Althouse: You're looking to buy a new home, you begin with high hopes, you're clicking through photos on Zillow...

January 30, 2019

You're looking to buy a new home, you begin with high hopes, you're clicking through photos on Zillow...

... and you get to this:

101 comments:

Chris said...: I love the whole look and feel of a proper mid century modern designed house. If this were in the right house (ie, not a cookie cutter mcmansion) I would totally dig it. I would probably change the lighting, but other than that it's perfect.; 1/30/19, 8:24 AM
gilbar said...: the Only Problem would be; what color towels?; 1/30/19, 8:26 AM
I Have Misplaced My Pants said...: Way lower brow, but a house in my neighborhood has been on the market for ages, due (I'm sure) to the owners having ripped out the backyard and built a mini golf course in it. If that's your thing and you're never going to sell your house, sure, but otherwise it seems ... unwise.; 1/30/19, 8:27 AM
My name goes here. said...: With a mirror that far off the floor? No way.; 1/30/19, 8:29 AM
Unknown said...: It's just a bathroom.

I would need to see t'other rooms.; 1/30/19, 8:29 AM
Matt said...: I like it. To each his own.; 1/30/19, 8:29 AM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: I dig it, but it’s not far from the locker room showers of my ‘70’s built high school. I like something a little warmer first thing at 530 on a winter morning.; 1/30/19, 8:30 AM
My name goes here. said...: With a bathroom mirror installed that high? No way!; 1/30/19, 8:30 AM
Static Ping said...: Two problems that make it a non-starter for me:

1. I need a soaking tub. As this appears to be the main bathroom, if there is not one in there then there is probably not one anywhere. (An outdoor hot tub does not count.)
2. While the design makes it look very artsy and the artsy is fine, the wall to wall tiling makes it look like the showers in a school locker room. The clash between abstract art and base utilitarianism is jarring.; 1/30/19, 8:31 AM
traditionalguy said...: It will need White towels and black soap. The Art is the thing.; 1/30/19, 8:31 AM
tcrosse said...: The door, which you can see in the mirror, does not match the scheme.; 1/30/19, 8:31 AM
tim maguire said...: In a restaurant or something like that, sure. But in a house? Not my house.; 1/30/19, 8:31 AM
Krumhorn said...: I like the idea, but this wouldn’t work for me day after day. I don’t know if it’s the lights or the turquoise or both.

- Krumhorn; 1/30/19, 8:32 AM
Bob Boyd said...: Too much like a restroom at a gas and grocery. I'd keep expecting a stranger walk in on me. The light over the sink really contributes to the public toilet ambiance.; 1/30/19, 8:32 AM
Dave Begley said...: Can we have a poll about polls? See below.

Should Althouse do more polls?

A. Hell yes. Althouse is great at picking questions and answers.

B. Hell no. Althouse is infringing on the professionals; especially with her clever choices and how they are phrased.

C. I hate polls as a general proposition

D. Those answering the polls are self-selected so they are meaningless outside of the Althouse community.

E. "I don't care." Tommy Lee Jones in "The Fugitive."; 1/30/19, 8:33 AM
Wince said...: Functional. Looks like it’d be convenient if you were into dragging people home to dismember them.

But where do you poop?; 1/30/19, 8:33 AM
Grant said...: Before he painted stuff like that, Mondrian actually painted beautiful, representational stuff. Sad.; 1/30/19, 8:33 AM
Henry said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 1/30/19, 8:33 AM
tim maguire said...: While we're criticizing functional choices, the sink looks splashy.; 1/30/19, 8:33 AM
J. Farmer said...: Not my cup of tea, but I can appreciate it. On the other hand, the construction work looks a little shoddy.; 1/30/19, 8:34 AM
Henry said...: If it were a kitchen I'd say no, but for a bathroom, go with the flow!; 1/30/19, 8:34 AM
Henry said...: If you hate it, retiling a bathroom is just a few thousand dollars.

Do it before you move in. And get the wood floors refinished at the same time.; 1/30/19, 8:35 AM
CWJ said...: The wooden door, pinned on mirror, and old fluorescent light ruin the effect. If you're going to do this, take it all the way.; 1/30/19, 8:35 AM
WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...: The best part about that entire room is the lack of a raised shower threshold. Great way to wheel yourself in there, if needed. or - no tripping.; 1/30/19, 8:38 AM
chillblaine said...: EDH, do you have a business card? LOL at your imagination! Dude. Anyway, I have to go run out. It's not the videotapes. My JONES at the moment (atm) is referential to this stupid movie, "Joey What Goes Up Against Dis Volcano." My name in Waponi Woo language is, "yeccch breath, you look like you could use some orange soda. Now into the volcano."; 1/30/19, 8:39 AM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: It is kind of cool in an artistic statement way. I rather like it to look at. Not to live with. The door does take away from the art statement. A solid black door and black towels :-)

However, when you are trying to sell your house, generic is usually the safer choice to go with. What is beautiful to you might not be to others. Your special custom touches are likely to be torn to shreds when you sell.

It's ok though. Take the money and run.; 1/30/19, 8:41 AM
hawkeyedjb said...: I have a bike jersey that looks exactly like that room. If I walked in there I'd disappear.; 1/30/19, 8:41 AM
SweatBee said...: Replace the glass shower door with a plastic curtain, and you've got the local Y.; 1/30/19, 8:42 AM
Rick.T. said...: The water flowing from the shower onto those tiles in the bathroom area are going to be a big problem someday.; 1/30/19, 8:42 AM
Static Ping said...: Speaking of things that make it hard to sell your house, when I bought my house there was another similar one three doors down also for sale. It was the last one I toured before making a decision. The house was very nice and fulfilled all my needs, but the problem was the backyard. It was beautiful: a large deck that could sustain dozens of party goers, a perfectly manicured garden, a koi pond with koi present, and a swimming pool complete with a fire pit. It was about as nice as one could make a somewhat larger than average suburban lot. And once I got over the awe of what a glorious place this was, I realized that the time and money necessary to maintain the place was going to be ridiculous, especially considering it cost roughly 20% more than the house I ended up buying.

I later found out that the heavenly backyard estate ended up selling for the same price as my house, despite the fact that the heavenly house was objectively better in just about every way.; 1/30/19, 8:43 AM
Bob Boyd said...: "If you're going to do this, take it all the way."

I agree. Put in a paper towel dispenser with no towels in it and scratch some crude limericks onto the wall around the toilet.; 1/30/19, 8:43 AM
MayBee said...: I think it is cool but not for me.; 1/30/19, 8:43 AM
Left Bank of the Charles said...: House hunting in Portlandia?; 1/30/19, 8:44 AM
Ray - SoCal said...: Grout is not cleaned on shower floor.

Agree- Light needs to be updated.

Agree on door, color does not fit.

Colors are intriguing, but too much blue in adjacent areas. Should have alternated more. I’m also not a big fan of baby blue, it does not match the shade of red and yellow.

Upgraded sink, shower doors, and shower heads.; 1/30/19, 8:44 AM
MayBee said...: And yes, the rest of the house has to match.; 1/30/19, 8:45 AM
mockturtle said...: It looks like a jail cell but more colorful.; 1/30/19, 8:46 AM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Scandavia?; 1/30/19, 8:47 AM
Lance said...: Mondrian? Okay.

Basin sink? Absolutely not.; 1/30/19, 8:48 AM
WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...: OT: Go Schultz.

The Schultz - Peer Pressure, that works, to kill-off bad ideas. win.; 1/30/19, 8:48 AM
Big Mike said...: I always thought Mondrian was overrated. This room does not change my mind.; 1/30/19, 8:49 AM
rehajm said...: Paint the bath white and hang a Mondrian print. Call it a success.; 1/30/19, 8:51 AM
rcocean said...: Easily converted to a gas chamber.; 1/30/19, 8:52 AM
Temujin said...: I've always been attracted to Mondrian...until this. Hell no. Not in my bathroom. Not something I want to view with early morning eyes.; 1/30/19, 8:52 AM
I Have Misplaced My Pants said...: 23 above zero and fair in Asheville

Not a bad plan; 1/30/19, 8:53 AM
Lucid-Ideas said...: It's well known that cross-hatch/plaid makes people look "heavier". I say fine if it's your thing...but lose the mirrors.; 1/30/19, 8:53 AM
Bob Boyd said...: It's uglier'n a steakhouse baby.; 1/30/19, 8:54 AM
Michael The Magnificent said...: Reminds me of the Partridge Family bus.; 1/30/19, 8:54 AM
WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...: Rick Turley - not if they slopped the floor properly.
Hard to know from a photograph.; 1/30/19, 8:56 AM
Rick said...: Missing Option:

"I see why it's still available".; 1/30/19, 8:56 AM
Robert Cook said...: I dig it, even though I'm not particularly keen on Mondrian.; 1/30/19, 8:56 AM
Chris said...: Can you post a link to the home on Zillow? I'd like to see what else there is.; 1/30/19, 8:58 AM
lgv said...: "Blogger Chris said...
I love the whole look and feel of a proper mid century modern designed house. If this were in the right house (ie, not a cookie cutter mcmansion) I would totally dig it. I would probably change the lighting, but other than that it's perfect."

We have an architecturally designed mid-centurty "influenced" modern home. We do not have weirdly colored tiles anywhere. This style is not indicative of MCM. This is just a strange cartoonish abomination of a modern bathroom for a kid. I have a few books on MCM homes. You won't find this bathroom in any of them.; 1/30/19, 9:00 AM
±Ᵽ™ said...: Reminds me of Studio line L'Oreal mid 80's, explains why the mirror is so high.; 1/30/19, 9:01 AM
Craig Howard said...: Replace the glass shower door with a plastic curtain, and you've got the local Y.

They've got curtains at the Y now?; 1/30/19, 9:01 AM
cacimbo said...: Did the bath match the exterior?
http://thedesignhome.com/2015/11/villa-inspired-by-mondrians-painting/; 1/30/19, 9:05 AM
Hunter said...: I like it, but it would be better with more rectangles and more white space (i.e., closer to an actual Mondrian).; 1/30/19, 9:07 AM
William said...: It's ideal for guest bathroom. What's the point of having an expensive bathroom that doesn't have a tub, preferably one with Jacuzzi nozzles.; 1/30/19, 9:07 AM
Xmas said...: I'm voting "Hell No" but not because of the color and style. I just hate glass walled shower stalls in the bathroom. It's too much like a hotel, it makes the bathroom sound industrial and echoey, and it's a hell of thing to keep clean.; 1/30/19, 9:09 AM
Anonymous said...: Everyone's taste is different. A good buyer would decide whether to offer based on a cost to redo the tile if it was deemed unacceptable for aesthetic reasons, or not, as the case may be. More concerning is that the shower doesn't seem to have a defined "pan" or basin where water can be retained on its way to the drain. That shower may well leak water below the floor if it can travel beyond the limit of any liner below the tile. A good buyer would figure that cost into an offer as well.; 1/30/19, 9:11 AM
Birches said...: We haven't done a summer yet, but I love Atlanta so far.; 1/30/19, 9:15 AM
paminwi said...: Sinks like that are a decorator's dream and a real "living with it" human's nightmare.; 1/30/19, 9:24 AM
mockturtle said...: Did the bath match the exterior?
http://thedesignhome.com/2015/11/villa-inspired-by-mondrians-painting/

Looks like it was built with Legos. Maybe it was.; 1/30/19, 9:27 AM
Murph said...: I hate sinks where the faucet extends out into the middle of the sink -- exactly where you need to lean your face over the sink in order to wash/rinse it (face, not sink.)

It's the small things that tend to grow annoyance over time....; 1/30/19, 9:28 AM
Earnest Prole said...: What kind of house is this, he said
Where I have come to roam
It's not a house, said Judas Priest
It's not a house it's a home; 1/30/19, 9:28 AM
gina said...: I'd always be thinking, "The blue is all wrong." And it would ruin my day.; 1/30/19, 9:33 AM
Amexpat said...: I generally like Mondrian inspired designs but not this - too much of an institutional feel. Might work better in a small bathroom.

I think Mondrian designs work well in kitchens, using cabinets and counters as part of the color scheme.; 1/30/19, 9:33 AM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: The mirror placement made me laugh.

Years ago we had a contractor friend who built a house for himself. It was very nice and he was justifiably proud of it. He had a house warming party for himself.

After visiting the bathroom, I told him that I hoped he had some tall girlfriends. Puzzled he asked why?

"Follow me to the bathroom and stand in front of the mirror with me" He was 6'4" and had placed the mirror at a convenient height for himself.

"Now, squat down to my height. What do you see?"

Duh. Just barely could see hair at the top of our heads

Next time we visited the mirror was at a standard height :-D; 1/30/19, 9:35 AM
gilbar said...: Dave Begley said...
Can we have a poll about polls? See below.
Should Althouse do more polls?
A. Hell yes. Althouse is great at picking questions and answers.

oh, and DBQ thanx for the black towels suggestion; 1/30/19, 9:38 AM
Unknown said...: My thought was, "McDonald's bathrooms are really getting edgy these days."; 1/30/19, 9:40 AM
tommyesq said...: Looks like a subway station circa 1975.; 1/30/19, 9:52 AM
Jay Vogt said...: There's a reason that De Stijl is usually presented in smaller doses. It's the only way that it works; 1/30/19, 9:55 AM
ken in tx said...: This was the design and color scheme of my high school year book cover in 1966.; 1/30/19, 10:02 AM
tim in vermont said...: Fit right in at the Houston airport.; 1/30/19, 10:06 AM
tcrosse said...: This was designed by famed architect Mike Brady.; 1/30/19, 10:09 AM
tim in vermont said...: It could be my display, but the colors say “close, but no cigar.” Maybe Mondrian should have put a “Do not try this at home, it’s not as easy as it looks” warning label on his art.; 1/30/19, 10:13 AM
Big Mike said...: For those of you complaining about the shower floor, it appears to have been set up to be wheelchair-accessible. You ableist bastards.; 1/30/19, 10:14 AM
MadisonMan said...: I like the look. I don't know if I'd like it enough to live with it.

I do not like, at all, shower enclosures with no doors. I only think "Drafty!!" when I see them.; 1/30/19, 10:15 AM
Bob Boyd said...: "it appears to have been set up to be wheelchair-accessible"

The poor guy is blind too, apparently.; 1/30/19, 10:21 AM
Maillard Reactionary said...: Give the designer his due, people. How many homes come with their own injection room?; 1/30/19, 10:22 AM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Mad Man:

You are probably right. I heard a contractor say the no-door look appeals to customers but invariably he is asked later to come back and install doors because without doors,the shower is not warm enough.; 1/30/19, 10:23 AM
Michael said...: I'd prefer something that doesn't shriek "See how clever I am!"; 1/30/19, 10:31 AM
Mark O said...: Circa 1956.; 1/30/19, 10:37 AM
Maillard Reactionary said...: On the subject of features that make houses hard to sell, there was one on the market near here a few years back that had a full-size swimming pool in the living room. Now, this was say a 3-4K square foot house, not a mansion. There was actually a feature article about it in a local paper where it was presented as a head-scratching wonder.

I can see the convenience if you are a serious swimmer, but does anyone want their whole house smelling like chlorine all the time? It can't possibly be good for your kitchen arugula garden, even though it will help humidify the place. (Possibly to a fault.)

It seems that the special buyer was never located so it's off the market for now.; 1/30/19, 10:43 AM
PM said...: Some people have Panic Rooms; others, WAKE-UP! rooms.; 1/30/19, 10:54 AM
Bill Peschel said...: If you want something a little more tradition, there's a home for you in Cranford, U.K.; 1/30/19, 11:09 AM
Christy said...: Couldn't see in the mirror from the wheelchair.; 1/30/19, 11:09 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: "It's ideal for guest bathroom. What's the point of having an expensive bathroom that doesn't have a tub, preferably one with Jacuzzi nozzles."

Each to their own. My mother had to have her tub, so when they bought their last house in 1985, they did significant remodeling, which included putting in a bathroom for her in what had been a very large walkin closet. And that was to get a tub with jets. The bathroom on their level had just a shower, and the shower/tub was two half flights of stairs down. Don't know if she ever showered after PE in HS. But I have been involved with shower women consistently from within weeks probably of my parents buying that house, 35 years ago. The house that I last lived in with my ex wife had a shower in the master bath, and the tub downstairs, similar to what my parent's house started out. We were fine with it. Our MT house has the jetted tub by a shower with a door, and the only people who were ever in that tub, in better than a decade, were grandkids when they were young. This house, that we have been in two years now had the option of a walkin shower, or a regular shower with a jetted tub. We went with the walkin shower, since we also have a tub shower in the guest bathroom. Funny thing is that the latter is what we use exclusively, and have yet to sit down in it. Partially, I think that my partner doesn't like the draft in her walkin shower, and partially that she doesn't want to have to clean it. The last time that I can remember sitting in a tub was 2002 when I had serious leg cramps the first season that I was living in a ski resort town and skiing most days. After that season, no more cramping, and no more soaking in the tub.

We are ultimately planning on building an even bigger house down here in AZ. This year, the goal is buying the lot, and probably will build next year, moving in probably right before the 2020 elections. What I think that we will end up doing is one of our bathrooms will look like hers now, and the other like the alternative that the builder showed us here, with a standup shower and jetted tub. If one of us actually needs a tub, we can swap bathrooms, if necessary - unless I put a urinal in my bathroom. Why not? Looks to be much easier to clean. And I may put in a bidet for her.; 1/30/19, 11:18 AM
Howard said...: Love it absolutely love it. Although that kind of sink the one that stands up above the counter sucks so impractical; 1/30/19, 11:52 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: One of the things that making plans on building a new house does is to narrow your options in your old house to what will help the old house sell better. Current projects include putting in cabinets in the laundry room, and a sliding glass door on the shower tub in the guest bathroom. It is probably just me, but I see a shower tub, without a glass door, and I think shower curtains, which reminds me of most of the hotel rooms and apartments I have lived in in the past. My partner had a father who successfully sold (mostly commercial) real estate, and she was certified as an interior designer, so I figure that if she approves, it is a good move. I wanted to put in white cabinets, which she vetoed. Not sure why, but in a utility space, they need to match the walls, so as not to bring your eye to them. So, I have to paint them first. We went round a bit on the glass for the shower doors. Initially, she was pushing for clear, but that shows soap and film, and I pointed out that someone in the house might, on rare occasion, forget to squeegee the walls after a shower. She pointed out that I knew better. I responded that her daughter in law never takes her shoes off when she comes in the house, so why should we expect her, or her two boys, to squeegee the shower after each use? So we agreed on glass that looks like water is running down it. I am having second thoughts there. I may use square patterned glass instead, to match the squares on the wall in the shower. Then there was the apparatus for hanging it: traditional or contemporary? Traditional has the rollers covered. Contemporary didn't. I liked that look. I was overruled on the basis of more and smaller places to clean. Chrome or brushed nickel? Brushed nickel for a similar reason. I can get both projects done for a total of less than $1,000, if I do the work myself. That is important because, with a plan of moving out in a couple years, every improvement has to be cost justified, which means no swimming pool in the living room, but also probably not the shed I was planning in the back.; 1/30/19, 11:53 AM
Tomcc said...: I inherited, from my mother, an affliction by which every property I look at is judged on the premise of "how am I going to clean that?". The style of the bathroom is too busy for my taste and there's a lot of real estate in that shower to have to clean! (What is the attraction of showers large enough for a party of 5?); 1/30/19, 12:03 PM
Leland said...: If you want something a little more tradition, there's a home for you in Cranford, U.K.

That's a beautiful home and a steal at that price. Alas, I doubt it comes furnished as is.; 1/30/19, 12:04 PM
Darrell said...: shower women

Swimmin' Women are a distant second.; 1/30/19, 12:13 PM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: I inherited, from my mother, an affliction by which every property I look at is judged on the premise of "how am I going to clean that?"

LOL. That is my criteria as well. How hard is it going to be to clean this!

Tub shower combo with sliding glass doors. Nope nope nope. Cleaning the groves in the sliders is just a pain. Cleaning under one of those raised above the counter sinks. Too hard to get into all the recesses.

Cleaning a tub at all requires you to get down on your knees, reach way in and scrub scrub scrub. Hard on your back and knees.

When we built our house we opted for a large glassed in corner shower with cultured marble walls and swing out door. Rainfall patterned glass. The guest bathroom also has a shower. Neither of us were interested in the least in a tub.; 1/30/19, 1:27 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "The door, which you can see in the mirror, does not match the scheme."

Ha ha. That was MY main problem too.; 1/30/19, 1:33 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "The wooden door, pinned on mirror, and old fluorescent light ruin the effect. If you're going to do this, take it all the way."

Exactly!

And notice the molding around the door seems not to go all the way around.; 1/30/19, 1:35 PM
Ann Althouse said...: What kind of Althouse is this, he said
Where I have come to roam
It's not Althouse, said Judas Priest
It's not Althouse it's Althome; 1/30/19, 1:39 PM
n.n said...: A mosaic of burn victims. Ouch.; 1/30/19, 1:46 PM
RigelDog said...: I have a physical aversion to most lighter shades of blue being paired with red. Barf.; 1/30/19, 2:23 PM
Kathryn51 said...: Bruce H. and DBQ,

When we remodeled master bath a year ago, we chose the rainfall glass (it also happened to look great with the "glacier" cabinets we selected. Very cleanup required.

Now. . .the "rock effect" tile we chose for the shower floor - great for slip protection, but terrible for cleaning.

Meadehouse is moving?; 1/30/19, 3:31 PM
Joe said...: My first thought was "what other style over substance" changes did they make?; 1/30/19, 3:47 PM
Ralph L said...: You'll get doused or splashed with cold water when you turn on the shower.

Would have been cool if they'd painted the door in the pattern, but it might be hard to find without glasses on.

One of the best things I did when rebuilding my althouse was an extra-height sliding shower door (I'm 6'2"). The other 2 were raised kitchen floor cabinets & dishwasher and a push-button door lock.; 1/30/19, 4:57 PM