Cypress Village Homes

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thedude111222 said:
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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Agree on no. 2 and 3 (probably no. 1 as well).  The great room allows you to get larger pieces of furniture and offers up a lot more flexibility.  No more need to figure out if a couch or table is going to fit in a room or not.
 
I think most are still missing the point... the Great Room is a gimmick to give you less. Even if you guys hardly use the formal dining or living room/parlor, it's still more space... you can be like qwerter and repurpose those spaces as a gym... or a music room... or a dog wash.

My home still has a "Great Room" that's open and flows to the backyard... but I also have a formal dining room for more seating for guests... and a living room for even more seating. That's why the bigger new homes have that second dining room because they know that it is useful, they just don't do it in the smaller SFRs because they are trying to maximize land usage.
 
irvinehomeowner said:
I think most are still missing the point... the Great Room is a gimmick to give you less. Even if you guys hardly use the formal dining or living room/parlor, it's still more space... you can be like qwerter and repurpose those spaces as a gym... or a music room... or a dog wash.

My home still has a "Great Room" that's open and flows to the backyard... but I also have a formal dining room for more seating for guests... and a living room for even more seating. That's why the bigger new homes have that second dining room because they know that it is useful, they just don't do it in the smaller SFRs because they are trying to maximize land usage.
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I don't know why you would get less space?  With traditional rooms, you have walls that block flow to the floorplans and physically take up space. 

Even if it technically gives you for space, the space is largely underused.  Yes, I could put a gym in my dining room area but I can also put it in a bedroom or the garage.  I much rather have the space in one flowing space where it can be used just about everyday.  I mean, square footage is square footage.
 
Irvinecommuter said:
I don't know why you would get less space?  With traditional rooms, you have walls that block flow to the floorplans and physically take up space. 
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You're still not getting it... by removing the living/dining they are giving you a smaller footprint of a home because they either make the house more narrow or less deep. You don't notice a drop in overall square footage because instead of vaulted ceilings on the 1st floor, they use the entire space for the second floor, so your 2000sft house actually feels smaller because everything is less spread out.
Even if it technically gives you for space, the space is largely underused.  Yes, I could put a gym in my dining room area but I can also put it in a bedroom or the garage.  I much rather have the space in one flowing space where it can be used just about everyday.  I mean, square footage is square footage.
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I hear this a lot but it's just not a good excuse in my opinion. To me, people love more space even if they don't use it all the time. I don't use the 3rd row seat in my minivan very much but I love having it when I need it. Before our kids, we never used 2 of the bedrooms but we liked having a 4-bedroom house for guests or whatever.

Having a spacious house isn't just about using all of the space all of the time... but having that space available if and when you need it.

But like someone else mentioned, it's a personal choice. It's why I like 3CWG homes even though we only have 2 cars. Or a driveway even though we try to always park in the garage. Maybe it's fat guy thing... I need to spread out but I also want to compartmentalize and don't want everything in one giant downstairs living space.
 
Exactly. New homes have narrow and long lots in order to pack in more houses given the same acreage. Narrow lots makes it difficult to have separate  living+dining+family rooms. For wide and shallow lots, with the same interior square footage, usually you can get a 2nd floor LOFT or vaulted ceiling which adds volume to the home. Great room is really a marketing gimmick.


irvinehomeowner said:
Irvinecommuter said:
I don't know why you would get less space?  With traditional rooms, you have walls that block flow to the floorplans and physically take up space. 
Click to expand...
You're still not getting it... by removing the living/dining they are giving you a smaller footprint of a home because they either make the house more narrow or less deep. You don't notice a drop in overall square footage because instead of vaulted ceilings on the 1st floor, they use the entire space for the second floor, so your 2000sft house actually feels smaller because everything is less spread out.
Even if it technically gives you for space, the space is largely underused.  Yes, I could put a gym in my dining room area but I can also put it in a bedroom or the garage.  I much rather have the space in one flowing space where it can be used just about everyday.  I mean, square footage is square footage.
Click to expand...
I hear this a lot but it's just not a good excuse in my opinion. To me, people love more space even if they don't use it all the time. I don't use the 3rd row seat in my minivan very much but I love having it when I need it. Before our kids, we never used 2 of the bedrooms but we liked having a 4-bedroom house for guests or whatever.

Having a spacious house isn't just about using all of the space all of the time... but having that space available if and when you need it.

But like someone else mentioned, it's a personal choice. It's why I like 3CWG homes even though we only have 2 cars. Or a driveway even though we try to always park in the garage. Maybe it's fat guy thing... I need to spread out but I also want to compartmentalize and don't want everything in one giant downstairs living space.
Click to expand...
 
thedude111222 said:
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...
Click to expand...

Darn. I can't fool you guys. I admit you nailed it. I really am your typical Irvinite - a 45 year old Tiger Dad from Taiwan. Surprise, everybody!
 
SoCal said:
thedude111222 said:
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...
Click to expand...

Darn. I can't fool you guys. I admit you nailed it. I really am your typical Irvinite - a 45 year old Tiger Dad from Taiwan. Surprise, everybody!
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:-) True-true :P Shaved ice date this afternoon, SoCal?
So, what's the verdict? Those who have a great room, great! Great if you don't?
I will be off to my taking my "secret" calls in my "semi-private" living room now.. fun discussion!
 
Cubic Zirconia said:
SoCal said:
thedude111222 said:
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...
Click to expand...

Darn. I can't fool you guys. I admit you nailed it. I really am your typical Irvinite - a 45 year old Tiger Dad from Taiwan. Surprise, everybody!
Click to expand...

:-) True-true :P Shaved ice date this afternoon, SoCal?
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Hey, there, Hot Stuff.  ;) I'm looking forward to our next rendezvous.
 
irvinehomeowner said:
SoCal said:
Hey, there, Hot Stuff.  ;) I'm looking forward to our next rendezvous.
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And you still don't get the Strawberries joke?
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Carry on, strawberries and donuts, and great rooms..with Homer. I like Qwerty's ideal: Great room as a family room and have separate spaces also, although I don't like wasted/extra space in my house.
 
irvinehomeowner said:
SoCal said:
Hey, there, Hot Stuff.  ;) I'm looking forward to our next rendezvous.
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And you still don't get the Strawberries joke?
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Nope, it's over my head. Must be a weird American thing. You Americans have strange customs telling people they smell like berries. We don't say this in my country. "Nice to meet you. You smell like blueberries." I will try to remember this. Thank you.
 
Sigh.

The joke is that you post like you have a little romance going with CZ... so I do the same thing with Homer (saying he smells good etc etc).

#FacePalm
 
irvinehomeowner said:
Irvinecommuter said:
I don't know why you would get less space?  With traditional rooms, you have walls that block flow to the floorplans and physically take up space. 
Click to expand...
You're still not getting it... by removing the living/dining they are giving you a smaller footprint of a home because they either make the house more narrow or less deep. You don't notice a drop in overall square footage because instead of vaulted ceilings on the 1st floor, they use the entire space for the second floor, so your 2000sft house actually feels smaller because everything is less spread out.
Even if it technically gives you for space, the space is largely underused.  Yes, I could put a gym in my dining room area but I can also put it in a bedroom or the garage.  I much rather have the space in one flowing space where it can be used just about everyday.  I mean, square footage is square footage.
Click to expand...
I hear this a lot but it's just not a good excuse in my opinion. To me, people love more space even if they don't use it all the time. I don't use the 3rd row seat in my minivan very much but I love having it when I need it. Before our kids, we never used 2 of the bedrooms but we liked having a 4-bedroom house for guests or whatever.

Having a spacious house isn't just about using all of the space all of the time... but having that space available if and when you need it.

But like someone else mentioned, it's a personal choice. It's why I like 3CWG homes even though we only have 2 cars. Or a driveway even though we try to always park in the garage. Maybe it's fat guy thing... I need to spread out but I also want to compartmentalize and don't want everything in one giant downstairs living space.
Click to expand...

While I agree with the Great Room being gimmicky, I do believe current buyers prefer it more.  My recent purchase netted me a family, dining, living, nook, and upstairs loft.  I have to admit, after months living in the place, we hardly use the living room and maybe ate in the formal dining once.  Majority of the time is spent in the kitchen, nook, and family rooms.  Which would mean a great room would've been more efficient for our style of living.  Factor in not having to furnish additional living spaces means more money saved.  Having said that, would I still pick my current place over a new home with Great Room?  Hell yeah...

As our kid get older, I can see the additional spaces coming into play....vaulted ceiling living room becomes the music room.  Formal dining will come into play more during holidays and gatherings, loft becomes my old man cave.

So I agree with IHO, while the Great Room may be great now (especially for young families), it can be outgrown quick, especially when the little ones are no longer little and the desire for teenage privacy comes into play.
 


Might venture in if the parking's not too crazy... wanna see the famous CA court and the dog wash... oh yeah the 10 foot ceilings too...
 
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