My Beef With Flippers (Reading: construction, cabinet, living)

[Mtl-Cns]

Originally Posted by sky329

idk I think open concept might be here to stay.. with the older generation dying off the millennials just don't see a need for a dining room.. and being able to cook, wash dishes and still watch what is going on in the living room is the appeal.. and I HATE plaster walls, hideous.. just giving you a different perspective

I am a millennial. Just because it is a "dining room" doesn't mean it has to be used for that purpose, although I love cooking with my friends and playing board games so a dining room table is a great option for us. I could easily make the "dining" room my living room and see exactly what's going on in there while working in the kitchen which would maintain the structure of the house so that the HVAC and insulation works the way it is supposed to.

Hate plaster all you want but an 1860s house has no insulation besides a double brick wall on the outside and then the plaster coating of the brick wall on the inside. Exposing the brick is bad for the electric/gas bill and bad for the environment for this type of house.

And there is also no way that anything style-wise from open concept floor plans to clothing to cuisine to ANYTHING is here to stay. George Washington probably thought that about the powdered wig. Can you point to a case where that has happened ever? The millennial generation (and open concept was popular long before we were the home buyers, so I don't blame this totally on us) will be gone some day and a new generations will have their own tastes.

[PghYinzer]

Originally Posted by Mtl-Cns

I am a millennial. Just because it is a "dining room" doesn't mean it has to be used for that purpose, although I love cooking with my friends and playing board games so a dining room table is a great option for us. I could easily make the "dining" room my living room and see exactly what's going on in there while working in the kitchen which would maintain the structure of the house so that the HVAC and insulation works the way it is supposed to.

Hate plaster all you want but an 1860s house has no insulation besides a double brick wall on the outside and then the plaster coating of the brick wall on the inside. Exposing the brick is bad for the electric/gas bill and bad for the environment for this type of house.

And there is also no way that anything style-wise from open concept floor plans to clothing to cuisine to ANYTHING is here to stay. George Washington probably thought that about the powdered wig. Can you point to a case where that has happened ever? The millennial generation (and open concept was popular long before we were the home buyers, so I don't blame this totally on us) will be gone some day and a new generations will have their own tastes.

The HVAC in my house did not work properly until I removed the carpeting and padding because it was blocking the air flow under the doors on the 2nd floor. I have no cold air returns on the 2nd floor, but a large one in the foyer...works like a charm now as the cold air can sink under the doors and down the stairs to the return. With the carpeting it never worked properly.


As for hating plaster...how does it look any different than drywall? My house has original plaster, and it is smooth like drywall. Perhaps they mean textured plaster, which I agree is not very appealing to me.

[WhoIsStanwix?]

My only beef with plaster is it makes it considerably more difficult to hang things, especially if the plaster is directly over brick.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by PghYinzer

Perhaps they mean textured plaster, which I agree is not very appealing to me.

The swirly textured **** mostly became popular in the mid-20th century as a cheap/easy way to hide wall imperfections and cracks.

My first house had some bumpy walls after a century plus of settling. It's easy enough to deal with by putting matte paint on the wall. Or, if you have very large bumps, using a textured paint with some sand in it.

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by sky329

idk I think open concept might be here to stay.. with the older generation dying off the millennials just don't see a need for a dining room.. and being able to cook, wash dishes and still watch what is going on in the living room is the appeal.. and I HATE plaster walls, hideous.. just giving you a different perspective

The open kitchen-family concept is here to stay. Most newer homes have that as standard. The dining rooms are still being included, it's the formal living room that is being eliminated. Some newer homes are even doing away with a full bath tub. The older homes with all their charm and quality are great, but their big negative was the kitchen. Built strictly for the "womenfolk" to feed the family, small and cramped.


As to plaster, try finding someone to repair it. I had to have some work done on my Dormont property 30 years ago and the only guy I could find was in his 70's. Don't think he's working much these days.

[PghYinzer]

Originally Posted by Copanut

The open kitchen-family concept is here to stay. Most newer homes have that as standard. The dining rooms are still being included, it's the formal living room that is being eliminated. Some newer homes are even doing away with a full bath tub. The older homes with all their charm and quality are great, but their big negative was the kitchen. Built strictly for the "womenfolk" to feed the family, small and cramped.


As to plaster, try finding someone to repair it. I had to have some work done on my Dormont property 30 years ago and the only guy I could find was in his 70's. Don't think he's working much these days.

As for the kitchens, it's funny..mine isn't bad sizewise for the age of the house, but it is closed off from the rest of the house, yet that is where everyone hangs out. NYE I tend to find 15-20 people crammed into my galley kitchen and "butlers pantry" (its a breakfast room that I have turned into a walk in pantry).


Agreed about the issue of finding someone to work on it. I had some work done in my bathroom recently, and the guy was 70 and couldn't see. When he was done it was a sh*tshow in there. It looks horrible still, but I had no desire to fix it. The issue with tearing out my plaster and replacing the drywall, the woodwork never looks the same as the drywall is thinner.

[RogersParkTransplant]

I personally don't think open floor plans make a lot of sense in this climate -- I like being able to heat specific rooms and close off others in the winter, and I like having some nice thick walls in between the couch and the front door. I also like being able to put up a baby gate and keep kids out of the kitchen when they aren't eating -- even with locks on the cabinets, there is just too much stuff in there that they can get into -- but of course that's not an issue for everyone.

[Mtl-Cns]

Originally Posted by PghYinzer

As for hating plaster...how does it look any different than drywall? My house has original plaster, and it is smooth like drywall. Perhaps they mean textured plaster, which I agree is not very appealing to me.

I'm not sure but I thought they meant that they preferred exposed brick to plaster because I was complaining about exposed brick in my original post.

[RogersParkTransplant]

Also, I know it's too early for lunch, but every time I see the words "my beef with flippers" all I can think is that this should be a thread about the best hamburger in Pittsburgh.

[Mtl-Cns]

Originally Posted by Copanut

The open kitchen-family concept is here to stay. Most newer homes have that as standard. The dining rooms are still being included, it's the formal living room that is being eliminated. Some newer homes are even doing away with a full bath tub. The older homes with all their charm and quality are great, but their big negative was the kitchen. Built strictly for the "womenfolk" to feed the family, small and cramped.

Here to stay in new construction for now. We have no idea how technology and preferences will change the way we cook, eat, or interact in and with our homes in 20 years let alone 150+.