OK…..your building a house for yourself. You’ve been building…or at least renovating….everyone elses for years. What “must haves” are you going to forego?
By “must haves”…I’m talking about those things that it seems every homeowner dreams of. Those things that you’ve done so many of, you couldn’t stand to look at them in your own home.
For me….lessee.
Numero uno…..jacuzzi. I can’t recall the last master bathroom I did that didn’t include one. Also….can’t think of the last HO who requested it that even uses it. Maybe once my kids are grown and out of the house, and I have that hour or so to myself every few days that I don’t know what to do with, I’ll rethink it. But even if I did….I dunno if I’d wanna look at the thing.
Number two has got to be a deck. Porches are fine…..but if I weigh the options of hardwood vs. composite vs. pressure treated one more time….ugh. No thanks…..make mine a patio.
Third…..but creeping up……the “Great Room”. Unless there’s a large body of water that floor to cathedral ceiling windows will benefit from viewing….uh-uh. They all look the same.
Howz bout you guys? What are you tired of seeing over and over and over and over again?
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
Replies
I'd have to agree with you on the window deal. We've got some expensive houses on a golf course and you'll drive by and see these walls with what must be $50k worth of windows.... overlooking their neighbor's house 50' away. Gawd, how sad is that?! "what a glorious view of Fred's house we have"
I completely agree... if I've got a view (mountains, body of water, whatever), then a wall of windows is great. But otherwise spend the $$ elsewhere.
And speaking of windows. How about that big picture window over the tub! WHEN YOU LIVE IN A SUBDIVISION! Unless you just like flashing the neighbors, what is the point?!
jt8
"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success." --Albert Schweitzer
Not that I've ever built anything, but....
I'd not have a cut up, complicated roof. Something simple and classic.
Rich Beckman
Another day, another tool.
Decorative gables facing the street. Ticky tacky.
Mainfloor rooms with "volume" ceilings vaulted right up under the high roof. It's OK for Grand Central Station, but not for my house.
I was thinking of a big hollow shell with no walls. a bed in the corner. One bathroom thats all, couple closets. Have the kitcern counters like resturant kictern, stainless on wheels. For inner walls have moveable walls no doors, a little modern but simple. furniture bolted to walls off the floor so sweeping and mopping be easy.Need to figure a wireless cable TV so where ever the tv plug it works. no baths just showers, just simple.then be honest, two car garage, no yard everything concrete, concrete wall around yard twenty feet from back door. townhouse style. no upkeep.
Sounds like you want a warehouse with some office cubicle walls...did<!---->Cure Diabetes - Death Valley 2006!<!---->
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Yes and throw the manly bathroom in and I be happy
about 25 years ago I lived in a house in Corpus Chisti, the house was all windows the type that roll out, little panes,. All windows about twenty each side. The wall was eight feet, no ceiling. the wall stop at eight feet, open top. no insulation. you was looking at roof sheating.
They had huge ceiling fans in the attic running off leather belts. Five of them. about six foot big, barley moving.that house was always cool. That was common contruction down there.
Bah. We have two, uh, I hesitate to call them mere "fans" - let's call them "large scale air movers" - over our lateral file assembly line. They have about a 20' blade span. It's like walking under a landing helicopter, you feel like you have to duck. When they have them crankin' in warm weather, they move air like a helicopter, too, but they can slow them down to maybe 30 rpm, too - that looks way cool, they're just languidly twirling around.Here's the company that makes these monsters:http://tinyurl.com/c9yy5I had to tinyURL it 'cuz there's a naughty word in the company name...did<!---->Cure Diabetes - Death Valley 2006!<!---->
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Why not design the whole thing like a prison cell, so you can just hose it down when it's dirty.
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
no yard everything concrete
Nah, go another step further, gravel on gravel over weed control over geotech fabric--no even worrying about moving concrete slabs, or expansion joints, or the like.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
I'd skip the formal dining room and the needlessly complicated roofline. Also the two-story entry hall that makes every guest feel like a bug. I'm not wild about granite counters, either.
Bill
complicated details...
rooflines, wall lines, foundations,
kitchen layouts,
funky partitions, 45º angles etc.
Your house is your space, and you get more space if you forego angles and curves and corners.
an unadorned box may be bland but with less funk you can afford to do the trim details right and not Mcmansionize your home.
If I ever build my own house it will be a ~32x32 two stories lad ouyt in a tic tac toe grid
the only indulgent details I want are a hip roof and a center Cupola/widows watch big enough for an easy chair and a fridge.
Now the shop on the other hand.....
kA CHING!!
if you forego angles and curves and corners.
Heathen.
My list of don'ts on a house.
#1 Cutup roof
#2 ceiling heights over 10' except in my garage
#3 Walk in showers, jacuzzi, garden tubs
#4 Fireplaces, I hate building, them at least one on every house
#5 Vaulted ceilings through the entire house "yes it does look like a trailer"
#6 Overhead doors on the front of the house, usually at least two of them
#7 Pocket doors
#8 Treated lumber decking
What the problem is?
Overhead doors on the front of the house
Whazzat?
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Thoink he is referring to garage doors.
Edited 9/5/2006 9:57 am ET by rasconc
I thoink so too. I agree with him on the unattractiveness of garage doors being the public face of a house. But I disagree with him on the merits of walk-in showers. They're way cool.
That's one of the DW's pet peeves. I can see it in tight subdivisions but about the only way around it is big or corner lot. How much rain have you had this week? We got 2 1/2 yesterday, and about 8 in two days last week, 3 Sunday.
Bob
problem with corner lots is, Here,they charge property tax by frontal, so that two side being charge. plus everybody looking in your back yard.
Around here they only charge you for one side. Differs fron city to city whether it's the longest or shortest, though.
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
I agree on both accounts.Just say no to snout houses. And the jacuzzi tub too.But I love my walk-in shower. And if I could have a hot tub in a Florida room/conservatory...
>And the jacuzzi tub too.We have one and haven't used it a lot, but when we have, been glad for it.My 8 yo daughter had a friend over this weekend, and they had great fun with a Jacuzzi bubble bath!
Did you check the owner's manual? Last one I was in (bed and breakfast for the anniversary) said to not use bubble bath. It can clog up the pump and jets and stuff.
me too.
1. Garages facing street - just tacky
2. Jacuzzis - biggest scam going
3. Picture windows in bathrooms (uh, they work both ways, ya moron)
4. Double height entrance with paladian windows
5. Separate rooms for toilets - they never smell right
With your typical (for here) 60-80 foot frontage, there's not much of way to design a home without the garage facing the front, especially if you want to keep the drive short (to reduce snow blowing work).Someone did research it a few years back and found that Jacuzzi-style tubs were typically used 3 times -- in their entire lifetime. Certainly there are some that are used weekly (or more often), but it's not wise to put one in unless you know which category you'll fall into.A picture window in the bath might make sense if you own the view -- either an exceptionally large lot or lots of follage for privacy. If you don't own the view then forget it. And again, it's also a matter of lifestyle.Yeah, the fancy entranceways look neat for 30 seconds or so but that's about it. Maybe if you really entertain a lot. But most folks just THINK they'll entertain a lot, but never do.Most homes in my price range don't have the SF for a separate toilet room. At most a stub wall for a little privacy when two are using the bathroom.
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
I agree too. Anybody who thoinks a garage facing the street front looks good oughta get thoinked on his _____ and boinked out of town
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
i'll boink you..
given the choice between a garge and no garage , and the constraints of most house lots..
how do you get the car into the garage ?
now if you can approach the house from the side AND provide the correct turning radius for pulling in and backing out
then i'm all for it
for me .. form follows function..
the attached garage with automatic overhead dors is one of the advantages of modern life.. like refrigerators, flush toilets , and electric washing machines
but,hey, whadda i no ?
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
What bothers me is the ones where the garage is forward and the most prominent feature of the front elevation and Oh Yeah, there's a house peeking out from behind itWhen it is easy to design with the garage recessive instead of projecting
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A garage facing the side is in the top 5 on my list.
One day these kids are all gonna move out. But by then I'll be fat and all my hair will have moved from my head to my back.
SO when I go out in my garage,clean white garage, with the Epoxy coated floor with the Corvette logo in the middle, wearing just a speedo and a light coat of Mobile one to spend some quality time alone with my 2020 Corvette and Audi RS4, I want to be able to crack the door a little for ventilation without scaring anyone who might be driving by.
damn... speedo , huh
you know you screwed up not comming to andy's ?Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Yeah, I know.
Problem was I had just taken a week off to take my son to the Grand and I had a week at the beach scheduled.
Somewhere in the middle I needed to do some career stuff. Since I'm stuck I may as well get a few promotions out of it.
I have seen a lot of new homes with the garage protruding 15-20 feet in front of the front door. The main entry looks like a rabbit hole way back in there. But what are ya gonna do?
often times the zoning ordinance , by way of unintended consequences, will force the attached garage
in our town the size of the detached garage is severely limited.. but attach it to the house and the size is unlimited
setbacks, topography, conservation easements, turning radii, ease of use..
all of these dictate what can and what can't be designed and builtMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Just some photo's for thought.
View ImageView Image
We change the course of history,everyday people like you and me
Edited 9/6/2006 8:10 pm ET by dustinf
Sorta the opposite here. You can build a detached garage, up to something like 600 sq ft, without any variance, so long as basic setbacks are followed. Add on to the house, though, and you're subject to % of lot occupied restrictions.
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
(But no one wants just a detached garage. Much more pleasant to have an attached one when it's 15 below in the morning.
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
"Anybody who thoinks a garage facing the street front looks good oughta get thoinked on his _____ and boinked out of town..."
I think that's nuts. Sure, it's nice to hide the garage around back if you live somewhere that has an alley. Of do a side entry garage if you're on a corner lot.
But that's not the case with the majority of houses I'm around. The garage needs to face the street so it can get USED.
Forms follows function, and the garage is functional. The primary purpose of my house is to be LIVED in, not to meet someone else's approval.
My mother was a moonshiner, and I love her still
easy , bad santa, easy..
take a deep breath... we can deal with this piffen fellah
his bock is worsen his biteMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Sure, now that I broke all my teeth gnawing on santa's leg
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I agree compeletly about the jacuzzis and complicated roofs and huge volume entries and almost everything else in the foregoing.
I just went through this. I just built a house for myself last year. I designed it with half a mind on resale, though, and quite a lot of what carpenters think is nonsense is what the real estate agents want to see because it makes the place easier to sell.
In the end, I was influenced more by "A Pattern Language" than by the real estate agents.
Ron
Does it REALLY make the house easier to sell? Or is it just age-old Realtor myths? Seems that the IDEAL american house has twice as many bathrooms as needed, all beige paint, 4000 square feet and a garish kitchen...if you ask Realtors, that is.
Does it REALLY make the house easier to sell? Or is it just age-old Realtor myths?
trends will change again, because that's what trends do. But I believe these are the things that buyers think they want and therefore make houses sell. The question is whether they want them after they buy, or just before to feel like they've purchased the "Dream". As a builder, you build what people want to buy. As a human, you wish people weren't fools.
Just wait for the realtors to start telling people, "Don't worry, you can always tear down that double height entry and put in something more tasteful." LOL. It'll happen.
SHGFor every complex problem, there is a solution that is clear, simple, and wrong.
-H.L. Mencken
when I built , the county made me build a three bedroom two bath, because a two bedroom one bath would not sell. then it would have no value. This would hurt the property tax value. so I ended up bulding a three bedroom and just forgot to but that last wall up for some reason.
Youse guys need to read it again. I didn't say that garages should not ever face the streeet. I said anyone who thinks they LOOK GOOD needs treatment.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
In our neighborhood, there are some houses where the garage sticks out from the house, all you see is one massive 2 car garage door, with an entry door and two windows hidden beside it; then a big freaking slab of roof above it all.
There are others where the garage is either flush with or set back from the rest of the house, and it looks better, of course, especially when you've got a 2 storey so you can emphasize the rest of the house. And 2 doors helps break up that massive slab of white. But even on a lot thats 100 ft wide, there's room for a side entry garage though. And that's far, far better looking.
What I've discovered I do not like are hip roofs. I much prefer a gable style, even with complicated rooflines. For some reason, I just don't like hip style.
> But even on a lot thats 100 ft wide, there's room for a side entry garage though.Unless you buy a country lot, even the McMansions around here don't have 100 feet of width. 80 is closer to the norm for a "large" lot.
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
maybe yes......probably no..
<<<But even on a lot thats 100 ft wide, there's room for a side entry garage though. And that's far, far better looking.>>>
if the drive is on the side ( zero set back ) you have 24' turning radius, 24' garage... assuming a 10' set back on the far side .. leaves 42' for the house
big enough ?...
if i wanted a side entrance garage i'd be looking for a 120' lot widthMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
What do you plan to put into that garage? You need a 24 ft turning radius? On top of a 24 ft driveway?
Our place has a 17 ft side setback; the house is approx 54 ft wide, the driveway is about 24 ft wide, there's a 3 ft grass embankment on the side.
Drive up the driveway, back into the garage. I haven't met anyone yet who couldn't easily do this.
hah, hah, hah...... how many teen-age girls have you raised ?
sides
if you look up turning radius in an Architectural planning guide , you'll find lot's of useful info
and it also looks like your 24' driveway is the same as my 24' turning radius
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Lessee: We have an 80-foot lot. House is 24 wide, garage 22 wide and 16 deep (which is pretty tight). Manditory 15 foot lot margin on both sides.So turn the garage sideways and you have 15+24+16 == 55 feet, leaving 25 feet.Yeah, you can probably do that, but why? You now have a drive that's 22 feet longer (about 50% increase), a garage that's twice as hard to get into, and you still have the side of the garage facing the street. You can put faux windows on the garage, I suppose, but what's the point? It'll just look like a garage with faux windows.And don't say it should be a tuck-under garage. Those create serious heating problems in our environment.And keep in mind that 80 feet is a "large" lot anymore.
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
Maybe 80 ft is large where you are; in our area, 100 ft is typical.
You've left out the single biggest disadvantage to a straight in driveway to a garage: where do you plow the snow? Sure, you can back drag it, but that's a pain in the butt. If the garage is to the side of the driveway, you can run a plow straight in, works like a charm.
I don't understand your heating issues. Our houses are built to R2000 standards, we're here in eastern Canada, we have heated rooms above garages in 99% of the houses. Why is this a heating issue? People don't know how to build?
"You've left out the single biggest disadvantage to a straight in driveway to a garage: where do you plow the snow?"
In the yard, just like with any other driveway.
Funny that government can never afford to cut taxes or reduce spending, but taxpayers are never asked whether they can afford higher taxes. [Cal Thomas]
To plow the snow I'd have to have a place to put the snowplow, and the money to buy it.
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
$20 a shot, he'll be there at 3 or 4 am...sends a bill twice a year...it's money well spent.
No such thing around here.
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
there's your problem. you need to move to a place where they have bigger lots.
Remember, lots sizes, set backs and especially what's considered a McManiosn, differs from place to place, so by using the typical situation for you as the measure of other people's dislike of garages facing the street doesn't change anything since their situation isn't necessarily yours. Does that make sense?
SHGFor every complex problem, there is a solution that is clear, simple, and wrong.
-H.L. Mencken
Note that I wasn't quoting a McMansion, just a "modest" 2000sq ft. A typical McMansion here might be 40 feet wide, 25-foot garage, 5/10 setbacks, on the same 80-foot lot. Or they might squeeze the house front a bit to get another 5 feet and a third garage bay.But your point is my point. Blanket criticizism of front-facing garages is lame. The decision of how to face the garage is dependent on a dozen factors, varying by weather, geography, cost of land, zoning codes, and local styles.
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
"Blanket criticizism of front-facing garages is lame."But have yuou ever seen one that looks good? or compliments the house?
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I've seen some that look decent. Depends on what you expect, I suppose.
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
neighborhood, there are some houses where the garage sticks out from the house
There's a "neighborhood" in my town of high-density SFH (the zoning was called "town home") that were really zero-lot-liners.
These lots have avery distinct look--only a 20' front setback, and 5' side setbacks, on 40' x 95-105' lots.
So, the front facades are, 16' garage door, 3' entry door, next house. All the windows in these burkes are the street-side second floor ones, too. If it were not for the very-dynamic rental market in town, none of these would likely be occupied right now, they sold like ice in the Arctic as was.
Not suprisingly, no one else has asked to rezone to the town home model . . . Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Actually, just on the edge of "Pill Hill" in Rochester MN are several homes of that style. Fairly high-class homes built by Drs ca 1950. They would be about the same size as ours, overall, have 1/3 the lot space, and sell for twice what ours would sell for.
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
are several homes of that style. Fairly high-class homes built by Drs ca 1950
Not likely anybody would ever call that couple of streets "high class." All red brick & white vinyl brick mould trim (and a whopping great all-white garage door). They didn't bother to flip the plans, so it's 20' of driveway, a 3' walk, and 20-25' of lawn 17' deep (3' muni sidewalk along street). Then, a 25-26' tall facade with second floor flush to the garage door.
Best way to think of these dogs is of a row house, only with 5' of dead grass, 6' wooden fence, and 5' more dead grass in between.
The closest similar example would be a western midtown area in Houston that was slapped up by a prominent national builder--except those were three-story, three-unit townhouses on three consecutive lots. Had every "NOT" in this thread, too <g>
At least those units had a 20' back yard, and windows in back, too. Fronts are still something to see, though. Big double garage door and two-storey, but only 3'wide entry right along side that. And six different gables pooching out of the front elevation. Go in the entry door from the street, and it's a 15' tall straight flight of stairs; or the "lobby entry" from the garage.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
The ones I'm talking about have maybe 10 feet of driveway, 5 feet of setback on each side. Generally with the upper floor set back a bit from the garage front. Inside they're better-quality 50s era wood floors and trim.I suspect these were built in place of tear-down shotgun homes from the 20s, after all the good building lots on the Hill were gone.
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
As long as the lot is wide enough, the garage can be on the side and the driveway sweeps around to it. Of course, this increases the hard surfaces, but I think I'd rather have that than look at a bunch of garages.But whadda I know? We're on a corner and the horses can pull straight out of the carriage house onto the street...
Have you ever had to blow out (or shovel out) a 12" snowfall?
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
Just a 6" or 8" one last year (or maybe the year before). Took both of us something like 3 1/2 or 4 hours.Now I just pay.
oh yeah I forgot...
Skylights!!!!
1500$ hole in yer roof!!!
No thanks.
"The truth, when told does nothing but bolster a mans character."
It is like anything else. Much of what you house is going
to look like and how it is set up depends on how much
dough you can or are willing to burn. Most folks are
fine with the average tract house because it is
cost effective and reasonably convenient.
I may not LIKE it but that is what I can afford and live
with .
What amazes me is the whole McMansion giant box-o-sh_t
approach. Why not half or three quarters the size but
twice the quality if you have spare disposable income?
Yes, form follows function.What is the function of a house.The neighborhoods I prefer are the ones where the house serves the function of housing people and enabling them to be connected to the actual neighborhood. This means a porch, sidewalk, front yard that is actually used. If the function of the house is to be a fenced in compound, only entry via the SUV cave so one can escape to their backyard deck never to have to say a think to their neighbors, then the 3-car garage with attached house in back makes sense.
But that's not the case with the majority of houses I'm around. The garage needs to face the street so it can get USED.
Forms follows function, and the garage is functional. The primary purpose of my house is to be LIVED in, not to meet someone else's approval.
In a snowy climate, it sure is nice to have a place to plow the snow out of the way. Moving the garage door 90 degrees away from facing the street makes the plowing much easier. Otherwise, it either gets plowed in front of the door or has to be scraped out backwards.
That's if you have a plow. Most here have snow blowers -- no plows.
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
Around here it is the cordless shovel. Good exercise.
We have a long driveway that goes next to the house and leads to the garage behind the house. I really like it. I don't mind shovelling. Because the driveway is on the south side of the house and is frequently sheltered by some trees and the structure, shovelling usually isn't too bad. If I designed a home it would have the garage separate and sheltered from the street.
Problem is, 3-4 times a year we get 6-10 inches of heavy, wet snow. A few folks have tried getting plow guys to come and clear it out, but with that much heavy stuff you need a running start to push it, and the street isn't wide enough for that.
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
"Problem is, 3-4 times a year we get 6-10 inches of heavy, wet snow."
Ours is probably drier - we do have the greatest snow on earth according to our license plates.
You don't need a running start with a shovel.
Maybe they oughta try a 4x4 with snow tires and some weight in the bed. I plow snow like that plenty. Occasionally I might need to back up eight inches to get a purchase.
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>>>>>>>Occasionally I might need to back up eight inches to get a purchase.Yeah, me too. Oh, you're talking snow plowing - never mind.I invented the Lousiana 8" purchase.
"Let's go to Memphis in the meantime, baby" - John Hiatt.
http://grantlogan.net/
Shhh...you got me laughing so loud, I'll wake up my wife, and then she'll call me an Awhole.
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">>>>>>>Occasionally I might need to back up eight inches to get a purchase.
Yeah, me too. Oh, you're talking snow plowing - never mind.
I invented the Lousiana 8" purchase."
And that's why with a two car garage, you want to be careful which "door" you're plowing into.... Nothing like backing up 8" and driving into the wrong one....
>In a snowy climate, it sure is nice to have a place to plow the snow out of the way.Not only that, but sometimes the compass orientation matters. One client said the snows almost always came from one direction, and if we faced that way, the garage doors would be blocked with every snow. Facing the other way would never drift.
"Facing the other way would never drift."
Never is a dangerous word.
Around here, we've had strong winds blowing from the north, west, and south. Don't ever recall a hard blow from the east.
But that makes it virtually impossible to orient a garage so it doesn't get snow drifts.
Bumpersticker: Stupidity is not a crime, so you're free to go
>Never is a dangerous word.I was being quick and not quite so literal. Substitute "generally not". And if a client thinks that and wants the garage that way, then I'm happy to oblige. It's a local thing that's affected by the topography of the site, neighborhood, or region.
I thought maybe he was referring to a very large transom-type window or door over the entrance.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Garage doors in the front of the house, one maybe but nowadays there is usually 2-3.
Most of the house looks like a garage from the road.
What the problem is?
Like many others: the Jacuzzi is out.
Also, who needs 8'(or taller) entry doors--sometimes with an arched transom above that!
Steep pitched Texas Big Hair roofs are out.
Ornate stained or bevelled glass doors.--Out"Kinky for Gov. of Texas"
A "musthave" that I always envisioned (knowing it will never happen) it the "guy's bathroom."
Floor to ceiling tile (white), including ceiling. Urinal and toilet. Shower. Floor drain in the middle of the floor, everything sloping down to it.
Then, like a central vac where you just hook up the hose and the system comes on, I'd have a pressure washer station, where you just plug in the pressure hose and blast away for easy bathroom cleaning. I think Tim Taylor would approve.
Pete Duffy, Handyman
how about the gigantic exposed kitchens where everyone in every room can see stacks of empty pizza boxes because the homeowners 'love to cook'
J
I'm with ya on the Great Rooms, man they just seam to be a waste of space. I think T8 touched on it, usually a lot of windows facing another house with a lot of windows!
To me the great rooms is nothing more then a "see how much money we have" thing.
Others touched on it, the roof lines. Theres a reason that Shaker and Saltbox style houses never seem to loose their flavor.
Say "no thanks" to bad solar orientation. Neighbors have a big ol' picture window facing southwest with no porch, shade, or overhang. Sun makes the room so hot in the evenings that they can't use it.
#1 on my list is big 1-1/2 or 2 story pretentious entries with high windows that never get cleaned, and that look totally out of place on a tract home.
"...never charged nothing for his preaching, and it was worth it, too" - Mark Twain
The one and only thing I'd really require that I have while building my new house would be an architect. That alone would make it better than 95% of the crap going up in the 'burbs.
Some of our houses are tiny. Well mine is but.......
We have a deck at the back of the not big garden- with trellis bearing plants round. Most evenings herself and me sit out there with gin and whisky, we cannot be seen from the house tho the cats find us. Our little bit of Heaven, don't knock decks, they have their place.
Just tired of them personally....I didn't expect everyone to dislike all of the same things.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
Plum and level. Man, everybody builds plumb and level. I'm tired of it. <G>
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"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd." Voltaire