What house trends do you hate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don't like gray walls, then what color would you suggest instead? Doesn't it pretty much have to be either beige or gray for much of the home?

Why would it have to be those colors? There's a whole spectrum out there - what do *you* like?

But you need to have a neutral backdrop for most of the house, right? Or are you the one who paints the dining room red and the living room blue and the kitchen green?

If you don't like gray, then what color do you like to see in homes?

I do like gray! In fact, I just repainted the formal living/dining room (and the damn ceilings) -- previously they were a dusty green kind of like scrubs. Yes, the ceiling was green too. I painted that white and the walls gray.

Heh, well, if you LIKE grey then use it! Yes, we have a more colorful house. We painted one room a sort of whitish grey and I wish we'd painted that one something more cheerful, too. Our style is more tropical/eclectic than Pottery Barn so we weren't looking for a neutral backdrop. I think there are options beyond our bright tropical colors and plain grey, though - there are other more neutral colors you could use if you wanted.

[Anonymous]

I'm glad it works for your family, PP. For mine, action in the kitchen is an inconvenience to the people in the family room. In fact, I'm strongly considering adding a wall between the two.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don't like gray walls, then what color would you suggest instead? Doesn't it pretty much have to be either beige or gray for much of the home?

Why would it have to be those colors? There's a whole spectrum out there - what do *you* like?

But you need to have a neutral backdrop for most of the house, right? Or are you the one who paints the dining room red and the living room blue and the kitchen green?

If you don't like gray, then what color do you like to see in homes?

I do like gray! In fact, I just repainted the formal living/dining room (and the damn ceilings) -- previously they were a dusty green kind of like scrubs. Yes, the ceiling was green too. I painted that white and the walls gray.

Heh, well, if you LIKE grey then use it! Yes, we have a more colorful house. We painted one room a sort of whitish grey and I wish we'd painted that one something more cheerful, too. Our style is more tropical/eclectic than Pottery Barn so we weren't looking for a neutral backdrop. I think there are options beyond our bright tropical colors and plain grey, though - there are other more neutral colors you could use if you wanted.

But it's not like the builder can read your mind, can he. Bright colors are great but they are pretty taste specific. So builders put in neutral colors that appeal to the majority or at least don't interfere with individual taste. You can always repaint once you bought.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My pet peeve is obviously expensive houses with stupidly laid out kitchens. Whoever built them paid zero effort to understanding how people actually cook. The sad thing is that it would not have been more expensive to put in the kitchen that would actually work. It's like they learned three things that they insist on implementing no matter what. "Sink must be by the window!" and by god, it will be by the window even if it makes the REST of the kitchen close to unusable. So sad.

Yes. This is the worst.

A friend of ours has a beautiful house that’s around 3500 sqf The kitchen is big but it’s layed out so terribly that they have less counter space than our much smaller house. It’s shocking how poorly planned some new constructions are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: cooktops on islands

First, the venting never works well, and it’s so awkward to make things like soups and curry or stews. Fried stuff is also difficult. Maybe it works for people who only eat frozen pizza but I need to be able to cook! I like a range hood that vents outside and a cooktop that backs to a wall.

Absolutely. Cooktops on islands are an abomination.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm glad it works for your family, PP. For mine, action in the kitchen is an inconvenience to the people in the family room. In fact, I'm strongly considering adding a wall between the two.

Don't most homes here have finished basements? Wouldn't it be cheaper just to buy a tv for the basement and have people hang out there if they don't like the kitchen noise?

I know several families who have either opened up their kitchen or are seriously looking into doing this soon. I don't know many people who want a closed off kitchen especially if the kitchen isn't that big.

[Anonymous]

Open floor plans. I hate the cavern with no privacy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don't like gray walls, then what color would you suggest instead? Doesn't it pretty much have to be either beige or gray for much of the home?

Why would it have to be those colors? There's a whole spectrum out there - what do *you* like?

But you need to have a neutral backdrop for most of the house, right? Or are you the one who paints the dining room red and the living room blue and the kitchen green?

If you don't like gray, then what color do you like to see in homes?

I do like gray! In fact, I just repainted the formal living/dining room (and the damn ceilings) -- previously they were a dusty green kind of like scrubs. Yes, the ceiling was green too. I painted that white and the walls gray.

Heh, well, if you LIKE grey then use it! Yes, we have a more colorful house. We painted one room a sort of whitish grey and I wish we'd painted that one something more cheerful, too. Our style is more tropical/eclectic than Pottery Barn so we weren't looking for a neutral backdrop. I think there are options beyond our bright tropical colors and plain grey, though - there are other more neutral colors you could use if you wanted.

But it's not like the builder can read your mind, can he. Bright colors are great but they are pretty taste specific. So builders put in neutral colors that appeal to the majority or at least don't interfere with individual taste. You can always repaint once you bought.

I did not realize this thread was only about builders, I thought it was about homes more broadly. My mistake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: cooktops on islands

First, the venting never works well, and it’s so awkward to make things like soups and curry or stews. Fried stuff is also difficult. Maybe it works for people who only eat frozen pizza but I need to be able to cook! I like a range hood that vents outside and a cooktop that backs to a wall.

Absolutely. Cooktops on islands are an abomination.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: cooktops on islands

First, the venting never works well, and it’s so awkward to make things like soups and curry or stews. Fried stuff is also difficult. Maybe it works for people who only eat frozen pizza but I need to be able to cook! I like a range hood that vents outside and a cooktop that backs to a wall.

Absolutely. Cooktops on islands are an abomination.

I feel like these became popular with the Food TV/cooking show era. Everyone wanted an island cooktop so they could pretend they were hosting their own show.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Easily fixable, but nothing makes me giggle more than McMansions with two big pointy topiaries in huge urns in front, framing the door.

Usually the McMansions are "Italianate."

Wow, do you say that about other countries? That's racist.

Interesting.

NP. Yes, Italianate architecture is very interesting. Go troll elsewhere.

I believe PP is referring to the Tuscan look that was popular in the 1990’s . Those houses did not age well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm glad it works for your family, PP. For mine, action in the kitchen is an inconvenience to the people in the family room. In fact, I'm strongly considering adding a wall between the two.

Don't most homes here have finished basements? Wouldn't it be cheaper just to buy a tv for the basement and have people hang out there if they don't like the kitchen noise?

I know several families who have either opened up their kitchen or are seriously looking into doing this soon. I don't know many people who want a closed off kitchen especially if the kitchen isn't that big.

We don't have a basement. Our family room is the center of the home, and that's where everyone hangs out, and that's where the telly is. And it's not just the telly. It's conversation, phone calls, etc. I mean I'm glad if it works for some people. I found it doesn't work for my family. Our kitchen is pretty large and airy so it would not suffer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Easily fixable, but nothing makes me giggle more than McMansions with two big pointy topiaries in huge urns in front, framing the door.

Usually the McMansions are "Italianate."

Wow, do you say that about other countries? That's racist.

Interesting.

NP. Yes, Italianate architecture is very interesting. Go troll elsewhere.

I believe PP is referring to the Tuscan look that was popular in the 1990’s . Those houses did not age well.

https://www.idesignarch.com/classical-italianate-villa-in-minnesota/

With the pointy topiary/junipers...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Easily fixable, but nothing makes me giggle more than McMansions with two big pointy topiaries in huge urns in front, framing the door.

Usually the McMansions are "Italianate."

Wow, do you say that about other countries? That's racist.

Interesting.

NP. Yes, Italianate architecture is very interesting. Go troll elsewhere.

I believe PP is referring to the Tuscan look that was popular in the 1990’s . Those houses did not age well.

https://www.idesignarch.com/classical-italianate-villa-in-minnesota/

With the pointy topiary/junipers...

God, scroll down and look at all the pictures....it's so awful...really fits in with the Mediterranean climate of...Minnesota.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My pet peeve is obviously expensive houses with stupidly laid out kitchens. Whoever built them paid zero effort to understanding how people actually cook. The sad thing is that it would not have been more expensive to put in the kitchen that would actually work. It's like they learned three things that they insist on implementing no matter what. "Sink must be by the window!" and by god, it will be by the window even if it makes the REST of the kitchen close to unusable. So sad.

Yes. This is the worst.

A friend of ours has a beautiful house that’s around 3500 sqf The kitchen is big but it’s layed out so terribly that they have less counter space than our much smaller house. It’s shocking how poorly planned some new constructions are.

Yes! Just saw a house that sold for over 9 million in another state and you have to walk around a huge kitchen island to get from the stove to the main sink (which is under a window, of course). There is a tiny bartenders sink on the island and that's it.