What's the first thing you notice whe you walk in to a home?

MiamiMommy

Wed, Jan 13 2010, 10:23 am

The other post got me thinking. When you walk in to someones house, what's the first thing you notice? If the floors are clean? If the silver is polished?

louche

Wed, Jan 13 2010, 10:29 am

The odor, if there is one; the noise level, if there is one; whether it feels spacious or cramped; whether it's dark or well-lit; and whether it's unusually cluttered or not. Not necessarily in that order.

Other elements only if they stand out one way or the other. If a place is extremely dirty or surgically clean it will hit me in the face, but otherwise it takes a while for details to make themselves felt, if ever.

Ruchel

Wed, Jan 13 2010, 10:31 am

The atmosphere.
The decoration (not necessarily if it's pretty but it tells a lot on the type of people who live in it).

GoodEnough

Wed, Jan 13 2010, 10:45 am

Usually the smell, otherwise anything that is very obviously different to what I've seen previously.

Seraph

Wed, Jan 13 2010, 10:50 am

If its a living room at the entrance, I notice if the couches are empty or piled with things. A couch that I can't sit on bugs me, so thats always the first thing I clean in my house.
Also if its spacious or cramped. I once walked into a house where from the moment you walked in you felt claustrophobic. We have lots of stuff, but its against our walls and higher up so it doesnt feel as cramped. I need floor space to feel less cramped.

shabbatiscoming

Wed, Jan 13 2010, 10:53 am

I usually notice if there are book shelves or not (growing up in my parents home, there were about 5 books shelves in the entrance room, which was the living room, so if I dont see any, I get a very different feeling about the persons home than if there would be book shelves.

PAMOM

Wed, Jan 13 2010, 10:54 am

Books--are there bookcases? what kind of books are in them (Ie, fiction, histories, poetry, sefarim, etc). It doesn't matter what kind of books I see since, if I see books when I walk in, I assume there are more elsewhere.

LULA

Wed, Jan 13 2010, 10:57 am

I think I notice the type of floors that people have--hardwood, linoluem, carpet, marble. I also look on the walls to see what type of pictures--family, gedolim, judaica artwork,bare...

MiamiMommy

Wed, Jan 13 2010, 11:09 am

louche wrote:

I notice a really clean house too. It always makes me wonder how it got that way!

Kugel lover

Wed, Jan 13 2010, 12:43 pm

Tiles - I work in tiles so it's the first thing I notice. Smile

chocolate fondue

Wed, Jan 13 2010, 12:58 pm

The pictures on the walls. I'm an artist Very Happy

and a graphic designer. That's also what I'll remember the most about a home that I visited, a place that I ate in, etc.
I also notice if there are books. I'm always so surprised to walk into a frum house and see like only one and half bookcases full. My family and my DH's family are very book-orientated; both sefarim and secular book-wise.

Lady Godiva

Wed, Jan 13 2010, 1:19 pm

The style of the furnishings and decor in it.
If it's really messy or dirty, I'll notice that first, though.

Raisin

Wed, Jan 13 2010, 1:22 pm

everything I guess. But if they have interesting looking books (apart from the usual shas, chumashim etc) I will definately feel more at home.

MiracleMama

Wed, Jan 13 2010, 5:42 pm

MiamiMommy wrote:

The other post got me thinking. When you walk in to someones house, what's the first thing you notice? If the floors are clean? If the silver is polished?

Depends on the home I suppose. I don't make a point of inspecting anything in particular.

the world's best mom

Wed, Jan 13 2010, 6:41 pm

If there's music playing, and what music.
If it's extremely clean or extremely dirty.
If it's extremely noisy or extremely quite.
If it smells very bad or like good food cooking or baking.
If it is extremely fancy, or extremely poor looking.
I am not a very observant person. I only notice the extremes. And music.

leomom

Wed, Jan 13 2010, 6:51 pm

If the kids seem happy, and how the parents talk to the kids.