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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Practical or pretentious?

105 replies

AgnestaVipers · 09/08/2023 19:40

AIBU to secretly hanker after a dressing room?

I don't much like getting dressed or undressed with my partner in the bedroom, so I would love to have a dressing room where I can disrobe in dignity. (I'm clumsy and rushing, and end up tangled in my knickers and lurching across the room).

What about a boot room, for chucking dirty footwear in and hosing down the dog?
A wine cellar?
A home gym?
A wine cellar?

Do you secretly hanker after any of these, or others? Are these things genuinely useful or merely pretentious status symbols?

OP posts:
AuntMarch · 09/08/2023 21:07

Hatsforbats · 09/08/2023 20:37

We live in a newbuild with multiple very tiny bedrooms (one fits a double bed in but it has to be against two walls). We made one of the rooms into everyones dressing room, so we all keep our clothes in one room, with the towels, spare sheets, ironing board and airers. It's great and means nobody has to have a wardrobe in their bedroom and generally bedrooms stay much tidier as there are no clothes all over their floors.

That is such a good idea! Not sure how old the household is but for those doing laundry for multiple people it would make life easier too

Now I just need a spare room!

WhereHasTheSunGoneThisSummer · 09/08/2023 21:09

I would like a room for my dolls house and my sewing (even though I sew something about three times a year).

Branleuse · 09/08/2023 21:11

I want a dressing room, an en suite bathroom, a craft room, a library and an orangerie and garden room

Teenangels · 09/08/2023 21:15

We have a dressing room, wine cellar, snug, and boot room.
I love my dressing room and it's a god send, I love getting ready and putting my make up on at my dressing table.

my favourite room is the snug it's cosy and dark, with a huge TV and drinks cabinet.

Merapi · 09/08/2023 21:16

As part of my job some years ago we organised a function which took place in the most fabulous country house.

That's what I want. Walk-in pantry, monster kitchen with many useful oak tables and massive dressers full of lovely old china, a flower room, a boot room, a huge ornate conservatory/orangery, a music room, a giant hall with one of those sweeping staircases you see in films, you get the drift. Much to my disappointment I didn't get to see the rest of the house, but we were only doing the catering!

SusanSHelit · 09/08/2023 21:17

A craft room, a library and an orangery would be lovely too.

Never going to happen on the wages in my line of work unless I marry someone rich but one can dream!

tiredofthenoise · 09/08/2023 21:22

Our home has plenty of room for us, including a utility room, but because of its placement, it can't be used as a boot room, and with dogs that would be so useful! Dogs can bring in such a lot of mud, leaves, and twigs. I've had to satisfy myself with a highly absorbent, washable rug and crates near the door so they can be whisked into temporary confinement when necessary.

thegreenlight · 09/08/2023 21:22

We are currently in the middle of (massive) building works to squeeze a boot room, pantry, dressing room, en-suite and (mini) library into our 3 bed semi (as well as an annex in the garden for my mum!) we are behind schedule and having an awful time but reading the fact that these things are desirable has made it seem a bit more worth it tonight. Very minimal extension and carvel remodelling by our brilliant architect. Don’t give up on your dreams for any of those things, they are achievable even in a modest house like mine!

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 09/08/2023 21:24

My Dsis across the pond calls her boot room the mud room. Especially applicable for anyone with dogs!

Savemesos · 09/08/2023 21:34

I would like a grand entrance hall with loads of storage for coats and shoes. It will be big enough to have a pot plant on a round table without anyone knocking into it.

Peony654 · 09/08/2023 21:42

Nope, I’m happy in my 3-bed semi. Quick to clean, cheap to heat, we are very diligent about decluttering so storage not an issue.

Loopylalalou · 09/08/2023 21:47

i’d settle for an upstairs bathroom. Downstairs and through 4 doors….

Bellyblueboy · 09/08/2023 21:51

I don’t think any room is pretentious if it is used. A lot of people now have a dedicated home office if they have the space. Twenty years ago that would have been considered pretentious now it’s a fairly standard use of a spare bedroom. I know I am lucky to have one - I work from him two days a week.

A home library is only pretentious if the homeowners aren’t readers!

Actupfishy · 09/08/2023 21:54

DaisyAndDonaldDuck · 09/08/2023 19:41

I don't much like getting dressed or undressed with my partner in the bedroom

Well this is odd.

Absolutely not 'odd'

NeverDropYourMooncup · 09/08/2023 21:58

I had a dressing room after DD2 left home.

Then DP came into my life. How difficult could this be? He hardly owned a thing except for a couple of guitars, a bin bag of clothes and a few books. He could put those in the dressing room and plug his laptop in to charge in there.

It's now a sodding recording and editing studio covered in art and books and posters and little models. The last workman in the house asked if my son was a TikTok creator.

Saz12 · 09/08/2023 22:01

Id like a walk in pantry. I have a utility with drying space, if I didnt then Id want one.
And a hidden room, actually two, one for household crap to get shovelled into when the in-laws visit, and one for me to hide out in when the in-laws visit. (Guess what? I've visitors just now! Guess who...?).

Saz12 · 09/08/2023 22:02

Oh, and a soundproof music room for DH would be good...

RosesAndHellebores · 09/08/2023 22:05

We have a boot room, a dressing room and use one of the reception rooms as a music room/library. The dressing room and en-suite are mine. The old pantry got converted into a bigger utility.

We also have a key safe where all keys and spares are kept, all clearly labelled with their own hooks.

BernardSure · 09/08/2023 22:05

I would like a gift wrapping room. I'd know where the scissors, sellotape and gift wrap where.

BernardSure · 09/08/2023 22:07

Somehow my study gets used by every man and his dog because it is so 'cosy' and 'tidy' - yes that's because it's my sodding space.

poetryandwine · 09/08/2023 22:09

Like@Bellyblueboy I think any room that is well used is not pretentious.

The coolest chamber of our basement has become a wine cellar. That’s fun, but if forced to choose I would prefer the dressing room from a previous house.

AuroraForever · 09/08/2023 22:10

As well as everything mentioned already I’d love a drying room. Never thought of it before seeing one on the plans of a house renovation. It’s entirely separate and different from the laundry/utility rooms and just a fabulous idea.

LuubyLuu · 09/08/2023 22:14

We have a boot room, it has been lifechanging as we are a messy bunch with multiple kids doing multiple sports as well as big dogs, means all the sports kits can go straight into the machine, uniform gets hung up, dogs have dedicated cupboards for their food etc, but more importantly, all the clutter just goes behind a closed door rather than being spread across the house.

I would love a gift wrapping room too! Scissors, tape, paper never around when you need them!

Lolapusht · 09/08/2023 22:20

Walk-in pantry, huge utility room with a fold out ironing board and enough shelves to keep bed linens and work surfaces to fold on, a double height entrance hall, glazed walk way linking bits of the building (not sure if meets the criteria but I’m willing to sneak it in!), a covered entrance way so you can get from your car in the pishing rain, boot room and an orchid house 😍🥰

Hop27 · 09/08/2023 22:26

Butlers pantry .... best thing ever!

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