Re: Cookie Cutter Lifestyles

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 7/15/2007 4:45:42 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, no_reply writes:

Sometimes I look at "pre-planned" neighborhoods and don't like what I see. When I see town homes, for example, what I see is that some architect designed architectural venus flytraps for people to get caught in. I used to live in a town home and I hated it.For me to enjoy where I am living, the house or place of residence has to suit me. In a way, looking for a house is like looking for a marital parter. It has to be just the right fit.Does anyone else feel this way?TomAdministrator

All of this is done for reasons of cost. There are several developments around here in progress and there are others that have been built. They usually say they have 3 or 4 base designs with maybe 2 different interior plans. This similarity allows builders to reduce costs since "kits" can be bought and the crews don't have to spend as much time building the different designs.

Even so, this cost cutting hasn't stopped many of them from using substandard materials, building on unsuitable lots and using LOTS of illegals.

Even many of the magazines featuring home plans are like that. The exteriors may be a little different, but most of the interiors are the same layout, just smaller or larger depending on the size of the house. Most of those designs have serious flaws in my opinion. Chief among these is placing the master bedroom right in the noisiest part of the house. In many of them, it either connects to the kitchen, the family room where all the entertainment and noisy stuff is, or it is on the second floor over those noisy rooms. Often the layouts are also odd.

My design would have the master suite near the kitchen but away from the noisy room, probably in an annex extending from the house is possible. Likewise, the walls and windows there would have much soundproofing. If I could design it so, the master suite at least would be below ground, partly the seemingly genetic fear of strong storms that runs in the family. It isn't the thunder that bothers me, like the others, it is the wind and the tornadoes.

I've also always like the design of ships. Very efficient and sensible. I would like to have the sleeping spaces on one end, the kitchen and bathrooms in the middle and the noisy spaces on the far end. The bedrooms would have good insulation, both for noise and temperature and that would downgrade a little across the way. There would also be a shelter underneath, if possible, for storms or long duration stays such as in the event of a Hurricane.

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[Guest guest]

Tom wrote: " ... <snip> ... Sometimes I look at " pre-planned "

neighborhoods and don't like what I see ... <snip> ... Does anyone

else feel this way? "

I am not a great supporter of pre-fab anything .... houses, music,

groups, food, etc. I much rather prefer that what is created be an

expression of the person or persons who participated in the creation.

I like things that aren't cookie cutter perfect. I like things that

shout " individuality " and I like things that are unique. I like

people who aren't every day and I like animals because they go about

their every day lives fitting in where they ought to and yet standing

out as they wish.

Raven

Co-Administrator

[Guest guest]

I think you have a beautiful way of looking at things.

I am not going to fault other people and where and they choose to live

or how they furnish their abodes, yet I cannot see myself living as

they do.

Just walking through the store today, I was struck with how much junk

there is for sale that is unappealing to me, and the store I was in

was part of a chain, so surely there was the same junk stocked in

almost every store of the chain, and that this junk must be appealing

to someone otherwise it would not have been bought and would not sell.

I was also struck by how few stores sell things that appeal to me, yet

whatever I own seems to be envied by others, as though they are

treasures.

It suggsests to me that people want something with more quality and

more individuality, but are willing to settle for less, even if what

is " less " is more expensive.

Sad.

Tom

Administrator

I am not a great supporter of pre-fab anything .... houses, music,

groups, food, etc. I much rather prefer that what is created be an

expression of the person or persons who participated in the creation.

I like things that aren't cookie cutter perfect. I like things that

shout " individuality " and I like things that are unique. I like

people who aren't every day and I like animals because they go about

their every day lives fitting in where they ought to and yet standing

out as they wish.

Raven

Co-Administrator

[Guest guest]

" Even many of the magazines featuring home plans are like that. The

exteriors may be a little different, but most of the interiors are the

same layout, just smaller or larger depending on the size of the

house. Most of those designs have serious flaws in my opinion. Chief

among these is placing the master bedroom right in the noisiest part

of the house. In many of them, it either connects to the kitchen, the

family room where all the entertainment and noisy stuff is, or it is

on the second floor over those noisy rooms. Often the layouts are also

odd. "

And yet most people go for these sorts of plans. It is not like they

don't have other choices. On some weird level people LIKE these

strange plans. The MAJORITY of people like them, otherwise there would

not be so many town homes, condos, and communities with only a few

interior designs. You can drive down a road an know which builder did

which house or town home. Almost like " That one is a Mc's. That

one is a 's. That one is a Burger King. "

The one thing I hated in my Townhome Board literature was this one

word: " Community. " Obviously there were rules so that you could not

change the exterior appearance of your home, and I can get that. But

the literature made it seem as if you wanted to be SOCIALLY ACCEPTED,

then you ought to be complying with all sorts of rules, like emptying

your mailbox out every day, etc.

Ridiculous crap like that.

Enough to make me want to throw up. I am happy I no longer live there.

Tom

Administrator

[Guest guest]

I'd be interested in seeing your tank and armored vehicle collection.

A long time ago I thought of starting a military model ship

collection. I built the Bismark, but never got beyond that. I've kept

my army men from my childhood, and some of the sets of cast iron

vehicles I bought to go with it I have since seen going for tripple

what I paid for them in hobby shops, but they would not be the

collector's editions you are talking about.

Tom

Administrator

My main poison is books and certain collectibles. My biggest one of

those are these series of model tanks and armored vehicles. I've got

most of the set, minus the few pieces I wasn't interested in, and some

of them are still in the box rather than on display because I have run

out of space for them. As a result, I have also stopped collecting

them, which shouldn't pose a problem since I have models of the tanks

I was interested in. Now, if they come out with a British Mark I from

WWI, I'll probably buy one of those. I also have some anime figures

and such, but they aren't that big and most of them are in a box with

only a few on display currently (I vary the displays every couple of

years). I could post some pictures is anyone is interested.

[Guest guest]

>

For me to enjoy where I am living, the house or place of residence has

> to suit me. In a way, looking for a house is like looking for a

> marital parter. It has to be just the right fit.

>

> Does anyone else feel this way?

>

> Tom

> Administrator

>

very much, an unaltered space can depress me but then I do not like to

move, and mild seculusion is best. i hate to feel exposed

[Guest guest]

Yep.

>

> Sometimes I look at " pre-planned " neighborhoods and don't like what

I

> see. When I see town homes, for example, what I see is that some

> architect designed architectural venus flytraps for people to get

> caught in.

>

> I used to live in a town home and I hated it.

>

> For me to enjoy where I am living, the house or place of residence

has

> to suit me. In a way, looking for a house is like looking for a

> marital parter. It has to be just the right fit.

>

> Does anyone else feel this way?

>

> Tom

> Administrator

>

[Guest guest]

If I cannot find what I like, what appeals to me I create it if I

can - that way I generally have something that is 'tailored' to me

and created by me :-) and plus if it doesn't turn out exactly how I

planned I consider it a learning experience.

>

> I think you have a beautiful way of looking at things.

>

> I am not going to fault other people and where and they choose to

live

> or how they furnish their abodes, yet I cannot see myself living as

> they do.

>

> Just walking through the store today, I was struck with how much

junk

> there is for sale that is unappealing to me, and the store I was in

> was part of a chain, so surely there was the same junk stocked in

> almost every store of the chain, and that this junk must be

appealing

> to someone otherwise it would not have been bought and would not

sell.

>

> I was also struck by how few stores sell things that appeal to me,

yet

> whatever I own seems to be envied by others, as though they are

> treasures.

>

> It suggsests to me that people want something with more quality and

> more individuality, but are willing to settle for less, even if

what

> is " less " is more expensive.

>

> Sad.

>

> Tom

> Administrator

[Guest guest]

" The blinds in this room stay down practically all the time and if I

want to look outside, I go to one of the other rooms to look out. "

I'm with you. the only time I open my shades and curtains are on rainy

days when a storm is coming in. I like to see the color of the sky

during those times and see the lightning strikes.

I do not like house with lots of open spaces and lots of windows for

the same reasons you don't like them.

Tom

Administrator