Community Chat

[Mindy D]

I always wanted an open kitchen, tons of giant windows, a sunken tub with jets, an island in the kitchen, high ceilings and a dinette room off the kitchen. Now that I’ve had those things I don’t want any of them. I can’t stand staring into my kitchen from the den. I never use my jacuzzi tub. I like high ceilings, but not as high as mine are. The island in my kitchen is small and blocks my back and forth trips from the sink to the fridge. If I had a new island it would be used as an eat at island with an extra sink in it. I never eat in the dinette space. I’ve had this in two houses. I eat with a tray in front of the television. When company comes for a family gathering I use the dining room. I don’t have a pool, but all my neighbors do. In all the years I’ve lived here, I’ve only seen one neighbor use his pool one time. The windows are too big to afford accordion shutters or impact glass  and I’ve had birds break a few. I like light coming in, but I don’t need this much. I’ll take smaller size windows and less of them. 

🌺Update. Sorry All. I have to add that I am very grateful to even have a home. I feel fortunate to have a roof over my head, any roof. I’d be content living in a small, clean space with one door, one toilet and one window. I’d even live in a tent. My post is really about dream features I thought I wanted versus the reality of living with these features. I don’t want to come off as though I don’t realize how fortunate I am to have a home.

[Travone]

My first house was a bungalow with a large eat in kitchen.  I swore my next house would have a dining room.  It does, I never use it.

But, unlike your neighbors, I think if I had a pool I would be in it every nice day.

[Group 5 minus 1]

Can't think of any,but I am sure I will.

[skatting44]

 Maybe you could go into business by swaping your house out for  a month to those with smaller  homes  who'd love to live in a  larger home with your decor.

[denisemb]

@Mindy D   Were you reading my mind? 

We have the typical FL ranch with high ceilings and somewhat open concept.  Hate it!  Anything noisy done in the kitchen (garbage disposal, coffee grinder, etc.) annoys the heck out of anyone else that may be watching TV in the great room.

Don't have a kitchen island, but can see it would be annoying.  Have both a dining room and breakfast nook and rarely use either for their intended purposes.

Had a whirlpool tub in my last home, using it regularly (at first) until I realized the LAST thing I wanted to do after relaxing is clean the tub.

One room I've yearned for in my dream house is a humongous 1st floor "laundry room".  With space for a freezer, fold down ironing board and enough closets/shelves to hold all cleaning "appliances", supplies and space for drip dry stuff. 

[vermint]

We removed the wall between the kitchen & dining room 6 years ago...and I still love it! However, the living room is two steps down, so we can't see the messy kitchen once we leave the table.

Things I wouldn't have again:

1. High ceilings--20 ft. in the living room, 15 ft. in the bedroom. Can't get up there to clean them (and they need it!) without putting up scaffolding. 12 ft. would be my absolute limit now.

2. Those high ceilings also have wood beams that collect cobwebs..I can usually get them with an extension pole covered with an old tube sock, but the beams have a rough finish, so some is always left behind. Never again would I have beamed ceilings.

3. Jetted tub--we did get rid of ours years ago, and put a big shower in its place. In fact, we don't have tubs in either bathroom anymore, and I don't miss them.

4. Real hardwood floors. They're only in the kitchen/hall/dining room, but we have to stay in a hotel when they're refinished (and they need it!) because you can't go anywhere else in the house without using the hall. If I were to do it over again, I would install luxury vinyl planks in Every. Single. Room.

5. Carpet...again vinyl planks in every room.

6. Formal dining room...we rarely use it, and I'd rather have a big, open living/kitchen space with room for a big table.

We built this house in 1986, when we were young & flexible, and could do things like climb ladders!

[CelticCrafter]

A dining room which is a complete waste of space because we never use it.  If it weren't smack in between the living room and kitchen I would have converted it to a sewing room.

[Cumbercookie13]

My apartment has a ceiling to floor bay window. I have curtains and blinds so no one can look in because I'm on the first floor. I enjoy it because it makes my place unique. But I wouldn't want those windows all over like I used to a long time ago. I used to envy people with large homes with those huge windows where it was almost a 360 degree view. Now I'd feel vulnerable to the outside if all my windows were like that. Not to mention, cleaning them would be a nightmare! 😅

[blackhole99]

We put the popular and expensive Farm sink when we put in a summer kitchen, it's more trouble to use and take care of than it's worth.

[denisemb]

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@CelticCrafter wrote:

A dining room which is a complete waste of space because we never use it.  If it weren't smack in between the living room and kitchen I would have converted it to a sewing room.

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 OK, now I have to rethink my humongous laundry room idea to include space for my sewing machine...and maybe enough room for a large enough island to cut on/fold laundry. 

Dream on, Denise, it'd need to be the size of a 2-car garage!