View Full Version : Trends in the chain stores
iris lilies
4-1-16, 5:49pm
Today I went shopping for hours. Ugh. To keep you non-shoppers informed of the trends, I will tell you what I found at these stores: Hobby Lobby, Home Goods. Michaels, Target (home section) Tj maxx (home section)
Letters. big big alphabet letters. They are made of metal and plastic. They are big, like 16" big. Some of them are lighted. I guess they are "marquees" and you are supposed to buy the letter of your name or initials. Or make clever words. Or something.
Lanterns. Lots and lots of lanterns. There is a big Moroccan theme in the lantern section of the store but they are not all Moroccan. You put candles in them.
Nautical stuff. Boats, anchors, boat wheels, mermaids, shells, more anchors. More boats. You hang them on your walls. In the stores that had white goods and dishes, the naitocal theme was there.They are made out of many materials:wood, resin, burlap, tin.
These three trends were in all of the stores. I would like to know how these trends are determined.
I suffered through shopping because I had a specific kind of flower container in mind, something sleek and contemporary. These stores did not carry that. Well, Hobby Lobby had ONE item I loved, but it was too big. Have many flower desgns to complete in the next 3 months and I am loking for contemporary items that wont break the bank.
Funny how trends take over everything. I see it in teen clothing especially. Once you move into 'the big time' in flower arranging, you have to get really creative. Have you noticed that the judging also goes in trends? I see it in juried art shows.
Teacher Terry
4-1-16, 6:10pm
I think they do that hoping that people will change their decor. I used to know someone that changed her bedroom quilt and curtains every year. For about 30 years my home had the country look and then I moved on to the tuscany/wine look. I can't imagine the expense of changing everything frequently. I mostly shop online when I need something.
When I am looking for a specific design thing (right now it is house numbers), I go to Pinterest for ideas. All of the HGTV stuff helps to drive trends. I think the big letters came from one of those shows. Every single flip house around here is now painted some shade of gray,has a huge open kitchen and is sleek and modern in design. It all starts to look alike but the masses like their trends.
iris lilies
4-1-16, 6:26pm
Funny how trends take over everything. I see it in teen clothing especially. Once you move into 'the big time' in flower arranging, you have to get really creative. Have you noticed that the judging also goes in trends? I see it in juried art shows.
Im sure you are right that judgng follows a trend. Welll, materials follow a trend, we are all such sheep.
i attended a talk by a leading florist of the " Slow flower movement" ( about local flowers, mnimal apparatus) and everything she made was so clean and simple. Very pretty, and natural.
It made me feel quite outdated with my blocks of petro chemical green oasis and wires and glue and etc.
I confess to liking to change the look of my bedroom often but it is done on the cheap and just involves switching out duvet covers bought on sale and shams. Everything else in the room is the same, cream walls, roller shades with no curtains (the windows are weirdly towards the edges of the walls so curtains would have to cover part of each window and block light), clean lines, no knick knacks, etc. So just changing to a totally different color and style makes the room feel new to me.
ugh to the nautical theme, that is my least favorite.
I like the nautical theme on a boat, which is where we have a nautical theme. There is a rudder, a compass, a mast, sails... all very thematic. To truly manage a nautical theme in a home, it would be more appropriate to have images of little winged dollar bills flying towards the windows. Might be a bit subtle but would definitely be nautical.
iris lilies
4-1-16, 7:27pm
I like the nautical theme on a boat, which is where we have a nautical theme. There is a rudder, a compass, a mast, sails... all very thematic. To truly manage a nautical theme in a home, it would be more appropriate to have images of little winged dollar bills flying towards the windows. Might be a bit subtle but would definitely be nautical.
Hahahaha!
For many years I've had homemade quilts made by my mom on my bed. I don't care if it matches my curtains or rugs or really if any of those match. I only go to my bedroom to close my eyes and go to sleep anyway. I don't look at it that much.
I agree on the HGTV trend-setting. I also think things like the Olympics, Royal events, and other global happenings have an effect on fashions, home or otherwise.
iris lilies
4-1-16, 10:45pm
Do you all remember the recent deer antler trend? It seems to be over now, but it was all over for a while. Hideous.
Do you all remember the recent deer antler trend? It seems to be over now, but it was all over for a while. Hideous.
I do remember that and it did seem very odd for indoors. I have a friend who has a set of deer antlers mounted on a tree -- she hangs her coat on them when she's working outside and it gets too warm. That seems like appropriate decor to me ... and i doubt she'll update it!
ApatheticNoMore
4-2-16, 3:12am
I kind of like the giant letters I think but not for one's initials (that sounds like something Trump would do, that is to say narcissistic personality disorder ...). But words are ok. Maybe I like them because I saw them looking rusty while walking recently in what almost seemed a restaurant patio that opened up to both an apartment building and a business it seemed (really weird layout that was, interesting, and the patio looked inviting).
I recall now that back in the 1970s, my in-laws had a giant wooden letter R painted gold on their dining room wall. What goes around...
freshstart
4-2-16, 11:16am
Mary Tyler Moore had the big M in her apt, I thought that was very cool
Iris Lily have you looked in thrift shops for vases? They seem to have a lot and some might suit your plan.
I've had a giant gilt J for years. I bought it during one of my thrift runs, but never got around to hanging it. I can see having a bunch of (thrifted, or otherwise cheap) letters around to spell out various bon mots. The antler thing was ugly in pioneering times--the whole taxidermy thing really--but I have seen some amusing faux heads made from papier mache' or rusted, welded metal.
What is it about decorating fads? Why can't people use the colors that suit them instead of being a Pantone clone? For a year or two it's been all gray and Moorish lattice work--really, it's out of hand. Everywhere you look, scroll work. White kitchens are classic, but here they come again. I'd like to see red cabinetry just once. It takes work sometimes just avoiding the herd and going your own way.
iris lilies
4-2-16, 12:29pm
Iris Lily have you looked in thrift shops for vases? They seem to have a lot and some might suit your plan.
I go to thrift shops all the tme. I did even stop in to a Goodwill yeaterday since it was n the road of all f these stors. But the thrifts are not going to have the sleek contemporary shapes I am looking for.
Ebay is still my best source. We have a package thief who has been trolling our neighborhood and he got one of them. We walked down alleys looking for it in trash dumspters, but no luck. I did find a box of new dog toys and bowls in its packing box, and retirned t to the rightful owner. But more on package thug later, DH did track him down and the cops pulled him in.
freshstart
4-2-16, 12:46pm
The antler thing was ugly in pioneering times--the whole taxidermy thing really--but I have seen some amusing faux heads made from papier mache' or rusted, welded metal.
What is it about decorating fads? Why can't people use the colors that suit them.
I liked those fake deer heads, especially one that was probably papier mache painted bright white
I love using colors I really like for painting a room, I cannot stand a white room no matter how many colorful touches you add. In my townhouse I used my fav colors in every room. It broke my heart to have to paint it white to sell it. Here, I got voted down in colors for the kitchen, LR and DR, it's open and so it is shades of you guessed it, gray. Still better than white but I don't walk into those rooms and just love them the way I did when I was in my own home. Gray is depressing. My aunt made beautiful valances that bring in pale blue, celery and some other colors I can work with more when there is money to decorate. Luckily, I had used pale blue and celery in my old house so some furniture and accessories have livened it up a little.
I go to thrift shops all the tme. I did even stop in to a Goodwill yeaterday since it was n the road of all f these stors. But the thrifts are not going to have the sleek contemporary shapes I am looking for.
Ebay is still my best source. We have a package thief who has been trolling our neighborhood and he got one of them. We walked down alleys looking for it in trash dumspters, but no luck. I did find a box of new dog toys and bowls in its packing box, and retirned t to the rightful owner. But more on package thug later, DH did track him down and the cops pulled him in.
We've acquired a package thief, too. I lost one Etsy package and recently an Amazon item that was "delivered to your mailbox." I reported it and promptly reserved a PO box. I'm planning on using Amazon Locker, too. It's annoying. We used to have a crime-free neighborhood...
Here's an idea for those package thieves........put a package on your porch with a bomb in it! :0!
Sorry.........I just HATE thieves. Or how about filling it with exploding dye.....like they do with some money and in some clothing tags.
Then again, don't waste resources.........just shoot them.
Again, sorry. Maybe I DO need to go up on my medication. :~)
What is it about decorating fads? Why can't people use the colors that suit them instead of being a Pantone clone?
Because having the Pantone Color of the Year (http://www.pantone.com/color-of-the-year-2016) indicates that you are au courant. Or it's your favorite color and you're just lucky (Blind-Squirrel-Finds-A-Nut Dept.). Or you have money to burn. Or two of the three. It's how to separate what's new from what's old. And it keeps a consumerist economy going when people toss perfectly good items in jewel tones because they look hideously out of date now that muddy mauve has been declared "in" once more.
I've started reading again the Houzz home forums. I quit several years ago when I read too many posts about posters "agonizing" over whether they needed to have the 48" Wolf range or the 60" Wolf range. Every kitchen sounded the same; every house plan was a clone, ... But I'm trying to get a fix on appliances and HVAC so it's a good source of relatively non-biased and current information. So I read. It does sound like people run in herds there. Heaven forbid you show up to ask whether the low-line GE fridge is comparable to the low-line Kenmore.
https://www.frinkiac.com/meme/S15E15/405363.jpg?b64lines=ICggZ3VmZmF3aW5nKSBXZSBhbHdheX MKIGdldCB0aGUgaGlja3Mgb24KIFNhdHVyZGF5cy4=
I STILL don't like stainless steel and granite...guess I can stick with my beige (almond) formica and little tile vinyl flooring and white appliances- except the stove that is still almond as it hasn't needed replacing. I love my kitchen.
ToomuchStuff
4-2-16, 4:52pm
First I have heard of pantone color of the year and using it for painting a home. I have used pantone for color matching when trying to get a vehicles color.
A relative is talking about redoing their kitchen, and they are talking about granite, simply because of resale value. I don't see the benefits in some area's personally. I also prefer white appliances (not in vogue), and do like wooden countertops, some formica, and even stainless for a counter (like a commercial kitchen, except they tend to be tables). A late neighbors, husband worked somewhere, where he made stainless counters and a sink for his basement, that he used when making venison. I still think I would like that in a kitchen (around the wet area's), and wood, closer to the stove.
iris lilies
4-2-16, 5:12pm
First I have heard of pantone color of the year and using it for painting a home. I have used pantone for color matching when trying to get a vehicles color.
A relative is talking about redoing their kitchen, and they are talking about granite, simply because of resale value. I don't see the benefits in some area's personally. I also prefer white appliances (not in vogue), and do like wooden countertops, some formica, and even stainless for a counter (like a commercial kitchen, except they tend to be tables). A late neighbors, husband worked somewhere, where he made stainless counters and a sink for his basement, that he used when making venison. I still think I would like that in a kitchen (around the wet area's), and wood, closer to the stove.
My current dream counters are cherry wood. But I have old formica because I havent found anything worth the money to me. Granite is pretty but kinda of boring any more. The man made stuff no matter how expensive is ugly to me. The grey quartz that looks like marble s pretty, but its expensive, and I already have grey countertops
I just cannot get enthused enough to spend $8,000 -$10,000 on countertops, yet sometimes I think that our cabinets deserve nice countertops. i LOVE our cabinets, and they are at the top of the trend line right now--white panels. Will soon be out of favor, again.
Personally, when they showed us the color of the year, our whole group thought they were the ugliest colors around. They reminded me of the tile colors in my 1939 house.
this house was new construction but done except for picking out appliances and shade of granite. I don't love our granite, but it was included and what everyone else wanted. Steel colored appliances have been around so long, I figured they have to be on their way out and I wanted to get white but the guy talked me into steel as the kitchen is open to the LR/DR. I guess they do look better and I've had white in all my houses so change it up a little.
this house is a ranch and could've had that perfect 50s vibe I love, it would've matched perfectly, clean lines. I even love old linoleum from back then that is coming back around. But the builder is Italian and all the finishes are Italianate and I hate them. If only we had found it a month earlier, I could've have had those choices. But hey, does it really matter?
when DD was younger we liked to go to realtor open houses in the really nice neighborhoods once in a while. She was maybe 10 and had it figured out that they mostly looked exactly the same. If I had that much money to spend on a house, it would not be in a neighborhood filled with big houses with little variation inside. I would build on land a bit farther from people, build a much smaller house and use the leftover money to have custom details I picked out.
iris lilies
4-2-16, 7:05pm
Re: bulder houses--
i live n a victorian neghborhood where entire streets were spec houses by buslder, .the were exactly the same .
After 140 years theyve been changed out and renovated and redone, etc. but even then the dirst floors are remarkablyna
ike.
ToomuchStuff
4-2-16, 9:02pm
Here's an idea for those package thieves........put a package on your porch with a bomb in it! :0!
Sorry.........I just HATE thieves. Or how about filling it with exploding dye.....like they do with some money and in some clothing tags.
Then again, don't waste resources.........just shoot them.
Again, sorry. Maybe I DO need to go up on my medication. :~)
Missed this the first time. Anything exploding will leave you liable. I remember years ago, someone who used to steal car radio's, installed one in his car and hid razor blades around it. He ended up in a lawsuit when one of his "friends":, tried to steal it from his car.
Around here, what some have done is get a tv box, and fill it full of dog droppings, wrap it and leave a bit torn, so they can see what the box says.
Missed this the first time. Anything exploding will leave you liable. I remember years ago, someone who used to steal car radio's, installed one in his car and hid razor blades around it. He ended up in a lawsuit when one of his "friends":, tried to steal it from his car.
Around here, what some have done is get a tv box, and fill it full of dog droppings, wrap it and leave a bit torn, so they can see what the box says.
This reminds me of a story I once heard. A petite older woman had been dog sitting for a friend in NYC. The dog died during this time so the woman had to dispose of it. Leaving it in the apartment to rot didn't seem like a good idea. So she found a big suitcase in the apartment, put the large dog in it, and lugged it to the subway to go to the ASPCA and drop it off. As she was struggling to get it up the stairs leaving the subway station a man offered to help. She gladly accepted and when they got to the top of the stairs he took off running with it. She just turned around and got back on the subway to go home.
This reminds me of a story I once heard. A petite older woman had been dog sitting for a friend in NYC. The dog died during this time so the woman had to dispose of it. Leaving it in the apartment to rot didn't seem like a good idea. So she found a big suitcase in the apartment, put the large dog in it, and lugged it to the subway to go to the ASPCA and drop it off. As she was struggling to get it up the stairs leaving the subway station a man offered to help. She gladly accepted and when they got to the top of the stairs he took off running with it. She just turned around and got back on the subway to go home.
Wow.. imagine him opening that!
iris lilies
4-4-16, 9:46am
I've had a giant gilt J for years. I bought it during one of my thrift runs, but never got around to hanging it. I can see having a bunch of (thrifted, or otherwise cheap) letters around to spell out various bon mots. The antler thing was ugly in pioneering times--the whole taxidermy thing really--but I have seen some amusing faux heads made from papier mache' or rusted, welded metal.
What is it about decorating fads? Why can't people use the colors that suit them instead of being a Pantone clone? For a year or two it's been all gray and Moorish lattice work--really, it's out of hand. Everywhere you look, scroll work. White kitchens are classic, but here they come again. I'd like to see red cabinetry just once. It takes work sometimes just avoiding the herd and going your own way.
Our friend, who is into decorating, has red laquer kitchen cabinets and they are spectacular! They are moveable on a track and he can position them in various ways.
he doesn't cook, he just likes to play in his kitchen.
Our friend, who is into decorating, has red laquer kitchen cabinets and they are spectacular! They are moveable on a track and he can position them in various ways.
he doesn't cook, he just likes to play in his kitchen.
I admire lacquer cabinets, and I love red, so I'd be a fan for sure.
Pantone's color this year is pure white. The primer makers are having a great year! Personally I primed a previously deep gold color in my hall bath and used...pure white (at the paint store I asked for the whitest white available). Took 2 coats of good primer to not let the gold show through...sigh...and now I'm tired of the red wall in my kitchen eating area.
And yes...I added a boat sculpture I found one at goodwill because son #2 loves sail boats and DH and I both have a few humorous sailboat stories. I've repainted the boat and need to sew new sails for it but at $2 it was worth it.
I STILL don't like stainless steel and granite...guess I can stick with my beige (almond) formica and little tile vinyl flooring and white appliances- except the stove that is still almond as it hasn't needed replacing. I love my kitchen.
Sounds like my kitchen. I always get white appliances (it took a few years to replace the 1970's yellow that was in the house when we bought it). We replaced our old formica with... Formica! I would like to paint the cabinets someday.
Teacher Terry
4-8-16, 7:20pm
I tend to stick with white appliances after trying to change from avocado green to almond. I never had all 3 matching at once. Then when our dishwater died I tried to get white and had to get stainless but at least is not close to the other appliances. The only way to change colors is to buy all 3 at once and I am too cheap and can't bear to get rid of stuff that still works fine.
I agree Terry. When we bought the white refrigerator and the dishwasher and stove were still almond I did buy new drawer and cabinet handles that were brass with white china to kind of tie things together. So now we have a white dishwasher and refrigerator but the stove will remain almond until it dies...which may be never as I hardly cook.
I think you can have a professional come in and do an electrostatic paint job on the stove. It would look nice, but might be more than you want to spend. If you're daring, they make DIY finishes now too. I saw a DIY concrete counter top that looked pretty good--just a coat or two of concrete on top of your old surface.
I'm fine with the almond. It goes with the formica countertop.
My family owned a funeral home and when my father retired and sold the business I got several pieces of furniture mostly from the 30's and 40's. I've told friends my decor is early mortuary. Being a guy and having little other sense of fashion I asked a lady friend for help in updating a few things. She suggested getting the crate and barrel catalog for what is the latest. Seems like the big colors are mostly grays for the living spaces and furniture with minimalist lines and a retro look. I think oak furniture is out, especially if it's ornate. Stainless kitchens are out, tile floors are mostly out, and tile counter tops are definitely out. Dark granite counters are borderline. Most of the crate and barrel furniture is strange woods from overseas and made in who knows where, but it's given me some ideas of thing to look for on Craig's list.
My kitchen is getting to the top of the project list for refacing. Appliances are a nice traditional off-white but I'd like to go with linoleum and Formica in some light browns or greys. Maybe some brightly colored tiles back splashes. I'm not sure what is involved with refacing cabinets, but my dark fake wood looking cabinets need a face lift and I'd rather have wood than painting them.
Williamsmith
4-9-16, 12:44am
My wife works full time. She gets what she wants. Solid hickory custom made cabinetry with soft touch closure and a rollout pantry, granite countertops, and porcelain floor tile from Italy along with all new top of the line stainless appliances.
Sold the house. New place had Formica countertops. Back to the granite store. All new countertops in the kitchen and bathrooms.
The granite company hand delivered two bottles of wine.
I'm not sure what is involved with refacing cabinets, but my dark fake wood looking cabinets need a face lift and I'd rather have wood than painting them.
We had our mid-70s dark kitchen cabinets refaced. They apply veneer of your choice to the outside of your cabinet boxes (in our case, including the visible bottoms). They also replace the cabinet doors to match and completely replace the drawers. Our cabinets are now a nice cherry color. We like it.
You still can see the original color inside the cabinet, but we still think it was greener and cheaper to do this than to buy all-new cabinetry. These cabinets were in fine shape -- and made of better materials than builder-grade cabinets are made of these days -- and the layout was pretty good, too. We(*) just tired of the dark wood. If you want to change cabinet types and drawer sizes and such, you really are looking at new cabinetry because refacing really doesn't save you much money.
Painting can be tricky because kitchens typically are exposed to huge amounts of grease and dust which attach themselves to cabinet surfaces, requiring really good prep before you get a clean finish that sticks around for a while. Then there are the usual concerns about drips, brush marks, etc. as well as how dated the cabinets/pulls look anyway.
* someone in the house who isn't me; I would have sucked up my dislike for the dark color rather than paid for that, given that the dark wood still is all around the house and won't ever be changed while we're here
That's funny Steve about the dark wood all over....In the 70s I considered changing our golden oak cabinets to a darker hue- but the effort to stain them was more than I wanted so I just left them...We did have the doors replaced and bases resanded in the 90s. I'm glad I didn't go dark...laziness won out and I'm glad.
My wife works full time. She gets what she wants. Solid hickory custom made cabinetry with soft touch closure and a rollout pantry, granite countertops, and porcelain floor tile from Italy along with all new top of the line stainless appliances.
Sold the house. New place had Formica countertops. Back to the granite store. All new countertops in the kitchen and bathrooms.
The granite company hand delivered two bottles of wine.
Granite (possibly soon to be eclipsed by quartz) are the avacado-colored appliances of our era. I foresee the day when trendy householders will see it as dated, and spend large sums replacing it.
iris lilies
4-9-16, 12:11pm
Granite (possibly soon to be eclipsed by quartz) are the avacado-colored appliances of our era. I foresee the day when trendy householders will see it as dated, and spend large sums replacing it.
oh NOOOOOOO! Granit is classic and here to stay!
Don't you believe all real estate agents and counter-top salesmen when they tell you this? shame on you.
Many of the generic granites are boring. I still prefer granites at the ends of the spectrum, either tiny grains or Big Giant rocky grains. All of the stuff in the middle is boring to me.
and then,, there is the uber expensive blue and white granite that I lust over but would never ever buy.
iris lilies
4-9-16, 12:14pm
We had our mid-70s dark kitchen cabinets refaced. They apply veneer of your choice to the outside of your cabinet boxes (in our case, including the visible bottoms). They also replace the cabinet doors to match and completely replace the drawers. Our cabinets are now a nice cherry color. We like it.
You still can see the original color inside the cabinet, but we still think it was greener and cheaper to do this than to buy all-new cabinetry. These cabinets were in fine shape -- and made of better materials than builder-grade cabinets are made of these days -- and the layout was pretty good, too. We(*) just tired of the dark wood. If you want to change cabinet types and drawer sizes and such, you really are looking at new cabinetry because refacing really doesn't save you much money.
Painting can be tricky because kitchens typically are exposed to huge amounts of grease and dust which attach themselves to cabinet surfaces, requiring really good prep before you get a clean finish that sticks around for a while. Then there are the usual concerns about drips, brush marks, etc. as well as how dated the cabinets/pulls look anyway.
* someone in the house who isn't me; I would have sucked up my dislike for the dark color rather than paid for that, given that the dark wood still is all around the house and won't ever be changed while we're here
Our cabinets were meant to be painted. They've been painted twice now in about 20 years and the 2nd time was not done well, and paint is thinning. Still, I like the look of painted cabinets, they are old fashion. DH built ours, so we know they are solid wood and put up in a sturdy way.
Keeping 70's cabinets because they are stronger and better built is probably a good idea.
I like some granite, but I don't like that it became a cliche'. I'm happy enough with Formica, but I flirt with the idea of concrete.
Miss Cellane
4-9-16, 12:27pm
I know a house that has had 4 completely new kitchens in the span of about 15 years. Granite in one, then the new owners didn't like granite and ripped it out. Then another set of new owners who had to have granite. And not just the countertops--cabinets were replaced, etc.
As a child in the 1960s, we moved a lot for Dad's job. Some kitchens were nicer than others, but we just lived with what was there. Very few people remodeled kitchens back then--you house-hunted carefully, choosing a kitchen you could live with. A new coat of paint or wallpaper on the walls was the sum total of redecorating for most people.
I think I knew two people who completely remodeled their kitchens in the 1970s--both pretty wealthy. And it was clearly a once-in-a-lifetime thing, in their forever homes.
The current trend of ripping out a kitchen immediately on moving in and completely replacing everything just because it is "dated" makes me twitchy. There's nothing wrong with most of these kitchens, they just aren't new. It seems like such a waste--all that expensive granite and cherry wood cabinets and the appliances that still work fine--tossed because they aren't trendy.
I have the same feeling Miss Cellane. Watching HGTV...the first they say is "Oh the kitchen and baths must be ripped out. They are so dated." To the TV I YELL."Doesn't everything still work! Live with it! Paint! What is WRONG with you! No wonder you are over budget!" So, I don't watch it as much as I used to.
Or if you have to make a change, repaint, reface cabinets, add DIY touches. I've seen some adorable peel and stick tiles lately (really!)--some wood with floral designs. I think few people have the creativity to step back and consider the possibilities. The best decorating comes from the heart and mind, not from the showroom. I love to see glimpses of personality--soul, if you will--shining through.
I have the same feeling Miss Cellane. Watching HGTV...the first they say is "Oh the kitchen and baths must be ripped out. They are so dated." To the TV I YELL."Doesn't everything still work! Live with it! Paint! What is WRONG with you! No wonder you are over budget!" So, I don't watch it as much as I used to.
My favorite part of those shows are when the fixer-uppers fixated on "open concept" and chef's kitchens have to confront poisonous mold, incendiary wiring flaws, leaky sewer lines, Sword-of-Damocles structural problems and cracked foundations.
ApatheticNoMore
4-9-16, 12:56pm
They seem like spoiled brats who have more money than sense. What is it do all the people with money in this society not have any sense and all the people with sense no money? Probably ... probably that's how it works >8)
And they can't even find a less wasteful outlet for their wastefulness, like buying new curtains or sheets every year or something, still silly, but less extreme on the silly scale than ripping out the kitchen, if one just has to for some reason.
This thread started out with not terribly ridiculous items (although the letters one is the only one I like and then not enough to want them permanently - just think they add a cool vibe to hangout type places like coffee houses, bars etc. - so they are cool there) and descended to completely ridiculous fools who redo their kitchens all the time.
My favorite part of those shows are when the fixer-uppers fixated on "open concept" and chef's kitchens have to confront poisonous mold, incendiary wiring flaws, leaky sewer lines, Sword-of-Damocles structural problems and cracked foundations.
Don't get me started on "open concept." Perfect for people who don't cook, but like to keep an eye on their granite and stainless steel...I know I'm going to have to contend with that down the road. When I look at real estate ads, I imagine how I can add a wall...
Don't get me started on "open concept." Perfect for people who don't cook, but like to keep an eye on their granite and stainless steel...I know I'm going to have to contend with that down the road. When I look at real estate ads, I imagine how I can add a wall...
I'll be interested in the term they come up for it when the tide turns. "Multi-rooming"? "Resectionalizing"? "Interiorization"?
Teacher Terry
4-9-16, 1:54pm
WE have moved numerous times for jobs so I have redone many old kitchens on a budget. In a 100 yo house with original cabinets that were painted and always looked dirty and paint chipped, etc with having 3 boys. So I took all the doors and drawers off and had them dipped to remove the paint. I repainted the frames a cream color. Then because the wood was not nice looking especially I stained them really dark and put on new handles. It looked great. I have had cabinets refaced that looked great. One home our cupboards were very dark oak and the kitchen was dark. I hired someone to paint them cream with antiquing. Then I had my buffet done to match. In our present home we had to rip out tons of old, ugly stuff but the maple cupboards were new and pretty. So I put in pre-fab granite which is way cheaper because it is not cut to size but come in certain lengths so if your counter is too long they have to seam it. It costs about a third and it is real granite. YOu can't even find the seam.
I'll be interested in the term they come up for it when the tide turns. "Multi-rooming"? "Resectionalizing"? "Interiorization"?
"Intimate personal spaces."
Teacher Terry
4-9-16, 2:37pm
I don't like the kitchen open to the LR because then you are staring at your dirty dishes, etc. Our DR is mostly open to the kitchen but not completely and I like that.
iris lilies
4-9-16, 3:58pm
Don't get me started on "open concept." Perfect for people who don't cook, but like to keep an eye on their granite and stainless steel...I know I'm going to have to contend with that down the road. When I look at real estate ads, I imagine how I can add a wall...
In one of the grand old Victorians down the street the new people are completely redoing it, including (so I hear) making one big oen space on the dirst floor. This house was made, as were all of the ones from this era, to close off each room with a fireplace in it To keep warm.
i thinks its time to raise heating rates x 5.
i cannot stand the idea of this grand old house losing its 9' slider doors and original room sizes. People who want this stuff should just buy houses that way.
I will confess that our house has open LR/Dining area, but when we bought it it was stripped of all interior walls. Not my fault that there arent any here!
It's bizarre to me how fixated people have become on keeping their houses on trend. With the influx of trendy folk we have in our hood now, the bar for keeping up just keeps rising. Granite is mainstream and quartz or wood are the preferred thing. Barf...
My late, lamented condo had a folding louvered door you could open to the dining room, or not. You couldn't see the kitchen from the living room. That condo was very well designed for a compact space. I don't miss shared walls and obtrusive neighbors, but I do miss that layout.
I like not seeing the kitchen from the DR or LR.
I have an extremely small kitchen relative to the 1300 sq ft house. I suppose that might have been the trend in the early 50's. It's taken a while, but I've learned to be comfortable cooking in it. The previous owner fed raised a family of four with the small kitchen. I wonder about the giant kitchens that seem to be the order of the day with the prep island. Seems like a little overkill. I do sometimes wish it opened up into the living space just to give a little more sense of openness. The kitchen has a pocket door to close it off from the rest of the house. I suppose back in the 50's it might have been polite to not expose the housewife slaving away in the kitchen to guests?
Miss Cellane
4-9-16, 6:08pm
In one of the grand old Victorians down the street the new people are completely redoing it, including (so I hear) making one big oen space on the dirst floor. This house was made, as were all of the ones from this era, to close off each room with a fireplace in it To keep warm.
i thinks its time to raise heating rates x 5.
i cannot stand the idea of this grand old house losing its 9' slider doors and original room sizes. People who want this stuff should just buy houses that way.
I will confess that our house has open LR/Dining area, but when we bought it it was stripped of all interior walls. Not my fault that there arent any here!
My parents had an 1880s Victorian. The house next door was a twin to theirs, built by the same builder. About 10 years ago, new folks moved in.
They did the following:
Tore out the butler's pantry (solid oak cabinets) to "open up the kitchen."
Took out all the cast iron radiators to install baseboard heating of some sort.
Tore out the oak wainscotting in the front hall and dining room.
Opened the dining room to the kitchen.
Took out the three stained glass windows and put plain glass in their place. Not windows that could open, which might make some sense, but just plain sheets of glass.
Took out the dividing wall and sliding oak doors that separated the front parlor from the back parlor.
Took up the entire backyard to build a three story "carriage house" with a 3 car garage on the bottom, a home office for one of them in the middle, and storage space on the top floor. In a 5 bedroom house with 2 parents and 2 kids, a finished attic with 5 rooms (some of them were maids' rooms originally), a front parlor, back parlor, kitchen and dining room, and a full basement. Because they needed more room. The kids then had to ask my Dad if they could play in his yard (he had a larger lot) because there was no place in their own yard to play. My family of 7 kids and 2 parents fit just fine in the same space.
At one point, they called the police, because people were coming by at night and "stealing" the old radiators and the cabinets and wainscotting from the dumpster out front. They were shocked to learn that there was some value to "that old stuff" and that it was most likely going to be sold, not just trashed, by the dumpster-divers.
Why they didn't just buy one of the new McMansions going up in town is beyond me.
Teacher Terry
4-9-16, 6:09pm
Our house was built in 1950 and was 900 sq ft. Then in 1970 someone added on another 500 sq ft on the back of the house. They made an enormous dining room and a master bathroom. They also attached the master to a small bedroom with no hall. So we made the small bedroom into a walk in closet. Then we moved the wall to make the DR smaller and MB bigger and added a Master bathroom with the extra space. Then we had 2 bathrooms which was nice. The kitchen is a galley kitchen with nowhere to put a table so no clue where people ate. The LR was not big enough to be both a LR and DR. It's a mystery.
Teacher Terry
4-9-16, 6:12pm
Miss C-what a shame. They wrecked the house and you are right they should have just bought a new one. We lived in 2 houses that were 100 yo and never did anything like that. One house we did take off all the doors between kitchen, LR and DR, etc but we but them in basement and kept them in case someone wanted them in the future. However, the rooms were not that big so the doors just were annoying and no fireplaces either.
ack, the butler pantry is the coolest thing in those old Victorians. I loved seeing really old people who still lived in the house they grew up in; the woodwork, the vintage furniture and the details, I just loved looking around.
I grew up in a 100 yr old house. It was so small, had no closets but had a wonderful back porch that I remember vividly. I loved that house, my parents not so much. It was 11k and with a VA loan, they put $200 down. I was obsessed with the Bicentennial and told my kindergarten class that George Washington lived in my house. The people who bought it from us still live in it. They had a garage sale and I was telling the woman who I was. She offered to let me see it but it was kind of hard in the middle of a garage sale. I wish I had taken her up on it, though.
Williamsmith
4-10-16, 6:22am
I would love to get back into my childhood house. I could stand in the basement right in front of the dryer. My brother and I were constantly fighting so my parents got us boxing gloves. Brother was 3 1/2 years older and had an advantage with reach. So one day to settle a nasty argument we donned the gloves. I took a couple well thought out jabs and then went for the knockout punch only to miss just enough to expose my head for the second it took my brother to knock me out cold with one punch to the nose. My nose has never been straight since. It is a daily reminder not to start anything you aren't able to finish.
Or I could stand in the dining room by the telephone where my Grammy took a wooden paddle and beat us both in the ass for fighting. We had argued on the way home from school. Called her on the phone and she had to walk a mile to the house to settle the arguement.
Or sit on the front porch where one summer I sat after a fight developed over a wiffle ball game with my brother. I swung a regulation wooden bat at my brothers head, and thankfully missed. He grabbed the bat, wrapped it around me, picked me up and slammed me on the ground breaking my leg above the ankle.
Or look into the kitchen where my father knocked my mother to the floor, sat on top of her and beat her head against the floor until she was unconscious. All the time I was riding his back trying to get him off her. Or into the living room where she laid on the couch for several days before she got up.
Or into the garage, where one summer my father erected a swimming pool. I dove into it through one of those plastic inflatable doughnuts and got stuck just below my thighs. I was alone and drowning. Suddenly someone grabbed my ankles and pulled me straight out over the side of the pool onto dry land. It was dad.
Wonderful memories.
freshstart
4-10-16, 6:39am
I'm so sorry, williamsmith.
violence is why I left my perfectly good house in the divorce, too many memories of really bad times. I was happy there before we had kids and my ex was under no stress so there was peace. It was a house full of light, I loved that house just not what it became, a prison. When it was for sale again, I decided I would go see it one more time. I'm glad I brought my mom because someone needed to explain to the realtor why I was walking around teary, unable to speak lest I start sobbing. I'm glad I went back, not a single regret for leaving.
I hope you made wonderful memories as an adult in your own home
Williamsmith
4-10-16, 7:41am
The thread started me thinking about the features of my childhood home. The dirt floors in the basement, the cold corner where we showered with a garden hose, the wooden floors, two stain glass windows that reminded me of a church, the chain link fencing that I thought was to keep badness out but now realizing more than anything it was to keep things in. The trendy stuff that I can afford now. I've come a long way. I think we all have. First time in my life I've had the time to reflect on it. Sometimes it's good, other times it is revealing.
I just read this thread for the first time, and the last 4 pages about new home trends just stripped away my Sunday morning serenity. I get crazy when I see people following trends like sheep. Miss Cellane, it would have killed me to be your parents and see what those neighbors did to that house. I would have been happier seeing the house put out of its misery and razed to the ground.
The whole granite/stainless steel thing also makes me crazy, and "open concept" is overrated--although I do agree that most people do congregate in the kitchen. My house is a standard 1970s home, where the huge upgrade was a "family room" AND a "living room." I think the family room was the precursor to open concept, but no one had figured out opening up the wall.
Then kitchen islands were the thing, and my DH who is a really great amateur chef, drooled for decades while I told him that the size of our kitchen could not support an island without major restructuring. We do have the 70s "eat in kitchen" but that's room only for a table for 6 shoved in the corner. While he didn't ever get his island, when we updated the kitchen a few years ago I did one of those fairly easy banquettes in the corner using stock cabinetry and putting a seat on top. I LOVE it. you can get a lot of people around the table now, and I use the under-seat cabinets for storage. It cost VERY little to do.
Now that we're putting BIL's house on the market we're hearing from agents about the trends that sell. Our having 1.5 bathrooms is a big negative, but turning the half bath into a full would not recoup the money so we're not doing that. It might keep the house on the market longer though.
I put in bamboo floors when MIL moved in and apparently that will be a selling point.
Our bathrooms are original, so we MUST do something to them to update the look, even if it's just re-porcelein on the bathtub and paint and new floors.
Interesting, and here's one I've never heard before, but maybe lhamo would not be surprised: We have a large influx of Asians in our neighborhood--potential buyers. According to one gain, they will pay $15k more if the house is facing north or north/east. And here I thought SOUTHERN exposure was a good thing (which our house has) but from a feng shui perspective, apparently, you DON'T want a home facing south or southwest.
Also, people want NO maintenance. They don't care about the yards because they're too busy to keep them up. They only care about interior living space.
I wonder when HGTV will have shows about people who reject new homes for those with "patina" and pay extra for front yard vegetable gardens. When "green" is the new stainless.
I have mostly fond childhood memories and sometimes close my eyes and take an imaginary tour of my childhood home. It was a solidly middle class home, but just two bedrooms and one bath for a family of four. We had a telephone stand with a chair next to it for phone conversations, which would seem odd these days. I grew up in sort of a rough blue collar town as a chunky little geek kid. I was beat up by school kids three or four times, occasionally bullied, and my older brother put me in the hospital with a neck injury, which resulted in a plaster cast from head to waist. (It was a great summer for lemonade sales). It's interesting how those few short minutes of violence stick with us for life and change us as a person.
Our family home recently came up for sale and I was able to see the realtor photos of the interior. It used to be painted in light pastels and always seemed light an airy, but is now in those dark browns and reds that were popular a few years ago. It had a dark dungeon look to it.
My hometown lost it's manufacturing jobs to overseas and has struggled ever since. It was recently featured in the NYT highlighting it's heroin abuse and high murder rate. I pay special attention to politicians who claim they can bring back the lost middle class, or "make America great again". Unfortunately I think those manufacturing jobs that were the backbone of many towns and cities are gone forever.
They don't care about the yards because they're too busy to keep them up.
That is so true and probably a whole 'nother topic - the disappearance of the important of nature in our daily lives.
That is so true and probably a whole 'nother topic - the disappearance of the important of nature in our daily lives.
I agree that nature is important. But I'm not sure that a suburban lawn counts.
iris lilies
4-10-16, 12:13pm
Ugh, oak woodwork removed feom the butler's pantry! It should be a crime.
in the 70's one of the big houses around here was featued on This Old House, a PBS show that laid the foundation for all of the HGTV shows to come. Remember Norm?
Anyway, this house was maintained after its famous tv stint for 2 decades--hideous red brick fireplace with several layers of brick on the floor, a horrible black wood stove in the living room., shag carpet, and some kind of weird treatment to the woodwork that I cant even describe.
Talk about "dated" thats it.
The houses around here that maintain value are those with
original features in place and sensitive decor. Even if the decor is outdated colors, that is easy to fix.
Heres whats not sensitive--for instance, Tuscany decor in a Victorian , nope. Maybe touches of it are ok, but all out Italy is just tacky. Same for the Southwest trend of 20 years ago, one rowhouse here was painted orange and turquoise inside. Its just confusing to me, where ami I? boston or Santa Fe?
I'm not sure that a suburban lawn counts.
I agree it is a vastly diminished and artificial natural place but some greenspace is better than none. My greatest sadness in selling my house is that very few (if any) have the "nature knowledge" to appreciate the native trees and plants that cover this 1/3 acre. Well maybe the birds...
And they can't even find a less wasteful outlet for their wastefulness, like buying new curtains or sheets every year or something, still silly, but less extreme on the silly scale than ripping out the kitchen, if one just has to for some reason.
Who says they're not buying new "window treatments" and bed linens every year? (See our Pantone Color thread.) I'll bet they're doing that in addition to "updating" (maybe we should call it "re-dating") their kitchens.
I blame HGTV and all the shows about property flippers. They've led years of viewers to believe that dumping money into transforming their house from one era to another is going to reap them huge financial dividends. And it's led to (apparently) legions of homebuyers who won't even consider a house without the clichéd granite and stainless kitchen and wood (or, at least laminate) floors unless they're planning to tear it down.
When I look at the local RE listings, I can tell the flips just from the pictures: the trendy colors on the floor and walls, the granite countertops -- and the untouched physical plant in the basement and the cheap builder-grade "stainless" appliances that, together, didn't cost what the granite did. :(Sad.
freshstart
4-10-16, 7:54pm
I could've cared less about granite but it's in my BR, too. Today, I got out of the shower and could not see my glasses, I always put them in the same spot. I had to call for help because I was afraid I would step on them and just the darn lenses were $1800 (blind as a bat). I'm telling my dad, "I always put them right here," he picks them up from "right here" and hands them to me. They blended in with the granite busyness so I thought they were lost, lol. Now that would not have happened with formica!
Williamsmith
4-10-16, 7:58pm
I could've cared less about granite but it's in my BR, too. Today, I got out of the shower and could not see my glasses, I always put them in the same spot. I had to call for help because I was afraid I would step on them and just the darn lenses were $1800 (blind as a bat). I'm telling my dad, "I always put them right here," he picks them up from "right here" and hands them to me. They blended in with the granite busyness so I thought they were lost, lol. Now that would not have happened with formica!
I could be satisfied with plywood but some concessions have to be made for the sake of harmony......therefore granite rules.
Sloeginfizz
4-12-16, 12:42am
We have a granite counter in our bathroom too and I hate it. It's hard and cold and very busy looking. I'd much rather have something else but it's here. The bathroom was all new just before we bought the place so it's staying. I can't see replacing a big ticket item like that just because I don't like it. It does the job of having someplace to put the sink.
ToomuchStuff
4-12-16, 1:57pm
I could've cared less about granite but it's in my BR, too. Today, I got out of the shower and could not see my glasses, I always put them in the same spot. I had to call for help because I was afraid I would step on them and just the darn lenses were $1800 (blind as a bat). I'm telling my dad, "I always put them right here," he picks them up from "right here" and hands them to me. They blended in with the granite busyness so I thought they were lost, lol. Now that would not have happened with formica!
And it will no longer happen, if you place them on top of a colored washcloth.
You can spend the money to change to formica, or you can spend less and learn to adapt.
freshstart
4-12-16, 4:52pm
now that that happened, I found it funny, it won't happen again because I will know they are actually where I put them. I would never spend the money to switch to formica. It was just another reason I'm not a fan.
I have grown so tired and bored with shopping in the stores you mention. Guess it is age and life style change. Seems I can only be excited in consignment shops and the Goodwill store.........and it is a good thing.
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