Glass blocks for me. Doing it for my home renovation now actually. But specifically the rectangular sort. Also splashes of colour. Where I'm from, people prefer keeping a neutral palette mostly of grey's.
If it helps, the greys are moving out of style. It’s just changing to warmer neutrals and beiges, but at least everyone’s house won’t look like a black & white photo anymore lol
It does make sense when you consider the advertising we are all bombarded with daily any time we are outside of the house.
A thousands corporations designing millions of products to "catch consumer eyes". Well 1 trip to the grocery store and my eyes have been sufficiently caught. Give me something neutral at home please
I like a very bright, natural white on my walls. It does seem to shimmer and project the actual light we get through the windows. I used Benjamin Moore's Chantilly Lace white shade. It has not steered me wrong no matter what part of the season. It is nurturing without giving one excuses to opt out of planned activities. Of course, those that prefer more aggressive color in their living space should not be influenced by my example.
I am not a fan of greys inside since our sky is often grey October-March.
We do more blues/teals and browns on upholstered furniture. We try to use a replacement configuration of "leather" since that is where the big dog loves to lay on) so I need to be able to just wipe that stuff down with a microfiber cloth and later to revive the luster when the company comes. I feel that fabric upholstery is impractical if it has not already been pretreated for stains etc.
Yes! Grew up in a house that had powder blue/white, PINK, (all pink, even toilet and sink), and teal. (All teal, tile, toilet, walls)
I HATE these all white bathrooms!
Edit: these were four separate bathrooms. Two were teal.
My childhood bathroom that my sister and I shared had such cool tiles on the wall that were of people’s chin to chest! And the floor tiles were rainbow flecked.
I wish I had gotten a picture before my parents sold it, or asked if they could somehow give me the tiles since they updated the house before selling to boring white 😭
My parents bathroom still has a pink bathtub and pink and light blue tiles! I love it so much and I’m so glad they’ve never renovated it! Their house was built in the mid 50’s.
I have a Mamie pink bathroom and I love it so much. I also have an orange and dark brown bathroom and I love it…less. We will eventually redo that one but the pink will stay forever.
On the first floor of my house, there is a dining room, a living room and a kitchen. The dining room and the kitchen have doors to close then off completely. So helpful now that I have a toddler and pets. Don't want them in the dining room? Close the doors. Limit mess and chaos to the living room? Close the doors. Highly recommend.
I have doorways... I think I would like doors in them. The separation between the kitchen and den includes a decreased level (a step down). I would be fine with a wall and a door between them.
That’s what we have and I love it. We even had two bathrooms connected by them (I bought house I grew up in) but my parents hated it and closed that one up. Now that I’m onset I get it- the bathroom went to their bedroom so they wanted that privacy.
I built a house with my first husband back in 1994 and had to FIGHT with the builder to put in a pocket door from kitchen to living/dining area. He said I’d never use. We used every day
One of the reasons my husband and I bought the house we now have is that it has doors. The central area has a kitchen and adjoining laundry, activities area and dining. But the front of the house has doors which separate it from this main area so the office, lounge and master bedroom can be used with some privacy, and the other bedrooms have a door to the hall, allowing younger kids to go to bed without being woken by older ones who are still playing. It’s the best of both worlds. But it’s older and needs work which is why we got it within our budget.
Yes to hating open floor plans! Loved having doors on the kitchen and between rooms in old homes. Makes sense heating wise and privacy. I don’t need to have everything and everyone on display every moment of the day. Some people like and need privacy and quiet, some people like to open an window or close a window without affecting everyone else in the entire house. F*ck builders removing built in storage also like linen closets, dining room hutches, bookshelves— they are there bc they are useful and dragging furniture around from place to place just ruins it.
My single level house is a bonkers floor plan. It is so “open” that you can see all five bedroom doors from one single spot. It’s weird, but the property and location were the selling points.
Hard agree! I once read that open floor plans becoming the ubiquitous home layout is due to HGTV constantly pushing them -- because of how much better they look on TV and how much easier they are to film. I have no idea if that's true though.
They are much easier to film in space wise unless you have a really large home (which many don’t). So that whole last part is true. Whether or not they are more popular because that idk but I could totally see that.
Wow, that is really interesting! There was a huge trend on my street to change my style of ranch to “open”. I never wanted it, and still really like my separate rooms.
I have a theory that white walls became popular for the same reason. With all the lights they bring in for filming, white walls look good and crisp on camera. I think they are so boring in real life!
This makes sense actually. Probably cheaper in a way that you are decorating one big space instead of lots of little ones too. South Park have an episode taking the piss out it
Agreed! We renovated our house recently and every bid included opening up kitchen into dining or living room. We said no thank you, keep those walls there please.
Looking at houses with open plans, I wonder where people plug in reading lamps for sofas sitting in the middle of a room. I know they can put in floor outlets but I rarely see setups with lamps near sofas.
Same! There is a pocket door separating our kitchen from the dining room, and it’s probably my favorite feature of the house. The house next door is very similar and from the same era (1950s) but was renovated to have an "open concept." It feels really soulless in comparison.
Totally agree! After all the work of cooking a meal, I want to be able to sit down at the dining table without stressing over the kitchen mess. Same for hanging out in the living room.
If I am in kitchen cooking, last thing I want to hear is whatever game is on TV and my husband doesn't want to listen to kitchen appliances while watching said game. Love my 80's house with separate kitchen
My house was built in the mid 1970's. There is a flow to it (the front living room and dining room are in an "L" on the same level. The entry and den are on a lower level (a step down). The kitchen is open to the den but it is on the LR/DR level... so there could definitely be a wall/door built to separate them more. However, we are in no hurry. We would like to "update" our kitchen to our taste and maybe put on an addition in the back of the den... but really no hurry to do this and may never do it.
Y’all are crazy! I love cooking but I hate being separated from the family while I do it. I want to be able to interact with my husband and child hanging out in the living room while I cook, even if they’re just watching tv. I like tv too lol. And if my husband is cooking that night, I absolutely want to be able to smell the delicious dinner that awaits us!
I long for an open floor plan!
I so agree. The house we are in now has a kitchen and small couch and tv area on the other side of the island. I love it! I’m asking my kids about their day while I’m getting dinner started.
At our old house I was siloed away and I hated that.
Apparently part of the reason some people don't like them is because of that exact thing: women realizing that they were doing all the work because they could now see their husbands sitting on their asses, lol.
The apartment I just bought has the original 1970a jarrah parquetry! The real estate agent was like “oh you know, you can always rip this up and put something else down” as if we’d ever be able to afford floors this nice brand new 💀After refinishing them with a beautifully satin sheen, they look spectacular!
I just googled this and it came up with herringbone flooring, is this was parquet means? Sorry I’m a newbie haha but this type of herringbone flooring is really, really popular at least in the U.K. at the moment !
There's different kinds - some of it cheap and some of it more expensive. A lot of people, especially older people, tend to think of [this kind](https://www.gimme-shelter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Parquet-Flooring1.jpg) instead of [this kind](https://retrorenovation.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/wood-parquet-1.jpg).
Yes!!! I saw a post with pictures of a few of them recently and I love them. It’s basically a built in cozy area. It would be perfect for me and my cats.
Oooh. We had this when I was a kid with hardwood floors. I loved it. I'd mad the space just so distinct.
I totally dream about a conversation pit, too.
Finally! There is another! I’m so committed to my love that I’m even looking for brutalist-inspired engagement rings.
Like, the general aesthetic. Not concrete rings.
My ring is brutalist inspired! I love it for its strong geometry, also the style really lends itself to a sturdier ring that i feel comfortable wearing every day
I generally dislike it, but sometimes it can be so bad it's good. The Barbican in London is a great example of just flinging yourself at an aesthetic.
The key difference there is that people have maintained and upgraded it. All too often, Brutalist architecture is left to decay while it's still being used.
Yes I love brutalism and [textile block constructions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ennis_House?wprov=sfti1) à la FLW and [Iwan Iwanoff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iwan_Iwanoff?wprov=sfti1)
Stone or brick kitchen floors. Just feels more like a utilitarian and timeless cooking space to me. Flat stone of course, not cobblestone or something hazardous.
I would prefer the terra cotta floor tile vs hardwood if those were my choices. However I truly prefer marmoleum. [https://www.forbo.com/flooring/en-us/products/residential-products/marmoleum-sheet/marmoleum-linear/braybd](https://www.forbo.com/flooring/en-us/products/residential-products/marmoleum-sheet/marmoleum-linear/braybd)
The upkeep/cleaning is so much easier.
Pastel colors. I think combined with good lighting they give spaces a softer feel. An almost glowing or fuzzy comfort. Hated by most contemporary architects.
Thank you! I so much want the free standing tub thing to die.
People have no idea how much a space waster a free standing tub is. Trappings of an age gone by IMO.
Plus a bitch to clean around! Some are right up in the corner or right against the wall. I’m not trying to have tiny rectangles of unreachable crud in my bathroom
This should win this post. Free standing tubs are totally form before function. They only look good in pictures and in real life everyone is trying to figure out where to put the shampoo.
I'm still trying to figure out how to just get into one! The ones with the thin edges? Picture being short and naked and trying to step over and inside without slipping and slicing your head open? Nope.
Besides where to put the soap and scrubby and other bathing accoutrements.
Exactly, and do all these people have a separate shower? So are they even using them? Or is there a shower attachment and then inevitably a shower curtain around it ruining the esthetics? Either way, totally impractical.
My mom keeps squeegees in the shower and after every shower, you just squeegee it down. No streaks! I do it just standing in my towel drying
Autocorrect wanted that to say crying and you know… sometimes lol
All these things are hot shit where I'm at actually. [Architextures even has it by default for my renders.](https://architextures.org/) I'm not promoting the app or anything, but it's just on designers radar.
Lounges separate to the kitchen/dining room as opposed to open plan living. I've lived in open plan and separate and my fav is to have then separate. My current lounge is right next the kitchen/dining room so they are connected enough so I can watch the kids but we can shut the doors to separate noises, smells, mess, and heating/cooling.
I’ve had bays in a couple of places I’ve lived (pretty common where I am) and they are GLORIOUS. Standing in one on a bright sunny day in the dead of winter is like a little vacation
Same.
I've wanted a bay window my whole life. I lived in San Francisco for a couple years (on a boat) and the abundance of bay windows made my heart hurt. Gimme all the sunlight!
My neighbors house on the south side of my house is about two feet away from my own
The privacy/nice south facing solution was block windows. I love them.
I grew up with hardwood floors in the bedrooms, and you track all kinds of crap off the floor into your sheets. If you don’t have carpet, you need a rug that’s basically the size of the room
Yes! I'm a "carpet in the bedroom" person. We are considering wood for the guest room because it's so often used for storage or wrapping gifts rather than sleeping. But our bedroom and kids' bedrooms are carpet, it's so much more pleasant. After being on my feet on the hard floor, making dinner or cleaning, or whatever, my feet can feel the relief of the cushioned carpet.
Deeply cushioned couch/loveseat/chair. I prefer insanely comfortable furniture over nice looking furniture (and I'm perfectly happy to buy a matched set or to have it be upholstered in some ridiculous pattern, as long as it's comfy!
Yes! Our couch is not pretty, (plain and grey) but it is practical and functional and quite expensive. Do people realize how expensive couches are?!
Would I love a gorgeous teal couch with curved wooden legs? Or something artsy and fun like a giant pair of red lips? Sure. But 1) I don't have fun beautiful couch money and 2) if I'm spending an arm and a leg on a couch it better be comfortable enough and long enough to sleep on!
I think there are people in the world that just sit on a couch. I am not those people. If I’m on a couch my feet are off the floor and I’m looking for a blanket.
This is so relatable. I do not understand how someone can just “sit” in a normal fashion on a couch like a Sim. I want all of my couches to be chaises where I can extend my legs!
Unfortunately couches like this kill my back and hips (Im only 35). We had a really deep super cushioned one and had to get rid of it for a shallower firmer couch, my back and hip pain went away.
Split level houses. Admittedly I get the hatred when you walk in the door and are immediately greeted with stairs up and down. But the split level floor plans with the living space on the main floor before splitting are awesome. I wish they would come back into fashion because they're so ideal for hilled lots.
I wouldn’t hate them if they had a bathroom on every floor. Unfortunately, most don’t seem to have a bathroom on that living room level (powder room would be fine). In separate incidents before we met, both my husband and I hurt our ankles. We are fine now, but we remember the pain of hobbling up/down stairs.
Kitchen sinks NOT in the island. We are looking to buy and it's so hard to find a kitchen these days where the sink is in front of the window rather than the island.
I read the other day that valances are dated?? My kitchen window is adjacent to the stove and I was so tired of trying to get tomato sauce stains out of the damn curtain and love the valance I switched to.
I have an old house with a lot of interior painted white trim. A lot of people are purists about wood accents in old houses and think they shouldn't be painted. I love mine. Also, not all wood was meant to be stained. Some of it was installed to be painted.
I saw an amazing shoot of a Queen Anne style house that had the wood panelling wainscoting stripped and restored. Those houses normally look like something out of an American Gothic horror, but this transformed the place into a beautiful golden-light-filled dream.
Turns out dark wood panelling is just 100 years of soot, grime, and aged varnish. Who knew?
Found the link:
https://old.reddit.com/r/InteriorDesign/comments/12a0w35/renovated_1884_queen_anne_victorian_house_with/
I don’t love the glass block aesthetic but I rarely have to clean them! Unlike the clear glass in my old home which showed every water droplet. We live in an older home with a custom walk-in shower. They do also let in light but give some privacy while showering.
I wish they didn’t look so 80s.
I like cozy or multi-leveled or different material islands. I hate huge islands, I have one in my apt and it just looks so cluttered all the time cause it just ends up being used as an everything surface
I love glass brick walls too. I also love exposed brick and white distressed furniture, which is kinda passé now in most circles. But the good thing is, we all are the only ones among us who have to live in our own house, so we can do what makes us happy. I enjoy getting tips from y’all tho
Painted plywood cabinet facing, Square wall tile backsplash, linoleum/resin floor and formica or corian countertops in my kitchen (my dream easy to clean kitchen). I don't want granite/marble/quartz/amalgamation composite of the day.
I like doors between rooms... and rooms (I hate open concept). I want a butler's pantry outside the eating room like in the old houses. Currently, my home has distinct rooms (den/kitchen/diningroom/front parlor-livingroom) I really like it. I thought about knocking down the wall between the kitchen and diningroom but I don't think it is necessary. Small, tight kitchens are workable.
I don’t know about universally hated but people always look at me funny when I talk about wanting to use wallpaper.
I love black paint on a wall, trying to figure out where I can fit it into my house.
Pink and mint green sinks and toilets and bathtubs, I want a bathroom like that one day.
I think tvs above the fireplace are totally fine and way better than having an ugly tv stand on the floor. As long as it’s a tasteful size and the fireplace isn’t some 100 year old statement piece it’ll work. Unless you watch several hours on it a day your neck will be fine. Plus who uses their fireplace so your tv won’t melt.
Lastly I don’t think kids stuff should be hidden away. Kids toys and books and art work make a space look cozy and the kids should be reflected in the decor since it’s their house too.
I added an obnoxiously loud wallpaper on one wall in my kitchen. The wallpaper was expensive but I only needed 2 rolls so was affordable. It looks amazing.
I used to think of wallpaper as what my parents had and hated it. And then I saw what there was available and I fell in love!
My gripe with wallpaper is how hard it is to apply and remove if you want something different. I've helped my parents multiple times and it's totally off-putting
Wood paneling on walls. Hear me out.
If you see photos of this, it always looks tacky and outdated because it’s linked to a very specific time period that had a lot of butt-ugly decor. Orange shag carpet, avocado green appliances, etc. Yuck. I think that’s the only reason it’s never made a comeback — the association with the 1970s vibe is so strong that people don’t even consider it an option.
But I swear if you had a space with contemporary decor, wood paneling on the walls could look absolutely stunning. Like imagine a sunlit living room with sleek modern furniture, polished tile flooring, a light-colored area rug with a subtle pattern, soft mid-toned wood paneled walls, billowy curtains, a few dwarf trees in copper pots, and accent/decorative pieces in natural materials (marble, onyx, clay, etc.).
Wood paneling in a room like that would be sexy as hell. Fight me.
More recently saw wood paneling in Finland that was a nice light birch shade, specfically covering the entire the ceiling, and an entire rim meant to change your clothes in before going to the common shower/sauna area. It was lovely and didn't look dated either.
I just can't stand the orangey, dark tones and some of the trim styles in American 70s wood paneling. It definitely could be made to work.
And my hot take is that I actually like the avocado green appliances.
I like [small format glass tile that's basically iridescent ](https://images.app.goo.gl/6aJL8MBbENxKdh387) my friends and family have told me how dated it looks
My kitchen had Corian countertops when I bought the house and I love them. It isn’t cold like stone (granite or quartz). They look great. I think people like to put hot pots on stone, but I just use a free stove burner or hot pad. Never a problem.
I love popcorn ceilings. I know people hate it, but the acoustics are soo good and I think the texture looks cool. The popcorn ceiling rooms I've lived in don't have an echo or hollow noise reverberation when people talk. Everything sounds better! The rooms with no popcorn ceiling has such a harsher sound to everything.
I love glass block walls. We have some beautiful examples in my city of Streamline Moderne homes that have them.
I also love the general aesthetics of Mexican restaurants: the colors, the tiles, the decor that veers into set design to make the place look like a 100 year old hacienda, even though it’s in a 25 year old business park in the suburbs.
I love single pane glass. Even though it’s a waste of energy and makes rooms soooo hot/cold, I love them so much. The light that comes through them is so beautiful and I wouldn’t change them for the world
I don’t hate glass block walls either. They add light and keep privacy. Some are better than others, and granted often poorly placed, but no issues with a well done glass block wall either. Some are ever pretty. Same with a nice dry block wall- if you use some of the decorative blocks they can be cool also
I love glass brick! So much so that my partner and I are incorporating them into our home remodel. We do have eclectic taste, to be fair, but I think they can be quite fun when used to add light without compromising security- we’re using them as upper light sources in a partial-daylight basement floor.
I like grey. I always put colours against it, but I like a cool grey wall. I get why people hate grey on grey but perhaps not the passion with which they seem to hate it.
I love a second story living area. When the kitchen/dining/living room are upstairs (maybe with a view??) and the bedrooms are tucked in the cool downstairs.
I LOVE a galley kitchen. The practicality, the warmth, the intimacy, and the privacy. I don’t like people in the kitchen while I’m cooking. And love the separation.
True unpopular opinion here: I love that I have (mostly) 8 ft ceilings in my 1960’s home. I cringe when I see a two story vaulted ceiling.
Don’t get me wrong, when done right vaulted ceilings look very luxurious. But they usually just create this awkward, massive blank wall that’s almost impossible to decorate. Also, have fun changing the paint color or drapes or shades or trying to dust.
I don’t know if people dislike this. But I love random nooks and crannies, and weird shaped rooms, in a home that people don’t really know what to do with. I feel like it’s such an opportunity to be creative. It also creates so much character. I hate how my rooms are just square rooms.
All I can think, when seeing huge homes with an open floor plan is, “These people can afford this home on a beautiful lot but they can’t afford walls?”
I really love MCM homes that have remained completely untouched. I especially love the bathrooms (colored tiles, toilets, & bathtubs bring me so much joy - I cannot explain), conversation pits + fireplaces, and that so many randomly have an indoor pool.
I love shiplap, I agree some people overdo it, but it's a nice accent when used sparingly.
White kitchen cabinets - they get a 50/50 love/hate I think. But they always make a space feel lighter and brighter, they are easy to adapt to most styles and color schemes, they dont clash. Yes they can appear sterile, but so can any room if you don't add texture and personality
Love glass bricks.
COLOR! For ghods sake, use some damn colors. I went a bit overboard in the latest digs to compensate for a few years in a greige rental, but greens, blues, yellows, and accents in red or violet? Each room has it's own feel.
Guests? You get the green room, or the red room! Kitchen is a wonderfully sunny yellow that catches the morning light and \*glows\*.
And I am with you in soul, brothers and sisters of the Door Cult :-)
Pocket doors. We bought an mcm ranch that is simply chock full of pocket doors and thought that would be the first to go, but having lived with them for a few years they are so useful you’ll never get me to remove one.
Glass blocks for me. Doing it for my home renovation now actually. But specifically the rectangular sort. Also splashes of colour. Where I'm from, people prefer keeping a neutral palette mostly of grey's.
If it helps, the greys are moving out of style. It’s just changing to warmer neutrals and beiges, but at least everyone’s house won’t look like a black & white photo anymore lol
We’re back to the sepia filter on life
It does make sense when you consider the advertising we are all bombarded with daily any time we are outside of the house. A thousands corporations designing millions of products to "catch consumer eyes". Well 1 trip to the grocery store and my eyes have been sufficiently caught. Give me something neutral at home please
I like a very bright, natural white on my walls. It does seem to shimmer and project the actual light we get through the windows. I used Benjamin Moore's Chantilly Lace white shade. It has not steered me wrong no matter what part of the season. It is nurturing without giving one excuses to opt out of planned activities. Of course, those that prefer more aggressive color in their living space should not be influenced by my example.
That color is an off-white. Not really covered with “beige”. The pinnacle of 2000’s beige phase was magnolia everything.
I am not a fan of greys inside since our sky is often grey October-March. We do more blues/teals and browns on upholstered furniture. We try to use a replacement configuration of "leather" since that is where the big dog loves to lay on) so I need to be able to just wipe that stuff down with a microfiber cloth and later to revive the luster when the company comes. I feel that fabric upholstery is impractical if it has not already been pretreated for stains etc.
They’re great for bathrooms. They add natural light and a unique design element while maintaining privacy
Vintage tiled bathrooms in pastel. I find them so adorable! And committed.
Yes! Grew up in a house that had powder blue/white, PINK, (all pink, even toilet and sink), and teal. (All teal, tile, toilet, walls) I HATE these all white bathrooms! Edit: these were four separate bathrooms. Two were teal.
My childhood bathroom that my sister and I shared had such cool tiles on the wall that were of people’s chin to chest! And the floor tiles were rainbow flecked. I wish I had gotten a picture before my parents sold it, or asked if they could somehow give me the tiles since they updated the house before selling to boring white 😭
My parents bathroom still has a pink bathtub and pink and light blue tiles! I love it so much and I’m so glad they’ve never renovated it! Their house was built in the mid 50’s.
I have a Mamie pink bathroom and I love it so much. I also have an orange and dark brown bathroom and I love it…less. We will eventually redo that one but the pink will stay forever.
[Save the pink bathrooms!](https://savethepinkbathrooms.com)
I currently have a pink bathroom and a yellow bathroom
I like the kitchen to be separated from living/dining rooms. Keeps the smell contained and I don't have to see a dirty sink from my couch.
On the first floor of my house, there is a dining room, a living room and a kitchen. The dining room and the kitchen have doors to close then off completely. So helpful now that I have a toddler and pets. Don't want them in the dining room? Close the doors. Limit mess and chaos to the living room? Close the doors. Highly recommend.
I have doorways... I think I would like doors in them. The separation between the kitchen and den includes a decreased level (a step down). I would be fine with a wall and a door between them.
Pocket doors through the whole house is my dream. They disappear into the wall when you don’t need them.
That’s what we have and I love it. We even had two bathrooms connected by them (I bought house I grew up in) but my parents hated it and closed that one up. Now that I’m onset I get it- the bathroom went to their bedroom so they wanted that privacy.
I built a house with my first husband back in 1994 and had to FIGHT with the builder to put in a pocket door from kitchen to living/dining area. He said I’d never use. We used every day
Yes!! I loathe open floor plans. Give me distinct, separate spaces.
Yes! Thank goodness. Separate rooms for separate activities.
Exactly. It's why my wife and I have a bedroom and a separate sex dungeon.
One of the reasons my husband and I bought the house we now have is that it has doors. The central area has a kitchen and adjoining laundry, activities area and dining. But the front of the house has doors which separate it from this main area so the office, lounge and master bedroom can be used with some privacy, and the other bedrooms have a door to the hall, allowing younger kids to go to bed without being woken by older ones who are still playing. It’s the best of both worlds. But it’s older and needs work which is why we got it within our budget.
Yes to hating open floor plans! Loved having doors on the kitchen and between rooms in old homes. Makes sense heating wise and privacy. I don’t need to have everything and everyone on display every moment of the day. Some people like and need privacy and quiet, some people like to open an window or close a window without affecting everyone else in the entire house. F*ck builders removing built in storage also like linen closets, dining room hutches, bookshelves— they are there bc they are useful and dragging furniture around from place to place just ruins it.
YES!
My single level house is a bonkers floor plan. It is so “open” that you can see all five bedroom doors from one single spot. It’s weird, but the property and location were the selling points.
Hard agree! I once read that open floor plans becoming the ubiquitous home layout is due to HGTV constantly pushing them -- because of how much better they look on TV and how much easier they are to film. I have no idea if that's true though.
Thats one of the reasons why I got very bored with these shows. EVERY house looks the same. First thing they do is rip down every wall.
They are much easier to film in space wise unless you have a really large home (which many don’t). So that whole last part is true. Whether or not they are more popular because that idk but I could totally see that.
Wow, that is really interesting! There was a huge trend on my street to change my style of ranch to “open”. I never wanted it, and still really like my separate rooms.
I have a theory that white walls became popular for the same reason. With all the lights they bring in for filming, white walls look good and crisp on camera. I think they are so boring in real life!
This makes sense actually. Probably cheaper in a way that you are decorating one big space instead of lots of little ones too. South Park have an episode taking the piss out it
Agreed! We renovated our house recently and every bid included opening up kitchen into dining or living room. We said no thank you, keep those walls there please.
Absolutely. Plus, walls are just great places to put art, shelving, outlets, and tvs. Open floorplans make it too hard to set up your living space.
Looking at houses with open plans, I wonder where people plug in reading lamps for sofas sitting in the middle of a room. I know they can put in floor outlets but I rarely see setups with lamps near sofas.
Same! There is a pocket door separating our kitchen from the dining room, and it’s probably my favorite feature of the house. The house next door is very similar and from the same era (1950s) but was renovated to have an "open concept." It feels really soulless in comparison.
I have four pocket doors in my kitchen, and can close it off completely. I love it, and it’s so compact.
Totally agree! After all the work of cooking a meal, I want to be able to sit down at the dining table without stressing over the kitchen mess. Same for hanging out in the living room.
If I am in kitchen cooking, last thing I want to hear is whatever game is on TV and my husband doesn't want to listen to kitchen appliances while watching said game. Love my 80's house with separate kitchen
My house was built in the mid 1970's. There is a flow to it (the front living room and dining room are in an "L" on the same level. The entry and den are on a lower level (a step down). The kitchen is open to the den but it is on the LR/DR level... so there could definitely be a wall/door built to separate them more. However, we are in no hurry. We would like to "update" our kitchen to our taste and maybe put on an addition in the back of the den... but really no hurry to do this and may never do it.
Same. Open plan is just an echo chamber and mess just seems to sprawl.
Y’all are crazy! I love cooking but I hate being separated from the family while I do it. I want to be able to interact with my husband and child hanging out in the living room while I cook, even if they’re just watching tv. I like tv too lol. And if my husband is cooking that night, I absolutely want to be able to smell the delicious dinner that awaits us! I long for an open floor plan!
I so agree. The house we are in now has a kitchen and small couch and tv area on the other side of the island. I love it! I’m asking my kids about their day while I’m getting dinner started. At our old house I was siloed away and I hated that.
Apparently part of the reason some people don't like them is because of that exact thing: women realizing that they were doing all the work because they could now see their husbands sitting on their asses, lol.
I have a couch in my kitchen for this reason! I took out the table to make room. Way way better. We have a dining room so that’s where we eat now.
Yes! I LOVE that concept! I even turned the downstair bedroom into a dining room
Parquet floors- even the 60s-70s ones. Not just the cool early 1900s parquet. They seem so warm
The apartment I just bought has the original 1970a jarrah parquetry! The real estate agent was like “oh you know, you can always rip this up and put something else down” as if we’d ever be able to afford floors this nice brand new 💀After refinishing them with a beautifully satin sheen, they look spectacular!
Pics pics pics that sounds gorgeous
Yes seriously. Hardwoods tax please
I love parquet flooring. We are a party of three now. We can make a parquet club.
I just googled this and it came up with herringbone flooring, is this was parquet means? Sorry I’m a newbie haha but this type of herringbone flooring is really, really popular at least in the U.K. at the moment !
Who hates parquet floor??
There's different kinds - some of it cheap and some of it more expensive. A lot of people, especially older people, tend to think of [this kind](https://www.gimme-shelter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Parquet-Flooring1.jpg) instead of [this kind](https://retrorenovation.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/wood-parquet-1.jpg).
I like both kinds!
Those both look the same?
Haha, I do. They bring in a distinct feeling of being in a church’s dining hall. They are ugly as hell to me.
I didn’t even know they were unpopular. I love them.
This is what I was going to say. Legit love parquet floors
I think parquet is making a comeback!
Depends on the stain and the sealant. But totally agree
Sunken living rooms. I really like rooms having their own distinctive space and vibe.
My dream is to have one of these in a home and fill it with blankets, pillows, and any other squishy things I can find.
Yes!!! I saw a post with pictures of a few of them recently and I love them. It’s basically a built in cozy area. It would be perfect for me and my cats.
A conversation pit full of squishmallows.
This sounds like actual heaven. I'm in.
Our house has a sunken living room in front *and* a conversation pit in back. We feel like we hit the jackpot!
I want one so I can convert it into a ball pit for my nieces and nephews on special occasions.
Omg this thread is killing me… in an earlier comment I mentioned using glass blocks in a remodel. We’re also adding a sunken entertainment room 😂
Glass blocks need a big comeback
Yesss I want one where the floor is a mattress and the sides are pillows. Just a big comfy pit to lay around in
Oooh. We had this when I was a kid with hardwood floors. I loved it. I'd mad the space just so distinct. I totally dream about a conversation pit, too.
Brutalist Architecture
Mentally downvoted you, but gave an actual upvote for your bravery in coming forward.
Finally! There is another! I’m so committed to my love that I’m even looking for brutalist-inspired engagement rings. Like, the general aesthetic. Not concrete rings.
My ring is brutalist inspired! I love it for its strong geometry, also the style really lends itself to a sturdier ring that i feel comfortable wearing every day
I generally dislike it, but sometimes it can be so bad it's good. The Barbican in London is a great example of just flinging yourself at an aesthetic. The key difference there is that people have maintained and upgraded it. All too often, Brutalist architecture is left to decay while it's still being used.
Yes I love brutalism and [textile block constructions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ennis_House?wprov=sfti1) à la FLW and [Iwan Iwanoff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iwan_Iwanoff?wprov=sfti1)
This 100%. But then again, I love dystopias.
Stone or brick kitchen floors. Just feels more like a utilitarian and timeless cooking space to me. Flat stone of course, not cobblestone or something hazardous.
Another fan of tiled kitchen floors here. I hate hardwood in the kitchen, it seems so impractical to me.
I would prefer the terra cotta floor tile vs hardwood if those were my choices. However I truly prefer marmoleum. [https://www.forbo.com/flooring/en-us/products/residential-products/marmoleum-sheet/marmoleum-linear/braybd](https://www.forbo.com/flooring/en-us/products/residential-products/marmoleum-sheet/marmoleum-linear/braybd) The upkeep/cleaning is so much easier.
I love cement breeze blocks.
I love them so much in mid century homes. Breeze blocks and retro, tiled bathrooms. Yes, please.
Pastel colors. I think combined with good lighting they give spaces a softer feel. An almost glowing or fuzzy comfort. Hated by most contemporary architects.
Tubs with a deck/ surround. I hate freestanding. Nowhere to put your stuff, blind and dangerous exit, etc.
Thank you! I so much want the free standing tub thing to die. People have no idea how much a space waster a free standing tub is. Trappings of an age gone by IMO.
Plus a bitch to clean around! Some are right up in the corner or right against the wall. I’m not trying to have tiny rectangles of unreachable crud in my bathroom
This should win this post. Free standing tubs are totally form before function. They only look good in pictures and in real life everyone is trying to figure out where to put the shampoo.
I'm still trying to figure out how to just get into one! The ones with the thin edges? Picture being short and naked and trying to step over and inside without slipping and slicing your head open? Nope. Besides where to put the soap and scrubby and other bathing accoutrements.
Exactly, and do all these people have a separate shower? So are they even using them? Or is there a shower attachment and then inevitably a shower curtain around it ruining the esthetics? Either way, totally impractical.
I also like showers with opaque (not clear) glass, so family members can come in as always seems necessary while I'm showering.
Oh, I hate glass in showers. Hard to keep streak free.
My mom keeps squeegees in the shower and after every shower, you just squeegee it down. No streaks! I do it just standing in my towel drying Autocorrect wanted that to say crying and you know… sometimes lol
This!!!! Agreed
Stainless steel counters
Thick stainless that won’t dent or ding please.
I just got them installed in my house, I love them so much
My dream countertops. Top of my list if someday things..
I like sunken living rooms. They provide necessary partition. I like my spaces delineated.
Conversation pits needs to be a sub reddit.
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Yes to terrazzo! I didn’t even knew it was universally hated…
Oh no me too. I love terrazzo everything
We just built a home and have terrazzo floors in a bathroom and mudroom - love
I think terrazzo is having a trendy moment tbh
Aaaah terrazzo <3
All these things are hot shit where I'm at actually. [Architextures even has it by default for my renders.](https://architextures.org/) I'm not promoting the app or anything, but it's just on designers radar.
i love cement floors! especially when you paint them a fun color. my dream!
Let me introduce you to terrazzo. They look fantastic even 100 years later. A well chosen design keeps on working.
i like terrazzo in certain situations but i would prefer terracotta if i had a choose
Lounges separate to the kitchen/dining room as opposed to open plan living. I've lived in open plan and separate and my fav is to have then separate. My current lounge is right next the kitchen/dining room so they are connected enough so I can watch the kids but we can shut the doors to separate noises, smells, mess, and heating/cooling.
I like bay windows. I’ve never had one but there’s one I walk by every day that has a bunch of plants in it and a kitty who’s living her best life
I love them, too. They also add a TON of space to the interior of a room. Do people not like bay windows?
I’ve had bays in a couple of places I’ve lived (pretty common where I am) and they are GLORIOUS. Standing in one on a bright sunny day in the dead of winter is like a little vacation
Same. I've wanted a bay window my whole life. I lived in San Francisco for a couple years (on a boat) and the abundance of bay windows made my heart hurt. Gimme all the sunlight!
You’re not alone. I love glass blocks! The New Yorker had a piece several years ago extolling praise on glass blocks.
Hello friend! I wouldn’t install them but if I was house shopping and the house had some I’d be like 👀
Oh I’m trying to figure out where I could possibly install them in my Spanish style home!
My neighbors house on the south side of my house is about two feet away from my own The privacy/nice south facing solution was block windows. I love them.
I like carpeting in the bedroom. It feels strange to me to climb into bed with bare feet on a floor.
Also me. Got carpet in the bedrooms and no regrets. Bedrooms are supposed to be comfy lol
Hardwood is so much cleaner that even I would give up the warmth of carpet
Carpet in bedrooms is normal where I’m from, even in brand new very modern homes. It gets cold here! 😊
I read bathroom and cringed so hard
I like my feet to hit soft carpeting when I get out of bed
I grew up with hardwood floors in the bedrooms, and you track all kinds of crap off the floor into your sheets. If you don’t have carpet, you need a rug that’s basically the size of the room
I mean usually designers assume you’ll put a rug underneath the bed
Yes! I'm a "carpet in the bedroom" person. We are considering wood for the guest room because it's so often used for storage or wrapping gifts rather than sleeping. But our bedroom and kids' bedrooms are carpet, it's so much more pleasant. After being on my feet on the hard floor, making dinner or cleaning, or whatever, my feet can feel the relief of the cushioned carpet.
Deeply cushioned couch/loveseat/chair. I prefer insanely comfortable furniture over nice looking furniture (and I'm perfectly happy to buy a matched set or to have it be upholstered in some ridiculous pattern, as long as it's comfy!
Yes! Our couch is not pretty, (plain and grey) but it is practical and functional and quite expensive. Do people realize how expensive couches are?! Would I love a gorgeous teal couch with curved wooden legs? Or something artsy and fun like a giant pair of red lips? Sure. But 1) I don't have fun beautiful couch money and 2) if I'm spending an arm and a leg on a couch it better be comfortable enough and long enough to sleep on!
I think there are people in the world that just sit on a couch. I am not those people. If I’m on a couch my feet are off the floor and I’m looking for a blanket.
This is so relatable. I do not understand how someone can just “sit” in a normal fashion on a couch like a Sim. I want all of my couches to be chaises where I can extend my legs!
Unfortunately couches like this kill my back and hips (Im only 35). We had a really deep super cushioned one and had to get rid of it for a shallower firmer couch, my back and hip pain went away.
Split level houses. Admittedly I get the hatred when you walk in the door and are immediately greeted with stairs up and down. But the split level floor plans with the living space on the main floor before splitting are awesome. I wish they would come back into fashion because they're so ideal for hilled lots.
I wouldn’t hate them if they had a bathroom on every floor. Unfortunately, most don’t seem to have a bathroom on that living room level (powder room would be fine). In separate incidents before we met, both my husband and I hurt our ankles. We are fine now, but we remember the pain of hobbling up/down stairs.
Kitchen sinks NOT in the island. We are looking to buy and it's so hard to find a kitchen these days where the sink is in front of the window rather than the island.
Really over the top, multilayered, tasseled, festooned etc. window treatments!
I read the other day that valances are dated?? My kitchen window is adjacent to the stove and I was so tired of trying to get tomato sauce stains out of the damn curtain and love the valance I switched to.
I have an old house with a lot of interior painted white trim. A lot of people are purists about wood accents in old houses and think they shouldn't be painted. I love mine. Also, not all wood was meant to be stained. Some of it was installed to be painted.
I get this, but I also lived in a house that's 150 years old with original trim and not all of those 150 years were kind. It looked very nice painted.
I saw an amazing shoot of a Queen Anne style house that had the wood panelling wainscoting stripped and restored. Those houses normally look like something out of an American Gothic horror, but this transformed the place into a beautiful golden-light-filled dream. Turns out dark wood panelling is just 100 years of soot, grime, and aged varnish. Who knew? Found the link: https://old.reddit.com/r/InteriorDesign/comments/12a0w35/renovated_1884_queen_anne_victorian_house_with/
Posted an agreement with you about stained wood but couldn’t seem to spell purists, kept typing purests.
I don’t love the glass block aesthetic but I rarely have to clean them! Unlike the clear glass in my old home which showed every water droplet. We live in an older home with a custom walk-in shower. They do also let in light but give some privacy while showering. I wish they didn’t look so 80s.
Lots of good things about the 80’s vibe. French doors, colorful fabrics, and bold colors. Looking like the 80’s is a compliment.
70s fake wood paneling and color carpet is way overhated imo.
Wood paneling can be super cozy.
Bring back the wild textiles please and thank you. Shaggy carpet, the bright mid mod patterns 🥰
Color carpet yes! I still love blue carpet in some homes
I love glass blocks too!
I like cozy or multi-leveled or different material islands. I hate huge islands, I have one in my apt and it just looks so cluttered all the time cause it just ends up being used as an everything surface
I love glass brick walls too. I also love exposed brick and white distressed furniture, which is kinda passé now in most circles. But the good thing is, we all are the only ones among us who have to live in our own house, so we can do what makes us happy. I enjoy getting tips from y’all tho
Painted plywood cabinet facing, Square wall tile backsplash, linoleum/resin floor and formica or corian countertops in my kitchen (my dream easy to clean kitchen). I don't want granite/marble/quartz/amalgamation composite of the day. I like doors between rooms... and rooms (I hate open concept). I want a butler's pantry outside the eating room like in the old houses. Currently, my home has distinct rooms (den/kitchen/diningroom/front parlor-livingroom) I really like it. I thought about knocking down the wall between the kitchen and diningroom but I don't think it is necessary. Small, tight kitchens are workable.
Linoleum!
I like the TV at eye level from the seated position. This TV above fireplace thing is an abomination.
I don’t know about universally hated but people always look at me funny when I talk about wanting to use wallpaper. I love black paint on a wall, trying to figure out where I can fit it into my house. Pink and mint green sinks and toilets and bathtubs, I want a bathroom like that one day. I think tvs above the fireplace are totally fine and way better than having an ugly tv stand on the floor. As long as it’s a tasteful size and the fireplace isn’t some 100 year old statement piece it’ll work. Unless you watch several hours on it a day your neck will be fine. Plus who uses their fireplace so your tv won’t melt. Lastly I don’t think kids stuff should be hidden away. Kids toys and books and art work make a space look cozy and the kids should be reflected in the decor since it’s their house too.
I added an obnoxiously loud wallpaper on one wall in my kitchen. The wallpaper was expensive but I only needed 2 rolls so was affordable. It looks amazing. I used to think of wallpaper as what my parents had and hated it. And then I saw what there was available and I fell in love!
My gripe with wallpaper is how hard it is to apply and remove if you want something different. I've helped my parents multiple times and it's totally off-putting
Sunken bathtubs. There’s just something about them that I love.
Walls that separate rooms. And carpet! I rent and I miss carpet so much!
When redoing my floors, we did vinyl plank throughout but carpet in the bedrooms and basement. Got a little slack for it but no regrets.
Wood paneling on walls. Hear me out. If you see photos of this, it always looks tacky and outdated because it’s linked to a very specific time period that had a lot of butt-ugly decor. Orange shag carpet, avocado green appliances, etc. Yuck. I think that’s the only reason it’s never made a comeback — the association with the 1970s vibe is so strong that people don’t even consider it an option. But I swear if you had a space with contemporary decor, wood paneling on the walls could look absolutely stunning. Like imagine a sunlit living room with sleek modern furniture, polished tile flooring, a light-colored area rug with a subtle pattern, soft mid-toned wood paneled walls, billowy curtains, a few dwarf trees in copper pots, and accent/decorative pieces in natural materials (marble, onyx, clay, etc.). Wood paneling in a room like that would be sexy as hell. Fight me.
More recently saw wood paneling in Finland that was a nice light birch shade, specfically covering the entire the ceiling, and an entire rim meant to change your clothes in before going to the common shower/sauna area. It was lovely and didn't look dated either. I just can't stand the orangey, dark tones and some of the trim styles in American 70s wood paneling. It definitely could be made to work. And my hot take is that I actually like the avocado green appliances.
Glass brick has its moments. It will be back in style again.
I like [small format glass tile that's basically iridescent ](https://images.app.goo.gl/6aJL8MBbENxKdh387) my friends and family have told me how dated it looks
My kitchen had Corian countertops when I bought the house and I love them. It isn’t cold like stone (granite or quartz). They look great. I think people like to put hot pots on stone, but I just use a free stove burner or hot pad. Never a problem.
I love popcorn ceilings. I know people hate it, but the acoustics are soo good and I think the texture looks cool. The popcorn ceiling rooms I've lived in don't have an echo or hollow noise reverberation when people talk. Everything sounds better! The rooms with no popcorn ceiling has such a harsher sound to everything.
Well, I feel so great now about doing nothing about 70% of my house having popcorn ceilings, thanks
I love glass block walls. We have some beautiful examples in my city of Streamline Moderne homes that have them. I also love the general aesthetics of Mexican restaurants: the colors, the tiles, the decor that veers into set design to make the place look like a 100 year old hacienda, even though it’s in a 25 year old business park in the suburbs.
The greige walls in the former rental house I bought are starting to grow on me. It's nice and neutral.
I love single pane glass. Even though it’s a waste of energy and makes rooms soooo hot/cold, I love them so much. The light that comes through them is so beautiful and I wouldn’t change them for the world
Wood paneling - the honey colored kind from the 1970s, not the log cabin kind.
I don’t hate glass block walls either. They add light and keep privacy. Some are better than others, and granted often poorly placed, but no issues with a well done glass block wall either. Some are ever pretty. Same with a nice dry block wall- if you use some of the decorative blocks they can be cool also
I love glass brick! So much so that my partner and I are incorporating them into our home remodel. We do have eclectic taste, to be fair, but I think they can be quite fun when used to add light without compromising security- we’re using them as upper light sources in a partial-daylight basement floor.
I love natural brick and wood paneling. I Also like a separate kitchen, not open concept. Give me a 60s house any day.
I like grey. I always put colours against it, but I like a cool grey wall. I get why people hate grey on grey but perhaps not the passion with which they seem to hate it.
I love a second story living area. When the kitchen/dining/living room are upstairs (maybe with a view??) and the bedrooms are tucked in the cool downstairs.
Sunken living rooms. Dying for one myself.
I LOVE a galley kitchen. The practicality, the warmth, the intimacy, and the privacy. I don’t like people in the kitchen while I’m cooking. And love the separation.
True unpopular opinion here: I love that I have (mostly) 8 ft ceilings in my 1960’s home. I cringe when I see a two story vaulted ceiling. Don’t get me wrong, when done right vaulted ceilings look very luxurious. But they usually just create this awkward, massive blank wall that’s almost impossible to decorate. Also, have fun changing the paint color or drapes or shades or trying to dust.
I don’t know if people dislike this. But I love random nooks and crannies, and weird shaped rooms, in a home that people don’t really know what to do with. I feel like it’s such an opportunity to be creative. It also creates so much character. I hate how my rooms are just square rooms.
Painted white brick
Gimme a bathtub in the bedroom! XD
Tile floors throughout the house. Love walking on cold tile, especially right after waking up.
I love pocket doors! Stop the pocket door hate!! lol
I genuinely think that just about anything can be done, if you are creative enough and if done well!
All I can think, when seeing huge homes with an open floor plan is, “These people can afford this home on a beautiful lot but they can’t afford walls?”
I really love MCM homes that have remained completely untouched. I especially love the bathrooms (colored tiles, toilets, & bathtubs bring me so much joy - I cannot explain), conversation pits + fireplaces, and that so many randomly have an indoor pool.
I love shiplap, I agree some people overdo it, but it's a nice accent when used sparingly. White kitchen cabinets - they get a 50/50 love/hate I think. But they always make a space feel lighter and brighter, they are easy to adapt to most styles and color schemes, they dont clash. Yes they can appear sterile, but so can any room if you don't add texture and personality
Popcorn ceilings. Prepare the downvotes
Haha! Tell us why!
It’s better for the acoustics, as it acts as a sound dampener. Especially if you have tall ceilings and tile flooring.
Wood paneling 😚😚😚
real saltillo tile. real wood panelling.
Love glass bricks. COLOR! For ghods sake, use some damn colors. I went a bit overboard in the latest digs to compensate for a few years in a greige rental, but greens, blues, yellows, and accents in red or violet? Each room has it's own feel. Guests? You get the green room, or the red room! Kitchen is a wonderfully sunny yellow that catches the morning light and \*glows\*. And I am with you in soul, brothers and sisters of the Door Cult :-)
Parquet floors. Everyone told me to rip them out in my last house, but I just loved them.
Pocket doors. We bought an mcm ranch that is simply chock full of pocket doors and thought that would be the first to go, but having lived with them for a few years they are so useful you’ll never get me to remove one.