Boy, this is a little bit hard!
I’d say that my dining room is currently one of my favorites because of my new windows. The light from those is making me awfully happy!
But that’s really more about the windows than it is about the dining room itself.
Probably my favorite room is the bedroom I share with Mr. FG. And that is also not so much about the room itself, at least not right now.
Mainly the walls are the problem; they’re a dark burgundy color that I really, really want to change.
Why do I like the bedroom, despite the paint color?
For starters, I really like going to bed because I really like what sleep does for me. I hop in there feeling exhausted, and I wake up feeling so much better (most of the time at least!) How could you not like a room that makes you feel better on a regular basis?
I also love this room because it has our very comfy king-sized bed. Almost every night when I climb into bed, I am filled with fresh appreciation for the level of comfort I’m experiencing.
Our room is usually pretty clean and clutter-free too, so that gives it a good feeling.
(That stands in stark contrast to, say, my laundry room. Ha.)
What’s your favorite room in your house?
P.S. For the record, I have only myself to blame for the bedroom paint color. I picked it out in 2006, when everyone was in love with burgundy. I am way over it now.
I’m getting tired of saying “me too” to your posts, so even thought I COULD say the same things here regarding the uncluttered and restful bedroom and the light in the dining room, I’ll also add my living room.
True, it is usually a disaster thanks to my children, but when it’s picked up, it’s my favorite room because it has only things in it that I chose. The nice Oriental rugs from my grandmother’s house that almost cover the gross brown carpet; the little display of plants on the shelves I made myself and arranged over the couch; the mirror with colorful Mexican tiles around the border that I bought when I went for my birthday overnight at a hotel; the handmade lamps I bought from an Etsy seller . . .
This is the very first time in my life that I have had a house of my own to decorate and (some of) the means to do it, and I’ve done it exactly the way I like it. And I do like it. Hooray.
You could probably take over writing here on the days when I don’t get to it…and no one would be the wiser!
I really love our little house. It only has six rooms and a porch and a storage basement and, oddly, I feel bad picking a favorite.
Perhaps the kitchen. I do spend the most time in the kitchen, between the usual mom things and the work on the laptop at the table. It’s the gathering spot, also.
I honestly don’t know that I have a favorite room. My house is far from my ideal home and I confess it’s hard to not be envious of others with their slick new modern houses with spacious rooms, kitchens with counterspace and cupboards to spare.
I guess if I had to pick one room it would be my basement as that’s where a lot of my entertainment is stored.
Christopher: I think more people DON’T have those modern houses with all those things you listed than DO have them. The Internet only makes it seem that that’s what the majority of people have. It’s not, I guarantee you. I can also (almost) guarantee you that you have more counterspace and cupboards than I do, if that makes you feel any better. 🙂
I know that’s true and my family has a much smaller kitchen than I do. But yeah, where I live small houses are the norm and most people who post about their houses online tend to live in brand new developments and new construction etc.
My house is far from my ideal too! It’s a split-foyer, which is the only house design I truly loathe. But it’s what we could afford when we needed to upsize, and so here we are.
I have appliances stored in my linen closet and coat closet because my kitchen is not very long on storage.
I think I need to do a kitchen tour, maybe with video, to put a real life, kitchen-with-no-pantry arrangement out there.
Even better would be to get photos from readers of their real-life kitchens and put them all together. I bet there wouldn’t be a whole lot of HGTV kitchens there, because that is NOT REAL LIFE. And I hate that people think it is.
Right! My coat closet off my tiny kitchen became my appliance and pots and pans storage. We have our pantry downstairs. I just tell the kids to go get this and that when we are coming. But I still like my kitchen actually. I didn’t love my house when we bought it but I saw the potential because I the location. Now I mostly do love it. My favorite room is the living room because we have a long view of the mountains. It’s a cozy room too.
I would be happy to provide pictures of my real-life kitchen (mess included :-))
We could do this on my Facebook page or in my Facebook group (people could post in the comments), but it might be better to ask for submissions and then put them in a frugal girl blog post. I’ll work on this!
Maybe I’ll do a post about my own kitchen and then put out a call for submissions. Then I could round them up and make a whole post.
I’d give you a photo of my kitchen. It’s kind of mortifying, with its mismatched appliances, mismatched chairs, lemon and lime paint, and teapot wallpaper. Not one speck of HGTV in sight. But still I love it. 🙂
I was just thinking I would really like to see photos of everyone’s favorite rooms! All of my rooms are cluttered and messy right now, due to busy schedule, so my favorite would be whichever is the cleanest at the moment. Just so you know, in late middle age, I finally got most things the way I had always wished for in my house that I’ve been in for 35 years. It took a lot of hard work, patience, and frugality. I appreciate what I have EVERY day. Younger richer friends and acquaintances don’t seem very grateful for their mansions, deluxe condos, etc. Having lots of money and possessions doesn’t seem to ensure happiness, but since I had the smallest, ugliest, least convenient kitchen in the universe for years, it makes me so happy to have what I have in my kitchen, which doesn’t include any granite, marble, stainless steel, or chandeliers! Not that there’s anything wrong with those! We all have to take future re-selling and moves into account when making choices. And I guess it helps put things in perspective that I just read “Evicted”, which Kristen mentioned recently. Maybe it helps that I have been really poor in the past.
We also had a split-foyer, and it’s my least favourite house design as well. IKEA shoe shelves helped in our case as they are so narrow. Here in Canada we call them bi-levels though.
I only have one closet in my entire house so no option for extra storage lol.
What is a split foyer? It’s not a term or description I’m familiar with…
Neither am I! Is it the same as split-level?
Nope! With a split level, you do actually walk into one level. With a split foyer, you walk into a tiny foyer that is right in between the two levels. So you have to either go immediately up or immediately down.
Worst issue is the tiny entrance area.
Ohhhh, my roommate’s parents’ house was like this.
Yeah, also not my favorite.
(They also had a miniscule kitchen, galley style.)
I offer my condolences as appropriate.
I think it’s kind of a dumb house design, but it was massively popular in my area at one point. So you can barely turn around without seeing a split foyer.
What Kristen calls a split foyer, we call a split level! Kristen, what IS a split level then? Would that be what we call a two storey?
I guess I’d say the kitchen/dining room. Five years ago we were able to have the kitchen redone. Prior to that it was dark (closed in with just one window on the north) with old, yucky 1950s cabinets, a cheap tile counter top, and worn out linoleum on the floor. We had the wall between the kitchen and dining room removed, replaced cabinets and appliances (I believe the Kristen’s new stove is an updated model of the stove we bought), etc. We also extended the counter into the dining room. Anyway, it makes the house so much nicer looking, it is now a pleasure to spend time in/near it (but the cooking has not changed).
I’m going to say that my favorite room is my kitchen. Not because it’s spacious and beautiful and uncluttered (it’s none of those) but it’s where I spend a LOT of time and I like working in the kitchen. It’s where I get to listen to my Bible app most often. It’s where I reheat my coffee 3 times a day. 🙂 I like having space that’s a little bit of mine. I greatly appreciate that I have a window over my sink (so I can look at my neighbor’s pink house… kidding! I like the sunshine.) Maybe someday I’ll get good at keeping it uncluttered and it will be a little less stressful, but today is not that day. Today has its own projects.
I am laughing so hard because you have reminded me of a painting mishap many years ago. My first husband and I decided on, we thought, a deep red, silvery undertones color for our living room walls. My stepfather on seeing it when finished said ” ah, I see you are reaching for the Hong Kong brothel look!” That says it all. We repainted immediately.
When we moved here, 21 years ago, I asked for one room to remain pristine. I chose the dining room because it has beautiful furniture and many Antiquarian wall prints. We have kept to this and it was where visitors were entertained pre-covid.
I love everything in this house of ours, even our cluttered “den”‘ which is like a squirrels” nest, comfortable chairs, TV and all.
Our study, which is really pretty cram packed. The husband and I have desks across from each other. In another area we have his and her recliners (mine is one of those that can lift me to a standing position on days when I can barely move so they are not an attractive matching set but oh so comfortable) that look toward the fake fireplace that still soothes and warms the room even though it is fake. Above it is a nice wood wall but if you know how to push a panel correctly, the panels pull back to reveal a huge flat screen TV so we can watch movies when we want but when we are not using it the TV is invisible. The husband built the TV hiding place when I was sick and the TV was on most of the time as I drifted in and out of morphine hazes. I really hated how the screen dominated the room, even though TV was a good distraction that I was thankful to have since reading when you are drugged up is not really pleasurable. Now we don’t see it unless we are using it. And there are books all over the place, in bookcases small and large. I feel safe in this room.
That sounds like such a cozy room!
I have a colonial floor plan house that is ~20 years old. In theory, it is “open concept” except it is really only open on the back side of the house because the front has the living room and dining room which are separated by a foyer/hallway/staircase. Across the back is the kitchen, eating area and family room which are really one big room. This side of the house faces south and has the most light, so I would say it is my favorite. Our prior house was a split level, and I have always appreciated this room after that house because the kitchen was entirely closed off from the rest of the house and it was isolating.
Would it be weird to say that my master bathroom is a favorite? I only share it, most of the time, with my husband. Although there are things that I’d change/improve if I could, it is large and it gets sun from two windows. There’s a soaking tub which slowly drains water as you are bathing despite multiple attempts to fix it but I often sit on the tub’s step as there is a skylight above. There’s two doors separating me from the rest of the house and I often seek quiet time in there.
I just love the fact that we have a house to call our own and I’m thankful for that every day. It’s a freestanding house built in 1945, with “lots of character” as the Brits say. Yes, it’s a pain to heat, when the living room is warm you’ll freeze your hiney off on the toilet and in the bathroom, and we’ve been remodelling the kitchen for over a year now (#busyatwork). The oven and the new kitchen cabinets are conveniently “stored” in the living room for now and it’s not the perfect new built in any way- but how I love to come home in *our* house. We have no closets either (the roof upstairs is slanted everywhere) so we created a walk- in closet out of the tiny spare room- and I think that’s one of my favourite rooms. Such a good use of space that would otherwise not be used as efficiently. And speaking of split levels- our house was built on a mound, so we have seven (!!!) levels in our house- the floor of the back of the house is a full two metres (6ft?) lower than the front door!