Cypress Village Homes

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Not sure how many here have had huge parties... but I find the separation useful. Adults in one area, kids in another... or different sets of friends in different areas.

Two dining areas is a plus as usually one of the tables has all the food on it so there is another area where people can eat. Or again... kids at one table, adults at the other.

Additionally, just recently we've had notaries over and we sign all the paperwork in the dining room, away from the living room where the kids are playing video games.

I find it more functional than one gigantic room on the first floor.
 
Also, do you see how the flow will be for your family, or when you have a party? Looks like most of you think about entertaining more than day to day traffic..

 
Cubic Zirconia said:
I did put the big objection in my reply to Homer. Took it off later.
Big objection is privacy. There should be places in the house other than bedroom that can be semi private. Not just for things I don't mention, but for simple things like taking a call without everyone hearing the conversation.

TMI. Sometimes I come home to a sink full of dishes. I don't want to see that first thing when I enter :) we lived in an apt where the door opened into the kitchen. Hated it!
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Exactly.
 
Cubic Zirconia said:
I did put the big objection in my reply to Homer. Took it off later.
Big objection is privacy. There should be places in the house other than bedroom that can be semi private. Not just for things I don't mention, but for simple things like taking a call without everyone hearing the conversation.

TMI. Sometimes I come home to a sink full of dishes. I don't want to see that first thing when I enter :) we lived in an apt where the door opened into the kitchen. Hated it!
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I guess but how often do you need to have a "secret" phone conversation?  If I want privacy or silence, I can go to a bedroom or a den and get that there.  I don't necessary think that's an issue with the great room but just size of the property in general. 
 
i dont care about entertaining, i only care about how im going to use the rooms. we have huge kitchen/great room and separate dining room. would not trade the huge great room for anything.  our dining room is currently a gym. we dont need or want a separate living room, we would never use it.

you guys are wasting your time arguing about what is better, for your house, your own opinion is all that matters.

And frankly IHO im surprised you let your kids out of your sight even in your own house  :)
 
OMG, OMG! I got a thank you from Irvinehomeowner! This, like, never happens y'all. Is this really happening right now?! I need to go do a print screen and file it with the other one from 4 years ago - March 25, 2009 to be exact but who's counting...
 
Cubic Zirconia said:
Also, do you see how the flow will be for your family, or when you have a party? Looks like most of you think about entertaining more than day to day traffic..
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Both.  I would like to be able to see my daughter playing in the living room area while I do dishes or am cooking.  I would also like to be able to have a conversation with my friends/family when they are over so that I don't feel like being left out of the conversation.  Also, a great room means no more missing TV shows or sports while getting something to drink from the fridge.
A bigger room also allows for more decorative choice and less worry about being overcrowded. 

Again, if there is a giant need for privacy, there is usually a bedroom available.  Even in my apartment, I can sit at the dinning room table while my daughter watches TV.
 
I like the Great Room concept... what I'm saying is it's basically the same as the family/nook/kitchen layout of the older homes. I can see my kids while I'm cooking or washing dishes. But when I'm in my family room watching NBA playoffs, my kid can be in the living room practicing viola and I don't have to turn my volume to max.

I'll take a great room as long as they give me a 2nd dining area (or in qwerter's case... a gym)... a living room/parlor is a bonus. What everyone isn't getting is that homes with just a Great Room is really shorting you on space.

For example, qwerter, what if your first floor was just that giant great room and no dining area and bedroom? That's how some of the TIC floorplans are. Like IHS says... the tour ends as soon as your guests enter the door because there is nothing else to show. :)
 
irvinehomeowner said:
I like the Great Room concept... what I'm saying is it's basically the same as the family/nook/kitchen layout of the older homes. I can see my kids while I'm cooking or washing dishes. But when I'm in my family room watching NBA playoffs, my kid can be in the living room practicing viola and I don't have to turn my volume to max.

I'll take a great room as long as they give me a 2nd dining area (or in qwerter's case... a gym)... a living room/parlor is a bonus. What everyone isn't getting is that homes with just a Great Room is really shorting you on space.

For example, qwerter, what if your first floor was just that giant great room and no dining area and bedroom? That's how some of the TIC floorplans are. Like IHS says... the tour ends as soon as your guests enter the door because there is nothing else to show. :)
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I would much prefer a great room than three tiny individual rooms, two of which I use like once or twice a year. 

Also, if my daughter is practicing an instrument, she can go to her bedroom and practice.  I would like as much distance as possible in that scenario.
 
Irvinecommuter said:
Even in my apartment, I can sit at the dinning room table while my daughter watches TV.
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I have my kids do homework at the dining table. TV is forbidden during homework time. Being able to see the TV from the dining table is of no help to the parent. Separation of space is important for concentration.
 
Irvinecommuter said:
A bigger room also allows for more decorative choice
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1 large room instead of 3 smaller rooms = less decorative choice.
3 rooms can have 3 distinct "flavors", each with its own character. A great room calls for more cohesiveness (for example: color scheme) because everything is on display from standing in one spot.
 
qwerty said:
i dont care about entertaining, i only care about how im going to use the rooms. we have huge kitchen/great room and separate dining room. would not trade the huge great room for anything.  our dining room is currently a gym. we dont need or want a separate living room, we would never use it.
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Never say never. Wait 'til you have noisy little qwerties.

At least you have OPTIONS in your house. You can always re-purpose the gym / dining room how you see fit later on. Your floor plan gives you that choice. That is totally different than what we're talking about.
 
irvinehomeowner said:
For example, qwerter, what if your first floor was just that giant great room and no dining area and bedroom? That's how some of the TIC floorplans are. Like IHS says... the tour ends as soon as your guests enter the door because there is nothing else to show. :)
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i would not have bought our current place if it did not have the dining room and down stairs bedroom. but if it had the downstairs bedroom i probably still would have bought it cause then i would have put the gym in the 3CWG!  with that said, i would not buy a place that has a traditional separate kitchen/living/dining room with no downstairs bedroom.
 
SoCal said:
Irvinecommuter said:
Even in my apartment, I can sit at the dinning room table while my daughter watches TV.
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I have my kids do homework at the dining table. TV is forbidden during homework time. Being able to see the TV from the dining table is of no help to the parent. Separation of space is important for concentration.
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Or you could just turn off the TV.
 
irvinehomeowner said:
I like the Great Room concept... what I'm saying is it's basically the same as the family/nook/kitchen layout of the older homes. I can see my kids while I'm cooking or washing dishes. But when I'm in my family room watching NBA playoffs, my kid can be in the living room practicing viola and I don't have to turn my volume to max.
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That's why, in my opinion, having a loft space upstairs is super important... especially in these new homes with open concept.
 
These open concept/great room floorplans are great if you have small children.  Then you're supposed to upgrade to a bigger house with the formal dining and living ALONG with the open concept family room in X years.
 
bones said:
SoCal said:
Irvinecommuter said:
Even in my apartment, I can sit at the dinning room table while my daughter watches TV.
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I have my kids do homework at the dining table. TV is forbidden during homework time. Being able to see the TV from the dining table is of no help to the parent. Separation of space is important for concentration.
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Or you could just turn off the TV.
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Very funny. You could tip-toe around each other all day long but it isn't very practical. A great room may be good if there are 1 or 2 people living in the home. When there are more than that, they start getting in each other's way.
 
This thread took an interesting turn since I last saw it a couple of days ago...here are my thoughts

1) Socal is clearly a tiger mom (or dad, can't tell with the ambiguous name). My kids will probably work for those kids one day...
2) Can't be more off about the assertion that a great room offers less decorative choice.  A well thought out and decorated great room can definitely incorporate different paint schemes and styles to the different zones of the room, the key is getting it to flow.
3) As someone that loves to entertain and is the cook for most dinner parties, the great room is simply the best, especially one that flows seamlessly to the backyard or patio.
 
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