I’ll go ahead and admit as a millennial that some of their reasons never even crossed my mind.
“Two sinks, two mirrors…and no medicine cabinet.
You have to downward dog to get to your heartburn medicine.”
“We bought what was supposed to be a ‘smart home.’
Everything is electronic: lights, curtains, shades, TV, etc.
We learned that the systems were supposed to be updated regularly, but they werent by the previous owners.
Well, our smart home isn’t so smart after all!
Whats wrong with a simple on-off switch?
This place is a rolling nightmare!”
AJ, 78, Cayman Islands
3.
“Exterior steps with no hand railing.
Without them, there remains a challenge to come in…ifyou can.”
“Full-length windows in the bathroom with no opaque frosting of the window or use of curtains or blinds!
You might as well just set the shower and toilet on the front lawn.”
Nancy, 77, Washington
5.
“Separate rooms for toilets.
It just makes no sense to me.”
Peg, 79, Missouri
7.
“TVs hung over a fireplace.
First, I don’t want my home to look like a sports bar.
Second, ideally, a TV should be at eye level when seated.
Third, the fireplace is a focal point all on its own.
Anonymous, 71, Texas
9.
“I cant stand seeing bookcases with the spines of the books facing backward!
How do you find the book you want to read?
And it looks awful like a sea of white instead of interesting spines of books.”
“Seeing a bare light bulb anywhere.”
Maria, 72, Pennsylvania
11.
“What is the point of puddled drapes?
They look messy, as if you did not measure them correctly.
Then consider the time spent lifting them to vacuum underneath and brushing dust off of them.”
Where the heck are you supposed to put your spare bath towels and sheets?
Anonymous, 70, Colorado
13.
“Don’t get me started!
No, I don’t think so!
I can barely take the lid off a stock pot without hitting the bottom of the microwave.
And the little, tiny light does nothing to light my cooktop.
Give me a large exhaust hood with two fans and LED lighting.
“Ridiculously high ceilings.
Half of our home in Colorado has 10-foot ceilings; the rest has 12-foot ceilings.
Guess where the heat goes when we are trying to heat our home?
This has to be the dumbest idea in the history of architecture.”
Al, 80, Colorado
15.
“Too many pot lights.
My wife and I recently toured a high-end open house where the builder happened to be present.
The main bedroom was huge, with a 10-foot ceiling and double tray.
All of the lighting in the room was via a dozen cans in that ceiling with indoor floodlights.
No indirect lighting in the tray.
He wanted to fight about it.”
“No bathtubs, just car washsize showers with a ridiculous number of spray options.”
Liz, 72, New York
17.
“Laundry ‘rooms’ that are actually just closets in a hallway, shut away behind bifold doors.
There’s no room to put anything and no room to work.
“The current trend of removing closet doors from bedrooms and front entries.
I dont need to see whats in there 24 hours a day.”
Anonymous, 67
19.
“Kitchens with ALL the cabinets and storage below counter height.
Do you really want to crouch down to find your crackers and get a drinking glass?
I hate this trend.”
“I dislike the homogeneous, boring-color look, especially the dismal brown and tan mushroom colors.
Everything is brown and tan or all tan or all white.
It is so dismal.
I wish I could post a photo of my colorful Victorian home.”
Ellen, 76, New York
21.
“What I can’t stand in modern (expensive!)
kitchens is putting your sink or stovetop on the island.
In an open-plan kitchen, everyone sees you washing your dishes in front of them.
With stovetops on an island, people get to see your mess.
These expensive, modern kitchens don’t seem to be designed to be used as kitchens!”
Also, I hate the lack of lighting for working due to the statement fixtures over the island.
I would be frustrated trying to function and cook in these kitchens.
I think they are designed as showplaces, not heavy-duty workstations for the family.”
Robin, 72, Michigan
23.
Do builders think people can only see from one angle?”
They have about six different motors that are all very noisy like a plane taking off!”
Karla, 76, Florida
25.
“Written statement signs hanging in the rooms.
If I’m visiting someone, I already know what you believe in and who your family is.
I don’t need a sign to remind me.
Just take them down and put up a nice painting or photograph.”
“I am sick of stark white kitchens.
Add color to your life!
And I know that beautiful wood is now expensive and rare and not always sustainable.
Don’t paint real wood if you are lucky enough to find it.”
Anonymous, 75, Colorado
27.
“Open stairs going to the second floor.
If the little ones slip through the stairs, they are falling from the second floor to the basement!
I have nightmares about it.”
You could fit an extra bedroom in that air!"
Anonymous, 61, Pennsylvania
29.
“Walk-in closets that are accessible only through the bathroom!
Who wants to have their clothing saturated with the humidity and other airborne contaminants from the bathroom?!
And who wants to put their suit or dress on in the bathroom?”
I have had to install a second rod in every new home we bought.
Check it out the next time you’re looking at new homes."
Les, 81, Arizona
31.
“Faux-wood vinyl plank flooring!
It is disgusting, gross, and, yes, ugly!
It makes your home look and feel like a doctors office.
In 10 years, when the trend is over, our landfills will be overflowing with this crap!
Stop with the trends!
Go with tried and true and timeless.”
I hate visiting communities with row after row of garage doors practically hiding the homes' entrances."
Ann, 71, California
33.
“I hate kitchen cabinets that go all the way up to the ceiling.
Save my cabinet money and close it with drywall up to the ceiling.
Otherwise, it collects dust and junk where no one reaches!”
Anonymous, 70, New Jersey
35.
“I miss kitchen doors.
We rented a 1920s bungalow for two years.
Because I cook from scratch, closing the door hid the mess!”
“Free-standing, floor-mounted bathtubs.
No place for candles, wine, or a book.
And it’s difficult to clean around it.
Anonymous, 60, Arizona
37.
“I cant stand stacked tile.
Hopefully it is a trend that will disappear soon.”
38.And finally: “Everything from the outside to the inside is gray.
Gray siding and paint, gray furniture, and a gray car to match the entire house.
All the colors of the rainbow, and the best they can do is gray?”
Anonymous, 68, Virginia
Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
