Be honest! What things do you judge in other people’s houses?

[Teaandsleep]

Just a fun post.

Recently doing a huge renovation in our own home and am absolutely mortified at the dust everywhere, I keep having visions of visitors coming to the door and seeing all the dust everywhere, it is thick!

I also currently have a spatula sticking out my down pipe drain as we have just unblocked it and it’s to catch any old leaves/moss until it’s replaced 🤣

I feel bad at how many people (myself included), are justifying not having books out by saying we have kindles and they’re in cupboards etc - some people can’t read, some don’t want to, some get more from audio or doing practical things than reading. I also find unless you’re in a book club, your reading is private, it’s not like you meet a friend for a coffee and whip out War and Peace. So why does it matter? What you are actually inferring is that these people are thick. That’s not on. I’m a reader when it suits, I can go through 5 books on a weeks holiday, none for a few months, then I’ll pick another when I fancy. My husband hasn’t read a book in a decade and he’s intelligent, funny, sociable, knowledgable. People are busy, they can do with their precious free time what they wish, in my book (sorry for the pun, but it was intended)

I don’t think people are justifying so much as explaining a simple concept to some silly narrow-minded people.

Otherwise, I agree with you.

I looked around my modest sized house (sorry for not living in a mansion) and I thought if I wanted to where could I have a bookcase downstairs. I could just about find somewhere but I just don't want one so I'll leave my books upstairs thank you very much.

One of my best friends is an avid reader and her books are upstairs too.

@TakeSomeMoreTea

One of my best friends is an avid reader and her books are upstairs too.

One of mine teaches film studies at university, so he has a huge TV that he watches rather a lot. Some books are upstairs, most are in his office on campus.

I was explaining the concept too originally but then when I can back to it, thought why the hell am I actually telling them I can read and I have books, when it’s bugger all to do with them whether I can/can’t/don’t/won’t anyway!

Because they are intimating that others don’t come up to scratch without a book display. They think they are presenting themselves as intelligent and cultured to a fault.
All our books are upstairs. Muppets.

They’re not necessarily ‘on display’ though? Don’t people just arrange their homes the way the inhabitants want to live in them, rather than for any random visitors to be impressed by? Some people - ok, me - just like the way their books look, or the way seeing them makes them feel, when they’re in their own homes. It’s like houseplants. I have them because I like the way they look, and in some cases because I’ve had them all my life, like some of my books. They’re to please me, not to plant (😂) impressions in someone else’s head.

They think they are presenting themselves as intelligent and cultured to a fault.

Well, they're half right.

I don't care about dust but mess ! I know someone who is forever posting pics of stuff on fb and her house is such a bloody mess! Stuff literally everywhere ! Not sure how anyone can live like that!

Covering your house in those wooden vertical slats. It's like a disease, once one neighbourhood falls to it, the rest follow :D It's like the trend to paint houses grey.....now I've seen the trend for that sicky green colour popping up on all new big posh builds' window frames. It doesn't look good with every type of brick colour. Why can't people see this?

@Badbaddog

They’re not necessarily ‘on display’ though? Don’t people just arrange their homes the way the inhabitants want to live in them, rather than for any random visitors to be impressed by? Some people - ok, me - just like the way their books look, or the way seeing them makes them feel, when they’re in their own homes. It’s like houseplants. I have them because I like the way they look, and in some cases because I’ve had them all my life, like some of my books. They’re to please me, not to plant (😂) impressions in someone else’s head.

Yeah I find the idea that books on bookshelves are "on display" a bit weird - it seems like the obvious way to store them?

The issue, again, isn't how many books you own or how you like (or need) to store them. It's the pretentious proclamations about bookshelves for self-aggrandisement, which is less than fuck all to do with a love of reading.

@DrSbaitso

The issue, again, isn't how many books you own or how you like (or need) to store them. It's the pretentious proclamations about bookshelves for self-aggrandisement, which is less than fuck all to do with a love of reading.

I agree up to a point but people have also said some strange things about people with bookshelves too, e.g.

Why keep them all on show? This seems purely pretentious to me now that I'm thinking about it.

Have they? I missed that.

Oh no, I see it. Responded yesterday.

Sorry, I'm tired. Ironically, because I was up late last night with a book. Boosting my brainpower, clearly.

@seasunshine22

Vertical blinds and net curtains

Same here I'm not really a fan of either.

Haha couldn’t agree more! Knobs indeed!

Houses with pets - animals walking around the house and sitting on all the surfaces makes me feel ill (I’ll accept I’m in the minority here )

Those sets of little cupboards that go all around and up and over the top of a bed - they give me irrational rage.

Fake plastic grass and excessively landscaped gardens that look like they’re tidier than most peoples’ houses - a garden should be a garden, with some nature in it - not an entirely artificial space that looks like someone bleaches it daily.

Wax melts.

Oh yes! Those awful plastic vertical blinds with the beaded pull cords - if I wanted to feel like I live in a dentists office that’s the first thing I would buy!

Am fascinated by all the people who judge if there are no books! I read a lot but mainly on my kindle/iPad so very few books to see in my house…there are some in my office but most visitors would never go in there? I also have a massive TV (on the wall no less!) so I’m obviously a philistine
I only judge dirty

I don’t make a judgement on someone due to their house in any capacity however I find homes that are cold or smell of frying or smoke uncomfortable. That’s probably my own stuff from growing up like that though

Not sure how this was ever going to be a lighthearted thread. It's just showing how nasty and judgemental people are. A lot of the things mentioned are just an individual's tastes.

If someone comes into my house and judges books/lack of books, pictures/lack of pictures etc then they are free to get out of my house and not contact me again.

I would much rather spend time with someone who has different tastes to me and is messy, than someone who judges anything that is different to how they would do it.

@DrSbaitso

The issue, again, isn't how many books you own or how you like (or need) to store them. It's the pretentious proclamations about bookshelves for self-aggrandisement, which is less than fuck all to do with a love of reading.

Interesting. As a side issue I had a debate with a friend once over ‘loving books’. She is precious about books….likes to keep them immaculate, makes angry noise about bending spines back and folding over corners as place markers etc. My novels on the other hand, all end up bent back, folded over, covered in food I’ve dropped etc. This is because I tend to take my book around the place if I’m absorbed in it. It’ll be read while I eat, bathe, travel…I’ll fall asleep and drop it splayed on the floor. She reckons her books are kept pristine because she loves them, whereas I reckon my books end up in a mess because I love them too.

I argued she’s more focused on the physical possession of the book than the contents and ‘loving books’ is not the same as ‘loving reading’.
A grubby book is a well loved book imo.