I would disagree that you can't have a "WOW" view and a "WOW" house. I think I have both (no credit given to me, it was built 120 years ago). I also think that the house calls for a certain "wow" factor as we go about restoring it to it's original WOW :)

Did you seek to add "wow factors" to your spaces?
Yes, it was a bed and breakfast prior to my living in it. It already had some wow but was missig quality wow as the wow's came from 100's of guests who tromped through it weekly.

Do people say 'Wow!' when they see these elements?
Ya, my favorite is a bookcase we purchased in Seattle. It's 11 feet high and about 15 feet wide, all antique glass, pretty cool and we got it for a steal. I have it filled with silver....silver plate mostly, but beautiful stuff, layered and layered (or as DH would say, stuffed in there so full you worry it might tumble if you open the door). People say "wow" and my favorite saying..."Is that family silver" Sure, heh heh, someone's....most of it I got at the goodwill :p But honestly, I love silver and that cabinet full of silver gives me a personal wow feeling. I just think it's pretty and it makes me smile...that's wow to me I guess.

Is it really a "wow factor" if you've seen the same thing in ten thousand other finished spaces?
I wouldn't be able to say I've seen much of what wow's me in ten thousand other spaces. I think it helps that my home is victorian, which narrows you down to maybe 1000 spaces :p and because I have "space" to develop a wow that would be harder in a smaller space.

Will these "wow factors" still be "wow factors" in a few years? They're not in fashion now, so likely they will still be wow's later :) That's the fun of antiques.

We have other "wow's". A bedroom set that is spectacular (came with the house). A gorgeous bronze sculpture of a nude with a big butt :) She makes me happy as we share that feature LOL A few pieces of art...but mostly our wow's are related to the house and as such, being 120 years old, they're probably still going to be wow's in 100 years. I also think my garden is a wow...but maybe that's just because it gives me such pleasure. Sitting in the garden surrounded by peony or hydrangea depending on the season, with a glass of wine, watching a sail boat race out front and enjoying the architecture...that wow's me.

Most of my wow's have to be given credit to the original builder of our home. I still think "Wow" when I think of what they accomplished 120 years ago for ten grand. Pretty danged impressive.

Like most people here, I'm shooting for the "ahhh" factor more than the "Wow!" factor. However, I hope to add a little Wow in 2013 or 2014 with some artwork. Nothing too crazy, but hopefully some abstract something that people notice and think, "oooh, different ... neat ... I think I like it ..."

That's as close to "Wow" as I want to get, I think :)

Trying too hard won't get you a wow factor or even a short ahhhh! A true *wow* is unpretentious and usually more 'earthly', hence a view or fantastic property, though not necessarily a manicured lawn. It should also be unexpected, kind of like a great surprise ending of a movie~you walk out and you're in awe, since you never saw it coming.

The row houseVictorians that stand on the hillsides of San Francisco always amaze me~how can I not say, WOW?

No wows here, only comfort and relaxation.
My house is for ME.

The world can be a terrible and scary place and IMO "HOME" should be the antidote to everything negative in the world. I want all of my troubles to fall away when I enter my house and be replaced by feelings of security, comfort, and love.

I care not what anyone else says or thinks when they walk into my house. Sure it is great to get positive responses and praise for your style but ultimately that does not affect my enjoyment of the space one iota.

Function is also very important to me- things have to accommodate all the people and animals that live here.
There must be a place to set a drink next to each seat.
I must be able to put my feet up.
It must be easy to keep clean.
No cat unsafe tchotchkes to worry about.
Nothing (i.e. coffee table) a giant breed dog tail could wipe out.
I want all those little things that make life easy near but not visible, so a stash for nail file, spare glasses, hand lotion, a pen and paper etc. in each room near my favorite chair.
I want to use and enjoy my heirloom pieces, not keep them in a closet.
And so on.

I should also add that I do have a totally "WOW" yard as landscaping and gardening is my passion.
The WOW is when they pull into my driveway- most people who come in my house are too busy looking out the windows at the gardens to pay much attention to what is going on indoors. I get ten times the visitors to see the yard as I do to come inside.
Even then, when you cross the threshold into the house the world kind of falls away and you are bathed in relaxed yet functional comfort.
Works for me.

I did chase the Wow factor at first. I looked at Pottery Barn publications and others where they would have something like a giant clock on one wall in black or something that created a lot of contrast. But when I started thinking about it, I realized I would get tired of seeing that day after day and for me it wouldn't have longevity. Now I focus on comfort, organization- since my house is small, and a mix of things that I think will be most satisfying to my eye for the long run. Good Topic!

No "wows" here. We live in a house that looks like most of our in-town friends' houses. Our town was mostly built in the 1920s so almost everyone within a certain income range lives in a center entrance Colonial with a medium sized foyer, dining room on the left or right, and living room opposite, kitchen in the back. Many have kitchen/family room additions but mostly not "wow" type additions, because lots are small. We do often get a "wow" for our addition, because it is a great one (in my humble opinion). Not because it's huge but because it has given us a really great space to hang out or have a party. Also, you can't see it when you approach the house, so it's sort of a surprise when you walk in the front door. The other thing people comment on is our artwork. But in general we don't have the sort of house people say "wow" about.

"The 'ahhh' faotor" -- I like that! That is what I'm going for, as well. I just want to be comfortable, and want my guests to be, too.

Not that I've tried to do so, but I'm pretty sure I lack the know-how to create a "wow" factor house or room.

Even if I were to try, I think one problem with going for "wow" is that, as the majority of eveyone here has pointed out, the effect could prove exhausting after a while, i.e., I probably wouldn't want to go for it for myself.

Of course, pal is correct as well. As usual. :) What's the point of creating a wow factor in one room but allowing the rest of the house to remain its plain old self? That's what would happen, since we don't have the budget for a whole house "wow" redo. Doing one wow room but not others, and I can imagine people's responses: "WOW, that's amazing! ....When are you going to finish the rest of the house?"

Also, to attempt to wow others implies that I could possibly know what would wow all of them. I barely know what I like! How could I possibly please - and wow - everyone else?

"Many people have expressed amazement and some have almost been speechless as the house has features most people don't expect by looking at the outside."

"I should also add that I do have a totally "WOW" yard as landscaping and gardening is my passion....most people who come in my house are too busy looking out the windows at the gardens to pay much attention to what is going on indoors. I get ten times the visitors to see the yard as I do to come inside.
..."

You dangle those delicious tidbits before me, but just out of reach! How I'd love to see a few images!

This is the view from my kitchen windows- not everyone's taste but it is designed first to exercise giant breed dogs, second to please my eye, and third be semi easy to maintain.
Again, function wins out :)

{{gwi:1890678}}

More photos linked below.

Here is a link that might be useful: yard stuff

I went threw a phase in my twentys where every thing had to be a wow factor and I had great fun doing and redoing my house every time a new design or color trend caught my eye. I was never into cloths but I sure had fun with the house. I finally settled very happily into a country house decor. Now with this house its a 1915 and I want to honor that and want to draw people into it in a welcoming way so I,ve gotten quite with the design of the stuff in it and I,m content too let the house speak for itself. We did go for a WOW in the kitchen with the two toned woodwork but there was simply no way I was going to talk my husband out of that. With so much of the house itself needing remodled and brought back to what it should be he felt we needed a WOW room to detract from all the in process stuff going on. Thats one thing about these older homes if you want to be true to them nothing happens in a hurry.

Igloochic: I think I have driven by your house. If it's the place I am thinking of, it would be a shame to un-WOW it. I mean, you really couldn't if you tried!

I think some houses, locations have a natural wow.

"...my favorite is a bookcase we purchased in Seattle. It's 11 feet high and about 15 feet wide, all antique glass, pretty cool and we got it for a steal. I have it filled with silver....silver plate mostly, but beautiful stuff, layered and layered (or as DH would say, stuffed in there so full you worry it might tumble if you open the door). People say "wow" and my favorite saying..."Is that family silver" Sure, heh heh, someone's....most of it I got at the goodwill :p But honestly, I love silver and that cabinet full of silver gives me a personal wow feeling. I just think it's pretty and it makes me smile...that's wow to me I guess."

Could you pretty please post a pic of this beauty? I also collect silver (mostly from yard sales) altho your collection sounds even more amazing than mine. Love to see it.

Cearbhaill, thanks for posting pics of your garden - it really is a wow.

I totally forgot about my garden and have had friends literally say wow when they saw it this year as it's had quite a lot of work done. Even more improvements to do so I don't yet say wow. I think there are some of us who don't think in terms of wow-ing anyone with our homes or gardens. We probably are less (or not at all) concerned with other's opinions.

cearbhaill that certainly is a lovely view. I have a similar view from my kitchen...I wish I had the same view out front.

I'm a gardener too and I think I do very well in that area! Inside though, it's about comfort, function, and anything that is my idea of "pretty".

I'm going to redo my guest bath soon and it is going to be all pink! I suspect I'll get many wows, though they may not be signs of approval. But I've been the only female in this house for 30 years and darn it I'm going to have some pink now!

The only "wow" factor I wanted was the view out of our windows. I want the inside of my house to flow well, have all of its parts relate proportionately, and make sense with its historic style. If anyone should walk through my house and say, "wow, it feels like this house was built x-amount of years ago (ideally at least 150 years)" I will be ecstatic. Otherwise, the wow factors my family and friends are looking for are the last things I want in my house. My copper cupola is in full oxidation mode right now and someone recently told me it would look really impressive if we could keep it shiny all the time. I then knew they had no idea what I'm going for with this project.

I'm with palimpsest: I am more for the "subtly and slowly reveals itself to be flawlessly executed without calling attention to itself" factor.

Did you seek to add "wow factors" to your spaces? No. The current house has a "wow" spaciousness and a "wow" bookcase wall, and a "wow" backyard size, but it's all a result of lifestyle dictating lot and house choices.

Do people say 'Wow!' when they see these elements? Yes! Although "woah ... " is a close second. With the bookcase the followup question is inevitably, "Have you read all these?"

Is it really a "wow factor" if you've seen the same thing in ten thousand other finished spaces? I suppose it would be, which is why we avoid chasing trends and working with personal taste instead.

Will these "wow factors" still be "wow factors" in a few years? No, the current "wow" granite will be dated, the distressed furniture will just look shabby and dated, and the industrial imitations will have fallen apart.

This post was edited by lazygardens on Tue, Dec 11, 12 at 17:05

I agree with many of the postings. A gorgeous view gets the biggest "wow" from me when looking at home photos no matter how gorgeous the interior. I just finished a kitchen remodel and found an interior designer who could use what I love and give it "wow" power. She suggested copper and black grasscloth in the back of a lit display cabinet in my kitchen and copper glass tiles for my backsplash. Another idea, she had me hang my two antique leaded glass windows from the ceiling where two open cut out areas just happened to be in an interior wall. Not much more cost than if I had not hired her, but the look is stunning. So yes, I purposely went after the wow factor, but in an elegant way that is me.

Rosy, it's first name is James...is that the one? :) I love my home as you can probably tell. We are VERY honored to be the first family in it since the owner died in 1920 and as with many folks in old homes, we do feel a great responsibility to do right by the joint :)

Of course we have other wow's...""Wow, the roof is leaking again?" "Wow, look at the electric bill!" "wow, what the hell were we thinking" :) But when the weather is nice and the leaks dry up we love it LOL

Lucky I'll take a photo tomorrow when I get home. We tripped over the bookcase in Seattle at a store going out of business and got it for a steal...then found out how much it would cost to move it :o Ooppssss DH thought it was for books LOL Silly man :) We'll have to share pics :) I'm always looking for imaginative ways to decorate with silver. Mind you...only when it's polished (I'm due to spend a week catching up on it soon...I normally let it go black for Halloween and then polish for CHristmas)

IT's funny to read this thread. To me "WOW" isn't something modern typically, but then I'm living in a victorian so perhaps that's personal. Wow comes to mind for me when I see a great piece of art, fabulous old farm cupboard, gad a plow with flowers spilling out from it on a country drive. I think real wow or lasting wow comes from the things that make me smile and appreciate life's beauties.

And of course Harrison Ford....

igloochic: it wasn't the one I was thinking of, but now that I've seen it online I recognize it. I think I know every old house in that town, it's one of my favorite "house stalking" places. My poor husband gets so tired of driving around those streets going two miles an hour while I ogle houses and gardens. Both of my children were born in the hospital there.

I live on an island about 45 minutes south of you. We are fixing up an old farmhouse and I go to Vintage Hardware frequently for house parts.

Love your town and your home. Are you planning on being innkeepers, or are you turning it into a family home?

Ok, to get back on topic: I completely and unabashedly admit that I love the wows I get from other people. I love to hear what people say about my house while they are walking by and they don't realize I'm gardening on the other side of the hedge. We have an annual bike race on our island and it has been so fun to hear the bikers talking about my house as they ride by. They comment on how much work we've done and what has changed from the previous year.

I love curb appeal!

There are a couple blogs that I frequent and am in love with many of the homes....the entire flow of style. I have never thought "wow", more "gads, do I love this home". It is never something specific, more of the overall setting. One was a craftsman home that had all of the woodwork and wood built ins completely stripped and restored to their original. This in itself would be a "wow" factor to include the amount of work, love and honor for the original home.

So, yes a "wow" factor can be there, but for me it includes the overall feeling. As with many of you, I fit with the "ahhh" factor. I want to come home or visit another where the decor inside or outside just calls to me.

The best compliment I ever received was from my son. He told me it was always wonderful to come home because he felt so comfortable even though the house was OCD (husband) mixed with my decor. My husband had wonderful taste and was open to mine with love, just don't move/change anything once in place or a logical discussion had a solid reason.

cearbhaill: Wow. :)

I am very wowed by what you've done. I haven't had time to look at all the images carefully, but I see how much planning and thought you've put into the garden. I see you have a plant list, too, and I'll be looking at that with great interest!

I was a guest recently in a very nice home with such a gorgeous setting, a beautiful with great curb appeal, a front door at the top of the crescent shaped ascending steps, and the eventuality of a beautiful autumn wreath as if it was made from the setting, which was a wooded area, and the address gave a clue, that it was a wooded estate, not a house in the burbs or city. The house was not really large, maybe 4000-5000 sq ft.
The great room was truly a family room and there were two banks of French doors/windows one on either side of a huge fireplace that cast a glow about the room on a cool dark rainy afternoon, and which looked onto the nearby wooded area, an organic feast for the eyes with every color leaf in the crayola box. The home owners were a building contractor and his stay-at-home wife (now empty nesters).
I noted that the home's interior had not been upgraded since the 1980s of wallpaper and color scheme, tile or cottage cheese ceiling, but that was the last thing I noticed.
The first was that it had good curb appeal and on entry, it smelled clean, not from candles or sprays but clean. The second thing I noticed was the gorgeous view from the great room with a huge fireplace (fire burning) situated between the banks of French windows/doors looking out onto the wooded setting. The spic-and-span clean tile of 30-40 years ago was as clean as if it was laid yesterday. I noticed the beautiful crystal and silver within eye shot of my seat, of a well-appointed DR, furnishings which were heirloom, probably from a century or so ago but well kept in an immaculately clean house. Normally the Shumacher wallpaper from 1985 would have bothered me, but in this house it seemed not just appropriate, but a classic as if it were meant to remain for all times, standing in a moment in time, gave me the feeling that I might perhaps be an extra in a movie filing the set from a filming of a nice family such as Mr. Smith goes to somewhere, whose housekeeper was out of sight (this lady is her own housekeeper), enjoying a cool homecoming afternoon in a beautiful home, kept warm by the cozy fireplace while someone served cider, cookies, cheese straws and wine. Ahhhh. I never thought I would feel so good in a house with wallpaper and tile so dated, but I wanted to move in, good clean smell, view and all.
I think I found the wow factor, but it is not easy to describe in one word or one item.

It wasn't intentional but we did add a "wow factor" to our house, which is the fireplace. Everyone here's seen it, so no need to post it again. After we were without power for 30 days, we knew then we were going to build a FP that would heat almost the whole house. And boy did we ever! lol. And since it's also a cooking FP, it's pretty big.

The first thing people say when they walk in is, "Wow." FP's like our's isn't common around here because it was custom made.

And then there's my kitchen floor. :)

We redid our house a couple of years ago and my goal when it came to the finishing touches and decorating was to have people like being in the space without knowing why. And first of all that included my family. I generally find WOW factors as defined and shown on TV to be jarring and out of sync with the rest of the space. There is a certain "look at me" to them and as mentioned by Pal no cohesiveness to the rest of the house.

We put a copper mosaic backsplash behind the stove in our kitchen. As much as I love it because it's different I have had to work at making it a part of the house. Fortunately I already had a copper wall clock, so I added a hammered copper bowl for fruit, the WT over the sink window have the colours in them that copper will become and those colours have been carried into the rest of the living space. Is it a WOW factor - no - because I've made sure that it isn't. I don't want a "diamond range hood".

I remember a kitchen being posted a few months ago by someone just popping in and out (don't remember the name) and it had about 20 (slight exaggeration but it's what it felt like) WOW factors, focal points and I just did not like it. BUT, I would have loved to have seen the rest of the house to see if that was actually the decorating style of the owner, that Over The Top (for me) look.

@luckygal - yea, every once in a while I, too, find that Aquarius sensibility kind of taking over. That sensibility where people look at you and say "What?" and you have to rein yourself in, or not.

No, I don't want a WOW factor.

I worked for several years on my floorplan and when I sent the finalized plans to the architect to draw up and fine tune, these were the instructions:

"We want an elegant and comfortable home that reflects us, not ostentatious."

We always said we would build and decorate this home exactly as we have if no one ever set foot in it but us.

Most people that visit comment that our home is beautiful, but very welcoming and comfortable. The views are great as there is a water view from absolutely every window in the house, front back, and side--the goal was to bring the outside in while still making the inside cozy and able to stand on it's own.

The WOW factor just isn't for me, but it's fun to look at them for a moment or two in someone else's home. That's about it.

What an interesting thread! Sapphire, you had me laughing and nodding my head in agreement as I read through your initial posting! And I agree that most decorating shows today that go for the Wow Factor, end up with something tacky or totally ridiculous.
Yes, I agree that there can be "Wow" homes, but I personally wouldn't want one. I think the upkeep to keep it a "Wow" would be a PIA. What I try for in our home is beauty, comfort and harmony for myself and my family.
As long as we're happy, that's all that really matters. I collect art, but never buy to impress anyone. Heck, I sometimes don't even give much thought to whether DH will like it . . .just as long as he doesn't actually hate it. It just has to speak to me and make me very happy.

But, I do have major "Wow Factor views" in every direction here. I can take no credit for it, though (LOL). Mother Nature gets that one.

But Lynn, your home IS a wow factor! lol. In a good way, just like my FP. Everytime I see your rooms, especially the FP's, I go "wow."

The Wow Factor doesn't have to be in your face and stick out like a sore thumb.

I think palimpsest put the finger on exactly what I've seen in many of the 'wow factor' homes that I've been in. The 'wow' does not extend through the entire house. I also see it a lot on the message boards that I visit around kitchens and baths. Posters go to great lengths to search out the 'right' fixtures and finishes and post the rooms over and over again for everyone to see. But when you get to see the other areas in the house, they seem to be totally disconnected from the 'wow' room, even with open floor plans.

I'm all about function when I start to put together a room. I avoid pieces that seem to be there strictly as a style identifier (that starfish in the cottage home or the RH hardware lantern in the old home, etc.). I really like demifloyd's approach of decorating as if no one will ever set foot in the home but me!

What's funny is that if you talk to my friends and family, they will tell you that I'm all about the 'wow' factor because I'm very specific about what I want and don't want. They confuse my willingness to live with 'visual emptiness' rather than settle for something that will fill the space with trying to create a showplace. Makes me very grateful that it's my name on the deed and not theirs!

Like powermuffin, I am captivated by well put together rooms. Not in a magazine spread kind of way but in the way that a room can evoke an emotion or emit personality. For my own home, I want people to go by it and fully expect some 90-year old lady to burst out of the front door, all dolled up in some no-name classic outfit and hop on her Vespa and speed away, laughing hysterically!

Did you seek to add "wow factors" to your spaces?

We compromised on exterior to gain interior wow. And I don't regret it. Great views are great - being perched on a mountain or gazing at the ocean, but I live inside (especially in this climate) and the comfort, security and cohesion of my interior space will always be paramount. No one will be visiting to see my small patch of backyard.

Is it really a "wow factor" if you've seen the same thing in ten thousand other finished spaces?

I think that people that immerse themselves in design and decor can overestimate the interest of others outside that sphere. I would propose that most people don't consider wow and even when they see even the most commonly used magazine tactics cannot readily identify them.

Did you seek to add "wow factors" to your spaces?

This summer we rented a cottage in the Lake District of England. An old, stone built barn conversion split. It was modestly outfitted but sat nestled in the fells - soaring mountains all around, it was a short walk across sheep filled fields to a pretty little village. It was truly a wow environment stepping backing in time, walking the edges of lakes, visiting the homes of Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter. I can appreciate those kind of surroundings and history. But throughout the day we would return to the old cottage for meals in the ikea fitted kitchen, we would freshen up, check the olympic medal progress. The comfort of the well used sofas, the layers of lighting, caring for family that popped in, and the roaring fire seemed equally if not more important, on a human level. I obsessed about 'wow' when selecting this temporary residence both inside and out and got it. I think the vacation was much the richer for it.

Do people say 'Wow!' when they see these elements?

I want to delight my senses when entering a room that I have created, and everyone else's too. I consider while creating each room what my guests impressions will be, how it will flow for a party, how large family dinners will work. Those things are only a handful of times a year, but they really matter to me. And it is truly gratifying to have people notice the wow touches I have injected, as they have over the past 3 weekends when the house was filled with gatherings and parties. A techie friend marvelling at my faucet? AWESOME. People asking the material of my countertops I feel like I opened some eyes. It's a great feeling to impart knowledge and transcend mediocrity even if it is just stone and wood in the end. So I don't mind saying that how people perceive me is important and that I often make an effort to shape that perception even inside my home.

Love the honesty in this thread!

I love girlville's post :) THe last paragraph really summed up my views on "Wow" :)

My son is ill and sitting on my lap. He asked what this was about and when I told him "Wow" rooms he said, Mom my room is the biggest WOW, you should show them

OK so to me, wow is elusive in that we all disagree with the definition of wow :) To a six year old boy...this is wow:

rosey, your house sounds lovely. I used to dream about buying a school house that sits on a hill in the middle of a field that I think is near you? My great auntie lived in Coupeville for years and I went to school in Bham so we drove by that place constantly.

Which house were you thinking? We negotiated on the Consolate Inn for ever (nearly a year) but eventually bought the James house (which was not for sale) because she was being so difficult. We also planned on buying Starrett but the inspections were frightening! We were darned lucky the owner of the Inn wanted to retire :) She had told us no to an inquiry the year before.

We have permanently taken it off the Inn market though if you ever visit you'd see a sign in the window telling people that we are not an inn, nor do we allow tours. Having been the longest running B&B in the Pacific Northwest, we find that many previous guests won't give up trying to book rooms LOL I have so many funny stories of people coming up to ask...some even bring their luggage...just to be turned back by the evil new owners who are hoping to return the house to it's former glory :)

Lucky, photographing that silly cabinet is a challenge because I ripped down all of the horrible polyester lace curtains two years ago and still haven't replaced them (fabric purchased...and stored for when I have time). But with glare...here are a few far away and close ups. I would like to tell you the cabinet is always orderly, but the stacks in the closeups are more often there than not :( Such is life! Oh speaking of former glory...the walls in the background are puke pink...yes. I did not chose this color LOL That was the color I found (dates to about the 40's when the room was last painted) under the wallpaper. I haven't gotten around to redoing this room yet, but it will eventually be a shocking persimmon color with a gold ceiling.

Anyhoo, here's a few and one of my favorite piece, a russian caviar holder:

Demi...I am so sorry to share this obnoxious thought my dear...but your house has wow factor. I say that every time I see pics :p You've failed at your mission...or my version of "wow" is just a beautiful vignette I can't skip by too fast...

This post was edited by igloochic on Thu, Dec 13, 12 at 12:45

igloochic:

Wow!

A house that is well designed, or tastefully decorated, or built with quality in mind is bound to have wow factor however inadvertent or secondary it is to good design, beauty, function or quality.

The issue with wow factor is not when it is combined with good elements of design, rather, the problem is wow factor substituting for elements of good design.

Love it or List it makes me crazy. They always miss some pricy underlying issue in the original owner's home, so they are short on their budget.

Instead of making say a modest second bath for the family of five, they put a steam shower and super high end finishes elsewhere, rip out Kitchens that could have been facelifted, etc.. However, I'm sure they have contracts with the steam shower manufacturers and the cabinet makers. However, instead of making more useable family space, they end up with a "wow" feature.

igloochic: I have a stuffed animal loving six year old girl sitting with me now who thinks your little boy's room is total, complete, amazing WOW!!!

I was thinking of the blue house on the hill as you drive into town. I can't remember the name of it now. It was for sale for a while and I remember thinking how fun it would be to fix it up.

I am on a different island than the one you're thinking of. I live on on Bainbridge. My house is one of the early strawberry farms that the island was famous for a long time ago.

I know what you mean about people stopping by, although my house was never an inn. People stop all the time while they're out walking and tell me they used to babysit here years ago, or they built that planter in the front yard, or they used to play here when they were children. It's neat.

Actually, that is the wow factor that attracted me to the house in the first place. It has an amazing energy and a welcoming feel that has nothing to do with me or what I've done to it over the last ten years.

palimpsest: your last post completely, succinctly, and beautifully sums up my approach to design.

Rosy we are going to have to do lunch after the holidays! I'm looking for a kiddo doctor on bainbridge or poulsbo...I love wine...and old houses...we could even ditch our spouses and marry :p It's legal now heh heh

Bainbridge...well you're a fancy big city girl then :) Do you know where the Lindberg house is? My inlaws used to live across the street and I just adored that house to death. There is also a pocket of wonderful brick homes...early military...somewhere in the middle of the island I always look for but never find :)

The house on the hill is the Saunders house or the Holly Hill house if you are an old time resident like me (you count as old time if you remember the monkeys down town). The Saunders house (it's kind of blue green but the only one on the hill that was for sale) is owned by Mr. Kelly of the antique lighting store. Oh wait...there was the crack house on Morgan hill (up/uptown) which was well...a crack house, sold by the city. Both that house and the Saunders needed too much immediate work when we were shopping for a home. Our son was very ill at the time and we moved for his health so we needed a place that didn't need immediate work.

Instead we have long drawn out time consuming work :P You know the drill LOL

Lynxe :) See...the wow factor is a great distraction for the peeling paint, paper, cracks in the wall and general mess that the parlor is :) And thank you LOL

Igloochic...I live down the street from the Lindberg house. Did you know it's for sale? It started out in the 8 millions and is now down in the 2's or 3's. I live a few doors down from the christmas tree farm.

Yes, I was thinking of the Saunders House. It did look like a MAJOR project.

Your in laws house:it isn't that charming blue old cottage is it?

To stay on topic, the Lindberg House has all the right kind of WOW factor :)

I'm going to swoon...I always loved the Lindberg house...if we only lose a billion selling this one we might be able to afford it in....ok nevermind :p

I'm gonna look it up now though LOL

Their house was a white farm house style home...Its been so many years I'd have to drive down to figure it out. Across the street, just a bit down following the water if that makes sense. That's all I have in my memory. The Lowries lived in one house and the Hanson's in another...they married. This was many many years ago...maybe 50?

If I find the Lindberg listing I'll post a link to show fun wow :)

It appears a rather akward living room addition was made (I don't like the ceiling anyhoo and the big picture window is not period) but in general it's still a real wow house! The setting is also major wow, but even more fun, it's got wow history, which I love.

Our house was also a home for wayward girls (read girls who got pregnant out of wedlock) at one point. "Wayward" the victorians had such civilized terms for these things LOL

Here is a link that might be useful: Lindberg Mansion (and a few other folks lived there)

Deleted my post... due to comment below by requests of graywings and sandyponder who are so much more worldly than I

This post was edited by mary_ruth on Fri, Dec 14, 12 at 10:19

Cearbhaill---
Did you say you lived in KY? I have recently moved to KY from Texas, so my gardening is experiencing a learning curve!! And with dogs, too. Is it possible for us to get together and tour your garden?

Sorry to be so forward as to ask......

Thanks!
Nancy

Actually, mary ruth, you are not being political, you are being hateful and homophobic. Take your intolerance and ignorance elsewhere.

sandyponder

And xenophobic.

Point taken... I didn't attack anyone personally here, Point taken I packed my bags... outta here, after all I stepped in YOUR territory???

IF you can't tolerate my comments, that says a lot about your Tolerance level for others! Don't need to read anymore on this thread nor your comments, I got the message, so I won't be back to respond.

message for graywings and Sandyponder who left the negative no-tolerance messages for me.

This post was edited by mary_ruth on Fri, Dec 14, 12 at 10:17

Deleted my post... due to comment below by requests of graywings and Sandyponder who are so much more worldly than I am and have much more experience in life on the 'WILD' side than I do!

I disagreed with you, Mary Ruth, because I don't find the content of Sesame Street programming to be offensive.

Actually, I'm quite proud to be intolerant of hatred and bigotry, thank you.

sandyponder

Igloo: that house had an open house recently but I missed it. I was sick! I have been stalking that house for years...Let's do lunch and then get the agent to give us a tour. I have GOT to see those pink pedestal sinks with original taps!

I don't consciously seek a "wow" element, because IMO when a house is well designed and furnished, functional, comfortable and lovely--- that is what creates the wow---- the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. A home should never take center stage; it should always be an understated, gracious background for those who live in it, a setting for the real life that is enriched by beautiful and comfortable surroundings.

I appreciate and love to visit beautiful homes, but the real "wow" for me in any home is the friendliness and hospitality of its family.

I have enjoyed reading this topic. It's been a long time since I've visited Garden Web. I'm doing good just to come up with a color scheme to get started on any hint of a "wow" factor for my great room.

More than a WOW factor, I wish my house had more character...like in architectural features, stone fireplaces instead of red brick, paneled pocket doors, larger baseboard trim, etc, etc.

Devonne

Downsouth, you can add character to your home! I have an old house but over the years, a lot of the original character was lost. Fireplaces sealed up, the remaining one had its mantel stolen along with the banister to the curved staircase, years of abandonment destroyed the wainscoting and hardwood floors in a few rooms, and there is no crown moulding anywhere. However, I plan to add it all back. By the time they wheel me out of here, people will swear it was that way all the time!

If it fits in with the period of your home, throw on some sweats, head to the local salvage store and bag up some character!

The ever elusive wow factor~so do we want the wow factor to please ourselves or for others that see our home? Does a home absolutely need one, no. As was mentioned further above, if you walk into a home, and lets say the foyer looks like the Palace of Versailles, your expectations will be high re:the rest of the home. It it doesn't live up to such expectations, there's a major letdown. Model homes(usually!)are a perfect example of what I mean by expectations~every room is decorated, so there is no disappointment as you move thru the rooms. If you don't like the house, that's beside the point, but because it's a 'model' all spaces, including outdoor spaces, will be decorated.

I'm of the opinion you can have a well decorated home w/o having a wow factor~I see them frequently on this very forum. They're not decorated 'to the nines,' just decorated nicely, with attention to details that may be unique and stand apart from other homes that may be professionally decorated. I personally don't like a home to look contrived, as though a stage were set and beautiful items seemingly set sporadically here and there, if that's been determined to be the wow factor. You *can* have things arranged in a certain way so it doesn't come across as contrived. If you *think* it's looking staged, than it is.