ᐅ House Photos Discussion Corner – Share Your Home Pictures!

Seven1984 schrieb:

yes. as generous and nice as a front yard/courtyard looks, it is so impractical....
I can understand wanting something like that, but for me personally, it would be an inefficient use of space

An interesting thought. What exactly makes the use of space on the property "efficient" in your opinion?
What do you consider "practical"—just low-maintenance, or something more?
And what is the actual purpose of the land surrounding the house, by which efficiency and practicality should be judged? (In principle, plots with single-family homes are an inefficient use of space.)

hampshire schrieb:

A funny thought. What makes the use of space on the site "efficient"?
From your perspective, what does "practical" mean – just "low-maintenance" or something more?
What exactly is the purpose of the land around the house, by which efficiency and practicality should be measured? (In principle, plots with single-family homes are an inefficient use of space.)

That really depends on the individual’s point of view and personal priorities. That’s why I only shared my personal opinion.
I primarily need the space in front of my house and street for parking and later for charging my car, and for short trips to the shops, etc.
The private area where I can relax may be a bit more generous, so I can enjoy some freedom without feeling like everyone is watching me.
My building project is certainly not an example of efficiency in the economic sense either.

Climbee schrieb:

I also don’t have a spice rack by the stove (where it gets messy if you cook a lot), but a drawer next to the stove instead. A hundred times better!

As long as the drawer doesn’t get messy instead, because it gets cleaned less often “since no one can see it anyway” 🙂

Climbee schrieb:

I don’t like the toaster sitting out in the open either – ours is in the pantry, which is right next to the kitchen.

We need ours several times a day. Always taking it out of the pantry or drawer and putting it away again? Do you do the same with the coffee machine? Interesting how opinions differ 🙂

Climbee schrieb:

I hate kitchens with countertops cluttered with stuff. Everyone manages that differently, of course.

Exactly...

Climbee schrieb:

So this is not the final state (can you ever really reach one?).

It probably depends on what kind of plans you have and how important it is to you. Friends of ours redesign their garden every year. Of course, not every single tree and shrub...

hampshire schrieb:

What makes the use of space on the property "efficient"?

Short, practical routes and workflows contribute to efficiency, among other factors. For us, this means having garages or a carport adjacent to the house, as well as storage rooms conveniently located "along the way." However, in my opinion, everyone needs to find their own (golden) middle ground.

Schimi1791 schrieb:

My wife would be bothered that, among other things, there is no spice rack near the cooktop. Where are the toaster, coffee machine ... space for a dish towel in the kitchen? I also don’t see any power outlets on the countertop (or are they recessed?) – I only see some in the bathroom 🙂

All of that is in the pantry 🙂
(You can see a door next to the stairs leading from the kitchen)

You have to distinguish between people who want to live more minimalistically and focus on completely different things than spice racks or clutter near the stove, which distracts (although I don’t really understand that, since a spice drawer isn’t exactly a new invention in a modern kitchen). You can also see built-in cabinets here that hide some practical everyday items.
Hobbies and play are then in the basement. Sooner or later, frequently used items won’t be put away so often because it takes time. Then some decorative knick-knacks will come in as well.
I (unfortunately) consciously decided against direct access to a pantry and only have a utility room around the corner. If I had a pantry, my toaster and other appliances would be ready to use in there so the kitchen would stay more or less clean. But I don’t really like a super-clean look either. A great automatic coffee machine or nice towels in the bathroom are nice decorations that make the home inviting.
I have also photographed properties that were already lived in, and before that, I said: depersonalize before adding selected decor. Essentially, that means “clear all surfaces of clutter.” That also applies to walls. Of course, you can’t do this with every client, but not only a cluttered bedside drawer sometimes tells a story about someone’s life. And here we are again with the spices 😉

The photo shoot often takes place before moving in – then a home stager comes with their red armchair, which only serves as a reference point in the photos to show how one room flows into another. It’s not about inviting you into the house but about showcasing the architecture itself. This is where the architect presents their work.

Our toaster is ready to use in the pantry, the coffee maker is left outside for now and will eventually be replaced by a stylish automatic coffee machine, which hopefully will be attractive enough to stay outside as well.

Having lots of stuff on the countertop means there’s a lot to clear away every time I clean, and it gathers dust. So, I try to reduce it. Our kitchen isn’t as tidy as the photos from Matthias (which were taken BEFORE moving in), and I think it probably isn’t as tidy for Matthias anymore either.

We have the KitchenAid out, a large bowl of fruit, two knife blocks (because we’re both knife enthusiasts – with plastic inserts where you can place the knives anywhere; I’d go crazy with a block where knives have to fit into fixed slots), salt and pepper mills, a Vulcanus knife sharpener, the coffee machine (still the cheap one from Aldi), sugar for coffee, and syrup for coffee (unfortunately the bottles are too tall to fit inside the drawers by the coffee machine). I’d like to replace the knife blocks with magnetic strips on the wall, but my husband doesn’t like them. I hope to convince him because they are even more practical.
Currently, there’s also a pot with basil (seasonal – otherwise it lives in the garden).
But otherwise, I try to keep things from piling up.

My experience: the countertop areas with nothing on them get wiped frequently – but behind our knife blocks, the sharpener, and the coffee machine, dust always collects in the corners because those spots aren’t cleaned as often. So, it’s better to keep the surface clear and easy to wipe down.