My aunt who was a biologist in the sixties had plastic on some of her furniture, she lived in a NY apt. with central air, furniture was hot and uncomfortable!!

Never heard of luck in or hoboi.

ashtrays, reptile pets, carpet,

I would say live pets roaming around and taxidermy on the walls.

If you build on a pet cemetery you could have dead pets roaming around.

to respond to Stryker's comment asking why people would tolerate plastic furniture coverings.... the economy was just different back then. People literally didn't have money to replace things. No credit either. You didn't have dollar stores back then and you could pay $20 for something that you could literally get from the dollar store now. I have a ton of old magazines and it amazes me how expensive and ugly things used to be.

RED WALLS

The discussion about plastic furniture covers always reminds me of a bit on the TV show Everybody Loves Raymond when Ray's mom takes the plastic off the furniture for the first time ;-)

khadij, I know. Maybe it's just me, but I'd rather have a dirty, threadbare couch than one covered in plastic.

My list of No-Nos includes: no carpet (my daughter is so allergic!), no dark floors (I spend my life sweeping these silly floors of mine. Ugh.), no red paint on walls, no mice, rats, roaches, ants or bugs of any kind!!!!, no 'fake' doors - you know the ones that come in all newer homes that are pressed to look like solid wood, but aren't. Hate 'em!, no kitchen without lots of storage and a huge pantry, no dinky laundry room, no house without storage for a broom and mop (what??? don't people sweep and mop anymore? where do they store the broom and mop? Who designs these houses anyway?), no tiny bedrooms unless it's for a tiny person, no small dining rooms (how can you have people over for dinner when the space only fits 4 people?) and no dark houses where you have to turn on the lights in the middle of the day!

Yellow rooms

I have no problem with yellow but my husband has made a few decorating/landscaping requests - no yellow, and no trees over the septic tank!

As long as I don't drop the level, I have free rein.

I detest downlights! They are forbidden! They make your ceiling Swiss cheese! They are hot! They are spider and bug transfer centres from the roofspace! (when you are like me, and are severely allergic to pesticides) uuurgghh! My hubby hates ceiling fans, so none of those either.

I will never, ever allow any form of terrazzo in my house, either... shopping centre toilet blocks, where we grew up.

Tw123456 - I love that room... my hubby would HATE it!

I just looked at that list of Australian terms... chookchook2 is right. I'm a dinky di, true blue Aussie, and have never heard of a hoboi... a meat pie is a meat pie, and a mince pie is fruit only at Xmas. And I never called anyone a fruit tart! ;-) However - fanny does create problems... I have great fun reading American writers! I once read a book where a 'swim coach' was telling kids to bomb into the water... I was about eight at the time, and had serious misgivings when she told them to 'hit on your fanny!'. I had to ask my mother how that was physically possible... she explained the language barrier!

We have no issue with 'bum' for a derro (derelict - homeless person)... we always used those interchangably.

We had a childish rhyme that began "Hallelujah I'm a Bum! Hallelujah! Bum again!"

I won't tell you the rest :-)

I would never have taxidermy.

Would never have carpet.....never, never.

Once you are over 21 and/or graduated college, you can never again use something that has once contained something, as a decorating theme. For example, do not collect and line up the blue glass bottles that contained "special" drinking water on your window sills. Recycle them.

Let's take all fake ivy and have a giant bonfire or a contest to guess how many times it would circle the moon........................and then burn it.

Smdrovetto, re upcycling fake ivy, why not make rope bridges for chasms? There's a gap in the market there. Literally.

Well, hello chookchook2! Very environmentally friendly idea! I like it! Although, I have a fear of chasms due to 4 older brothers (including a pair of twins) who thought it was hilarious to pretend to throw their little sister off anything high.......suspension bridge, Vancouver, Canada, the Space Needle, Grand Coulee Dam, Washington state (almost succeeded on that one!)

But my most recent and irritating "pet peeve" is the popularity of using the term, "literally", mostly by people on TV, who never use it correctly! It is so refreshing to hear it used CORRECTLY! Thank you, ChookChook2! But it does not necessarily give me hope, because you are literally a literate Aussie, Kiwi, (are you not?), where illiteracy is literally not as big a problem, as in the US. :)

I'm not sure of the statistics here. I used to help with the reading programmes at schools, and there was a big need.

You could send the ivy bridge to Indiana Jones, or indeed, Tom Jones, if he's running away from his fans.

I would never have fake plants, including ivy. Tom and Indiana will have to buy their own.

I wonder, if you met them in the flesh. You might cross a rope bridge to throw whatever tribute came to hand

Literacy was never a problem in Australia when I was a child. There were problems, of course with certain children, however the extra trouble was usually taken with them. We tried to bring everyone up to the highest common denominator, not down to the lowest as it is now.

Alas, how the mighty have fallen! Since Universities have become businesses, we haven't the fierce competition for the few free places that we had. Now any fool with a basic pass and a pocket full of money, (or willingness to go into debt), can obtain a piece of paper that says they know something. I knew a Korean girl who couldn't speak, read or write in English terribly well. She obtained a degree in commerce and economics from the University of Wollongong. It passeth all understanding.

It doesn't help when a goodly proportion of our teachers are under par. I once heard a kindy teacher saying 'I seen...' I was floored by that one. Teachers used to be spoken of with reverence, because you had to be in the top ten percentile for intelligence to gain entrance to the course... let alone pass. Now... I'm sadly disappointed. Educated idiots - everywhere.

My pet peeve is the dreaded "bored of"... it's everywhere now, along with "would of", instead of would've. Makes the otherwise intelligent seem sharply less so. A close second would be my constantly seeing "anywho", instead of anyhoo, (being a slang deriviative of "anyhow"). It puzzles me when we fail to get the slang right! Hahahaha :-)

It's such a shame, because as we lose the grammar and punctuation, we lose the finer nuances... all conversations become a version of 'See Spot run', as does much of our modern literature. I have had instances at work, where the younger folk have directly asked me what my meaning is. For perfectly simple, plain English sentences!

Comprehension has also been tossed aside. I frequently find myself talking to people my own age, (43), and above, in order to have an ordinarily witty conversation. Such a sadness!

The new teen slang is often one or two letters from the word, not the word, let alone a sentence.

Yes... thank you text messaging! Not. :-)

jllewell84, chookchook2, and all,

I agree with jllewell84. I witnessed the proliferation in the U.S. of starting a sentence with "me", mostly on the evening news in crime scene interviews with teenage boys, and over the years written more and more into scripts, etc. as a new vernacular, when that specific bad grammar previously would have labeled the user as an illiterate.

I think it is the cause and effect of a disintegrating society.

In Washington state, there is a new scandal about several thousand prisoners being released early because of a computer "glitch"...........................for 13 years..........The news conference when the governor announced it was hilarious.

chookchook2 I hope you didn't think I was criticizing you! I was complementing you, but I must disagree, at least with regard to U.S., just watch my two favorite shows, "The Bachelor" or KUW The Kardashians!" Yeah, uh, I mean "Yes", you'll see it used LITERALLY 20 times, in one sentence.................So, there! I have to go watch re-runs of "Dog the Bounty Hunter."

Sm, no, I didn't think you were criticising, probably wouldn't mind if you did. We were not taught high school grammar well, it was out of style by then. So I don't know the correct terminology for English. However I was a prolific reader, so always got As. I can write almost properly (Rina copy edited the Houzzer yearbook), or I can write badly, for effect.

I agree that school teachers don't need high marks to get into the course. That is a worry. Some can't spell, one of my daughter's teachers didn't know how to do any of the set maths course. Of course you still get the really good ones, but we supplement alot at home, with books, museum and art gallery visits, theatre and ballet, if only on DVD; History Channel, and of course I'm teaching the fine science of interiors!!

Chookchook2!

I always enjoy your comments, and my impression has been that you are very smart because of the sophisticated, witty content!

I think valuing education is what's important. In the U.S. we do not. It is apparent by the actions of the representatives we elect in government, and the division of funding, the least always going to children and education.

You are examples of parents who value education.

My parents were divorced when I was very young, and I kind of led two lives.

My mom, who thankfully had full custody, got a job in a time when women had no rights, and low pay. She worked 35 years, and always saved for cultural experiences, exactly what you are doing.

We had advantages that most kids in our neighborhood didn't have, because my mom valued education. She bought us a set of World Book Encyclopedias, and we were the only family at my school that had one. It took her 3 years to pay the loan she got to buy them. We were very lucky, and aware that her example of being such a caring parent, was what probably taught us the most. We still have the full set. I don't think I could every give them up.

I would think they are a reminder of your Mum's love and sacrifices. Very special. With the flora and fauna, even ancient historical places, that are being wiped out, old books and museum specimens may soon be all that's left of so many things.

As for smart, everyone is smart about something. I can learn something from almost everyone.

Hi! Since it looks like you guys have a conversation well under way, I won't interfere. I CAN'T STAND CARPET ESPICIALLY IF IT IS MOT DOME RIGHT!!! Sorry if I overreacted. Please don't say any negative comments about me. I have enough! Especially about the cat thing!

Yes, you are right, Chookchook2!

I guess I spoke about my mom in the past tense, but she is still here, and 96 years old!

She is bedridden, but in very good health. She has dementia, but it is confined to time and space orientation. Although, how oriented can you be if you don't have a schedule. I don't know what day it is most of the time. If she is asked how old she is, she usually answers. "About 45." I just call that being optimistic! However, her ability to use logic, and understand complex concepts is completely intact.

I am fortunate that I can take care of her at home, so she's kind of like my baby, now.

You're all doing the right thing. Its the circle of life. There are a few caregivers on Houzz, that's for sure.

Thank you, Chookchook2. That's sweet. I should probably acknowledge Ava's dislike of carpet, since I could rip the stuff up in the retirement apartment we are in now. I also would never have a 3 piece, I don't know what they call them, but of a seascape, for example, with seashells glued along the beach...........just kill me.

I had the chance to get a life-size cut-out of Lawerence Welk, with his baton in the air, FOR FREE, but it was made out of mdf and too heavy to take on the plane. My husband was also very against it because he was sure I would put him on our front porch with a bubble machine....................It was a long time ago, but I still think about it.

We already had a neighbor that complained that the perfect, 20 year old pick-up we got from our dad, should not be parked in our large driveway, because it was too old............We began to wonder when our cars would become offensive..........I got in a fender-bender, and kind of freaked out about her seeing it.......And she must have missed the delivery, because my husband was playing a beautiful song on our new piano, and she called to tell us to turn our stereo down............We moved, but she was actually kind of entertaining.

Oh, she also didn't like the plantings in our front yard, so my husband made a deal to let her pick all new plants whatever, if she would weed, etc. She was only in her early 50's and loved to garden.

I remember an episode of Touched by an Angel, that was about a woman like that. She was won over by an intellectually disabled teenager, after she had a stroke. Of course her blood pressure had been too high. Also loneliness was a factor.

Yes. This lady could have been on TV!

She was married, and retired, and kind of reminded me of Mrs. Kravitz on "Bewitched" back in the 60's!

My husband didn't tell me when he told her she could re-landscape our yard, and a truck just showed up with two saplings, shrubs, plants, stone, small rocks, soil......................and started unloading, with my neighbor outside directing everything!

He is always very nervous about any ideas I have for the house, and wouldn't be involved, but will do anything so he won't be interrupted from the Golf Channel. I wouldn't have been surprised if I woke up to a backhoe digging a pool, or something.

In fact, I left him on the sofa, with his remote in one hand, watching the Golf Channel, on a Saturday morning, to run two blocks down the hill to the store to get a few things for breakfast.

I wasn't gone more than 20 minutes, and I see cop cars, a fire engine, and yellow tape across our street.

I was scared to death, and asked the officer what happened.

He said that an inexperienced produce driver had tried to take a semi truck down our street and take the back street to the store, instead of the main drag I was on.

It was too tall, caught a telephone wire, and snapped a telephone pole in half.

We lived on a short, very quiet block, and every single neighbor was out on the street. I guess it sounded like an explosion when it happened, and the half pole was still dangling from the wire.

Was my husband out there? Oh, hell no!

I go inside, and there he was, on the couch watching the Golf Channel.

But I digress. Back to landscaping. I asked, "What is going on outside?" "There are a bunch of guys unloading a whole nursery outside!" He didn't even look up from the Golf Channel, and with the remote in one hand, just said, "Debbie (not her real name) is going to landscape and keep up the front yard."

I stood there for a second, a bit annoyed, but then thought she'd do a better job than I would, and she DID. She did a very nice design.

Friends would come over and comment in and incredulous tone, "Did YOU do that?"

She didn't actually DO the initial planting and landscaping, of course. She just pointed. But she soon started complaining that upkeep was more work than she expected, so we started paying her.

I wasn't sure when we moved if it was legal not to bring her up to prospective buyers. Never heard anything.

Grouchy people! :)

"Bright pops of color" everywhere. Sometimes I'll recommend them to others if it seems like it would fit their décor, but I like neutrals or more subtle/toned down colors in my own house. I find the mix of soft and neon-bright colors everywhere really jarring. Just personal preference!

I would never have Taxidermy or paint any walls yellow

Just in case anyone else here is interested in her work (and why wouldn't you be!!) here's the link to her gallery: http://suzanneschmaltz.com/beaded-skulls/available-beaded-skulls-gallery/

Smdrovetto I don't think you broke any RE law. Maybe they wanted a gardener. Am staying off US Houzz, feel free to message, you can have my email, love Chook.

I am in my third home with a corner fireplace. I'm tearing this one out. You cannot arrange a normal size room in a rational manner with one. I will NEVER NEVER NEVER have another one. Thank you for letting me share.

fyi, and we like this very much:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Brondell-Dual-Temperature-Bidet-Attachment-in-White-FSW-20/203357953