What do you notice when walking in someone's house?

[AFWife]

I wanted to ask this in TV Free because so many have said when visitors come in the first thing they ask is, "Where's your TV?" So, I wanted to know what you, as TV Free Mamas, notice when walking in a house??

[fustian]

The first thing I notice when I enter someone's house is whether it feels comfortable to me. Lived and loved in.

I also like to see what books people have in their houses, if any. I love perusing book collections. A surprising number of people don't seem to have any books around. However, it would be considered rude to say "Where are your books?"

[mirlee]

I know this is TV Free, but the first thing someone would notice in my house is our 46 inch TV. They probably wouldn't see many books, but we have literally thousands. My office is filled with books, ds' bedroom is filled with books, and we have a wall of floor to ceiling shelves in the basement filled to over brimming with books. I guess the only books hanging out would be our 50 cookbooks and whatever we happen to be reading at the time. We recently de-cluttered and things are looking a bit sparse until we reorganize. I really wonder what people would think of us?????

[Juvysen]

Weird that people ask that. we didn't have a tv for a while and I do'nt remember anyone asking, but it was only a few months. I guess it usually is pretty prominent in most people's homes though.

[Krystal323]

Yeah, we don't quite fit with the TV-free forum either, because we have a TV in the LVR. However, we don't have cable! The TV is there entirely for DH's occasional gaming and DVD watching It is surrounded by about a zillion books, which tends to be what people comment on or check out when they come by.

And FTR I'd feel like it was rude to ask somebody "Where's your TV?" As if the whole point of coming over was to watch it

[peainthepod]

The first thing I notice is how it smells, because people's homes always smell so distinct and unique to them and I find it interesting. The second thing I notice is the bookshelf, and I usually have to stop myself from rushing over to check it out.

[Sailor]

The first question that always pops into my head, and has always popped into my head - ever since I knew how to read - is "where are all the books?"

I come from a family of bookworms, and I'm one myself. Every single member of my family has a house filled wall to wall with books. No wallpaper for us - just books, lol.

My house is slightly less than this as I'm a minimalist. I try to stick to just one bookcase. But, I still have stacks and stacks of library books lying around everywhere.

I don't know if the people I know hide all their books or just don't read, but it's the very first thing I notice - the lack of books.

Btw - people also say "where's your TV?" when they come into my house. Followed by "you're joking!" when I say we don't have one.

[peainthepod]

We get "Where's your TV?" sometimes but usually people notice the digital projector that's attached to the ceiling and facing the only blank wall in the house. They either assume it's TV-compatible (it isn't) or they assume we're weirdo cinephiles (we are) and stop asking questions.

[MamaLo879]

I'll have to start asking people where they keep the books, that's great!

[princesstutu]

I also wonder about the books.

If people have no books, I ask about it. I have found I tend to have little in common with folks who don't read regularly.

[philomom]

Originally Posted by princesstutu

I also wonder about the books.

If people have no books, I ask about it. I have found I tend to have little in common with folks who don't read regularly.

Yep, that's us, too.


Not Tv free... but we do keep the thing on a short leash. There's plenty of other stuff to do in our lives.

[Krisis]

Hmm, this is somewhat worrisome. We have hundreds of books but they're all downstairs (along with the tv ) so I wonder what people think of us when they come in our house. The first thing I notice is usually pictures people have.

Now I wonder if we should bring a bookshelf upstairs or something so we look more eddicated or something

[princesstutu]

Kris, I wouldn't rearrange my house because of it.

Like I said, I ask. If someone tells me their books are downstairs, I won't be so quick to leave. I only keep "family-friendly" books in the living areas of the house. My occult books stay in my room.

[brooks97]

I will notice if there aren't that many books around. That's just because our house is overrun with books.

[MommyKelly]

People always ask us where is our TV. Followed by they either think I am kidding, or ask me " What do you do to keep the kids quiet?" Which I find sad.

I notice the toys if they are out, or I try to see whats on the bookcase if there is one.

[Krisis]

Originally Posted by princesstutu

Kris, I wouldn't rearrange my house because of it.

Like I said, I ask. If someone tells me their books are downstairs, I won't be so quick to leave. I only keep "family-friendly" books in the living areas of the house. My occult books stay in my room.

Maybe not rearrange my house.... but I might need to go buy more books!

[Dingletwitz]

I notice first the smell, then the knicknacks (people do collect the strangest things--and we don't have any, really, so I'm drawn to them), stuff on the walls, books, etc. But I do feel a bit odd when the tv is roaring away--it's a sound I'm not really used to, and the vacant zombie stares of children watching it makes me cringe. Incidentally, I decluttered my books--thousands of them. And now we have very few--some for dd, about 5 that I have to read and recycle. But I don't keep them anymore. And I don't really keep them visible either. Maybe I should! But we're living pretty minimally--not a lot of visitors as there's not really anywhere to seat them!

[princesstutu]

Originally Posted by Krisis

Maybe not rearrange my house.... but I might need to go buy more books!

Oh, of course! Any excuse to buy more books is a good one.

[seashells]

I notice different things depending on the home. Some homes you walk into and before you CAN notice anything else, you're amazed at the beautiful interior decoration or maybe there is a bold theme of sorts. Another you walk and and it's, ugh, what is that SMELL? Another you'd notice "whoa, they definitely have kids" since you see toys all over the floor. Or maybe you're greeted by three large dogs. Anyway, there's always something to notice but what that is really differs.

People who walk into my house no doubt think right away "where is their sofa?" The living room is right at the front entrance but we have a weight bench and toys for DD in there, but no armchairs or sofas (much less a coffee table!) in sight. I'm not anti-sofa (quite the contrary, I love to curl up with a good book on a sofa) but one of our cats peed on the horrible 1970's sofa someone gave us out of their basement when we moved in, and we don't have the money to buy one. At this point I think I don't want one yet anyway, at least until DD is older.

When I walk into my neighbor's house, I think "wow, this is small!" (The house is probably 900-1000 sq ft, ours is 1200, but it's not just that but also the floor plan... when you walk into my house there's a lot of open space but not so with my neighbor's house).

When I walk into my mom's house, my first thought is "beautiful floors!" (actually laminate but very realistic wood grain and lots of open space, lovely) and second thought is "look at the size of that TV!" (I think it's 50-something inches).

[slinden]

Originally Posted by Dingletwitz

I notice first the smell, then the knicknacks (people do collect the strangest things--and we don't have any, really, so I'm drawn to them), stuff on the walls, books, etc. But I do feel a bit odd when the tv is roaring away--it's a sound I'm not really used to, and the vacant zombie stares of children watching it makes me cringe.

pretty much