Does a gorgeous house ever make one truly happy?

[Anonymous]

If so, I guess now would be the time to notice! But I’m not sure...

[Anonymous]

There's a lot of research about how buildings affect our health and productivity due to things like natural light, types of light bulbs, views, access to nature, ventilation, etc. I think it could be argued that well-designed spaces improve our lives, including our psychological well-being. But "gorgeous" is in the eye of the beholder and hard to quantify.

[Anonymous]

I appreciated our nice house during the lockdown. I was especially grateful to be in a space that we really liked.

[Anonymous]

And if you are house poor in order to have that gorgeous house, I don't think it makes you happy.

[Anonymous]

Yes

[Anonymous]

My family started lockdown in a tiny downtown apartment. We now live in a 5 bedroom house in the burbs. We were already looking for a house before Covid though, so it didn't change our plans. The apartment was too tiny for us with no outdoor space and not enough storage. We are happier now because we have enough room to spread out and work, room to be alone if we need to be, and a yard for the kids. It's also nice to have a dedicated playroom and not have to pick up toys every night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's a lot of research about how buildings affect our health and productivity due to things like natural light, types of light bulbs, views, access to nature, ventilation, etc. I think it could be argued that well-designed spaces improve our lives, including our psychological well-being. But "gorgeous" is in the eye of the beholder and hard to quantify.

This is the correct answer

[Anonymous]

Depends, as you know, on definition of gorgeous. We’re outdoorsy art types, so something really pristine and expensive and full of light fabrics - the Nancy Meyer movies house interiors - would actually be stressful for me. I need a semi-scuffed-up old country house. Which is beautiful to me because I can be myself in it, but cover of House Beautiful it ain’t.

[Anonymous]

I don't think a gorgeous house makes one happy.

I do think a house that is functional and not cluttered makes one happy. But that could just be me.

[Anonymous]

Just renovated a house and moved in. Caught husband cheating. Now divorcing and STBX is moving back to the shitshack we left. Ha! Keeping this house is the one bright spot.

[Anonymous]

No. What if you live in that house with someone who abuses you daily? Or you got the house because someone you loved, died? Or you got the house by stealing the money to pay for it?

[Anonymous]

Having a clean, organized house with big windows, comfortable furniture and functional spaces makes me happy. So do my decorative things.

[Anonymous]

I love decorating and creating homes. We upgraded last year from a very cute smallish Victorian we lived in for a long time and really liked to a larger old house with more upgrades, including better light, layout, finishes, a house that oozes charm basically and is a classic (it resembles the movie, "The Family Stone" but is a little smaller) This one we are in Love with. We are not walking around existentially blissed out by any means no, but living in this house does offer a deep level of contentment, yes. Which surprised me, because we thought long and hard about the fact that it is expensive and we could have stayed where we were. But yes, it is special to live here but we are old house people and that's our thing. And so we take the good with the bad.

[Anonymous]

I appreciate my large/gorgeous house and feel grateful for it more than ever.

[Anonymous]

I think if it is gorgeous visually, but also clicks many of the boxes you love, like the location, and the way it functions in practical ways, when you go about your daily life, then yes, it can make you have moments of feeling very happy, when your life is not in any crisis, obviously. Life or death Crisis trumps everything and then it may not matter at all. But yes, during most times, particularly if you are someone who is moved and affected by those things it can make you happy in moments.