tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334613666852273616.post7802828089367196841..comments2024-03-22T17:08:13.623-07:00Comments on Across the Way: What the House WantsDewenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07330797553600987145noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334613666852273616.post-9115226626838457512013-05-05T10:16:48.565-07:002013-05-05T10:16:48.565-07:00I'm with you. Though I love both styles, and e...I'm with you. Though I love both styles, and even think they can exist side-by-side in the same house. My daughter and boyfriend's new house for example is open as you go in - with the living room/kitchen/eating area all one big space, but then you take a right and there is a hall with closeable rooms off it - a laundry room, and their bedroom which includes bath and closet. And the upstairs is the same - an open loft sitting area, and then a hall with bath and two bedrooms. To me it is the perfect mix of private and public.Nanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15547916206007733970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334613666852273616.post-24853985316268270482013-04-28T16:38:43.425-07:002013-04-28T16:38:43.425-07:00I totally agree. I'll never understand all of ...I totally agree. I'll never understand all of that open floor plan stuff. I want to be in my kitchen creating and not out in the middle involving everyone. I love the photos because I always look at every room and try to create a cozy place to read. I guess that is just something readers do. Soon there will be no books.......sigh......<br />My husband, the builder/remodeler would probably add to Rafferty's list...what the client wants that is structurally impossible. But then again, he thinks like a man. HAHA.<br />PS, I am close to Fernandina.Betty@SouthernGracehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10228521821272544610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334613666852273616.post-28264671684112852042013-04-24T16:34:42.627-07:002013-04-24T16:34:42.627-07:00I love the character of Rafferty - he speaks to my...I love the character of Rafferty - he speaks to my heart, as well. What does the house want? Our downstairs in the little cottage is sort of open plan but that's because it's so SMALL! The den, though is off by itself and sunken, so that you have to take two steps down to be in the room. I love the idea of little pockets. I wish we had a bit more room so that we could have more pockets.<br /><br />xo<br />ClaudiaClaudiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16691249261693845371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334613666852273616.post-70661310555851708812013-04-24T13:13:56.445-07:002013-04-24T13:13:56.445-07:00Hi Dewena, this post is wonderful! And Bryan's...Hi Dewena, this post is wonderful! And Bryan's rooms are gorgeous! I've always enjoyed small cozy rooms with books and lamps and doors. My first house had a tiny isolated kitchen. Then suddenly my two sweet babies turned into big strapping teenage boys with friends and ...sports. So we sold our little house and bought my blue cottage. There were still small cozy rooms but an open kitchen to a den with a fireplace and a TV. I wasn't alone anymore and a funny thing happened! I fell in love with cooking (about time my husband said) and treasure all the time with my family talking, playing cards, doing homework and working on projects in the den! The house I live in now is afforded some great memories. Thanks for making me think and appreciate it even more.Lottiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07242170607880601770noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334613666852273616.post-49790109300026734912013-04-24T11:48:23.735-07:002013-04-24T11:48:23.735-07:00Dear Dewena,
First, thank you for
your visit and ...Dear Dewena,<br /><br />First, thank you for<br />your visit and sweet<br />comment. I'm glad<br />the dread you felt at<br />the blog title didn't,<br />in fact, keep you from<br />reading!<br /><br />And, I just love your<br />thoughts about houses,<br />here. We have the open<br />plan, as well, but once<br />my last chick has left the<br />nest {won't be long ~<br />four years} then my hubby<br />and I want something<br />cozier, with the very nooks<br />and crannies that you so<br />beautifully describe.<br /><br />I'd have loved to have seen<br />pics of your own house : )<br />I wonder if it is a Rafferty type<br />or the open plan?<br /><br />Happy Wednesday!<br /><br />xo SuzannePrivet and Hollyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09384567378252265965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334613666852273616.post-39254871673029805602013-04-24T01:59:13.136-07:002013-04-24T01:59:13.136-07:00My home was built in the 40's its a tiny cape ...My home was built in the 40's its a tiny cape and its enough for me... I love the coziness of it. Marisa Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09818816716586417433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334613666852273616.post-25199173118693087882013-04-23T03:56:14.341-07:002013-04-23T03:56:14.341-07:00I couldn't agree with you more! My daughter ha...I couldn't agree with you more! My daughter has a 1950s ranch and took down walls so the living room, dining room and kitchen are now all open and I hate it. When we visit if anyone is in the kitchen the noise drowns out conversation or tv. And don't get me started on "We'll have to replace the kitchen". That is such a lie. They might want to replace the kitchen because they want everything brand new, but most of the time there is a functioning one present. It may not be modern and the latest style, but it has appliances, cupboards, sink, etc. The house hunters often some across as grossly entitled young snots. Michelehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10891846684740775290noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334613666852273616.post-32018186789401616362013-04-22T15:34:15.998-07:002013-04-22T15:34:15.998-07:00My house wants me to have far more money than I do...My house wants me to have far more money than I do...<br /><br />Then I'd add on rooms <br /><br />AFTER I did what the current rooms need....<br /><br />But basically I like your view of houses...<br /><br />If I could have what I wanted I'd have a sunroom / morning room and I'd have a dark cluttered library room with a fireplace and overstuffed chairs and lastly I'd have the kitchen at Poppyviews...<br /><br />And WAIT...out back I'd have a money tree...I'd pick money along with tomatoes and lettuce in the summer<br /><br />I think that I shall dream about all of this tonight :) It's fun, though! :) Debra at HOMESPUN: http://www.thehomespun.com https://www.blogger.com/profile/11413815687204893512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334613666852273616.post-87563365193514998862013-04-20T19:17:13.411-07:002013-04-20T19:17:13.411-07:00You must be my sister from another mother, Deweena...You must be my sister from another mother, Deweena, because I like nooks and crannies too... and the notion of a large empty room, with granite countertops and all stainless steel appliances makes me shudder. Give me the bookcases full of books and the untidy corners. Mary Ann https://www.blogger.com/profile/08136211832739830031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334613666852273616.post-79721483492036965282013-04-20T18:39:24.125-07:002013-04-20T18:39:24.125-07:00I personally have never wanted a lot of people in ...I personally have never wanted a lot of people in the kitchen when I cook. So, I guess that's why I have a small kitchen in a room all by itself. And I cannot understand, for the life of me, people wanting those humongous bathrooms when they could have living space elsewhere Oh well, I guess I'm old school.<br /><br />Judy20 North Orahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09215328045988219360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334613666852273616.post-17033049152388744302013-04-20T16:28:15.775-07:002013-04-20T16:28:15.775-07:00I love the book Belong to Me, by the way....great ...I love the book Belong to Me, by the way....great story. I do love windows, and we sacrificed much needed wall space for the floor to ceiling Georgian windows in this house. I like an open concept to a point. But you're right....sometimes we need cozy. We have an extra bedroom, and we converted it into a cozy library. I like that it's private, and not part of the "public" space in our home.<br /><br />LOVE this post!Ricki Treleavenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00363865916909018452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334613666852273616.post-29435117057494632642013-04-20T12:16:01.799-07:002013-04-20T12:16:01.799-07:00Love this post. Love the pictures - Our house look...Love this post. Love the pictures - Our house looks like the last one now but soon it's going to look more like the other ones, full of book cases and books instead of just piles of books! :) luckybunnyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17663313808544386765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334613666852273616.post-47038904395434071202013-04-20T11:00:06.107-07:002013-04-20T11:00:06.107-07:00I read "Belong To Me" earlier this year,...I read "Belong To Me" earlier this year, and I too thought about having Rafferty come do some renno at our home. I mean if he cold keep Lake interested.... But I digress...<br /><br />I love this post. We're inheriting my father-in-laws house in a couple of months, and have already started talking about "opening it up". Now I think I'm going to stop by and see if I can figure out "what the house wants..."Dixiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01388115336000505101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334613666852273616.post-28629074713171747602013-04-20T10:01:58.820-07:002013-04-20T10:01:58.820-07:00i am there. in that last picture. the coziness. th...i am there. in that last picture. the coziness. the crystal shining. the books.<br />heaven.<br />if i hear one more spoiled tasteless overspending creature whine...<br />"well. of course ... we'll have to completely re-do the entire kitchen. it's so dated and i must have granite countertops. cannot live without granite countertops." i just want to gag and throw something at the tv. they are usually looking at a perfectly fine kitchen! it's that show where they pick from 3 houses or something. i used to watch it. can't stand to anymore.<br />this post is masterful in every way.<br />thank you!<br />hugs to you on this wonderful weekend.<br />t<br />OH! plus almost forgot bryan. he is gorgeous isn't he. and so talented. my word. lucky lady. well two! you and your daughter! LOL.<br />tammy jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16568939993585811311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334613666852273616.post-60248967005514084222013-04-20T09:15:53.459-07:002013-04-20T09:15:53.459-07:00My husband was working on an old Victorian house i...My husband was working on an old Victorian house in St. Augustine. I helped him one day and was in house heaven. I couldn't even count all of the rooms and hidden spaces. I could have spent hours wandering around and daydreaming. I know what you mean. I love nooks and crannies, too.<br /><br />P.S. I also love Amelia Island & Fernadina Beach.Jaimehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11551934375166879796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334613666852273616.post-85192385417853803172013-04-20T04:41:04.499-07:002013-04-20T04:41:04.499-07:00Good morning Mom :)Good morning Mom :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08792484702470439786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334613666852273616.post-57768393934904043822013-04-19T16:11:54.091-07:002013-04-19T16:11:54.091-07:00what a very wise man! Dave and I always tried to d...what a very wise man! Dave and I always tried to do what the house wanted; we made very few changes...perhaps half dozen in all. the house is, very much, just like Mr. Hawkins built it 111+ years ago.<br />the thing I hate most about selling my house/farm are the snide comments. if you don't like the house, there are nice ways of saying it, "It's a nice house but not right for us". ugh. I'm determined though.Thistle Cove Farmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15722295191884810953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334613666852273616.post-67981716382839640742013-04-19T15:12:41.183-07:002013-04-19T15:12:41.183-07:00The rooms in your photos have character, Dewena. S...The rooms in your photos have character, Dewena. Something lacking in many of the open floor plans today. This is a great post, and I love how you tied it all in with your favorite character. Bryan's design is very pretty. I think our whole house would fit in the pool. LOLNancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12854211710203164265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334613666852273616.post-25546001340698462192013-04-19T15:07:09.888-07:002013-04-19T15:07:09.888-07:00We are often told how cozy and comfortable our hom...We are often told how cozy and comfortable our home is, yet we have large rooms and ten, twelve, and even 18 foot ceilings. The basement has 9 foot ceilings. We've managed to do cozy, because that is what the house gravitated towards. We listened. <br /><br />We had 7 ft ceilings in the farmhouse, but the front room, kitchen and dining room were all in one big room. Not as cozy as the bigger home with taller ceilings. Even though the rooms are larger, there are walls and french doors etc, dividing them.<br /><br />I know what you mean about potential buyers. We had at least one say our living room was way too small. It is actually fairly good sized and adjacent to the larger hearth room, connected through a french door. They are extensions of each other making a really large room. <br /><br />You might like Norm Abrams' This New House (1995). It isn't a renovation story, but rather the story of building his home. I wonder if he still lives there. It's good read.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334613666852273616.post-57145734125274673032013-04-19T14:04:22.794-07:002013-04-19T14:04:22.794-07:00I think that is what I love about old houses, Dewe...I think that is what I love about old houses, Deweena...that moving from room to room and discovering those small surprises. What a GREAT post-xo DianaNanaDianahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14298962791700019785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334613666852273616.post-38548526290733698032013-04-19T10:53:50.164-07:002013-04-19T10:53:50.164-07:00Deweena....you describe the perfect home.....I hav...Deweena....you describe the perfect home.....I have a tiny kitchen everyone comes in to see what's cooking, we all have our favorite go to nook or cranny but enjoy cuddling in the living room watching a movie! Thank you!Marisa Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09818816716586417433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334613666852273616.post-24600611484933062762013-04-19T09:25:14.714-07:002013-04-19T09:25:14.714-07:00Oh yes! I'd hire your s-i-l if I could. Thank...Oh yes! I'd hire your s-i-l if I could. Thanks for the link to his work. laurieBargain Decorating with Lauriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13582640485560903639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334613666852273616.post-2754613231793388822013-04-19T09:23:50.688-07:002013-04-19T09:23:50.688-07:00Another interesting post, Dewena! We have built o...Another interesting post, Dewena! We have built or remodeled 10 homes in our 45 years (yeah...moved a lot!) Have had good builders, bad builders and did it ourselves. We still laugh about the worst one. Guy named Wayne in Vancouver, WA. His favorite saying was "you've got a problem here"...emphasis on the "you" ! <br /><br />I looked at the link to Bryan's website. Wow!!! Very nice!Rayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17220541167338802642noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334613666852273616.post-54365703003062906022013-04-19T09:21:37.049-07:002013-04-19T09:21:37.049-07:00Dewena, these photos are perfection. In each of t...Dewena, these photos are perfection. In each of them, I wanted to crawl into the photo and sit down to read. I haven't even read the book, and I love Mr. Rafferty. What a wise person he is. I do love my open kitchen. I used to feel so alone when I was cooking. I also love my little study, where hardly anyone, except me, ventures. It's filled with books and objects that "speak to me". Now, I'm off to see your s-i-l's work. laurieBargain Decorating with Lauriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13582640485560903639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7334613666852273616.post-37525341121872423562013-04-19T07:46:33.370-07:002013-04-19T07:46:33.370-07:00Such cozy photos, you make a good point. I go back...Such cozy photos, you make a good point. I go back and forth, wanting solitude with privacy and togetherness in large spaces.What I don't like in new homes are the giant master bathrooms where a couple has to be together while "primping." Sometimes a girl just needs privacy!<br />Leslie Anne Tarabellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02196752637270349443noreply@blogger.com