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Strange things in new houses

Beyond the horizon on the fringes of our cities lie vast estates of gargantuan new houses that will bewilder with their peculiar features.

The “great Australian dream” is to own a house, or so they say. To fulfil that dream, vast estates of new houses are constantly being constructed on the suburban fringes of our large cities.

Yet for those of us who consider ourselves to be practically minded, the new home in the outer suburbs is a peculiar beast. As I discovered when wandering about from one display village to another, some of these new houses have a bewildering array of features that seem to offer absolutely no benefit whatsoever.

Here’s my list of the top 7 “strange things” in new houses:

Strange Thing No. 1: Windows behind stoves

Most new houses have massive kitchens, which is fine if cooking is your thing. But what I don’t understand is why, amongst all that space, the giant kitchens are configured so poorly. Gone is the large window that let’s in winter light and summer breezes. Instead, many new houses have a long, thin window that cannot be opened and which stretches the entire length of the kitchen bench. The window sits beneath the kitchen cupboards, so one cannot actually stand and look out.

Interior of kitchen showing long benches with sink on one side and cupboards and stove on the other.
A spacious kitchen in a brand new home on Melbourne’s outskirts.

Whilst it could be argued that a long, thin window set beneath cupboards may better illuminate the kitchen bench and bring a certain novelty value to the space, the problems really surface once the sun sets.

Window immediately behind a stove.
The window behind the stove may look suave, but what happens at night?

One cannot place curtains or blinds in front of this window because it’s located right behind the stove and that surely has to be the mother of all fire hazards. So when the sun sets, there’s no way to ensure that the family has privacy; a gift to any creeps, peeping toms or nosy neighbours who live next door.

Yet the problems don’t stop there. Because of this window’s location, it’s quickly going to be covered in whatever grime and oil that spatters from the stove, let alone the condensation when the glass is cold. Sure, it looks nice and shiny in the display home but after a couple of months it’s going to look fairly awful, even if the Spray’n’Wipe is applied every night.

Strange Thing No. 2: The second kitchen

“Oh no!”, I hear you cry. Having just read about the disaster that is the long window set in front of the stove, you may have suddenly been hit with pangs of anxiety. Thank God that some new houses have a second kitchen. That’s right: The pantry of old seemed to have morphed first into a walk-in “butler’s pantry” and now into a de facto second kitchen.

View along bench in "butler's pantry"
The “Butler’s Pantry” is almost as big as the kitchen.

I am not naïve;  I have been to some parts of Asia where a second outdoor kitchenette is a necessity owing to the smelly nature of some of the cuisine (Daing na Bangus, I’m looking at you). But that’s generally not an issue in Australia and secondly, those second cooking spaces in Asia would barely fit the definition of “kitchen” in Australia.

I admit that the idea of a large pantry holds a lot of appeal. A second kitchen does not. After all, what is the purpose of the first kitchen if it’s not going to be used? The absurdity of this duplication seems to symbolise an extravagance that’s hard to fathom. Are guests likely to be impressed by the pristine shininess of the sink in Kitchen Number One?

Strange Thing No. 3: The Inadequate Sink

Take a good, close look at the sink in your new McMansion and you may discover that it’s missing a key ingredient: the draining board.

View of kitchen with sink but no draining board.
Look carefully at the sink: There’s no draining board.

That’s right, there is literally no place to put wet dishes before they get dried. Well, there is. You can place them on the faux marble bench top and spend the next ten minutes mopping up the resultant mess.

Of course there is a dishwasher to handle most of the dishes but there are certain things that cannot go into a dishwasher (wooden items, fine china, delicate crystal) so there are going to be plenty of moments when old-fashioned manual dish washing is required.

Yes, the sink and kitchen look lovely but there’s a very good reason why “old fashioned” kitchens of yore had draining boards.

Strange Thing No. 4: The Dark Room and the Missing Lounge

Times have changed, it seems. It came as quite a surprise to discover that despite the litany of superfluous rooms in the modern McMansion, there’s no space for a lounge/dining room. Instead, that special space that hosts Christmas lunches with the family and dinners with close friends has been replaced with a dark cavern known as the “home theatre”.

Inside of a dark home theatre
Dark and anti-social: A home theatre room.

Here the family can sit in complete darkness eating chips and soft drinks whilst watching films and entirely ignoring the other members of the household.

Okay, okay, I can hear the howls of protest now. What’s really wrong with a home theatre, I hear you ask. It’s not good for one’s health, but that’s a personal decision, I concede. In many ways, the loss of the formal dining space is the greater tragedy here.

Strange Thing No. 5: The Outdoors That Isn’t

Should the avid gamer or movie enthusiast suddenly desire some Vitamin D, they may want to venture outside. Gone are the pergolas or patios of old beneath which one could enjoy a beverage in the cool late evening summer air, it’s all about the al fresco space now. Al fesco is Italian for “in the open air” which is ironic because many of the al fresco dining spaces that I have seen are far from open.

Al frsco area with fan, kitchen benches, sink, barbecue and little outdoors
This “al fresco” dining space is about as far away from open space as is possible without setting foot inside the house.

Pictured above is a superb example of what I describe. Sure, this al fresco de luxe looks lovely but I am struggling to locate the outdoors in this scene. The entire space is enclosed. Aside from a dining table and couches, there is a built-in fireplace, ceiling fan, down lights, kitchen bench, gas stove, sink and cupboards. This must surely constitute Kitchen Number Three!

What is the point of going outside if outside is just a better ventilated version of inside? Perhaps this absurd set-up may work in some parts of the world, but I struggle to see how it’s going to last long in Australia. That couch would be most inviting for red back and white tailed spiders, whilst the snails would surely enjoy hibernating in those cupboards. The weather will fade the fabrics whilst the cheap stainless steel will soon develop spots of rust (I have seen this many times).

And what of that fireplace? Aside from the ludicrous inefficiency of operating a gas fireplace in the open air, I suggest that no-one would want to sit in the chilly Melbourne atmosphere if the temperature is low enough to light a fire.

Al fresco dining space, fully enclosed.
There is literally nothing outdoors about this al fesco space.

Perhaps for me, the saddest part of this scene is the lack of outdoors. There’s no grass, no sunshine, no blue sky, no nature. Just fern cut-outs in the wall panelling to remind us that plants actually exist.

Strange Thing No. 6: The Indoors that Isn’t

The topsy-turvy world of the modern McMansion doesn’t stop there. Between al fesco Kitchen Number Three and pristine Kitchen Number One sits a large concertina door which brings “the outdoors inside”. Ah, how lovely I hear you say.

But this is Australia.

View from al fresco eating area into the house
This large concertina door is an open invitation for Australian wildlife to enter the house.

The big problem with the large concertina door arrangement is that there’s no scope to apply fly wire and Australian houses have fly wire for a reason. The country is chock-full of insects. It’s not going to be very long before flies, wasps, beetles, bees, ants and all manner of other insects come flying into the house. It probably won’t stop there: How long will it be before a bird flies in or the neighbour’s cat comes prowling?

Wire doors may look a bit naff, but they’re a necessary part of Australian life.

Strange Thing No. 7: The Public Baths

Like a sweet dessert after a delicious meal, I have saved the best for last.

Because after a thoroughly tiring day sitting in the dark playing computer games, exploring the three kitchens and battling the insects that have invaded the house, the home owner may want to retire for the evening. What could be nicer than a warm shower or bath before bed?

Modernity has not bypassed the en suite it seems. Society concerns itself evermore with privacy in every aspect of life except the very place where it is needed the most: the bathroom.

The bathroom with no privacy at all: A glass wall is all that separates this bathroom from the bedroom.
The bathroom with no privacy at all: A glass wall is all that separates this bathroom from the bedroom.

All that stands between the shower and the master bedroom in some houses is a clear pane of glass and a spa bath, which incidentally, is on the wrong side of the glass. In effect, the master bedroom and en suite have merged into a combined wash/sleep room. What could possibly go wrong?

I find it difficult to believe that there won’t be a scenario where a householder, tired from a hard day’s work, wouldn’t want a quiet shower in genuine solitude. I find it difficult to believe that the tired householder, thirsty in the middle of the night, won’t inadvertently stumble into the bath whilst fumbling for a glass of water in the dark. I find it difficult to believe that the carpet beside the bath will remain stain-free. I find it difficult to believe that a sick/angry/lonely/confused child might not enter their parents’ room for some comfort only to be confronted by a scene that will leave them scarred for life.

But most of all, I find it difficult to believe that anyone would want to go to the toilet with nothing but a sheet of frosted glass to provide them with privacy.

What a ghastly arrangement.

The bedroom is designed with a floor-to-ceiling window into the bathroom whilst the windows to the outside world are almost the same size as those found in a prison cell.

What a strange world we live in!

   

Comments

3 responses to “Strange things in new houses”

On 29 November 2016, Andrew wrote: Hyperlink chain icon

I generally agree with all you say, but not about the lack of a sink draining board. Our sink came with a draining board that can rest at the side but we have never used it and it is no problem not having a draining board. You wipe water off the draining board or the bench. Generally, if it won’t go in the dishwasher, it doesn’t get used.

I never thought about those kitchen windows, so yes, quite absurd. As for having a second kitchen so that you don’t dirty or smell up the main kitchen, there is nothing to say and only give a despairing side to side shake of the head.

Oh yes, I recently found out where McMansionville is located in Melbourne, Sanctuary Lakes.

On 18 March 2019, Leanne Wren wrote: Hyperlink chain icon

Hahaha……I agree with you on everything you have said in this blog about the new Mc Mansions. My husband and I are gradually renovating our house and we often look through display homes for ideas and to see the latest colours, etc. We have laughed about the in ground pools in en-suites and exposed showers and toilets. He jokes that he can lie in the bed and watch me on the toilet. It’s true, he could, no joke.
The low long narrow window in the kitchen seemed a bit strange but we didn’t think much about it until a large two storey house was built near us on a corner. The owners must have bitten off more than they could chew financially as they have been in the house two years now and still have no driveway or fence along the side that faces the street. When I come home from karate I turn the corner, look straight into their kitchen and see that they haven’t tidied everything up and their teenage daughters are snacking at the counter. I don’t always tidy up either and my daughter and cats snack at the counter too. The only difference is that we are not on show to everyone who turns into the street. I actually wish they’d let that window get a bit grimy for our sake.
I have also wondered about those huge folding doors too. We go In and out all the time and I’d hate to be opening and closing those heavy doors. No fly screens, no way thanks.
The home theatre room could be a lounge room I suppose. We personally don’t need a formal dining room so that isn’t a major problem. I understand what you mean though about the huge tvs and the zombie family glued to them. Don’t need a home theatre for that.
Butlers pantry……love it. We have one in our investment property which we want to move into in a few years. It doesn’t have a sink but it has a full wall of lower cupboards and a full bench top and power points. I can’t wait for that. I won’t buy more stuff, I will just store my existing stuff without being so jammed up and I can leave the food processor on the counter. The main kitchen can look less cluttered with only a kettle, fruit bowl and decorative canisters on the bench top.
Keep up the blogs. I have just discovered them and I love them.

On 18 March 2019, Leanne Wren wrote: Hyperlink chain icon

Hahaha……I agree with you on everything you have said in this blog about the new Mc Mansions. My husband and I are gradually renovating our house and we often look through display homes for ideas and to see the latest colours, etc. We have laughed about the in ground pools in en-suites and exposed showers and toilets. He jokes that he can lie in the bed and watch me on the toilet. It’s true, he could, no joke.
The low long narrow window in the kitchen seemed a bit strange but we didn’t think much about it until a large two storey house was built near us on a corner. The owners must have bitten off more than they could chew financially as they have been in the house two years now and still have no driveway or fence along the side that faces the street. When I come home from karate I turn the corner, look straight into their kitchen and see that they haven’t tidied everything up and their teenage daughters are snacking at the counter. I don’t always tidy up either and my daughter and cats snack at the counter too. The only difference is that we are not on show to everyone who turns into the street. I actually wish they’d let that window get a bit grimy for our sake. You don’t need to be a peeping Tom to see into this kitchen. Everyone in the neighbourhood just turning a corner they always turned can see straight into the kitchen and beyond to the dining area and a lounge are too.
I have also wondered about those huge folding doors too. We go In and out all the time and I’d hate to be opening and closing those heavy doors. No fly screens, no way thanks.
The home theatre room could be a lounge room I suppose. We personally don’t need a formal dining room so that isn’t a major problem. I understand what you mean though about the huge tvs and the zombie family glued to them. Don’t need a home theatre for that.
Butlers pantry……love it. Sorry, but I do. We have one in our investment property which we want to move into in a few years. It doesn’t have a sink but it has a full wall of lower cupboards and a full bench top and power points. I can’t wait for that. I won’t buy more stuff, I will just store my existing stuff without being so jammed up and I can leave the food processor on the counter. The main kitchen can look less cluttered with only a kettle, fruit bowl and decorative canisters on the bench top.
Keep up the blogs. I have just discovered them and I love them.

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