I know that trend now days is the low consoles with a TV on top, but then you have the problem about what to do with that big wall around the TV as we have seen a in few posts already. I like the idea of shelving around the TV if the wall that TV is on has walls on both sides so it looks built in otherwise to me it looks odd. Having said that I still like, which is now probably dated, an entertainment center wall unit. I We actually had customs ones build in the last 3 house we have owned including this one we just bought in the spring. It a beautiful piece of furniture in my eyes that balances out the taller kitchen cabinets we have now in our open concept rooms.

That is all I was referring to, Lukki, the stacks of books, not the books on the bookshelves.

I think the plants are placed by the photostylist for the shoot.

We emptied some 5000 books out of my parents' house and my father had read all of them excluding a couple hundred children/youth books that were from when we were old enough to read ourselves. (He read the younger children's books to us all when we couldn't read). One wall of the library shelving was double stacked with books and there were books on every horizontal surface including the sofa, after my mother died.

My thing about purpose building something for the TV is that technology changes pretty rapidly. How many people are stuck with gigantic TV cabinets and recesses for big screen TVs?

I sold my Ethan Allen British Colonial media cabinet (not even the one for a big TV) to the buyer of the apartment because I didn't have wall space for it in my new apartment. I dodged a bullet there because a few years later such a piece of furniture was useless.

I had originally designed a built-in spot for the TV in my next apartment and had the project not dragged on forever, I would've had another TV spot that was obsolete (too deep and not wide enough for a typical flat screen). As it ended up, I put a large grommet in the wall that went to the outlets and cable and such and put the TV on a table. In this house, any TV will go on a table and if one gets hung up in a bedroom it will be behind the door. Not because I am embarrassed by it, but because if the technology changes again and everything is completely wireless or something that may become an obsolete spot as well.

I really miss my TV armoire (still have it, but use it for other things) .... our TV is mounted to the wall, over an old buffet. My husband installed all the wiring in the wall behind.

I guess I'm one of the few here who decorates around it, with oil paintings, and likes that look. The TV just happens to be an element in the room, much used, so no disguising it .... it is what it is. I still want "pretties" around it, though. I'm looking for two more paintings to put above it (the two I have are on each side ... and even though our ceiling isn't super high, I don't like such a bare space above.)

We have a corner FP on the same wall, I like being able to face them both.

I really like the room shown, everything about it. Beautiful, functional, and cozy.

We still have an old TV in the bedroom armoire, but rarely used, so the doors stay shut.

I always put pictures around TVs too.

Tibbrix, I'm with you on all counts!

We bought our first plasma TV 11 years ago, a 50" one, and it was already obvious at that time that they would get bigger and cheaper. I had a custom cabinet made and purposely had it made larger, to accept a larger TV in the future. We still use the cabinet, now with a 65" TV. It is a pretty cabinet with crotch mahogany on the doors and I love closing the doors and seeing the beautiful wood, instead of black glass and plastic.

Three TVs ... two are always visible; one is hidden behind pocket doors in a Mission style cabinet when not in use. Our rooms are on the small side so thankfully no need for one of those monster TVs.

Our (not) "formal" living room is where we prefer to watch TV, even though we have a family room open to the kitchen, where is where most people I know would have the TV. The living room is warmer and cozier, and has the fireplace. (TV is not over the FP.) We haven't tried to hide the TV, and I would love built-ins with the TV and books as pictured, if it made sense for our room. Because our LR is pretty narrow, our TV isn't big, which helps to make it not be a Major Feature of the room.

Flat screen TVs might be one of my very favorite inventions. :)

I tend to feel as Chispa does. We have 3 tvs in the house (one in the workshop), and while we are not big tv watchers, we like having them handy when we do watch something. Two are in vintage armoires and I also do not care for the black hole when the tv is off. I like being able to close the doors and having a nice piece of furniture in view instead. The kitchen tv is not hidden, it probably gets used the most, as my laundry room adjoins the kitchen and I frequently have that tv on when cooking, cleaning,doing laundry. To be honest, the biggest tv (great room) is the one least watched. Bedroom tv we use for early AM news and if we want to watch something before going to bed. The room shown is pretty, but too much visual clutter for me. Even though I like books, to me, they can be cluttered. I wouldn't want piles out to clean around.

ETA: OK, I looked at the pic again. The room is really not cluttered so to say, just a bit too much stuff in there for my taste. The books are all neatly stacked.

Terrilyn!!! Ohmigosh, I can't believe you said that about the National Geographics. We have been cleaning out my grandparents two story home. Downstairs my pappaw had a long, low cabinet (bookcases with doors) FULL of NG!! In master bath, there is a closet with a shelf across (double closet). Again, stacked high with NG.

Tina, check and see if there are any in the 1888 to 1899 years they are going for up to $500 each on eBay. I have never seen one that old but NG's are an endless source for painting or drawing inspiration .

Nice room and functional for lounging and tv watching although a sofa perpendicular to the tv is my preference. Prone.

But stacked books drive me crazy. The only one I want to read is on the bottom of the stack.

This all comes back, to me, to why (as Pal eluded to earlier) we feel the need to hide the things we use that are not "decorative"? TVs and other electronics out of sight. Kitchen counters without appliances. Why should I hide my coffeemaker that is used for hours every day? Does everything need to be "pretty"? Can't some things just be functional and accepted? Isn't neat, clean, and comfortable with a nod to attractive good enough? Why are people so stressed about the perfect paint color, perfect this, perfect that? I'd better stop.

(I will be awfully glad when that Halloween spider dropping down from the Houzz logo on top of this page goes away. Things like that trigger migraines.)

Rose, I don't get it either. The main reason the living room TV is behind closed doors is because it's rarely in use. The other two are used every day. And I'm not about to hide the appliances that I use on a daily basis. What's the point of counters if not to put stuff on 'em?

CindyMac, to some (like me) appliances on the counters are visual clutter. The ones we use daily are on the table in the walk-in pantry, with the exception of coffeemaker that is on the coffee station (but not in the kitchen).

Our great room TV is behind sliding panels that stay closed when DH is not at home. MBR TV is in an antique armoire that was in the LR of our last home (with larger TV). It has beautiful inlay. It also holds bed linens, sweaters and quilts. Main level guest BR has an armoire with smaller TV. I am not sure it's ever been watched. Only 1 of the other 3 BRs has a TV and it's on an antique table. The lower level den has a large TV on a pine chest, but in that room there is an antique armoire with carved doors. It was in the MBR last house (TV, linens, etc again). It was the first antique DH and I bought together (33yrs ago) and the inlaid piece we've had almost 30yrs. So while cabinet armoires built specifically for TVs/equipment (had one of those before and it's long gone) might be hard to resale or give away, when you repurpose and/or buy a versatile piece, it can be used for a lifetime.

I blocked the spider earlier in the day with adblock.

CindyMac, to some (like me) appliances on the counters are visual
clutter. The ones we use daily are on the table in the walk-in pantry,
with the exception of coffeemaker that is on the coffee station (but not
in the kitchen).

Allison, I'm guessing you're in the minority here with a walk-in pantry that allows such a luxury. But that does beg the question ... why countertops if you don't use them? And if I'm not mistaken, you made a comment on another thread about not being a big cook. Not sure what that means exactly, but if you don't cook much then convenience wouldn't be an issue.

I think there is too much of a good thing in this room. I wouldn't want to see that much of any one thing in any room. I wouldn't feel relaxed at all. And forget about putting a drink down or putting your feet up on that coffee table.

The scale looks all wrong in the pic posted, as if he and the paperwhites were photo-shopped into the picture. I love books too- but with 900 sf of living space, the books are best left in the public library and the e-books on your Kindle. There is no space to put a cup of tea while watching TV. Silly.

"What's the point of counters if not to put stuff on 'em?" Exactly. I don't have a pantry that I can "hide" things in. The coffeemaker is part of everyday life. And it looks fine to me because my kitchen is a working kitchen not a show place.

We have one TV. It's not turned on everyday but it is a part of our life and having it out in the open doesn't bother me. Surrounding it with a wall of books might be in my future though. Would that be distracting while watching TV? I think it would be something you'd get used to.

Raising my hand as one who hates cluttered counters. We have a walk in pantry and that is where i keep the panini press and the toaster. We leave the Keurig out vecause DH and i use it often.

I liked armoires when they hid TVs and i like them now that they dont hide TVs. They are great storage and a useful piece of furniture for a large room that isnt so flat against the wall. The one armoire we have is in a bedroom, and it gives the room a lot of character.

Bookcases *are*for books'. Need I say more. ;)

I keep very little on my kitchen counters as it is work space when I cook. And I like looking at the visually uncluttered surfaces when not cooking. I also make the bed each day.

KSWL, but you're not a big cook either ... are you?

BB, I know you cook ... a lot, but that last line was pretty tacky.

Exactly how do you define a cluttered counter? What about a room cluttered with "stuff"? At least the former serves a purpose.

Cindy, I think it is how some of us react to clutter. It simply is not a comfortable feeling. I can't really explain it. Some people have strange feelings around certain colors and some it's something else. We all have comfort zones and uncomfortable zones although they may be different.

Maybe the problem is with the word "clutter." It implies the items are unnecessary-- but what I am hearing here is that maybe both parties see certain items as necessary (therefore, not clutter) but, depending on one's home, the ability to hide the item in a practical way may or not be possible, and maybe not even desired.

I have a much bigger kitchen than I used to (far smaller than most people's here) but I don't have much counterspace or storage (that is easily accessible). Since I do a lot of cooking, I need my counters clear for food prep. Sad to say, I got rid of my Kitchen-Aid mixer because it took up so much room and was a pain to get in and out of the cabinets. I instead have a hand mixer that I can easily put away.

Just, we're not talking about an obsession (that some seem to have) with covering every available surface with some do-dad. We're talking about the most functional room in a house. Even if I had the luxury of space to hide every appliance I wouldn't. A few appliances on a large expanse of counter is hardly clutter.

Anele, I purposely designed my peninsula to be deeper than adjacent counters, because that is my designated prep area. The only appliances that sit out are the toaster oven, coffee maker, and small food processor.

Allison, I'm in total agreement with you, I absolutely hate countertops 'cluttered' with small appliances~functional 'things' just aren't pretty. Blenders, juicers, food processers, coffee grinders, toaster ovens, cappuccino machines, are all just too much, IMHO. My countertops have 2 appliances, a coffee maker and a toaster, which I use, every single day. I actually have *more* decorative items which I DO use every day, such as small lamps and several sterling plated items like a butter dish, shakers, and various utincils. And I do cook *something* everyday, just not complete meals.

CindyMac, I agree--while I don't have a large expanse of counter space-- if I did, I would use it to have more things out. As it is, I have a toaster, knives, Keurig and Keurig cup holder, paper towel holder, dish soap and hand soap (I do dishes/wash my hands so often it makes no sense to hide it), and a container for my large spatulas/spoons. (I use multiple ones while cooking.) Things like my Crock Pot and large food processor are put away-- they are a pain to drag out but there is no room. I think long and hard about any sort of small appliance because there is simply no room.

It doesn't help that I am short and much available cabinet space is too high!

Now here's a counter full of appliances,

Suzanne Somer's butler's pantry.

^^ That counter looks like a used appliance store.

I have a very small home and managed to arrange things so that nothing is on my kitchen counters except for the Keurig. I love walking through my kitchen during the day and seeing clean uncluttered space. Stuff sitting around is stuff I have to move every day to clean, so nope on that. And I cook twice a day, have no dishwasher, and juice almost daily. I have a true working kitchen but also use my things then put my things away.

It's personal taste. I just happen to like my horizontal surfaces to be clear. My walls on the other hand...

A lot depends on context and layout. My old apartment was the same era as Schafer's, on a less fancy floor, and I didn't want my kitchen to look kitchen-like let alone have appliances on the counters in full view of the living room.

In this house I have a real kitchen in a house from the 1960s and there is a lot of stuff on the counters and probably will be after I remodel too.

I've always just had two appliances out, an electric kettle and toaster although sometimes in different homes that was kept in a cabinet. In the house I'm in now the kitchen is very long and goes into a nook. PO took out the breakfast nook area and put a refrigerator and cabinetry in that section. The deep part of the nook cannot be seen unless you stand at the end of the run. This is where I keep the few countertop appliances. Down the road I will have the electric kettle in view at the other end once I get a wine frig down there. My setup works for the two of us but will not work if we have family staying. It's sort of a bottle neck down there in the nook section.

I cook from scratch daily and the only appliance that stays out is my KA mixer. I do have a beverage center in the pantry/laundry room with all the coffee stuff out on the counter and DH's air-popper for his nightly popcorn. Thank goodness I have an extra space for that, just a few feet from the kitchen, because if it was in my kitchen it would drive me crazy. If a lot of things are out on the counter, the visual clutter short-circuits my ADD brain and then I can't find what I need to cook. It could be a big, bright red bowl but if there are lot of other things on the counter, they all meld together and I can't find it and I can't function.

Most horizontal surfaces in my home are also relatively bare. I just can't function if they are covered with stuff. Vertical clutter is fine and doesn't impact my brain circuits the same way so I enjoy displaying things on shelves and walls.

So, for some of us, it may be partially aesthetics that drive clear counters and other clear surfaces but there might also be other, valid reasons for it. My stress levels absolutely sky-rocket when I'm just in a cluttered space at someone else's home. I can't imagine living in it.

Agree that this is a completely individual processing issue. Cooking or not cooking, stuff on the counters looks cluttered....to me. I think the bed making analogy is spot on. You use it daily but still make it up between times.

For me, if it's an appliance that I use every single day, it stays out. And my black giant KA mixer stays put too...its heavy and I like the way it looks.

I prefer less clutter in the kitchen. My can opener and coffee maker are the only appliances left out (along with essentials, such as paper towel holder and container for cooking utensils). I also have a few decorative things ... lamp, small plant, my Mema's rooster canisters/circa 50s. I'm kind of (ok, a lot) obsessive about wiping the counters off, so less stuff helps!

Edit to add: I might feel different about it if my kitchen were completely closed off (sometimes I wish it was!), but half of it is open to other rooms.

Yes, it is individual. I didn't triple my kitchen real estate to keep everything out of sight.

Amazing how stuff on counters irritates people, but cluttering other surfaces in the home doesn't.

MizGG, mine is similar, but from what I'm reading here all of that qualifies as clutter.

Cindy, after I read all the stuff I listed, it does sound like a lot! :D I could probably put the can opener up, it's so rarely used. I wish I could mount a paper towel holder, but we have lights under the cabinets.

For me it comes down to function. If something gets in my way too often, I either find a new space for it or I get rid of it. If something is too hard to access, then I either rethink whether or not I need it, or I make it easier to access.

I agree with Pal and those of you who mentioned layout of kitchen in the house. I personally don't like an open-concept because I don't like seeing any kitchen appliances of any sort (large ones, too) when I am in any room other than the kitchen itself, but seeing a toaster in my kitchen when I am actually in the kitchen, for example-- does not bother me one bit. Ditto for an en suite. Hate the idea of a bathroom close to a bedroom. We have a bathroom attached to a tandem room and I dislike it. Obviously I am in the minority since it seems most prefer easy bathroom access and open floor plans-- I like corners in my rooms. In fact, I wish I had more of them. Way easier to decorate in th style I like when you have corners to work with!

I don't like en suite either. Too much like a hotel. Our bath is across the hall from the bedroom. Close enough.

My bed is made within 15 minutes of me waking up, 7 days a week. Dogs get to go out and eat first.

CindyMac, there are three adults in our house now (DD1 is living with us after moving across the country from CA), 8 meals a day are made in the kitchen - we are on different time schedules and like different food, so we rarely cook a meal for three. We honestly do not have that much counter space, so what is there is prep (island, either side of range) or used during (either side of range). As many stated above, it is clutter in our minds and as long as I can keep things handy in the pantry, that's where they will stay. We have been looking at a lakehouse and that kitchen will need remodeling. There is no place for a walk-in pantry, so I will do a wall of cabinets with a deeper appliance hutch/coffee station in the center.

That said, if I go into someone's house and they have appliances on their counter, I don't notice or think twice about them. Not my house.

I'm in the camp of not liking a lot of countertop clutter, whereas my DH seems to have a need to keep things out and visible -- I think he fears he's going to forget we have them otherwise. I was just admiring an adorable canister set yesterday, and reminded myself that I don't want or need a lot of STUFF sitting out. What's kept out are mostly the few appliances that we use regularly. The Kitchen-Aid mixer is used infrequently, but it gets to stay out just because I think it's gorgeous, and the Dualit toaster would sit out even if we didn't use it daily because it too is adorable. I can definitely see the beauty of a large expanse of uncluttered countertop.

I don't mind a bathroom connected to the bedroom if the layout is okay, meaning I don't want to be looking at the toilet from the bed. This will be the first house I've owned that has a bathroom connected to the main bedroom, (it was originally a powder room only) and since the new bathroom the PO put in needed to be gutted (at two years old) I reconfigured the entire bedroom so the bed is on one end of the room and the bathroom and closets are at the other end of the room and there is no direct view into the bathroom from the main part of the room or the door.

Right now the only bathroom is in the basement, and there is a toilet installed in the other gutted bathroom so we don't have to walk down two flights of stairs in the middle of the night. Stepping over a hole in the subfloor is a little easier than going all the way to the basement.

My bathroom is connected to the master bedroom and it is a private bathroom. It does have a door that opens into a hallway, but when guests are here, I keep it closed and locked. One would have to go through my bedroom to get to it, and that is unlikely. Also, from the bed and most of the room, nothing is visible except the door and edge of counter top, and other door. Although one would need to be directly in front of the door to see into the room, the opening is in a far corner of the bedroom.

I prefer the privacy and convenience of closing it off to guests.

Pal, in that case-- I would definitely opt for a close bathroom! Function wins!

I love the way this thread has evolved, from TVs to bathrooms! These are lucky problems to have!

Amazing how stuff on counters irritates people, but cluttering other surfaces in the home doesn't.

I think that's presumptuous and I perceive value judgments in your statement. If I'm mistaken, mea culpa and my apologies. My dining table has a pretty lazy susan with napkin holder, salt, pepper, and sugar shaker on it. My end tables each have a lamp and a couple of coasters. My coffee table has a couple coasters and, currently, my Kindle. My buffet is 8 feet long and only about 3 feet of it have items on it, two of which also functional. I have several display shelves in my home, inset built-ins, and all of them more open space than items as I think the things I'm displaying look better with space around them (similar to good graphic design in which white space is considered important in creative a good visual piece). My 7 foot long main bathroom vanity has a pretty bottle of hand soap next to the sink and a cute little "statue" that is a nightlight. The only two places I have that could be considered cluttered are my bookshelves in my office but this doesn't bother me since you have to walk all the way into the room to see them and my back is to them when I'm at my desk which, BTW, only has a library-style lamp and a small basket with pens and notepads in it on it. The other is the previously mentioned coffee/tea/snack/smoothie bar in the pantry/laundry. I do have a couple of art walls covered with art but I have tried to keep these cohesive so they don't seem cluttered to me.

No one way is right or wrong. Each person needs to be comfortable in their own home and do what works best for them.