!!

Everything in this video needed to be said! And another for me are words on walls....eeesh.

Thank you for the photo tip I wish more people would share this one. I've heard this tip from others actually and moved my gallery wall from the entry to my office. They also said to save the family galleries for cozy spaces but their reason was for privacy. In my case anyone who came to my front door knew exactly who and how many lived in my home. Now I have a mirror in the entry (duh 😂) while the family gallery is tucked safely out of view in a space meant only for true guest.

All tips are right on! I follow all these tips, especially the one about the personal photos. I put those in hallways and bedrooms. People follow you to understand how to make their homes look more sophisticated. My home is gorgeous, like a spread from Elle Decor. I am grateful. However, I adore the “wow factor.” Family photos are distracting. I prefer good art and beautiful lamps. Many thanks to you for helping me to keep it sharp! ❤️

I mostly agree … except for the family photos. I don’t have any “public” spaces in my home … it’s MY home! Not an office, not a library, not a hotel room. Anyone who is uncomfortable seeing a photo of my dog or me and hubby on a hike - probably isn’t welcome in my home!

OMG Lisa. I must be a designer and not know it LOL. I don't like furniture against the wall, TV above the fireplace is a no no for me, I don't like personal pictures in the public spaces and everyone thinks I am weird because of that AND I always use the leave the room idea. I love you videos...keep them coming girl!

Our living space is open concept, it came with built-ins on both sides of the fireplace, so we had no choice but to put theTV right above it. We just had it installed as close to the mantle as possible, it is not too high, not too bad.

Some really great advice. Outlets standing out like sore thumbs is one of my pet peeves. Lowe’s and HD sell outlet covers that can be painted. If you have wallpaper, cover them with the paper. It makes a HUGE difference. ❤️ Shirley

Our tv HAS to be above the fireplace. The room is small and weird. It only has 3 sides a fireplace wall, huge slider, open to kitchen and one usable wall. I can’t block the fireplace w a sofa. I’m happy with it up high. It is what it is. Who cares.

😂 I love the “ gangs of light switches” 🤣

I absolutely disagree with you. You’re home is not a public space, it’s your sanctuary. You don’t have to please anyone but yourself. The people who come to your home are family and friends. If friends feel uncomfortable about your family photos, well that’s their issue; and maybe then they shouldn’t come over.

I agree with you on family photos. They belong in the hallway and need to have a cohesive aesthetic.

I was dying of laughter the other day about another video I saw about a small rug under a small coffee table which looked like a POSTAGE stamp! I think it was Lisa Holt who said it. I laughed so hard.

I really enjoyed this. Very practical tips!! The tip about private pictures in living room makes sense to me because I have a home office and have clients coming into my home (even though I have a separate office). So in my case this works!!! Definitely going to follow this tip!

I agree about not having family photos in the living room/den, but I think scenic photos from family vacations are a great alternative to art you’d buy. Strangers don’t know the significance but you will, and no one has to feel uncomfortable seeing kids or wedding pics or any of that.

I adore you :) it is the rare occasion that I really enjoy the personality of the expert advice, not only are your tips spot on, you have fun teaching us! and, I know I said this before, but I love your speaking voice (I told you last time you are a twin voice with Tea Leone!) thanks again for being SO awesome! will check out your website :) xoxo and have a wonderful Thanksgiving! -Donna

Hello. I had to laugh at the large pieces of furniture and too much of it in that small space. It reminded me of my Aunts living room.😜

Lisa, you are so right about the photos. Self-evidently, they should be in a family album!

Love your channel but totally disagree about family photos. I don’t think I want people in my home that feel uncomfortable seeing pictures of my family. Seems like a strange concept that people at your house would be uncomfortable with pictures of your family.

Our “public” space isn’t *that* public! Besides, our living room is the only room with enough wall space to display the 24”x19” oval portraits of my husband’s great-grandparents (c.1860) and our Edwardian panorama of Niagara Falls.

Your videos are the best. Hands down. ♥️♥️♥️

Hi Lisa, thanks for the video. I think you must live in a large house because I’m sure many of us can’t move furniture off the walls as our rooms are too small. When you talk about family photos making others uncomfortable I’m at a loss. My home embraces my family. I select them carefully and I agree that overdoing things can be a mess, but not sure about them bothering other people. Other than that I enjoyed it. X

I have to smile. If you saw the house in which I live, you'd never believe that I watch designers. It was my mother's house for about 50 years. Although a large house, it was filled with a massive amount of stuff, some nice things and many things she didn't want to "waste" by discarding. I have been donating, trashing, rearranging and trying not to lose my mind during the two years since her passing. One day I am going to put some of your good advice into practice. Really, I am. In the meantime, I'm so glad this is not 2-way video, lol.

Residential living rooms are for living your life. These are NOT public spaces. Surround yourself with the artifacts of your life and values, including photographs. These objects are far better than mass produced art junk.

Generally agree with you, Lisa, but I have to throw the flag on the personal photos in public spaces. They are often conversation starters. And while I don’t do gallery walls, my babies and my bride/daughter in a silver frame shouldn’t make anybody uncomfortable. If it does, I probably don’t need to know them. 😉

Yes, centre the grouping in the middle of the room. It will look bigger and also more cozy. The funeral parlour look of furniture against the walls is unfriendly.

I find it helpful to take several photos of my rooms from different vantage points. It really highlights any areas that aren’t working and need minor or major tweaking. There’s something about a flat image that helps you see the obvious, that you don’t see just standing and looking around. Especially if you’re doing it without help of a designer.

Have to join the chorus of those who disagree about family photos. I certainly don’t want them scattered all over the place, but I enjoy seeing a small cohesive collection of framed personal photos- either table top or as a gallery wall. It’s also a chance to add color, texture and style with the choice of frames. Too many photos tends to start looking very cluttered.

omg yes! I always thought a tv above the fireplace was a design flaw and nobody would ever agree with me!

I’m lucky enough to have hunted, found, and bought back an heirloom antique table that had previously come down in my family. It’s a carved, round parlor table, and the best place I have for it is a corner of my living room. I didn’t plan it, but the family table ended up having a few, and then a group (now 8) black and white family photos, dating from 1890 to 1948. As I am able, I find more interesting, vintage frames for these, and a few family mementoes join the mix, all around a lamp in grandma’s china pattern. I actually don’t care for a lot of family photos on display, but have made this exception, and it suits my old house and me. It’s in a corner out of the traffic pattern, so in nobody’s face. Visitors and family gravitate to it, though, and it serves to start many stories.

Super excited about the dezignclub! Also, the new glasses look superb, where do you always find such treasures?

Thankyou Lisa!🙌🏻👌🏻👏🏻😘

Lisa, thank you! It had to be said! Personal photographs (especially glam pics of weddings) in the living room are absolutely not right! If you have to display them use the family room, or a personal office, or a library, or the bedroom. But a living room, or a dining room (especially a formal dining room), are not to be cluttered with personal pics. Its just tacky. Display instead a beautiful painting, or a sculpture, or a collection of carefully curated art objects, etc. This is where you can express your style and taste and not the family altar!

I absolutely agree with the TV over the fireplace, hate it! On another note, unfortunately, I have a small living room and have NO choice but to put my sofa along the wall. Thanks for the tips! 💕

It was never ever the idea of builders, electrians, and cable guys to put the TV above the fireplace. No one wants to wire the most awkward outlets in the house. The honour of that idea is for designers and the homeowners who follow them. Someday the reality that people watch TV and the design for that must be dealt with, will finally sink in.

I know no TV over the fireplace. But you can use a mount that pulls it down to eye height while in use and has a temperature sensor in the handle. You can turn that TV into art when not in use so I’m ok with mine now that I’ve found this solution.

Lisa, thank you for your videos each week. They are very entertaining and informative. You are a joy to watch. Just wanted to add my comments. I believe there are exceptions to every rule - just as some rules are made to be broken. As far as the TV over the fireplace goes, if there is a raised hearth, then I agree that the TV would be too high for comfortable viewing. If the hearth is even with the floor and the TV is at least 42", then the seating area should be far enough away so the viewer does not need to crane their neck to view the screen (even in a smallish room, and particularly in a smallish room where another wall may put the TV too close to the seating for comfortable viewing). Also, for the most part, I don't have personal photographs in my living room because I don't share those things with many people, but I do have two special black and white photographs of my parents when they were first married in the 1940s (now deceased father and very much alive 96 year-old mother). I like having the photos where I can see them the most, and anyone who would be uncomfortable seeing those photos would just be uncomfortable. I find that strange, but that would not matter to me. They were probably just a friend of a friend who came along for the ride.

Omg! It's clear that Lisa works with really rich people. Litterally, our apartment doesn't have private spaces except the bedroom. So litterally if i kept my family photos in private space i would never see them because i only sleep in my bedroom. Personally, i love nosing around people's family photos. It's a great way to open conversations!

Hi Lisa. Greetings from Copenhagen. Can you please make a video on designing an open space with living, dining and kitchen areas please? How to place the furniture, playing with paint, storage - I would like it all 🙏🏽😁 - love, Sonia

I adore Lisa!! I watch every single video she puts out!

The more I watch your videos and the more it’s evident that you’re not taking smaller spaces into consideration. No couch against a wall? 30-36 inches for traffic patterns? Hahahahaha if I don’t put my couch against the wall my space is going to feel even tighter and I’ve got a love seat and one chair that share an end table. And you can forget a coffee table!