To ask what people mean when they say ‘show home’?

[churchandstate]

I’ve just been reading the ‘lived in’ house thread and have read a few others about tidy/messy homes. I’ve seen so many people on here say ‘my house isn’t a show home’, but I have literally never been inside a show home or heard anyone say their house is like a show home.

What do people mean when they say someone’s home (theirs or someone else’s) is like a show home?

Mine, before anyone asks, is a mess.

I have relatives who don’t have any books on show, this makes me sadder than ever. It’s just so strange to me.
My dh always says ‘we don’t live in a show home,’ when he doesn’t want to pitch in with housework.

That's really sad.
I like our home to be neat and tidy and will insist it is kept like it so from that POV it's a show home but then we have little things around that make it a home - a shell from a favourite holiday, photos of holidays on the wall, things like that. It still looks immaculate but with some colour and individuality about it which you can't get in a real show home.

My Grandma's house has always been like a show home.

She has ornaments but nothing that hints at personality - no books, no photos, nothing from any travels or with any age/culture behind it.

Everything was chosen when they moved into the house in the 1990's to match, all bought new.

She keeps everything pristine.

It's just devoid of any real human touch, love, humanity just like her

To me if a home is show home standard, it lacks personal touches, so pictures of people, quirky cushions. Almost sterile in appearance.
To an extent it could be a bitchy way of saying a house doesnt look lived in.

I have relatives who don’t have any books on show, this makes me sadder than ever

I don't understand, why do they need to be "on show" why can't they be kept in shelved cupboards etc?

Immaculate, bland, no personality / possessions

Is this really just another bash-Mrs-Hinch thread? Do we really need one every week?

I don't agree show homes are soulless or necessarily grey and shiny. imo show homes are tidy, clean, tasteful or arty accessories and some empty space.

OP there's bound to be at least a couple of new build estates not too far from you. Go and have a look at the show homes - you'll get badgered by the sales team, but you can always say you haven't put yours on the market yet - and decide how you would describe them. You could have a lot of fun.

I don't think the descriptions here are as variable as it seems to you, it's just different ways of saying pretty much the same thing.

I think you take it according to how it is delivered by the person who has said it. My house has been described by friends as like a show home but it's very far from devoid of character and so I just take it as a jokey compliment about the fact that its incredibly tidy (when they see it after four hours of tidying and as long as they don't go upstairs where Ive bunged all the crap - or open any cupboards since they'd die in the resulting avalanche of stuff).

If a frenemy came over and made the same comment I'd probably take it as a passive aggressive bitchy comment.

@mbosnz. Yes I know a mum like that, no toys in the bedroom, lounge always tidy, "Dont get that out now, its nearly tea-time, dont get that out now it'll be bedtime soon. Children not allowed out if the grass is wet, hence the children's development is poor, and they complain they have nothing to do; this causes trouble and they end up doing time-out.

Very uncluttered and tasteful, but lacking in personality.

I have relatives who don’t have any books on show, this makes me sadder than ever

I don't understand, why do they need to be "on show" why can't they be kept in shelved cupboards etc?

This!! The "I'm so upset they don't have any books out - it makes my soul weep" comments always come out on threads about homes. It's halo polishing tosh.

I have masses of books. I always have a book on the go and I read quickly. DH and both DS's are also all book worms. But the books are not on display downstairs (with the exception of a shelf in the kitchen with a couple of cookery books). They're upstairs, in cupboards, under beds and in boxes in the eves storage. It bemuses me that I'd be judged as lacking in some way because visitors can't see any books.

When I redecorated my house recently, it did look like a show room (albeit a trendy Ikea showroom!). It was very immaculate, minimalist and every room was inspired by Pinterest etc.

I can admit that at first it just didn’t looked lived in and was a bit dull. Just adding decor like plants/rugs or clutter like photos/books/candles etc has spruced it up.

I don't understand, why do they need to be "on show" why can't they be kept in shelved cupboards etc?

If you store books in cupboards how are the rest of us supposed to be nosy?

I am totally unrepentant about glancing round other people's books, seeing which looks the most read. It's a good source of new authors

A house can be clean, neat and tidy and clutter-free without being a show homenot To make it home in my opinion, it needs personality. So, photos, pictures on the wall, ornaments you like, not just a job lot from Next. Books. Plants. Cushions. Lamps. Thought.

I had wealthy friends. She had been a interior designer, and he was a well known architect/developer. Their very large home was a 'show home' type. Most of the rooms were unused, unneeded and were just for show. Expensive furniture, paintings, table lamps everywhere. Even the room they actually used was uncomfortable as it was so pristine and was also for 'looking at' rather than relaxing in.

I thought they needed a couple of big dogs.

I can assure you I have cushions, lamps, art etc and I like colour. I just don't like 6 things where 1 will do and I prefer to put things away. I didn't realise I was so tacky .

We bought a new build house last year after falling in love with the "model" (as they call it here) home. They were beautifully styled, not all matchy matchy really just nicely done so that you could see yourself living there. the 3 show houses they had were all sold with all the furniture and art work etc. I'd take it as a compliment if someone said my house was like that but going by here they would probably be making a bitchy dig!

I think show homes,are exactly that, as in a brand new house,in an area where others are being built, to Show potential buyers how they can make their new homes look, before purchasing one.

It's usually a selling point,to attract people,who can then visualize how super lovely their new house could look.

Mrs hinch's house.

Give me a 'lived in' kinda place any day.

A house can be clean, neat and tidy and clutter-free without being a show home
True.
Mine is clean neat tidy clutter free and very far from a show home.

Ps I don't consider books or ornaments to be clutter just part of every day life.

My SIL has a show home. She is truly OCD about cleaning and has a beautiful looking house, but despite two children it doesn't feel like a home. No one ever sits on her sofa for example. She doesn't say you can't, ut you daren't ruffle the cushions. Even on the kitchen chairs we tend to just perch rather than sit. We love her but don't feel comfortable in her house (neither do her DC and DH tbh).

in my mind a show home has empty surfaces - with no stuff on them.

That happens in our house.... NEVER...

Anyone comments, they don't get asked back...

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