I can't remember! I don't know how "Epingle" got stuck in my head, the board is in my car...

Honestly, it was probably the nail biting, head scratching, begging...prodding, pushing to talk him into it . Brain fry!

@ KW PNW Z8

LOL It started like coffee around the kitchen table and moved to pour yourself a cocktail and pull up a lawn chair, we're going to be here until at least sunset ;-)

A good rule I see here often that seems to be the consensus is “Move in and live in your space for 6 months before you make changes.” We’ve been in our house 18 months now. Hired an architect 2 months after we moved in. The drawings took forever for reasons we won’t go into, but while we are waiting for builder availability, we’ve realized we need to revise the design to suit how we actually live and save some money. Despite this process taking forever, I think we’ll be far happier in the end because we had extra time to rethink decisions.

All this to say, I’m SO happy that most everyone here recommends taking your time and living in your space. HGTV/Instagram feeds the need for instant gratification so this might be the only place they get that advice.

Everything you just said is so true, beeboo. Also I think anyone who's every owned a home knows that it's NEVER finished!

Crack me up!

LOL" It started like coffee around the kitchen table and moved to pour yourself a cocktail and pull up a lawn chair, we're going to be here until"

My parents loved to entertain.... and here's what would happen at holidays...

Time to head out, thank you...gathering in the kitchen door....coats on.....still chatting.

Now the coat comes off.....still chatting.....anyone want some coffee, a nightcap, one for the ditch as we used to joke?

Two hours later? I'm kind of hungry again...cold turkey sandwich? A little more PIE?

THE NAME for this leave taking?

Armenian Goodbye: )

So true. We built our home and have been moved in for a little over a year. I’m still not done. Have been living with it and getting a feel for it, still thinking about colors for a couple of the rooms which I had painted white knowing full well that it would take time living in the space before I knew what was right. Better to wait and get it right than rush to make those decisions and not love the results

A year and you're still not done? (LOL) We've been in our house for about 40 years, and have redone the kitchen (twice), master bathroom (twice), hall bath (once), dining room (three times), living room (three times, and plan to do another!), each bedroom three times. Also added a new family room, powder room, screened porch, pool and new garage. Every time we say we're "done" something else pops up!

lol, I know it! By the time you’ve worked your way around all the spaces and should be “done “ you realize that the first thing is ready for a refresh. Especially true with kids rooms for us over the years. But that’s the fun of it for me 😊. The bane of DH’s existence however

I have been doing one renovation for almost ten years, and when it's done it's heading toward "time capsule" status. Strictly repair and maintenance only.

It's extremely difficult to do something over a time period like this, it can't really be too trend based because you don't want a house that looks like "This was done in 2014, this was done in 2016, this was done in 2018" and so forth.

Have lived in my home for 36 years. It is NEVER done. Like S M says, above…By the time I finish my most recent project (a Master bath remodel), it will be time to start over…. Homeownership, for me, has never been about “being done!” It is about the process, not the product. The journey, not the destination. That is the joy (and challenge) of the experience. Just my opinion.

We have been in our home for 32+ years, and for the first 18, we did almost nothing (kids, kids in college, no $$$, etc.) except for some painting. Over the last 14 years, we have done kitchen, garage, bedrooms, bathrooms, LR, DR, FR, a small refresh (new paint, window treatments) on the kitchen and FR, and exterior landscaping, new Saltillo tiled walkway, iron/watered glass front door, paint, new pergola, new pool equipment. There are only 2 rooms untouched: laundry and den, and I want to customize 2 walk-in closets, but these would require me to clean them out, and I can't get motivated to do that yet.

Here's the thing: within a couple of years of remodeling my kitchen in 2009, everything I saw on HGTV and here on Houzz was the white/gray/marble or quartz, color-starved, minimalist-look, and I questioned my choices. I still loved them (off-white non-Shaker perimeters, stained island, a non-speckled, reddish-brown granite that looks like a solid color from a distance, but has a lot of character, stainless high-end appliances), but my kitchen would be considered 'dated.' It was much 'warmer' than the new look, but our home is Spanish inspired, so it fits.

Now, almost 15 years later, I love it even more, and I am happy that I was not able to buy into the newer trends. I simplified the window treatments, and changed the paint color in 2020 to update a little because of choosing new furniture for the FR, but all counters, cabinets, fixtures, and appliances are the same. Does it look like a 2024 kitchen? No, and that is fine with me...I like traditional styles, my home is traditional, with some eclectic and transitional items, and it is filled with light and things that I love and have meaning to us, including inherited pieces that we cherish. I don't anticipate redoing the kitchen again, though I DO need to get to those closets, the den and the laundry room!

On the question of art, I've been in my home for four years now, and while we have art on a few walls, there are several that are blank and still waiting for the perfect piece. I quite enjoy maximalist wall decor with lots of pieces, but figure life is long and I want time and space to accumulate things that are special to me, print photos from important moments in our family's life as they occur, etc.

A few things I do have up and love:

-A gorgeous big 3' x 4' impressionist-style oil-on-cavnas painting of a cityscape from a local artist, which I got on "sale" for $1000 (down from 2500, and I think now he sells things on this scale for more like 4-5k) when he posted on instagram about needing to clear out inventory. This came at a time when I was just finishing a renovation and couldn't really afford a big spend on art, but it was such a great opportunity to own something special and I love it.

-Three pen and ink drawings that I bought from my favourite barista when she had an art show and they just spoke to me. They show a little girl by the ocean in Nova Scotia, where my husband is from, and at the time I was dreaming of having children one day. Now I have two little kids, including one daughter, and we take them to Nova Scotia every year for a couple weeks by the ocean with their grandparents, so the drawings represent this dream I had coming to fruition. I didn't have a place to put them up when I bought them, but now they're up over my stairs and so perfect.

-Art-quality prints of Audubon guide bird illustrations on the wall in my baby daughter's room. I was going for a garden theme for the room with a floral rug and leafy wallpaper, and looked at a bunch of mass-produced bird decor until I thought of these famous illustrations. They're not too baby-ish and I think will be cool for her to grow up with, but also not so precious I'll mind when she eventually wants to replace them with things that reflect her own interests as she grows up.

This is the best thread on Houzz, ever!

And @JAN MOYER - I don’t know if the “Armenian Goodbye” can be attributed to the Armenians exclusively.

Thank you, RedRyder!

And yes, I know of lots of Italians who say good-bye in the same way as the Armenians!

I like Irish Goodbyes better: "Excuse me, I will be back in a minute".

(Sneaks out the door when no one is looking to avoid having to make a scene by saying goodbye.)

Actually my SO and I met this way: SO: "I will be back in a couple minutes, I see someone I want to talk to."

Did not meet again for three weeks.

Yup, Irish good-byes are much more efficient.

My previous comments about those recommendations for mass produced generic art - this was presented on another thread as a better alternative instead of displaying one's own family photos in a "public" space in one's home. There definitely seems to be an underlying current of depersonalization and mass appeal in some home decor trends which I find a bit disturbing. I think it stems from staging homes for a quick sale - now folks are trying to live in those staged spaces.

I have never understood public space in a private home. As I sit on my living room sofa I count 12 family photos on the walls (and 17 pieces of art). I can't wrap my head around how any part of a home becomes public.

I think a ton of folks would feel very uncomfortable if I ever decided to have a Houzz party. I'm OK with that.

JP L: I think you nailed it with saying people are trying to "live in those staged spaces." I, too, find this worrisome. I often see comments on here saying that people need to 'personalize' their homes, make it your own, add touches that speak to you, use colors and accessories and artwork that is meaningful to you, etc. Then, almost in the next breath, "but please, no personal photos in the public spaces of your home... so contradictory! First of all, NONE of the rooms of my home are 'public' spaces...they are all spaces that belong to me and my family, and if others don't want to see personal items in my home, then they should not come over. We live here 24/7, and want to surround ourselves with the things that matter to us. Most of our photos are in the hallway, but I have a few cherished ones in the LR of my children when they were small, and they make me smile when I see them; why would I deny myself this joy just to prevent offending someone who is a visitor?

Also adding - one of the things I'm MOST excited about in our plans is something that multiple people rail against on these threads - a water closet in our primary. But if I could describe the number of times (almost daily actually) that my husband races into the bathroom just as I'm heading back in there to finish getting ready (even though we have more than one bathroom in our house) - it's one of the few things we argue about. Him being able to go in there and close the door and not interrupt me getting out of the house on time will be a huge quality of life improvement. It may not work for everyone, but I cannot wait!

I always picture people watching TV, PJs on … while ”the public” tours their house behind velvet ropes. :D

Actually, think of all the royal palaces and other famous homes open for tours. There are usually family photos out. That’s the point! To post pictures of your family for you and everyone to enjoy!

Same with the trope about clocks — “No wall clocks. It’s rude to guests. Makes them anxious. Use your phones to see the time”.

A clock is rude to guests? What in the world. One of the strangest rules I’ve seen here.

As mentioned, it boils down to absolutes. As if there’s only one right way for everyone.

There’s not.

ah , yes! Everything in my home is special to me and our family. That’s what it’s all about in the end. Family pics, my pink bathroom and turquoise kitchen..and if anyone doesn’t care for it, they can stay someplace else when in town, lol

~ it's the quirky things about a house that make it special and fun to visit ~

I think public vs. private depends on if and how you entertain.

My parents used to entertain and there were basically three different tiers of entertaining that they did, and the largest sort of party that would have would be between 90 to 125 people, and because of the nature of my dad's work and my mother's obligations, some of those 90 - 125 people were not good friends and really a few of them they did not even like that much. So the "public" parts of the house were the parts of the house where people would be: the LR/DR/Kitchen/Den and the walk out basement, which had a bar and was primarily for entertaining and the kids playing in and those associated powder rooms. "Private" was upstairs and included all the bedrooms, and those bathrooms. This sort of entertaining might seem foreign to a lot of people but it was common in my parents' situation at the time they were doing it.

They would have smaller parties where they were friendlier groups, and they would have even smaller things of maybe 8 people for a relatively elaborate dinner. When they had these parties people would often use the upstairs bathrooms because it was a little more discreet, I guess, especially if it was something relatively quiet like bridge.

So when I was growing up, there were no pictures of family anywhere in the LR/DR/Den , they were upstairs. When my parents became grandparents there were more photos and they were all displayed on one table or the piano. There were never any photos actually hung on the wall. And that's pretty much how it was in most houses I was in growing up. A wedding picture or a graduation portraits and such would be in a hallway usually (on the wall there) , and there were houses where I was never anywhere but the LR Den or Kitchen even though I might be there a lot. . There were also not the gigantic amount of personal pictures in those days, like there are now.

Wow! Entertaining was certainly a big part of your parents' lives. I do understand that there are private areas and more public areas in a home; I would not expect guests to go into the bedrooms unless invited. We had a 60+ person baby shower here awhile back; most were in the backyard patio area, where tables and food were set up, but some guests congregated in the LR, FR, DR and kitchen, too. Fine with me. Still, it is my private home (all of it), and I didn't feel like I needed to take down family photos to host this party (though, I did remove some fragile items on the coffee table and end tables, just as a precaution, since I couldn't be everywhere at once).

I always picture people watching TV, PJs on … while ”the public” tours their house behind velvet ropes. :D

Jilly just hilarious!

My kids both live out of town, my parents are deceased, so I love having pictures of them and the rest of the family all over the house. When we have company, everyone loves looking at them.

But it's definitely a personal choice.

I’m on the team that puts family photos in many rooms. Always in beautiful frames & many in vintage frames of course! I think the only situation that a person should remove all family photos is when one’s home is up for sale. I wouldn’t want potential buyers to be distracted by looking at my family photos & making judgements or assumptions which might affect their potential offer to buy my home.

I just read through this ENTIRE thread in one sitting - kept laughing - I’m pretty sure that my SO thinks I lied when I said I was reading something on Houzz.

I find it unbelievable that after so many posts, no one used the word SHUDDERS!

TMI: I’m going to share a deep dark secret - I have a water closet in my master bathroom - and I don’t have an extra sink in it. Disgusting, I know!

Q - are people really unable to use a toilet without transferring feces to a door knob???!!? Don’t get me wrong, I wash my hands after I use the restroom - but I’ve never worried about the door knob on the inside of my WC being contaminated.

But then again, I’ve never worried about mold growing on all of my clothes even though the door to my closet is directly connected to my bathroom. . . Better send out the “haz mat” team.

I think I might need to join a chapter of ”Houzzers Gone Bad Anonymous” -

“HI, my name is Dani - and in addition to having a WC in my master bathroom + having to do the “walk of shame” through my bathroom each morning in order to get dressed, I also have been preparing meals for my family in a kitchen with honey colored red oak partial overlay cabinets (which include 30” wall cabinets that have CATHEDRAL RAISED PANEL doors + have a 24” gap to my ceiling) - for 9, 855 days. . . “

Thankfully, that’s about to FINALLY change!

Dani, I missed your post last year, but it popped up today, and reading it just now really made me laugh!!! I particularly love your posts, as you are very measured and provide such good advice.

I read Dani last year, again now........and still did a lol!!

Just reading this thread now. Mindy Binder - I was told that the sink should be on the same side as the stove so that when you are moving a big pot of water you don't have to twist and turn.

^^^

You need to begin a thread for YOUR kitchen , if that is what you are asking? : )

I was just replying to Mindy's question about why sinks and stoves are usually side by side. No question. I just didn't realize it was an old post because it only popped up.

Personally I don't care for sinks and stove side by side. I like them in an L-configuration. You get a lot more counter space that way. It seems to me that they are placed on the same wall when space is limited.

I don't think sink placement makes much of a difference for most home cooking. I've had both configurations and it's not a problem. It was just something I learnt years ago about commercial kitchens. Commercial pots are heavy so it's just safer to carry the pot sideways than to have to turn.

Unless you are building a commercial kitchen, it's not anything to concern about.

@Diana Bier Interiors, LLC - I wish I could tell you that your failure to reply to my comment made me realize that I'm not as entertaining as I think I am after taking pain meds - however, I actually had ZERO recollection of posting my comment!

I actually started reading the thread again - and I was around 30 comments in before it began to sound familiar . . . 😳

I particularly love your posts, as you are very measured and provide such good advice - Ditto!

@JAN MOYER - WOW - I made you LOL twice???!!! I just hit the "save" button under your comment:

See - I wasn't joking when I said that I had made a "Jan Moyer's comments" idea book!

FYI - I might be guilty of committing another CUI right now (CUI = commenting under the influence). I'll set a reminder on my calendar to check this post on 9/25/26. . .

oooohhhhhhhhh !!

I am saving this for every time someone slaps me senseless here.

"I was under......the influence.... lmao!!!!

Love "CUI"!

OOO, a Jan Moyer comments ideabook--brilliant! You could be her ghostwriter, Dani-there's definitely a book here!!!

Yes!! Which as of this morning may in fact be titled.....

"How to reply to the dumb and yet DUMBER things people do!"

Please see recent thread about the TAPE MEASURE!!!!?

It would be unwise for me to go UTI before noon on Friday!

Love this post. Gave me a good chuckle this morning.

I know many people are uncomfortable with math/numbers. But that's where you START any project. It' not JUST about making things pretty. It starts with MATH.

Good luck!!

"12th Grade Scores:

By 2024, the average 12th-grade math score was the lowest ever recorded, with 45% of students performing below the basic level"

I could ALMOST forgive it all, the lack of common sense to even begin to ask HOW do I figure out what might fit in here, and when repeatedly told how to do it, ( just give us .....) asked repeatedly to do it ( pleeeeeze draw and measure ) ...keep asking and asking and whining? Only to shoot the messenger, who is implying you are lazy, because you are..

Pathetic

Oh this thread is so funny! Nice giggles today!

@Diana Bier Interiors, LLC - I always wanted to be an author growing up - never ever thought I'd be an attorney.

During law school, I saved all the funny (and idiotic) comments people made during class over our three years. I made them into a little book and gave copies to my group of friends at a graduation party (which I was completely sober at - two weeks after graduation, I gave birth to my youngest daughter - still irritated about that 🤣)

I have a feeling that Jan has some good stories that could be used in a chapter about her life before she became a designer . . .😳

OHHHHHHH do not tempt fate!!!

The saddest fact ever? I was the same bad to the bone then, as now!

At the beginning of my (first) retail career, just promoted to Junior Sportswear buyer and told my raise..... which came with this warning:

"I think you're funny, love your spunk; a lot of us know you're a quick wit and behind a closed door, we'd roll on the floor. But not EVERYONE gets it.......get my DRIFT!?"

"Oh yes, absolutely"

"You'll work on that... as he smiled"

"Absolutely"!

I exit... I think the door is fully closed behind me and mutter under my breath......."the raise was sorta chintzy. I know what "Wajja Wabbit" over in coats is making"...

" I HEARD that Jan!. He has children to feed......."

Oh my gosh, that is HILARIOUS!!! Jan, you are who you are, you're an original! Lots of people here "get" you, and so sad that many don't. But it's their loss.

^^^^ completely agree!

Yep home never complete without something breaking needs replaced. I had a fridge last me 12 years decided to not keep cold/freeze anything crater. Got a new bigger fridge only to realize hard to fill the whole fridge. I did make mistake getting a bit too big electric fireplace (biglots shutting down under $330 (originally $900 lowes) door for games/dvds hits the sofa but I don't care love it.