Sometimes I see homes on TV... (like the Golden Girls which come on the Hallmark channel) or sometimes I've been to friends or acquaintances homes that are 'so pretty and perfect' that I wonder how they do it (or why?). Not that my home isn't clean or well-kept, but mine actually looks lived in. I mean if you look around, you will find pieces of fabric sorted together for quilting, clay in the process of being worked, books, knitting, as well as grandkids' toys... not to mention cat toys and paraphernalia scattered here and there. But I don't consider it messy... just lived in.
 |
| My mom on left having tea with dear friend (both have passed now) |
I know it's clean. When you have 5 cats, it's a constant battle to contain the cat hair and make sure that the litter boxes stay odorless. And DH and I work hard at it. I vacuum for cat hair daily. We have 2 clean air filter systems and he mops the entire downstairs with pine sol twice a week.
 |
| 3 of our 5 cats sharing a sun spot on bed |
And we have nice furniture. We both love heavy well-made brand name furniture. But of course since we've been married for 47 years, our furniture is not new.... but it has survived through 3 kids and an abundance of pets. It is sturdy. Having been in this house for 30 years, it does require a bit of maintenance. We remodeled the kitchen in 1995. That's when we installed the Aga and tile countertops. And not long after that, we removed the carpeting and installed slate and wood floors. It made cleaning up with kids and pets easier.
 |
| our kitchen (yes, I know... cats on counter...but I do lysol it daily) |
 |
| only pic I could find of our slate floors (which have been a god-send) |
There's another sign that I saw that I thought expressed very well my idea of retirement. I posted it here on my Mulberry days site.
Check it out if you have the time...
When my girls were very young, I had carpet laid over beautiful hardwood floors. The clatter of little feet went right away. Now I have hardwood floors, and they are so easy to maintain.
ReplyDeleteCarpet feels good on the toes, but when you have kids and pets, I never felt like it was clean... even after vacuuming or having it cleaned professionally. I like being able to use pine sol and a steam mop on the floors. We have hardwood floors in the bedrooms and upstairs.
DeleteI have laminate and vinyl flooring through most of the house, with carpet in my bedroom and in the basement rooms. I hate the carpet because every time I vacuum I pick up enough fur to make a small cat. But I like carpet in the bedroom and basement because it's cozy.
ReplyDeleteLove the slate tiles though in my climate they would be too cold in the winter unless there was in-floor heating.
Have a great weekend!
Well, I have to say that I still pick up tons of hair daily when I sweep and vaccuum... but the air filters help. As for the slate, it really isn't cold on the feet... even in winter... but of course we don't live in a cold climate.
DeleteI had to laugh at the kitty almost in the sink with the very relaxed paw. Your home is lovely, and well lived in, just like our bodies. They are not supposed to look perfect! :-)
ReplyDeleteDJan, perfection is not in my vocabulary... and I agree that it's not supposed to be. And I need to say this while I'm thinking about it, that after watching my daughter and her friends do their tandem sky-dive, I can see why it would be a hard thing for you to give up. Just *watching* was a beautiful experience. I can imagine how actually doing it would be...
Deletewhat an unusual stove you have and nice to see your cats all cuddling on the bed together. we have pine floors, carpet in the bedrooms and tile in the bathrooms.
ReplyDeleteHi Linda, it's an Aga... an old English stove. We love it... but they're not too popular in the states.
DeleteWhen we got rid of our carpet, we put hardwood floors in the bedrooms and upstairs, slate in the dining room, front room, and den.... and ceramic tile in the kitchen, baths, and laundry room. We did replace the carpet *on the stairs* as my mom lived upstairs with us then and we were afraid that the stairs without carpet might be slippery.
You have a lovely home. The lazy cats sprawled in the kitchen made me giggle.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Olga. And yes, they are definitely comfortable cats.
DeleteOh, the way people's houses look so neat and tidy when you visit is that they clean and clean and tidy and tidy just before you get there.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I always do and am dead tired by the time they arrive. My husband says that it is hypocritical to do that but I think most do go through all that so feel that I should also. And unless they see you house on a regular basis you want it to look it's best for them to see.
Well, I do this also... but do know people who's houses always look like this. Actually my mom was one. When we were growing up, mom kept a perfect house (well, almost perfect). We'd tease her as the kids were not allowed in the living room/dining area - that it was the *museum* in there.
DeleteOur house looks very lived in and it is by no means always spotless. How could it be spotless with a great hairy muddy dog in it? I don’t like cleaning much and rely on Kelly who comes and vacuums once a week. Nobody is going to praise you for your cleanliness when you’re gone but they might remember you for having a cosy home.
ReplyDeleteWell, Friko, I... like you... prefer the lived in look. I think having books lying around as well as kids' toys or a cat or 2 is a good thing.
Delete