I don't entirely understand the Swift thing, but it reminds me of an experience I about 3 years ago when I was "radicalized" by the internet over something dumb. I was looking at houses. Many of them were "open concept" and regarded that trait as a major selling point, but I didn't really like them but it seemed that my opinion did not m…
I don't entirely understand the Swift thing, but it reminds me of an experience I about 3 years ago when I was "radicalized" by the internet over something dumb. I was looking at houses. Many of them were "open concept" and regarded that trait as a major selling point, but I didn't really like them but it seemed that my opinion did not match the prevailing societal taste.
So one day, I typed "I hate open concept houses" into google, and low and behold there were others like me. People who appreciated walls! People who thought houses should feel cozy! People who didn't want to spend money on rugs to differentiate space in a warehouse-like room! I read think pieces on open concept houses. About how rooms should have district purposes to align with Buddhist mindfulness practices! About how the open concept kitchen was a tool of the patriarchy to make you cook and do childcare at the same time! About the energy efficiency of various floor plans!
I went from someone who didn't care for open floor plans, to someone who despised them for a myriad of reasons that had never occurred to me a week prior. This is the peril of the internet. The way the internet radicalized my opinion on something fairly meaningless opened my eyes to how people end up joining militias in chat rooms.
I also hate open concept houses. I like rooms and doors. Open concept costs more to heat and cool as well. Maybe I am a throwback who loves privacy and perhaps those old houses were meant for me. Also, it can be hard to find well-made furniture that is not meant to furnish a warehouse room because of the open concept trend-- I require human-sized or maybe apartment-sized? furniture that can fit through a normal doorway.
Yes yes! The house we bought was built in the 1940s and added onto, but the rooms just feel right sized, not too big, not to small. (It was almost bulldozed for a McMansion because it was on a decent sized lot). I really wanted a formal dining room, not because I'm Martha Stewart, but because I don't want to cook dinner and then look at all the dirty pots and pans in the kitchen as I eat. I'm also struggling with furniture. Everything made out of wood (chairs, chests, tables, dressers) has come from moving sales/thrift shops and is older and proportional to a "normal" house. But I'm struggling for sofas and chairs. Why so many sectionals??? And then why don't they make arm chairs any more, just accent chairs that seem to be mostly decorative?
I love old homes but the home we have (the first one we purchased) was built in the 1970s and is under 1500 sq. ft in the suburbs outside a mid-sized city (we previously lived in first floor flat in a 3 plex built in the 1920s). However, this was before the open concept boom. We have a formal living room (front parlor and dining room in an "L") separate from the kitchen. There is a den next to the kitchen where we mostly watch TV. The sectionals today are huge. I just want an old couch preferably an old style Flexsteel that was made with springs and hard wood, not stapled nylon straps holding up the seat cushions. One that fit in an apartment (with a folding bed inside it for overnight guests)-- but the seat cushions robust enough that you can't even tell there is a hide-a-bed beneath you. Also, agree about the armchairs! The problem with scouting thrift shops, used furniture stores and Craigs List (I don't facebook, so no marketplace for me) is that you need to arrange for a truck and muscle to get your finds home.
Yep, I lived in those duplexes/triplexes carved out of older homes in grad school, then in a 1300 sq ft 1920s house. And while it wasn't spacious, I just really grew to love the "everything in it's place" sort of mentality it evoked. The kitchen was a work place, the bedroom was for sleeping, the living room was for recreation, ect. We looked at some palatial new builds, and they made me feel weirdly stressed out. There was just so much purposeless space.
I posted an add at the local college advertising $100 to someone with a pickup, and it's worked great for everyone involved. I've done did it twice, and hung on to the number of one of the grad students so if a deal comes up I can have him and a friend take care of it all for me. But I've had so much trouble finding seating that's in between the giant, poofy, ugly sectionals and ornamental-looking decorative looking couches and chairs that are totally lacking the "curl up with a book" factor. But I'm gonna have to make a decision because the the stapled nylon straps in our Craigslist-procured loveseat are giving up. They've been tightened tight with a staple gun, but definitely one of those things with a finite lifespan.
Actually the Triplex we lived in was designed as three different flats-- so no carve-outs (3 story building w/basement). Each Flat was the entire floor -- our ground floor flat had 3 bedrooms, large living room, dining room and then kitchen (large enough to put a table and chairs in with lots of cupboard space). The bedrooms were along the side -- all with doors. It had one full bath. We had a front screened in porch and a back screened in porch. The back stairs offered a back entrance and stairs to basement where we had a washer/dryer. Since we rented the first level, we also were able to get garage space and we took care of the mowing and snow removal. The rent at the time was $575/month (we moved in 1998). Our upstairs neighbors were fine-- we took pains to be cordial. We had neighbors next door who were horrible for a couple years-- crackheads/drug dealers until they finally left and the landlord there rented to a family from Jordan. Their upstairs neighbors were a decent family and from there we all endeavored to all get along. On the other side was a larger apt. building. Behind us was an elementary school and library. So one issue I had was people walking through our yard and disrupting my vegetable garden, trampling and raiding it... also my heart breaking seeing children walk by on their way to school without proper warm clothing (I was frequently running out to put mittens, hats and coats on them). We moved to the burb's for a better school district and safer neighborhood for our son to play in. Our old street had a lot of traffic speeding down the street and some had really loud engines, which would wake us and our son up at all hours. The weekend we moved, a major hurricane came through and if we were still there, a tree would have landed on our car. Back then, the house we purchased was $82K (a little higher than some of the other homes on the block) but we had been outbid on so many others, we were happy to get the contract. We live in an area with a lot of old house stock and, being part of the rust belt, we totally missed the mid 2000's housing bubble. The latest rise in housing value, we have been in a bit but not at the levels of other more popular regions. Still, the way we look at thing is this-- our son is almost 30 and will be finding his own house. That leaves the 2 of us in this house and we really don't need more room. If we feel crowded, it is time to get rid of stuff. We believe at some point we will be taking in a parent; so are considering adding a room with bath & kitchenette with handicap access to the first level.
I will have to use your idea of an ad to the local university (and state college as well).
I don't entirely understand the Swift thing, but it reminds me of an experience I about 3 years ago when I was "radicalized" by the internet over something dumb. I was looking at houses. Many of them were "open concept" and regarded that trait as a major selling point, but I didn't really like them but it seemed that my opinion did not match the prevailing societal taste.
So one day, I typed "I hate open concept houses" into google, and low and behold there were others like me. People who appreciated walls! People who thought houses should feel cozy! People who didn't want to spend money on rugs to differentiate space in a warehouse-like room! I read think pieces on open concept houses. About how rooms should have district purposes to align with Buddhist mindfulness practices! About how the open concept kitchen was a tool of the patriarchy to make you cook and do childcare at the same time! About the energy efficiency of various floor plans!
I went from someone who didn't care for open floor plans, to someone who despised them for a myriad of reasons that had never occurred to me a week prior. This is the peril of the internet. The way the internet radicalized my opinion on something fairly meaningless opened my eyes to how people end up joining militias in chat rooms.
I also hate open concept houses. I like rooms and doors. Open concept costs more to heat and cool as well. Maybe I am a throwback who loves privacy and perhaps those old houses were meant for me. Also, it can be hard to find well-made furniture that is not meant to furnish a warehouse room because of the open concept trend-- I require human-sized or maybe apartment-sized? furniture that can fit through a normal doorway.
Yes yes! The house we bought was built in the 1940s and added onto, but the rooms just feel right sized, not too big, not to small. (It was almost bulldozed for a McMansion because it was on a decent sized lot). I really wanted a formal dining room, not because I'm Martha Stewart, but because I don't want to cook dinner and then look at all the dirty pots and pans in the kitchen as I eat. I'm also struggling with furniture. Everything made out of wood (chairs, chests, tables, dressers) has come from moving sales/thrift shops and is older and proportional to a "normal" house. But I'm struggling for sofas and chairs. Why so many sectionals??? And then why don't they make arm chairs any more, just accent chairs that seem to be mostly decorative?
I love old homes but the home we have (the first one we purchased) was built in the 1970s and is under 1500 sq. ft in the suburbs outside a mid-sized city (we previously lived in first floor flat in a 3 plex built in the 1920s). However, this was before the open concept boom. We have a formal living room (front parlor and dining room in an "L") separate from the kitchen. There is a den next to the kitchen where we mostly watch TV. The sectionals today are huge. I just want an old couch preferably an old style Flexsteel that was made with springs and hard wood, not stapled nylon straps holding up the seat cushions. One that fit in an apartment (with a folding bed inside it for overnight guests)-- but the seat cushions robust enough that you can't even tell there is a hide-a-bed beneath you. Also, agree about the armchairs! The problem with scouting thrift shops, used furniture stores and Craigs List (I don't facebook, so no marketplace for me) is that you need to arrange for a truck and muscle to get your finds home.
Yep, I lived in those duplexes/triplexes carved out of older homes in grad school, then in a 1300 sq ft 1920s house. And while it wasn't spacious, I just really grew to love the "everything in it's place" sort of mentality it evoked. The kitchen was a work place, the bedroom was for sleeping, the living room was for recreation, ect. We looked at some palatial new builds, and they made me feel weirdly stressed out. There was just so much purposeless space.
I posted an add at the local college advertising $100 to someone with a pickup, and it's worked great for everyone involved. I've done did it twice, and hung on to the number of one of the grad students so if a deal comes up I can have him and a friend take care of it all for me. But I've had so much trouble finding seating that's in between the giant, poofy, ugly sectionals and ornamental-looking decorative looking couches and chairs that are totally lacking the "curl up with a book" factor. But I'm gonna have to make a decision because the the stapled nylon straps in our Craigslist-procured loveseat are giving up. They've been tightened tight with a staple gun, but definitely one of those things with a finite lifespan.
Actually the Triplex we lived in was designed as three different flats-- so no carve-outs (3 story building w/basement). Each Flat was the entire floor -- our ground floor flat had 3 bedrooms, large living room, dining room and then kitchen (large enough to put a table and chairs in with lots of cupboard space). The bedrooms were along the side -- all with doors. It had one full bath. We had a front screened in porch and a back screened in porch. The back stairs offered a back entrance and stairs to basement where we had a washer/dryer. Since we rented the first level, we also were able to get garage space and we took care of the mowing and snow removal. The rent at the time was $575/month (we moved in 1998). Our upstairs neighbors were fine-- we took pains to be cordial. We had neighbors next door who were horrible for a couple years-- crackheads/drug dealers until they finally left and the landlord there rented to a family from Jordan. Their upstairs neighbors were a decent family and from there we all endeavored to all get along. On the other side was a larger apt. building. Behind us was an elementary school and library. So one issue I had was people walking through our yard and disrupting my vegetable garden, trampling and raiding it... also my heart breaking seeing children walk by on their way to school without proper warm clothing (I was frequently running out to put mittens, hats and coats on them). We moved to the burb's for a better school district and safer neighborhood for our son to play in. Our old street had a lot of traffic speeding down the street and some had really loud engines, which would wake us and our son up at all hours. The weekend we moved, a major hurricane came through and if we were still there, a tree would have landed on our car. Back then, the house we purchased was $82K (a little higher than some of the other homes on the block) but we had been outbid on so many others, we were happy to get the contract. We live in an area with a lot of old house stock and, being part of the rust belt, we totally missed the mid 2000's housing bubble. The latest rise in housing value, we have been in a bit but not at the levels of other more popular regions. Still, the way we look at thing is this-- our son is almost 30 and will be finding his own house. That leaves the 2 of us in this house and we really don't need more room. If we feel crowded, it is time to get rid of stuff. We believe at some point we will be taking in a parent; so are considering adding a room with bath & kitchenette with handicap access to the first level.
I will have to use your idea of an ad to the local university (and state college as well).