If you could improve just one thing about your house, what would it be?
- More space
- An updated kitchen
- More light
- A larger master suite
You will not be able to change your vote.
If you could improve just one thing about your house, what would it be?
You will not be able to change your vote.
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Replies
I voted More Space, and to be more specific that is Storage space that I want more of.
I wish I had a room, about the side of a standard bedroom, all decked out with shelving, hooks, etc as a place to store camping equipment, christmas decorations, coolers, canning jars, etc etc etc.
playing in the dirt in beautiful East Tennessee, zone 6B
I want to, in fact have to, remodel the family room, which is not one of the options. I'd like an updated kitchen, but it's pretty low on the list of priorities. It needs a new cooktop, but not a complete re-do. The question left out so many of my most pressing fixes.
I chose master suite because it's His favorite fantasy. Why not?
There's plenty of room like that in my basement - in fact one whole room empty such as you describe. If you can stand the trip - you are welcome to use it. Even if you are a Volunteer. ;-)Nothing valuable can be lost by taking time - Abe Lincoln.
Even if you are a Volunteer. ;-)
A Volunteer What?
Ruth Wells
"Gardening is the only unquestionably useful job." - G.B. Shaw
This type of Volunteer:
http://www.ncaafootball.net/0,5717,1_123_0_7610,00.html
(Sorry Wolvie, couldn't resist ;-)
There are 10 kinds of people in the world: those who understand binary and those who don't.
playing in the dirt in beautiful East Tennessee, zone 6B
Ohhhhhhhhh, I see, you were speaking that foreign language that I never learned.
And, who's this "Wolvie" you're addressing -- don't you mean "Woofie?"
; )
Ruth Wells
"Gardening is the only unquestionably useful job." - G.B. Shaw
Steve,
What part of East Tennessee? I grew up in Knoxville and live in Western NC now.
TamaraTamara
I grew up in Oak Ridge, and after a detour through Utah, I now live in West Knoxville.
playing in the dirt in beautiful East Tennessee, zone 6B
I still have my home Oak Ridge. Nice area.Tamara
You've got outbuildings too, I imagine storage is not a big concern at your place.
Hey, I was sorry to see the two close losses for those Michigan Wolverines. I thought this might be their year to win it all...
Go Vols!
playing in the dirt in beautiful East Tennessee, zone 6B
I dunno, Wolvie, he doesn't sound very sorry to me...
Ruth Wells
"Gardening is the only unquestionably useful job." - G.B. Shaw
that's okay - his "Vols" lost an oinker the other day. ;-)Nothing valuable can be lost by taking time - Abe Lincoln.
The very best revenge!
Ruth Wells
"Gardening is the only unquestionably useful job." - G.B. Shaw
GO BLUE
But back to the poll--space as in closets!!! Well, the rooms could be a tad larger too.Along the way take time to smell the flowers.
What a comeback last nite! I even slept in my Wolvie T shirt! ;-)Nothing valuable can be lost by taking time - Abe Lincoln.
I love the size of the kitchen in my Cape Cod, 14 x 16, and the layout, roughly a large U shape. And it is light, and the wallpaper and floor are pretty. But the cabinets and appliances are really dying and outdated now, about thirty years old. And cheap to begin with. Now, I'm moving away, and I'm sure the new owner will have to do a major remodel, and will want to. But I will keep this one in mind for my future home. So if I were redoing this house myself, the kitchen would win the prize for a redo.
There is isn't a master suite here, either, which would drive some people insane."Our whole American way of life is a great war of ideas, and librarians are the arms dealers selling weapons to both sides."-James Quinn
I've got to laugh when people complain about their 30 year old kitchens! I don't think our kitchen has been seriously updated in over 80 years! This was taken before we owned the house. We've made it usable - but just barely. We had asbestos abatement work the day after closing - removing flooring and counters. Those were replaced with self-stick floor tiles and a $50 counter from Home Depot. We removed the laundry sink (to the left of the picture) and moved the cabinet drawers over, to make room for dishwasher. We probably won't be seriously remodelling for another 3-5 years. But, you can bet I think about it every time I work in that kitchen!Ellen
Ya know, Ellen, the funny thing is, if ya squint and let it all go blurry, it sort of looks stylish! But I'll let you jump the line in front of me for a new kitchen. Mine's only thirty, but built with stuff that was never intended to last thirty years."Our whole American way of life is a great war of ideas, and librarians are the arms dealers selling weapons to both sides."-James Quinn
Well, we actually do like the style, or feel. That's part of the reason we're going to leave the kitchen for a few years. We want to figure out what we like, and what we really can't stand about the existing kitchen, and figure out how to give it the right feel but with more modern function. When it's done, I hope it will be beautiful. Of course, that's part of the reason I checked into this forum, and will be sending back the card to subscribe to the new mag.Ellen
I would need to stand in your house and then in the kitchen to figure out what color/s it should be.
In my house for example, the kitchen (where I can stand in the middle, pivot on one foot and reach the stove, the refrigerator and the sink) was a hideous split pea soup green. The floor, the walls and the cabinets. The 1940s stove was huge and took up the whole niche and the frig was infront of the west window, which of course blocked the light.
When I entered the house (French Cape Cod type), I knew the kitchen should be cobalt blue and white. I actually found the cobalt blue tiles (swimming pool tiles, can you believe it?!?!) before the white tiles. 6 months for the white tiles. White was actually too white against the blue tiles I had. Looked very stark and cold. The tiles I ended up getting were French (LOL) and more grey. Then I had paint made from the white tiles and painted the entire downstairs. In addition, my mother and sister got Delft blue tiles w/assorted scenes on them from trips to Europe and the Formica countertop w/the metal trim was ripped out and a tile countertop was put in. The cabinets, one wall from floor to ceiling were stripped of paint(I nearly asphixiated myself...someone had painted the inside of one cardinal red...somekind of oil paint), 'cause I had this brilliant idea to keep them a nice natural wood finish (the old pine in the house has a lovely honey/red color...after the paint came off, of course). Couldn't do it. ONE of the doors had the grain running the other way (looks like a "remodeling" from the 40s took off the original doors) and the plywood grain didn't match. They ended up getting painted white. sigh. There still a few more things to do...but they will cost in either money or time. Don't things always.....
Then there was another house (another shopping trip) where I just KNEW the kitchen would be stunning in red/white. Y'know w/red checked tableclothes...This jobless recovery has done more to promote the consumption of exquisite chocolate than the finest chocolatier. Cost be damned.
Ellen, my kitchen is 20 years old, yes, you can jump ahead of me. PS: I bet that stove and oven work better than mine.
Whatever you do, if you get rid of that huge sink, you will miss it!Along the way take time to smell the flowers.
If we get rid of that huge sink, it will only happen because we decide we want a new, repro one just like it. It does have crannies around the edge that trap water and dirt - a PITA to clean. But, our first step is to find out if we can caulk that, or do something to make the corners easier to clean.
Our plans so far, for that wall, revolve around keeping the sink. It's wonderful to work with - and I've never had trouble fitting any pots or pans into the sink. Even the refrigerator drawers fit, for easy washing.Ellen
We have a similar one down the basement, all our big stuff gets lugged down there by DH to be washed up. It stays there until I complain about not finding whatever, then he hauls it back up. LOL His idea, not mine.Along the way take time to smell the flowers.
Ellen! Love your kitchen. I really do love the feel of your kitchen. To me, it looks like a true Country kitchen. I LOVE that sink. Have you tried clear silicone caulk? It would not draw attention to itself. You have got to admit that while your kitchen may be older than my thirty year old testament to bad taste, yours has loads of charm.
I could barely keep a straight face when these fancy pants kitchen cabinet people tried to sell me French Country or American Country cabinets that were full of curvy sculpted molding and fancy this and fancy that with faux finishing here and there.
I was polite however and resisted telling them that when I was young, I spent a summer in a REAL French farm house that was hundreds of years old and it looked NOTHING like that. LOL!
We love the feel of the kitchen, even though there are specifics we don't like (awkward cupboard, and a few other things.) But, we love the sink, love the light - there are windows on the east and west sides, love the pantry. We are giving lots of thought to ways to redo the kitchen keeping the victorian feel, but making it function like a new kitchen. It will be fun when we get there - but it's probably several years away from happening. I'm sure I'll be asking for lots of advice when the time comes.
I've wondered about using a clear caulk on the sink. Someday the sink will make it to the top of the priority list - but it's far from there at the moment. I just finished scrubbing the walls of a closet, and patching the cracks in the plaster. The patches will need a second coat, then sanding. Then I can paint the closet and we can make more shelves for it - there are two original to the house - 18 1/2 wide lumber! I am tired of having all the office stuff in piles around the dining room. This closet is in our soon-to-be library - which will also house the computer. So... if I get the closet done, we can eliminate half the stuff that's in the way because it doesn't have a home.
The picture I posted was a "before" shot. One of these days I should take a couple of "now" pictures, and post them.Ellen
The windows sound wonderful. We are adding new windows to our kitchen which I am so excited about. The windows will be to the south and west. I just can't wait!!
If you do the caulk and you don't like it, it is easy to remove with a razor blade.
hundreds of years old and it looked NOTHING like that. LOL!
lol Mer!
Reality check.....30 days is up.Le Sigh
Oh - another thing, that I almost forgot. Before moving here, we lived in one of the more affluent towns in MA (thanks to ex-H, who lived there before we were married.) After divorcing, and getting married again, we decided to move further from the city to get more interesting real estate for less money. At the time, I belonged to a small women's group at our church. When i took pictures of the house into the group (including that kitchen shot) their first reaction was "you'll obviously be getting a new kitchen right away." They couldn't understand how we could stand not to gut and redo the whole thing. Ellen
Do you not have a basement or an attic? One of the greatest upgrades with our house purchase 2 years ago was gaining both. Of course, it hasn't taken us long to completely clutter those areas, now that we have them!
Ruth Wells
"Gardening is the only unquestionably useful job." - G.B. Shaw
Down here in the South, a lot of homes are built on slab so there is not a crawl space type of basement. The attic gets HOT, too much so for some things, and it is also awkward getting larger items up there - the opening to ours is maybe 4ft by 2 ft with fold down stairs for access.
I'd love a space about the size of a bedroom that I could set up for storage.
There are 10 kinds of people in the world: those who understand binary and those who don't.
playing in the dirt in beautiful East Tennessee, zone 6B
I see. And I agree, not having enough storage space sucks (can I say that?).
Ruth Wells
"Gardening is the only unquestionably useful job." - G.B. Shaw
Where are you in East TN? Just moved away from the Bristol area and am now back in Knoxville, which we left 25 years ago to go north.
Perennial guy
I couldn't agree more. For those of us with extensive collections that will not do well stored in a basement, storage is a huge problem. We have eighteen shelving units are just about ready for more. If I were building a house, I wondered if it would be feasible to put book shelves into nooks fashioned between the studs of a new home. If they went from floor to ceiling, and if insulation was inserted behind it, wouldn't it be possible to avoid the costs of dry wall and make almost every square inch of a home serve for storage? And why couldn't cabinet doors be fitted to the outside of the bottom three shelves for paperbacks, magazines (and other unlovely objects) etc.?
And/Or, since garage space is about $60/sq ft and prime home construction living space is about $120/sq ft, why couldn't a huge garage-like area (let's call it "interior multi-purpose storage" or "Imps" be set aside in the dead center of a house where a good view is inconsequential and skylights could furnish natural daylight for useful work. It would have concrete floors, no trim or dry wall, and a central drain for messy hobbies. Here, heating and air conditioning concerns could be met with an inexpensive apartment unit that could be turned on only when you are actually working on a project in that room and need the extra comfort. Think of the saved utility costs! In such an interior room, enough heat from conduction from adjacent rooms would probably suffice to keep the ambient temperature dry enough and warm enough for books, tapes, CDs, clothes, a freezer and refrigerator and also keep the clutter out of the house proper. Built-ins in your family room or office require much more costly customization from a cabinetmaker. All four walls could hold cheaper, very functional shelving (maybe recessed between studs?) - because it isn't a prime 'living space.' No decorator need come here, and no costly carpeting would be expected or even wanted. You could wrap gifts on a large table in the center of this room, fold clothes there, and even incorporate your washer/dryer there instead of a miserably small laundry room- even have bulky racks for clothing. Projects would not have to be rushed out of sight because this is not "public space."
Just my thoughts,
tcfan
I like your idea of a no frills hobby room, but you might want to include power ventilation for those hobbies involving model glue. And just for fun, I'd make it a hidden room, with entry through a secret bookcase on the other side (so the four walls could actually be 8 walls worth of storage!). If anybody asks what's in the middle of the house, tell them that the house was originally built around a huge, massive, now-defunct chimney, just like many early homes in the U.S.
Many houses in this area have tandem garages, i.e., two car garage with one side deep enough for a third car to be parked in front of one closest to the garage door. This is generally being used for 'extra storage' by most home buyers, but many have opted for an additional bedroom, an office, a sun room, etc.
Homes should be built with flexible space, rooms that can serve multiple purposes, which is of course why people buy larger homes with extra bedrooms and then turn them into offices, dens, media rooms, etc. What I would want to use the space for, someone else would want a different use. It's bad enough just trying to decide with my wife what the function of an individual room will be.
I do like some of the more open floor plans with frosted or beaded glass doors between rooms, which brings in more light, and offers the ability to use adjoining spaces for multiple purposes and shut off the area easily.
Honestly the main thing I would change isn't on the list, and that is my plumbing (oh and nice updated bathrooms to go with it).
More space for me.
Office.
Often used items storage.
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....
I've noticed the polls on the Taunton sites are generally met with claims of "Why didn't you include <this> as an option?". So, why don't you allow the forum participants to "edit" your polls before they go public?
The phraseology did not allow for variables, such as a dollar figure or time frame, or, as someone said, needing a bathroom update (do NOT ask).
I voted for the updated kitchen, and I hope I can squeak in more light with that. ;-)
Nothing valuable can be lost by taking time - Abe Lincoln.
A finished office. You left out "other"
Excellence is its own reward!
Can you add "room specfic" to the survey? Do a recount / vote.
I would ask for an large office / private domain.
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....
I think I've read all the polls (I like that they are identified with icons) and I think they all fail. Why don't you put a trial poll up so you can get feedback before you put it out to everyone else? At a minimum, all polls should have an Other category and a place to describe it.
Otherwise, I think the sites accompanying the publications are quite nice.
CTI,
As I detailed in another thread I am only the enabler of polls, the editorial groups are the ones that create the content for the polls I just make them happen, which is why they come up under my login. I do agree in that the polls could be better from a technical point and I have given feedback to the Prospero folks to help improve them so we'll see wether or not that will happen. I will be sure to have an "other" option on the next one.
Cheers MarkSYSOP[email protected]
Could you post a "how to" procedeure in all the forums as how to delete your older attachments.
This seems to a hot topic as of late....
Thanks , IMERC
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....
We could all use a little more room. It seems that in our house the living room is too narrow and the dining room is just too small. In the next house I will have at least a 12x12 dining room and a much larger living room (seperate from Dining Room ) and no family room. Master bedroom could also have been larger, for a fireplace and a couple of lounge chairs. A person needs to get away from the kids from time to time
Former neighbors, built a third floor for just that reason to be apart from the children at night. They had a suite w/fireplace. The children were told not to come to their area unless they were feeling ill. Otherwise, "No Entry" to anyone else in the house.
No comment!
New Homes in Houston are calling this space, "Children's Retreat"
Looking in Houston to buy....
What I want is a parrot retreat.
?
Reality check.....30 days is up.Le Sigh
Ask again in a few years! After 1 1/2 years in our new home, for right now I can say that I wouldn't improve or change a thing (except to be further along in decorating!).
Edited 10/15/2003 5:07:34 PM ET by TXgal
Hey, I was gonna tell you about this new maggie. Welcome over cha/sha/dear.
Reality check.....30 days is up.Le Sigh
It was here staring me in the face but it took a Taunton mailer to clue me in. I know that more often than not, I'm going to call this new mag Inspired Home because I do all this stuff to my home, in order to make it a home. House is just too impersonal to me.
Your new tagline makes me sad. It will happen.
Yeah, I think I should go did up that graven image in my herb garden.
snort, snort....
Reality check.....30 days is up.Le Sigh
I voted for more space, and by that I mean storage. Places for seasonal stuff, camping gear, etc.
My house has some interesting components, and with 1800 sq feet it's plenty big for us, but it has a roof that's partly flat and partly sloped, so that means no attic space. It's a 50's house, so there's a carport and not a garage. And, like many houses in the South, it's built on a slab (like Steve's), so there's no crawl space or basement.
The existing closets are crammed, and the 3rd bedroom is used just for storage. So, when I'm noodling around designing my dream house, there's acres of storage space.
Leigh
P.S. I'd also like an indoor laundry room (not one off the carport!) so I can go get the clean clothes out of the dryer wearing just my undies!
lol, good point.
Reality check.....30 days is up.Le Sigh
Good grief...where's the option for "Less Space"? We "downsized" when we bought this house...went from 4200 to just under 4000 sq ft, and there is still so much room we don't use. My next house will have a huge kitchen (maybe even bigger than the one I have now, with tons of storage and a huge library wall for all my cookbooks)opening onto a nice family room, a nice size master bedroom and bath, and a couple of small bedroom/office/study combo rooms that we can use for computers or for guests. No living room, no dining room. The problem I've found is that in order to get the kitchen and master suite I want, you end up having to buy a house that's twice the size you need...maybe I should just have my next one built to suit me.
Things are going to get a lot worse before they get worse.
Lily Tomlin
MM,
I was so surprised when I was looking for our house that in some areas, to get the four bedrooms, you automatically got an additional 1000+sq ft of bonus rooms, music rooms, craft rooms, basement bar areas etc... ACK! I wanted to hack one house in half. However, we moved in closer to the city, got the perfect house and are now very happy. I just kept looking and looking at houses. Families are getting smaller and smaller and yet the houses are getting larger and larger.
In this area the McMansion thing is all about status. How can a family of 3 or 4 possibly use all the space in a 6,000 sq ft house? Even with space-consuming hobbies that would be hard.
We felt lucky to find an old house that nominally has 4 bedrooms. I say nominally because the 4th one is very small, and has an odd angle that takes on corner off the room. We have a double bed in there, but it's a tight squeeze - barely enough room on one side to open the door, and just about a foot on the other. And, the attic door goes through that room.
As it is, the house has about 2400 sf. We plan to add about 900 sf by finishing the attic - turning it into 2 bedrooms, a bath and sitting area (that can also function as spill-over sleeping.) That area will be on a separate heating zone so we can turn it way down most of the time. My step sons will use it as long as they continue to spend weekends and vacations with us, and we are planning ahead to the day when they, and my grown son will come back with their families.
When the attic is done, the little room will become my office - there's just enough room for a cozy office with drafting table, computer desk, bookshelf and file cabinet, if arranged carefully.
This will give us a 5 bedroom house in about 3300 sf. We will use one of those bedrooms as a library/family room. That still gives us a DR, LR, sitting room, and kitchen. I can't really imagine needing much more space than that!Ellen
"In this area the McMansion thing is all about status."
It is the exact same thing here. I went to a friend's house which was way too large for them, their four children and their nanny. It was wierd being in a house that was too large for seven people. The children were a floor away from their parents but the oldest child was only 6 or 7. I just about hated that house. But they loved it!
Atlanta is all about status, cars etc. And we are also the personal bankruptsy capital of the US. Aren't we so proud!
I have to wonder sometimes. So, you get married, buy a great big huge house and have kids (sometimes in reverse order) and then send the kids off to boarding school, so they'll make all the right connections. But, what are these kids really learning.
It's probably no coincidence that I'm thinking along those lines on National "take a day off" Day, or whatever it. I heard about it on the radio this morning - that Americans are increasingly overworked, to the point that it is threatening our status as the most productive nation.
And that's kind of an odd phenomenon when I see how little homework my stepsons have. I don't think they even know how to work hard.Ellen
The McMansion fad is still running its course, but the newest, and I suspect longer lasting fad, is to put more into less space, mostly upgraded architecture, crown moldings, real slate/granite/marble/wood floors, built-in cabinetry in all rooms, etc.
Mere 2,000 square foot homes are going for over $500,000.00 in some developments and boy are they regal looking with interior designer finished spaces and suberb landscaping. You can do a lot for $250.00 a square foot.
Perennialguy
that's what I'm doing. Building to suit. When you have very specific needs/wants, it's the only way.Nothing valuable can be lost by taking time - Abe Lincoln.
What I would change is not on the list either. My concern would be to add classy and creative storage, i.e., bookcases, room dividers, entertainment centers, cabinets, etc., that add architectural elements and beauty to an otherwise plain-Jane house. We have a nice home, but it lacks storage and architectural appeal. It would be nice to have both added together.
Perennialguy
Ditto.
I voted more space although.....IMHO I think you should have asked "us" what were the five most important things to improve in our homes.
Why? Cause the one of many things I consider wasn't on the list.
I need more space for a kitchen and bedroom and mainly my shop/garage area but that doesn't really hold water in this questionaire to help other folks.
The question I'd have liked to have checked was something in the vein of..
Turn a mess into a fine home in the existing structure.....not bigger, not smaller, not fancier.....just ...
uhhhh, excuse the expression but, "Fine Homebuilding/Renovating".
So much work was done on my circa:1680 house that the owners should have been locked up for doing.....adding Levitt type ideas to 320 something year old house and the kitchen with sub zero type fridge....cathederal ceilings in the added on kitchen (I knocked it down) with 2x6 fir lumberyard beams with halogen track lighting across....pink tiled bathrooms and formica counters.....etc etc....
Aint really about more piggy space in this country but more about fine home renovations/building...
Be conscious,
andy
My life is my practice!
http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM