Aren't we sick of homogenized housing yet??

[Rogar]

What design trends are you sick of? How do you feel about destroying the original character of a home? Arggghh..

I think certain renovations are a reflection of changing family habits. My early '50's ranch is probably close to being in the trendy mid-mod style, but the kitchen is tiny and there's no space for a kitchen table, just the formal separate dining table. I think as times have changed the kitchen has become more of a gathering place for friends and family. I'd love to remodel to open up the kitchen space but it's just not practical and it's something you get used to. On the other hand I have coved ceilings, built in cabinets and a built in bookshelf, arched doorways, and a fireplace with a wood stove insert. Things you don't usually get with new construction.

I actually had to look up the magnolia effect. It seems like there are some remodeling changes that make a place more comfortable. Bungalows are traditionally dark inside, mid-century modern homes likely have small kitchens and baths, not to mention poor insulation and inefficient windows. However the design trends I really object to are the sprawling new homes built just a few feet from one another.

[catherine]

However the design trends I really object to are the sprawling new homes built just a few feet from one another.

It seems that trend will decline. Younger generations can't afford starter homes, never mind big sprawling houses. Plus, they don't seem to consider large homes status symbols. At least that's what I've been reading.

[JaneV2.0]

Kitchens have always been gathering places--at least since people started doing their own cooking. There's no reason houses can't be built with kitchens big enough to accommodate kibitzers. Tiny kitchens (like mine), and kitchens in the living room are anathema to me.

[pinkytoe]

The amount of people ripping out granite counters for quartz because it's the thing now is depressing. Our first house was a 1905 Sears catalog kit house and the current one a 60s split so I have appreciation for aspects of both.

[Tradd]

There are a lot of bungalows in Chicago and nearby suburbs. Most were built 1910s-1920s. The woodwork is amazing. There are a lot up in the Milwaukee area, too. Friends have one and it is mostly untouched. Gorgeous.

[Tradd]

https://www.chicagobungalow.org/

[catherine]

https://www.chicagobungalow.org/

Very cool site! Thanks, Tradd!

[Teacher Terry]

We had a Milwaukee bungalow when we lived there in 1979. I loved that house. The kitchen was a good size and eat in.

[Geila]

Yeah, the getting there is the hard part. I know exactly what IL was talking about her other house taking 30 years. Same for me.

Geila, maybe our difference in preferences is a regional thing.. Your need for open and light in CA, and my need for "cozy" in VT--also, I really value architectural detail--not so much reducing things to a white box. I love coffered ceilings, built-in bookcases, reading nooks, and surprises around the corner.

My issue with this do-over is that they called it a Craftsman cottage, but they didn't do what they said--I don't feel they paid homage to its roots at all. Whether you like that design style or not, don't turn a house with an iconic style like that into a Joanna Gaines rip-off and say that it's still a Craftsman.

It could very well be a regional thing. I just spent the whole weekend in shorts and a tank top, tomorrow's forecast is 75 and sunny, and I can't remember the last time I wore a sweater on Thanksgiving. Last year I remember it being quite warm. Even in winter, when I bring out my yoga pants, I see the kids outside playing in shorts and t-shirts. But I see that Vermont's forecast for tomorrow is 22! Brrr..... yeah, I can see how you might want cozy right about now! And it looks like it's windy as well, which makes it feel even colder. Double Brr.

It's probably also personality. I'm not nostalgic at all about the past, tradition or history. I think the designer probably did think that she was doing what she said she did and in her mind it's still a Craftsman cottage. I think she tried, and even with my gripe about the trees, she planted new ones to replace the ones she took out and she kept the big one in the back, even designing around it. So to me, I don't really "see" the lack of integrity in the renovation, all I see is a beautiful home. I don't think it had much of the intricate interior Craftsman charm to begin with. If she wants to put shiplap in there, I don't really care! I mean, she is a single working mom, she designed the whole thing herself and she served as the general contractor on the project. She's a total badass!

[catherine]

Geila, you're right--she did do a great job as a single mom. Maybe I've cycled through too many styles--"mid-century modern" is what I grew up in, and then I bought my first house complete with shag carpet, harvest gold, and metallic wallpaper. And I definitely get nostalgic, and I love the story behind things more than the things themselves. That's why I love my little house. It was build in the 40s, and renovated in the 90s, and then the young couple winterized it by recycling as much as they could from the original house, and it's just a totally unique house. Tiny little door with window panes in the mudroom. Funky pine dutch door in the pantry. Octagonal stained glass window in the bathroom. Old windows that open like French doors and fasten closed by turning a wood block.

It definitely has design flaws. No doubt about it. The door to the lean-tos for the wood are facing away from the lake to prevent you from freezing your a$$ off when getting firewood, but that means nobody knows how to get into the house. The living room used to be a porch so it's very narrow and disconnected from the "kitchen/hallway" area. Very hard to arrange furniture in. The kitchen is dark. But I'll take it because it makes me smile. Eventually I'll figure out solutions for those problems.