Confessions of a House Snob

[Civic]

I'm afraid my earlier post left some posters with the wrong impression. My house snobbery doesn't stem from having always lived in grand, immaculately maintained dwellings. I wish. I grew up in an out-of-date house in a declining, inner-city neighborhood.

My current dwelling is a bog standard, 1980's, faux colonial townhouse. L-shaped living/dining room, kitchen and half-bath on the first floor, two bedrooms and a full bathroom on the second floor. Sheetrock walls, kitchen cabinets and bathroom fixtures from Home Depot. Over the years I've replaced the carpet with hardwood floors in the living/dining room and bedrooms. My other splurge is custom window treatments.

[modern_muslimah]

I'm Chinese and we've never worn shoes inside the house. It's way more comfortable and the dog won't wipe his butt ALL over every square foot of the carpet, while people will walk all over the place eventually.

I don't understand why people wear shoes inside their homes. It just makes it dirtier a lot faster, and it's more comfortable to walk inside in socks! But then again I don't understand why some people wash their dishes twice when using the dishwasher.

It's the same in almost every Muslim home I've been to as well. We also have a no shoe policy in our home. It worked out great since every room in the house is carpeted. I have a cat and I don't notice her wiping her butt on the carpet. It's just more comfortable to walk around bare foot. I hate staying in homes where I have to keep my shoes on.

[genevieve]

I am a dog owner(beagle). But my dog has never been allowed in the carpeted rooms or even on the furniture. I admit to being a snob about not allowing animals on furniture, especially in bed. I actually don't like sitting on furniture that animals have been on. Do many people allow their animals on their furniture anymore?

I don't have a dog anymore, but she was allowed on the couch and on the bed - I always had a blanket on one part of each to mark where she was allowed to sleep (and to keep the rest of it clean). She shed like a mofo, so despite sweeping daily and vaccuuming usually 2x per week, there were always drifts of dog hair in my apartment.

I still have a cat and she sleeps on the bed and sits wherever she pleases.

I will say that owning pets - especially these pets - meant that I made sure to have no carpeting anywhere when I was looking for a home to buy.

[modern_muslimah]

My cat pretty much is allowed anywhere in the house (counters are off limit when I'm home at least). She sleeps on our bed, couches, chairs, floors-whatever is comfortable for her. She also sheds so there's always cat hair in the house. Lent rollers are a God send for our clothes.

As for being a snob, I'm not much of a snob for material things. I couldn't even tell you what type of house I live in and I only get furniture for utilitarian purposes. I eat at chain restaurants (not that I mind non-chain restaurants) and as for clothes, I usually shop at thrift shops. My husband and I are both geeks who are only snobs about books.

[galaxygirl]

Yep. After my earlier rant about how neat and clean I am, well, I have a long-haired cat and he sits where he wants to sit, except on the dining room table, kitchen counters or my desk.

Not only is my dog allowed on my desk, she demands it (she's 6 pounds, so she fits). That's where she is right now actually. :-)

I don't have a dog anymore, but she was allowed on the couch and on the bed - I always had a blanket on one part of each to mark where she was allowed to sleep (and to keep the rest of it clean).

I used to put a blanket down on a part of the bed for my dog to lay down on (she doesn't sleep there at night because I'm allergic to her) but she had this nasty little habit of scrunching up the blanket and peeing on it (she's a puppy mill rescue and didn't have very good potty etiquette when I first got her due to being forced to go potty where she slept) but she's gotten a lot better since I got her last year. Now, she can lie on the bed, but I either vacuum my quilt or throw it in the dryer afterwards.

[Japanfan]

I don't have a dog anymore, but she was allowed on the couch and on the bed - I always had a blanket on one part of each to mark where she was allowed to sleep (and to keep the rest of it clean). She shed like a mofo, so despite sweeping daily and vaccuuming usually 2x per week, there were always drifts of dog hair in my apartment.

I still have a cat and she sleeps on the bed and sits wherever she pleases.

My dog is allowed on the couch and bed as well but blanket or no blanket, she sheds all over the place and her long hair collects dirt, which she also sheds. We have a futon couch so we can wash the cover but I've pretty much given up on trying to keep it totally free of dog hair. It would take about 100 sticky link remover strips per day.

I've tried a throw but that hasn't worked - she destroyed one throw with loose weave already. And she doesn't like the new pillows I got for the couch either, recently destroyed the zipper in both of them.

Add to the mix a cat who likes to scratch on furniture and has destroyed the two chairs in my office.

I'd love to get a leather couch - ideal for the dog - but there is no point, unless we have another cat that doesn't scratch (this one is 17 years old) or learns to use a scratching post.

I figure that if you love your furniture more than your animals, you shouldn't have animals.
Plus, she recently doesn't like my new

I will say that owning pets - especially these pets - meant that I made sure to have no carpeting anywhere when I was looking for a home to buy.

Oh yes, carpeting and pets = nightmare. I have area rugs which I shake out or vacuum, and that needs to be done at least once a day.

[Rex]

I'm afraid my earlier post left some posters with the wrong impression. My house snobbery doesn't stem from having always lived in grand, immaculately maintained dwellings. I wish. I grew up in an out-of-date house in a declining, inner-city neighborhood.

My current dwelling is a bog standard, 1980's, faux colonial townhouse. L-shaped living/dining room, kitchen and half-bath on the first floor, two bedrooms and a full bathroom on the second floor. Sheetrock walls, kitchen cabinets and bathroom fixtures from Home Depot. Over the years I've replaced the carpet with hardwood floors in the living/dining room and bedrooms. My other splurge is custom window treatments.

Then...you aren't a house snob. You just want a different house.
Just make sure it has a real, working fireplace, or don't talk to me anymore .

[genevieve]

I'd love to get a leather couch - ideal for the dog - but there is no point, unless we have another cat that doesn't scratch (this one is 17 years old) or learns to use a scratching post.

Afriend gave me a very nice (but slightly worn) leather couch when she moved out of town. My cat doesn't scratch it at all - in fact she doesn't like to touch it. She only gets on it if I'm on it (and she sits on me), or recently she knocked down one of the throw pillows and will sleep on it. I think she doesn't like the feel of the leather on her pads.

[sk8er1964]

Then...you aren't a house snob. You just want a different house.
Just make sure it has a real, working fireplace, or don't talk to me anymore .

We have a real, working wood stove. What do you think about that, Mr. Fireplace Snob?

(Personally, I don't like it too much but it does massively reduce our gas heating bills so it's worth it even if it is dirty and often too hot.)

[genevieve]

Oh how I long for a fireplace! If I am ever able to buy a house there are two things that are must-haves: gas stove and a fireplace. sigh!

[Rex]

We have a real, working wood stove. What do you think about that, Mr. Fireplace Snob?

(Personally, I don't like it too much but it does massively reduce our gas heating bills so it's worth it even if it is dirty and often too hot.)

It must be a firePLACE. Don't talk to me. just kidding.

[Prancer]

I have a beautiful two-story working wood-burning fireplace. Know how many New Yorkers would kill for this? (Me, I am scared to death of fireplaces and always have been. Not sure I will ever use it. No gas in the building, either, so I can't convert it.

Your fireplace is like a work of art, though, so you can always justify it by saying that you don't want to ruin its beauty with ashes and smoke.

Just make sure it has a real, working fireplace, or don't talk to me anymore .

Whew, I can still speak to Rex .

I'd really rather have a woodstove, though. The fireplace is pretty when the logs are crackling, but you have to practically sit in the grate to get warm.

[Rex]

Whew, I can still speak to Rex .

Only you, Prancer...

I'd really rather have a woodstove, though. The fireplace is pretty when the logs are crackling, but you have to practically sit in the grate to get warm.

That seems to be a problem with fireplaces. It really has to be a good fire. And you have to make sure the chimney is not dirty and is drawing well.

[GarrAarghHrumph]

I don't like wood stoves because the entire thing gets blazing hot. I've always been afraid my daughter would trip and hit it. We sold our old, humongous wood stove, and got a very petite pellet stove which not only is more effective re: heating the house, but also doesn't end up with a hot surface, so IMO, lots safer.

I also don't like fireplaces for similar, kid-related safety reasons. They're pretty, but just not right for me.

[PRlady]

I had two working wood fireplaces in my old house and was thrilled, I had always wanted one. Actually we used the one in the living room only a few times a winter and it did very little to warm the room, much less the rest of the house. It's one of those things that are better in theory than practice.

Two different winters when we lost power, though, the one in the basement rec room was better than nothing (we had a sleep sofa down there.) It was still so cold I was afraid the cats would singe themselves getting closer to the fire to keep warm.

[sk8er1964]

I don't like wood stoves because the entire thing gets blazing hot. I've always been afraid my daughter would trip and hit it. We sold our old, humongous wood stove, and got a very petite pellet stove which not only is more effective re: heating the house, but also doesn't end up with a hot surface, so IMO, lots safer.

I also don't like fireplaces for similar, kid-related safety reasons. They're pretty, but just not right for me.

My son's first word was not "Mom" or "Dad" or anything like that. It was "hot". This was because we were always pointing at the woodstove and saying "don't touch, it's hot" or "stay away, it's hot".

[KCC]

The newer wood burning fireplace inserts are very efficient at bringing in fresh air (with controls to vary the burn rate) and blowing the hot air into the room. The one in our last house made the entire floor so warm that we rarely had the hot-air fan on, and occasionally even had to open the windows. The wood stove in our current home is not nearly as pretty, but it is also very good at heating the house. The hot surfaces allow us to put a nice humidifier pan on it to add moisture to the dry mountain air.

[Hooloovoo]

Afriend gave me a very nice (but slightly worn) leather couch when she moved out of town. My cat doesn't scratch it at all - in fact she doesn't like to touch it. She only gets on it if I'm on it (and she sits on me), or recently she knocked down one of the throw pillows and will sleep on it. I think she doesn't like the feel of the leather on her pads.

I've got a little scratcher too and the suede recliner I have is the one chair he won't touch at all. I recently splurged to recover a chair he scratched the heck out of with suede and he hasn't touched it at all. He will sleep on them though! I think for leather and suede they can't hook their nails in between the threads like on other fabric.

-Hoo

[Dragonlady]

I had two working wood fireplaces in my old house and was thrilled, I had always wanted one. Actually we used the one in the living room only a few times a winter and it did very little to warm the room, much less the rest of the house. It's one of those things that are better in theory than practice.

Two different winters when we lost power, though, the one in the basement rec room was better than nothing (we had a sleep sofa down there.) It was still so cold I was afraid the cats would singe themselves getting closer to the fire to keep warm.

We had a old-fashioned wood cooking stove in the kitchen at the cottage and it kept the cottage toasty warm in winter until we installed baseboard heaters, but even then we mostly used the wood stove.

I used to lay in bed in the morning not wanting to be the first up because then I'd have to get up in the cold and get the fire going - before I've had my coffee. I don't do anything before I've had my coffee.

[Debbie S]

I think I'm a car snob. Not which type of car - you don't need to drive some super-expensive, top-of-the-line vehicle - but could you at least keep your car clean (and smelling somewhat OK)? And at a certain age, don't we all outgrow tiny little cars with 2 doors (and/or a hatchback) and almost no back seat, that you need to be a contortionist to get into? I know we all like to get good gas mileage, but let's not be impractical.