Bobby Berk Is Absolutely Puzzled By These Viral Home Design Features
As the interior design expert of Netflix's "Queer Eye," Bobby Berk has encountered some wild rooms. Berk transforms these clients' homes in just four days, painting, remodeling, and bringing in new furniture with the help of a team of designers, as well as local carpenters and artists. And while the interiors may not work well for the heroes they help during the episode, they don't compare to some of the craziest home features floating around the internet.
In a video shared on TikTok, Berk gives "bombastic side-eye" to four admittedly weird home features. Corner stairs that run into the wall, multiple layers of crown molding, padded kitchen cabinets, and a pebbled toilet. Berk makes faces into the camera, showing just how confused he is that anyone chooses these details as the final look. "The fact that someone actually went through with these designs," Berk writes in the caption of the video. While interior design is all about creating a home you love and feel most comfortable in, there are a few features that are objectively strange.
Odd home choices
The video starts with an image of a small set of stairs that wrap around a corner and ultimately lead to nowhere. While it makes no sense and was definitely created to fill an awkward, empty space, it's the least strange décor choice in the TikTok video. Fans commented that the corner stairs would be a good place to display plants or use a unique bookshelf.
However, the other design choices have fewer redeeming qualities. The second image features a thick crown molding. Crown molding sizes range from 4 to 9 inches, with larger sizes typically reserved for taller ceiling heights. However, the molding in this video is much longer than 9 inches. It also offends in that it comes so far down the wall and looks like multiple different types of molding stacked on top of each other.
The padded kitchen cabinets are certainly strange as it deviates from the typical wood or glass faces on cabinets. It's not hard to see why commenters called it a "coffin kitchen" and "quilted cupboards." The final image of a toilet that features a pebbled finish rather than the standard porcelain or plastic elicited a ton of comments. One person joked that the toilet "looks . . . exfoliating," which led Berk to reply jokingly, "Stop." Even through some crazy design choices, Berk at least has a sense of humor.
To each their own
Personal style is just that–personal. So while the majority of people might look at a toilet with a pebbled finish or padded kitchen counters and think it's a strange choice, if that's what brings you joy, then go for it. Bobby Berk agrees, stating in an interview with Out Magazine per Yahoo, "[Your home] needs to be a place of serenity and relaxation, surrounded by things that, as Marie Kondo would say, spark joy and bring you happiness. It goes back to some of the things I talked about earlier: asking yourself about the things you love, not about design stuff."
Regardless of the colors, finishes, and décor you choose, Berk does have one important rule before you start designing a space. Berk says you should always plan ahead (via Bobby Berk). The interior designer says to consider how you'll use the room and figure out a way to make it look cohesive. He suggests measuring your space, finding inspiration, and looking at furniture in person whenever possible. The prep beforehand can ensure that a redesign or remodel moves more smoothly.