etiquette at family homes

delain

Gloomendoom wrote: »

And that is?

I thought they meant the shoes?

lostinrates

pollypenny wrote: »

How can anyone relax and enjoy life in their own home when everything is so easily marked?

A home is for living in, relaxing, doing some things that are messy, as simple as eating a jam sandwich.

Bet no one has a relaxing glass of red in your living room.

Actually, I aspire to the sort of cream home Mrs E has, and I doubt to her it feels in enjoyable. I don't care to dismiss her choices as impractical for her. I have a few friends of the type who never drizzle red wine. We're just not that sort of person, which is why we want hard floors and accept stainage as a part of the patina of loved beauty. It's why we like antiques that aren't 'over restored' too...it suits us.

I wouldn't intend to make mrs E's carpets grubby, and would wear clean shoes into her home, not my yard boots, but I also would like to remain as elegant as her home, in all of my chosen outfit.

Gloomendoom

delain wrote: »

I thought they meant the shoes?

Possibly, although it could be "no kippers on Thursdays" for all we know.

lostinrates wrote: »

We're just not that sort of person, which is why we want hard floors and accept stainage as a part of the patina of loved beauty. It's why we like antiques that aren't 'over restored' too...it suits us.

We are exactly the same. The whole house has a patina of "loved beauty" that has been built up over hundreds of years. I like looking at other peoples' sterile, white, minimalist boxes but I wouldn't want to live in one.

lostinrates

Gloomendoom wrote: »

Possibly, although it could be "no kippers on Thursdays" for all we know.



We are exactly the same. The whole house has a patina of "loved beauty" that has been built up over hundreds of years. I like looking at other peoples' sterile, white, minimalist boxes but I wouldn't want to live in one.

Hmm, similar styles of house furnishing and a mutual love of shoes.....you are right, your wife and i would probably get on like a house on fire.

mummyroysof3

I don't insist guests take shoes off but if thy just walked through mud I might. I hate cleaning so don't like it when people make mess that can be avoided lol

Errata

I'm happy to declare my house is a home which welcomes people and their shoes, not a Carpetright / DFS showroom.

Pixiechic

I used to know of a family who wrapped their sofa in plastic, I think so as not to spoil it? :eek: I'd never seen anything like it, they sat on it with the plastic on it!

Person_one

Pixiechic wrote: »

I used to know of a family who wrapped their sofa in plastic, I think so as not to spoil it? :eek: I'd never seen anything like it, they sat on it with the plastic on it!

Very common in some cultures, must be uncomfortable in hot summers though!

Norma_Desmond

No shoes upstairs.

No children or dogs.

No mobile phones at the dinner table.

Coasters used on tables - we have antiques.

Good job I'm an anti-social sod and only have the in-laws to stay very occasionally.

Seriously, I hate having house guests even more than I hate staying with other people.

FatVonD

My first MIL operated her remote control through a see-through plastic bag!

I'm always stunned on these threads at the number of people who'd rather have dirt from the street trodden through their house than their friends and families socks touch their floor.

I got into the habit of taking my shoes off at the door as my first husband was Moslem and I've carried it on. I wouldn't dream of walking into someone's house wearing shoes that had trodden on pavements containing traces of excrement and TB-laden gob :eek: