Old House Love

I follow a Facebook page called For The Love of Old Houses. They feature all sorts of old houses, on and off the market, all over the world. Some of them are beautifully restored with gorgeous landscaping, some have great bones but look pretty neglected and decrepit. It's always fun to click through the photos and I especially love when floor plans or even blueprints are shared. I try not to read the comments as they often are critical, even downright mean, concerning the decorating taste of the owners. Whatever. If you bought the house, you could pull down those heavy draperies and paint the rooms whatever color you choose. I always think you need to look beyond the surface details and appreciate things like natural light and the arrangement of the rooms and what it would be like to live in the house. There is a woman who comments frequently who simply lists numerous details of a room and how much she loves them. Among her loves are built-ins, light fixtures, wood floors with wide planks, and the color the room is painted. There are three things I laugh out loud about because they are so predictable. One concerns Christmas trees and their placement. That one would be perfect in front of those windows/in that little nook/next to that staircase/by the fireplace. I can just feel from my first glance at a photo that there will be a Christmas tree comment. The other is an ongoing difference of opinion on the location of the kitchen sink. The it absolutely must be in front of a window or that it doesn't need to be in front of a window. I have to say that it doesn't matter much to me. In my current home, I do have a window over the sink. I like it for one simple reason. It makes watering the plants on the sill very easy and obvious. I do feel a little exposed if I'm doing up a few dishes after dark since there is no curtain, just a valance, but it's not a big deal. My backyard is pretty private. The window is frequently spotty because washing pots and pans is a messy, splashy process. And that's kind of whatever for me as well. Windows get polished when they get polished, not on a schedule. My previous home did not have a window above the sink and that was just fine, too. I was probably looking at whatever kitchen sink task I was doing rather than enjoying the view. I am amused over this hotly contested controversy. Another kitchen controversy is the island with seating vs a table and chairs. There is no compromise on this issue, all those who comment are firmly ensconced in their camp. You are either an island person or a table and chairs person, there is no middle ground. If you ask me, anyone who has Christmas tree or kitchen sink placement or island/table and chairs requirements as a dealbreaker for buying a home, I hope you aren't married to someone who has conflicting views.