And for comparison, a gorgeous room.
"What happens here? Lounging in pajamas, reading, drinking a morning juice or an evening nightcap."

[Transitional Living Room[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/transitional-living-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_718~s_2112) by Atlanta Architects & Building Designers Peace Design

I like the kitchen a lot. I like the black appliances with the black hardware. I wanted an exhaust fan like that but they aren't code. Their kitchen work must not have required a permit.

I also like the paneled room.

The bathroom does not work for me.

The living room is in the same house?

Great house, I like how they worked with so many "outdated" features. I wish there were more examples of how to modernize without eliminating.

If I could buy a house like that I wouldn't modernize it. I find the old styles more warm and comfortable then the new sterile designs. It looks so homey and inviting now. But then I always wished I could live in the 50's and not in this time frame.

I often wish there were more magazines and pictures for people who live in real houses and have to work with real budgets. There is or was a magazine called House (or Home?) that was targeted at that group. I always enjoyed it.

However, I would not want that sailfish or the huge American flag. I also had the pine paneling in my den replaced. I hated that stuff. It was much darker than the paneling above.

@mtn: No, that living room is in a different home. Just wanted to show for compariosn. In my opinion, it "looks" gorgeous. I just can't see myself "lounging" in my fuzzies on such a straight-backed sofa.

They still have a real exhaust hood in addition to that exhaust fan, so maybe that explains it.

Some more pics from that family house.

Living room

[Eclectic Living Room[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/eclectic-living-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_718~s_2104) by Richmond Interior Designers & Decorators Lesley Glotzl

[Eclectic Dining Room[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/eclectic-dining-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_722~s_2104) by Richmond Interior Designers & Decorators Lesley Glotzl

[Eclectic Dining Room[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/eclectic-dining-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_722~s_2104) by Richmond Interior Designers & Decorators Lesley Glotzl

Not sure. Guest room?

[Eclectic Bedroom[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/eclectic-bedroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_715~s_2104) by Richmond Interior Designers & Decorators Lesley Glotzl

[Eclectic Bedroom[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/eclectic-bedroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_715~s_2104) by Richmond Interior Designers & Decorators Lesley Glotzl

To me it looks every bit as contrived, in its own way, as the untouchable living room.

Dark or honey (code for orange) pine can be stripped and bleached and made lovely.

I love the bathroom floor tile, also the pink 4x4 in. tile set in a brick pattern -- could easily live with that. There's something about the old middle class family scale of the house that hits home. I'm warming up to unpainted pine paneling these days too. Surely there's a good way to decorate around it? I'd seen a picture somewhere of a knotty pine room that was dressed up with paintings, sconces, oriental rugs, & deep colored upholstery: on the whole, a formal decor. It looked clubby & cozy, a beautiful room for reading by the fire.

Speaking of real family houses, my son and DIL have a bid on a 60s raised ranch (waiting on the financing right now). Few people like raised ranches, but I do. This one has good room sizes, good proportions, good flow, and clean lines & plains. Good sight lines & views out the window. No cool mid-century details, unfortunately, more like mid-century frump. But a good scrubbing, some fresh colors, exposing the hard wood floors, and opening up a kitchen wall will bring it into the 21st century beautifully.

Nosoccer, I like it a lot. Except maybe the fish. Love the second bedroom.
Very successful collected look overall. A total antidote to the "matchy matchy" thing which I really don't care for.

It's great to see a real family home like so many in my neighborhood. I like what they've done. The use of color, especially in the BRs and eating areas are great. Small misses for me are the granite in the counter in the bath (purposefully mismatched or an incomplete "update"?) and the FR (a different oriental rug rug, perhaps)

Re: Countertops in bathroom --- they were installed by the previous owner

Re: pine panelling: "This room is also where Jeff intervened with the decorating. Lesley assumed they would paint the original paneling �" she just didnâÂÂt know what color �" but Jeff insisted they keep the wood as it was. âÂÂIn here he totally put his foot down,â Lesley says. So it stayed."

Sounds familiar?

The house looks very livable. I like most of it, except for a few things. But it looks easy to change the things I don't like, because the interior design is not as rigid and pre-determined as many interiors in glossy magazines.

It reminds me a lot of the house I grew up in, sans the fish over the bed. I could live there and be very comfortable.

I like the fish. I just think it needs a larger room with higher ceiling and a more public room.

I like it all except that bathroom counter and the fish. :)

I have to comment on something I said to my husband this morning. I saw the room that nosoccermom posted (the super elegant living room) on my newsletter from Houzz. I remember telling him, if someone posted it there would likely be a comment about how disproportionate the chair on the right was. I know I would think that. haha I noticed it and how in the photo at least, the chandy does not look centered.

I don't like the kitchen. The black hardware and hinges are too busy and I've just never cared for black appliances. Also don't care for those old exhaust fans....they usually just look dirty and greasy.

I like the paneled room...harkens back to Ozzie and Harriet.

Don't mind the bathroom, but the granite is a big misstep for me. Pink wouldn't be my first choice, but don't mind the 50's look.

I really like it, and appreciate that it's a "realistic" house. I can relate to such a house, and could probably find similar furnishings and most likely afford them. There seemed to be some budgetary restraints, thank God ( or common sense) so some things were left alone...were "good enough".