what's the nicest house you've ever been in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A stone farmhouse on a mountaintop near middleburg. So incredibly cozy.

We have the same taste, PP!

[Anonymous]

Cozy is (imo)
- Personalized (not generic or institutional looking)
- Comfortable
- Different textures
- Not too matched

My attempt to make our family room “cozy” (but also uncluttered) is a wooden tray on a coffee table containing 2 tv remote controls, a plant in a basket, a really cute mini 4” game of “operation,” a few mini children’s books, a tiny zen wooden box with sand/stacking stones, and small puzzles)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cozy is (imo)
- Personalized (not generic or institutional looking)
- Comfortable
- Different textures
- Not too matched

My attempt to make our family room “cozy” (but also uncluttered) is a wooden tray on a coffee table containing 2 tv remote controls, a plant in a basket, a really cute mini 4” game of “operation,” a few mini children’s books, a tiny zen wooden box with sand/stacking stones, and small puzzles)

that's clutter

[Anonymous]

It was a small home (guest house) that my DH and I rented for a few days on a farm. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, lots of windows and the living room, kitchen and dining area were one room with a huge fireplace. It was absolutely charming. We always said we’d go back, but life got busy and sadly he died unexpectedly in 2020. We planned to downsize our home considerably after retirement and we wanted to build something similar. Alas, retirement never came. It was small, but perfect.

[Anonymous]

The wife of some divorce to a high-powered DC lobbyist who was into artwork.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The wife of some divorce to a high-powered DC lobbyist who was into artwork.

Podestas?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But seriously, what makes something cozy? Throws? Fireplace? A great room?

1. A dog
2. A fireplace
3. Books people actually want to read and comfy places to read them

Yes to 1-3 but - the room's proportions. This is something many new builds get wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Versailles

That place gave me an allergy attack.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Two stand out for me:

- The house of a friend who is an antiques dealer. It was perfect, every vignette like a store display, perfectly curated, the whole atmosphere felt like entering another world.

- The new build of a family friend. The house was nice but wasn't anything out of the ordinary. It was evening, the house had that perfect level of evening dim lighting, it was perfectly clean and tidy, and everything was well-stocked. The house had a feeling of abundance and coziness.

Even though one of these houses was a lot "fancier" in terms of material things, what they both had in common was: no clutter, everything was intentionally placed where it was. I've been thinking about this a lot as I organized/decorated for Christmas this year.

No clutter makes the biggest difference IMHO. I’m curious, do these people have kids? I have toddlers and my entire house gets destroyed everyday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cozy is (imo)
- Personalized (not generic or institutional looking)
- Comfortable
- Different textures
- Not too matched

My attempt to make our family room “cozy” (but also uncluttered) is a wooden tray on a coffee table containing 2 tv remote controls, a plant in a basket, a really cute mini 4” game of “operation,” a few mini children’s books, a tiny zen wooden box with sand/stacking stones, and small puzzles)

that's clutter

As i was writing that, i wastbinking the same thing! HOWEVER, it really is not cluttered in reality. All other tables are bare.

[Anonymous]

The white one on Pennsylvania ave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The wife of some divorce to a high-powered DC lobbyist who was into artwork.

Podestas?

yes! I could not remember her name for the life of me.

[Anonymous]

Does touring Newport count? Lol

I have know someone who builds houses. Their house, which he built, works perfectly for who they are and how they live. So that’s the nicest house I’ve been in.

Similarly, the nicest space I’ve lived in on my own was a one bedroom apartment in a converted factory. It fit me perfectly at the time.

[Anonymous]

I have friends who have spectacular places on the upper east side. Great townhouses. Been in some restored early 18th century homes on Nantucket too. Have a friend who owns what might be the nicest house in DC, WH included. Huge, well built down to the finest details and filled with an unbelievable art collection.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tell me more about this stone farmhouse on a mountain top... sounds like a Hallmark movie.

But seriously, what makes something cozy? Throws? Fireplace? A great room?

It was a Christmas tree farm run by a dual fed couple who had a small condo in Arlington but went out to the farm on the weekends (they also had a farm manager who took care of things). it was a cold december day with the wind nipping at our ears, and the ground slightly crunchy with frost. Tramped around the farm a bit and then as the sun sank over the mountain, we came indoors to a roaring fireplace for hot cocoa and cookies. There was a basket of kittens by the fire. I was a kid at the time and it was just so magical, I didn’t want to leave.