Ideas for the Advice section!

9 years ago

Hello Houzzers,

We've come a long way since the launch of Houzz UK last July and the Advice section is really buzzing. It's great to see!

Today I thought I'd ask what you would like to see in this section, it's your chance to make your voices heard! I'm talking about features you think could enhance the user experience, topics you would like us to bring up etc.

Over to you!

sfgirlbybay · More Info

Featured Answer

em2020

9 years ago

Many of the houses are beautiful and I love looking at them. However, I and many others live in small boxy 3 bed semis and I'd like to see advice and inspiration for those. For instance the box room which has to be practical for a teenager to enjoy and study in. Many even have bulkheads going into the room. Small but multifunctional. I'd like to see more stuff aimed at lads rooms as well as the gorgeous girly stuff. I'd also like advice on accessories and colour. Help choosing wall art and good sources of getting affordable wall art. Some step by step D.I.Y projects that specify everything e.g. if you need a particular type of paint for furniture, primer, sealant, how to sand it, which glue, etc. I've seen one or two how to's and they don't cover the details.

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Comments (45)

Tani H-S
9 years ago
I think perhaps not advertising products in the advixe section would be good, lol. Perhaps it could be split into sections ie decorating advise, building advice etc?
vicky lee
9 years ago
The inspiring photos we see on Houzz have been beautifully styled and lit. Many of the Houzzers are asking for help with redecoration or new furniture when maybe an appropriately placed orchid, or hanging a mirror or painting differently would revitalise a tired decor. Perhaps help with lighting the best features of the room.
The right furniture to display our beloved ornaments and trophies.

Can we have a bit of help too on how to take the photos of our rooms to ask for help so that they describe the problem visually.
Sometimes the pics are very dark or don't describe the problem.
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embzop
9 years ago
Advice on how to put colours together for different effects would be very helpful. I've read a bit about the colour wheel but still feel it is trial and error as to how it will look eg. calm, vibrant, sophisticated, rustic.
User
9 years ago
advise on putting colours together would be great embzop where did you find the colour circle?
stebonheath
9 years ago
I agree with em2020 - especially when applied to bathrooms. How many 'real' people's homes have huge bathrooms? The vast majority of British bathrooms are not much wider/longer than the length of a bath but they're often just not sexy enough (unless they're the size of a medium bedroom) to be featured.
gh66
9 years ago
Would like to see more information on budgets/costs of projects - including labour costs i.e. the total costs
embzop
9 years ago
@emmajgrands - I did a google search for 'colour wheel'. Alot of resources came up, some that give different versions of the colour wheel chart, others give some basic advice on how to put colours together. The more I read about it, the more I found I had still to learn!
alant1000
9 years ago
For the advice section it would still be helpful to have an edit function!

For the stories section there is still too much aimed at the feminine readers and lots of 'twee' articles with pinks, purples, making things, hearts, cats etc. If you type in 'bachelor pad' no matches at all - on pretty much every other similar home interiors sites there are dozens of very specific articles. Please cater for is men who enjoy interiors too!! Even just a handful of articles would be nice!
moorlikeit
9 years ago
Articles for those on a tight budget and saddled with ghastly modern features such as PVCu windows, sills and doors. Is there anything you can do to make them less of an eyesore? Can you paint them? If so, a step-by-step guide would be great. Can you cover interior frames, especially the sills with anything e.g. wood? Any simple forms of disguise or distraction? Also, what about a detailed guide on how to get rid of rough cast or artex walls and ceilings, especially as some contain asbestos? Another issue these days is reducing impact and airborne sound whilst still achieving great looking floors. Please help us with the practical difficulties we face in houses that have been subjected to naff treatments and "renovations" over the years!
mrsmcee74
9 years ago
Add information on how to choose colour, how light affects colour, design rules etc would be very useful. Maybe a current trends section.
Helen C
9 years ago
Design rules on how to properly accessorise and pull a room together would be helpful. Also a monthly feature with mood boards showing paints, accessories and materials would be great. I also think more information on restoration techniques for houses and furniture would be interesting. In terms of the interface when users add photos in the advice section you can't scroll across the photos but have to access each one individually which is slow. The same when you press the information button on a photo on the iPhone if you want to see the info on all photos for that project you have to view each photo separately.
Sam Hill
9 years ago
Advice for bringing different eras into the 21st Century - we've had Victorian and 1920s, but I'd like to see some others.
philip mills
9 years ago
Advice on doing a bog standard 3bedroom house. I love to see the wonderful houses that are shown and yes we can all get ideas but I would think most reader live in and have smaller bank balances than the majority of houses shown.

However thanks for a great read, keep up the good ideas
muttleyz
9 years ago
Mood boards and current decor fashions would be great. Also easy DIY projects with instructions would be great! The ability to edit / delete posts would be even better!
Emmanuelle
9 years ago
Would love to see names and brand of paints featured on pictures...
headers13
9 years ago
A 'How To' section for DIY would be good. The products section would be good if you could filter by colour rather than scrolling through lots of e.g lampshades in not the colours you are interested in. Would be good to feature kitchens, bathrooms etc to suit every budget.
hazelold
9 years ago
Advice on different colour combinations, choosing and displaying wall art, choosing curtain fabric for different styles/looks including more contemporary fabrics and maybe lots of Houzz readers' photos of their own rooms decorated with a particular paint colour (it would be interesting to see how rooms painted using the same wall colour look with different accessories/accent colours etc).
PRO
OnePlan
9 years ago
Sometimes a user wants to interact directly with another user ( not necessarily a pro user who can easily be contacted via their pro page) could you put a 'private message' button on the threads so that if someone wants to get in touch with the dilemma poster they can.
But - and here's the clever bit - that's only activated once the original poster has ticked that they want 'bla bla user' to be able to use it !
Lena
9 years ago
I'd like to see plants suitable for British weather and gardens.
Those huge Miami Gardens are pretty but plants would not grow in UK climate.
turquoisetree53
9 years ago
What about a review of really attractive and practical Bathroom and interior ideas for the elderly/infirm. I have parents in their eighties, for whom their environment has always been important and artistic. It becomes even more important when you stay in a lot. When they downsized into a flat, the offerings for bathroom fitments, raised toilets, grab rails even non-slip floors etc, were limited, grudgingly functional and somehow institutional. There's got to be some good attractive ideas out there being generated, for what is a prosperous market, and who want to live at home for as long as possible.
Sally Maguire-Symonds
9 years ago
I'd like to see floor plans of different layouts for traditional 3 or 4 bedroomed UK properties where space, utility and design have been maximised. Focusing on the average terraced or semi-detached sized house.
alant1000
9 years ago
Is there any way of getting rid of the annoying spam that usually manifests itself as multiple posts with a stolen picture and a title such as 'hall' / 'my house' etc. I don't understand the purpose behind them?
Juliet Docherty
9 years ago
I teach colour theory and it seems daunting at first but if you give yourself a weekend to study it, mistakes can be avoided. A few tubes of paint and a colour theory book will pay dividends.
windwizard
8 years ago
GreenHouzz...

Good design is not just about the visual aspect, it is also about function, economy, efficiency and sustainability.

I'm concerned that Houzz may be for people who are what I have termed 'design victims' - i.e. like many of the people with more money than sense that you see on 'grand designs'.

This is very much driven by the commercial world who want to 'sell you an aspirational dream' which never delivers (and of course it's you and the planet) who have to work hard to pay for it. Every penny you spend has an ecological footprint; in both the earning as well as the spending.

I would like to see a forum on Houzz which deals with really sustainable and affordable solutions, to help real people live more efficiently, and where contradictory nonsense like 'eco-concrete' and similar misleading information did not appear.
How about GreenHouzz?
Emmeline Westin
Original Author
8 years ago
Hi all, some great ideas here. Thank you! I'll pass over some feature ideas to the editorial team, colour is clearly an interesting topic!

@alant1000 and @tani - Please feel free to flag spam-like content if you think they're inappropriate. There's a grey flag at the top right of every post, click on it and the team will take a look. We are already doing our best to keep the forum as free from self-promotional stuff as possible, but sometimes things slip through! We'd love for the community to help out.

@vickylee - I like your idea on how to visually describe a problem!

@oneplan - There's a user messaging system on Houzz in place now. But like Twitter, both parties need to follow each other and then you can message away. I like the idea of being able to message someone in a thread.

For those who would like to see tips for small space living, the editorial team have written a whole series on it here: http://www.houzz.co.uk/ideabooks/query/small-space-living

And on budget: http://www.houzz.co.uk/ideabooks/query/budget

Also, don't forget to check out our My Houzz series. These are visits to homes with heaps of personality, but they're not necessarily big or glam. Our Houzz Tours on the other hand, have usually been styled beforehand and can sometimes appear 'not lived in' - that's just because they've been de-cluttered for the photo shoot!

@windwizard - We're definitely keen to focus on green living, check out the feature on green roofs that was published yesterday. And some more eco living features here: http://www.houzz.co.uk/ideabooks/query/eco-living

Please keep your suggestions coming!
PRO
OnePlan
8 years ago
Wow ! I never knew about the message thing ! Cool !
PRO
OnePlan
8 years ago
Ok - I'll admit defeat - I can't find how to do that anywhere !! Does it only work for non pro's ?!
Emmeline Westin
Original Author
8 years ago
@One Plan - You should see the Message button on another user's cover photo if they follow you - like this.
vicky lee
8 years ago
Ok OnePlans I am following you
PRO
OnePlan
8 years ago
This is all I see ...
hortonhearsawho2013
8 years ago
One thing that really bugs me is people trying to push their products or services onto people. Some are ridiculous as they're from the other side of the world or totally not even applicable - what does this come under if we flag it up?
Emmeline Westin
Original Author
8 years ago
@OnePlan Got it now! I should have said that you can only use the messaging system on desktop at the moment, sorry for the confusion! Hopefully, it will be an app feature too in the near future.

@pipijojo - If you flag inappropriate content it will fall into a queue the Community Team looks after. It can then be rejected and won't appear on the site.
milfordmaid
8 years ago
Turquoise tree - agree. We need advice on standard 2/3 bed properties that need to be made user friendly for our more dependant family. Plenty sites + articles her to make baby toddler + child suitable. Very little on when Ma can't manage stairs anymore but WC upstairs, + Pop needs quick access to same during the night. better lighting for visually impaired, non-slip flooring etc etc.
saya85
8 years ago
Definitely agree with the features in advice section- it would be great if we could actually reply to individual comments rather than it being added as a separate comment at the end of the section as it's difficult to follow.

Also agree that when adding pictures you can only add one at a time and only view one at a time- can't scroll across.

And wholeheartedly agree on seeing more practical advice for the average 3-4bedroom UK house and ideas and inspiration- and more average UK house tours!
Emmeline Westin
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks @saya85! All feedback helps.
crowningfashion
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I'd like the option of responding to an individual's comment eg. X writes in the box their thoughts/opionions and underneath there is a button which reads "Reply to X" as well as what we have already. One of the best chat rooms I've ever used (this is my third) is on www.etsy.com. It is divided really well and has the option I've mentioned.
Also, can we have emoticons to play with? ;) And a readers section where we can post our finished projects, answer any questions and share what we have learnt.
alant1000
8 years ago
I'll be in the minority with this one but I'm not so sure on this new wave of articles showing interiors with the family members casually strolling about writing peoms, doing pottery, making organic muffins or whatever it is they are doing. I get the concept that it's meant to make the houses appear 'lived in' but to me it screams 'look at me with my beautiful kids in my millionaires house' rather than 'look at this lovely sofa'. I find it a bit distracting from the actual house interior, and I find it even harder to picture myself in that particular lounge when someone else's girl and dog are in the picture. But I still love is website so don't be offended :)
Emmeline Westin
Original Author
8 years ago
@alant1000 - are you referring to our My Houzz series perhaps? They differ from our Houzz Tours in that they are, just like you say, supposed to look lived in. They are not as styled as the Houzz Tours, which often have been de-cluttered before the shoot. My Houzzes are meant to be homes with personality and a bit quirky, and are usually not very high end homes, so I hope this comes across. Thanks for letting us know!

@supergirlvintage - I like your ideas, watch this space!
alant1000
8 years ago
Hi emmeline, yes it looks like it, I normally just look at all the stories and hadn't really noticed there were different categories. Don't get me wrong the houses all look nice, and they do looked lived in, I just my view and nothing more!
crowningfashion
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Me again! Can we also have a reader's how to section. Such as a designer showing in pictures how to stage a sideboard with bijouterie depending on style, or how to style a bedroom with accents, or even articles on how to achieve X,Y,Z on a budget (I'm sure Houzzer's will have an idea - maybe this could be a section in itself?) Articles on colour or pattern matching etc would appeal vastly methinks. Even simple things that can easily be found on an internet search such as how to prep bannisters for painting would give a more magazine feel. Also a regional links page for cateogries. These could accompany articles. For eg. an article on prepping with images and step by step along with a list of Houzz recommended companies regionally who could undertake the work or fix a botched job!
Topics I would be interested in include: How to add value to your home, how to maximise light, how to achieve a professional finish decorating; interior design ideas; how to change the facade of a property; flowers for the garen, door way, flowers for shaded areas, climbers for shaded areas, scented plants, how to ensure colour in the garden all year round etc. Decorating/furnishing ideas to create optical illusions to create size/light etc.
Thanks for asking. I love this site and literlly spend hours getting lost on it with a cup of coffee :-)
hortonhearsawho2013
8 years ago
I love browsing the Houzz tours & my Houzzes but would love to see more homes from NZ as they are very unique in their interiors and ideas and I notice that there are hardly any on here which is a pity. Just a personal thing but NZers are very innovative and into DIY so could provide a different dimension occasionally...
turquoisetree53
8 years ago
Hortonhearsawwho2013 - further to NZ interiors, a really good idea. In addition to Paris ingenuity with the smallest flats in universe, outside of Tokyo....Also suggest you have more Dutch particularly Amsterdam interiors, as they are so good at space and light management for poor Northern light, being practical and resourceful and making things contemporary, warm AND comfortable and humane too.
silyab53
8 years ago
@em2020 - There's a company who make a fabulous 'bed desk'. Unbelievably the bed part lifts up to reveal a desk which can then be hidden - with all your 'stuff' still in place - at bed time. It's the 'Study Bed' Company and can be single or double bed. A great little space saver and multifunctional to boot.
PRO
Fantastic Furniture Assembly
8 years ago
I would love to see more local friends and clients.

Ideas for the Advice section!

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