Comments on: The Desire for Stuff. Or, the Excess of Living Rooms http://noellhyman.com/2010/02/18/the-desire-for-stuff-or-the-excess-of-living-rooms/ the stuff I think about Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:57:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Erin Martineau http://noellhyman.com/2010/02/18/the-desire-for-stuff-or-the-excess-of-living-rooms/comment-page-1/#comment-43 Erin Martineau Mon, 22 Feb 2010 20:24:21 +0000 http://noellhyman.com/?p=131#comment-43 When we started renting mom's oversized house, the formal living room and dining room (and den) on the main floor were off limits because of the white carpet and/or formal furniture. So even though the house is almost 4,000 square feet, we congregated primarily in the kitchen/breakfast-nook/hearth. Our previous home was only 1,200 sq. ft., and yet I felt more cramped and claustrophobic in mom's monstrosity because of its "formal" rooms. Absurd. Breaking the rules and finally making ourselves comfortable in the living room by setting up our own couch, rug and tv made it bearable, but my experience has been that big houses and formal rooms are definitely over-rated. We cannot wait to move into our remodeled 2,600 sq. foot home with no formal living room. We eliminated the formal dining room by busting out the wall that seprated it from the kitchen, and we added a bar and cabinets, and now it's a larger, open eat-in kitchen. I think you'll like it when you see it this summer. When we started renting mom’s oversized house, the formal living room and dining room (and den) on the main floor were off limits because of the white carpet and/or formal furniture.

So even though the house is almost 4,000 square feet, we congregated primarily in the kitchen/breakfast-nook/hearth. Our previous home was only 1,200 sq. ft., and yet I felt more cramped and claustrophobic in mom’s monstrosity because of its “formal” rooms. Absurd.

Breaking the rules and finally making ourselves comfortable in the living room by setting up our own couch, rug and tv made it bearable, but my experience has been that big houses and formal rooms are definitely over-rated.

We cannot wait to move into our remodeled 2,600 sq. foot home with no formal living room. We eliminated the formal dining room by busting out the wall that seprated it from the kitchen, and we added a bar and cabinets, and now it’s a larger, open eat-in kitchen. I think you’ll like it when you see it this summer.

]]> By: Sara G http://noellhyman.com/2010/02/18/the-desire-for-stuff-or-the-excess-of-living-rooms/comment-page-1/#comment-39 Sara G Sun, 21 Feb 2010 04:01:49 +0000 http://noellhyman.com/?p=131#comment-39 I agree. When I look around our house, I think that it reflects those thoughts. We have a front kitchen/dining room with a reading chair in the corner. Our family room is where we spend the most time, and it holds our couch, TV/video games, computers, desks, toys, and my craft stuff. I love that we can all hang out together. Our only extra room is a guest/storage room, but that may become a room for a second child someday. We actually ruled some houses on our home search due to being too big and/or having too many rooms. I agree. When I look around our house, I think that it reflects those thoughts. We have a front kitchen/dining room with a reading chair in the corner. Our family room is where we spend the most time, and it holds our couch, TV/video games, computers, desks, toys, and my craft stuff. I love that we can all hang out together. Our only extra room is a guest/storage room, but that may become a room for a second child someday. We actually ruled some houses on our home search due to being too big and/or having too many rooms.

]]> By: Renea http://noellhyman.com/2010/02/18/the-desire-for-stuff-or-the-excess-of-living-rooms/comment-page-1/#comment-37 Renea Fri, 19 Feb 2010 22:45:38 +0000 http://noellhyman.com/?p=131#comment-37 When we bought our house in 2001, it had a nice sized den, a VERY small kitchen, formal dining room and formal living room. We remodeled taking down walls and doors and now have a lovely family room that opens into a nice size eat-in kitchen with a big family table that seats all our kids and their spouses. That opens in to a great, fun game room which includes a pool table. All of these are used regularly. No stuffy furniture. No off-limits rooms. We love it now that we've made the changes that fit our family life with grown children and young grandchildren! When we bought our house in 2001, it had a nice sized den, a VERY small kitchen, formal dining room and formal living room. We remodeled taking down walls and doors and now have a lovely family room that opens into a nice size eat-in kitchen with a big family table that seats all our kids and their spouses. That opens in to a great, fun game room which includes a pool table. All of these are used regularly. No stuffy furniture. No off-limits rooms. We love it now that we’ve made the changes that fit our family life with grown children and young grandchildren!

]]> By: Shailesh Ghimire http://noellhyman.com/2010/02/18/the-desire-for-stuff-or-the-excess-of-living-rooms/comment-page-1/#comment-36 Shailesh Ghimire Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:54:33 +0000 http://noellhyman.com/?p=131#comment-36 I know what you're talking about. I think it was my second or third year living in the USA when I was in an upper-middle class home. Everything was so perfect. It was no like no one lived there. I was never sure if I sat on the right couch or whether or not I did the right thing by holding a picture they showed me. Basically, I felt I had visited a museum with lots of nice things and eaten at a really fancy restaurant. But it certainly didn't feel like I had visited someones home. Certainly a cultural experience for me! I know what you’re talking about. I think it was my second or third year living in the USA when I was in an upper-middle class home. Everything was so perfect. It was no like no one lived there. I was never sure if I sat on the right couch or whether or not I did the right thing by holding a picture they showed me.

Basically, I felt I had visited a museum with lots of nice things and eaten at a really fancy restaurant. But it certainly didn’t feel like I had visited someones home.

Certainly a cultural experience for me!

]]> By: Mariangeles_Spain http://noellhyman.com/2010/02/18/the-desire-for-stuff-or-the-excess-of-living-rooms/comment-page-1/#comment-34 Mariangeles_Spain Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:16:07 +0000 http://noellhyman.com/?p=131#comment-34 Some people here have either a big kitchen to eat in or a small room to use as family room; they keep a nice, clean & fancy living/dinning room to use it just 2-3 times a year. That's something I had clear in my mind: just a family/living/dinning room in my own home! No eating in the kitchen. Everyone is welcome to my living room; if something gets damaged, dirty, whatever! it's OK :) Some people here have either a big kitchen to eat in or a small room to use as family room; they keep a nice, clean & fancy living/dinning room to use it just 2-3 times a year.

That’s something I had clear in my mind: just a family/living/dinning room in my own home! No eating in the kitchen. Everyone is welcome to my living room; if something gets damaged, dirty, whatever! it’s OK :)

]]> By: Kris Van Allen http://noellhyman.com/2010/02/18/the-desire-for-stuff-or-the-excess-of-living-rooms/comment-page-1/#comment-33 Kris Van Allen Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:50:12 +0000 http://noellhyman.com/?p=131#comment-33 When we moved into this house, 2100 sqft, we only had one table and one sofa. Still do. The "formal" living and dining quickly converted to a play area for the 3 kids, then to the current computer/Xbox360 room, and my own 'craft/scrapbooking' room. When we moved into this house, 2100 sqft, we only had one table and one sofa. Still do. The “formal” living and dining quickly converted to a play area for the 3 kids, then to the current computer/Xbox360 room, and my own ‘craft/scrapbooking’ room.

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