Would the average home buyer really walk into a house and say; I love this space? Or would they say, I love this room? what do you think

When I'm talking about a room, I only use "space" if I'm making fun of certain pompous teevee shows.

I guess I am an average person, so I would say room!

I say "room" when it is a room, and "space" when it is a space.

A room has defined walls as delimitations. Such as a formal dining room.

A space is an area of a larger room. Such as a dining space within a great room.

I usually use space unless I'm talking about a specific room. Perhaps it's because many of my clients have homes that are more open than closed in, so you can use them for more than one thing and I'm referring to the overall feel of the area. I don't consider it pompous - it just more often comes closer to conveying what I'm trying to get across and I've never had a client not understand what I'm talking about.

I'd say room.

Room, space, area, whatever.

"Real designers" say "spesss", LOL.Just ask Kim Myles, she knows!!! Why, she knows EVERYTHING about designing!!! (Maybe designing prom hair, not residential "spess")

quote:

Originally posted by Gypsytrill:
Room, space, area, whatever.

"Real designers" say "spesss", LOL.Just ask Kim Myles, she knows!!! Why, she knows EVERYTHING about designing!!! (Maybe designing prom hair, not residential "spess")

LOL...sort of like the difference between VAHSE and VASE?

If I was referring to a specific room, I'd say "room". But, if I was referring to the entire house, I'd probably use the term "place". I don't think I'd ever use the term "space" - it's always seemed a bit too pretentious to me - like I'm trying to be some kind of "design" person.

It's definitely "space", as in a house with four bedspaces and three bathspaces. In most places, yards are now referred to as exterior expanses and garages are automobile enclosures. Attics are uppermost capsules and basements are subterranean excavationary chambers. Anything else would be tacky.

If I'm talking of the effect of an entire home, I might say "space". But if I'm discussing a specific room (bedroom/kitchen/living room/den), I'd say "room."

Old Man Walt is right. I have a great room where my kitchen opens into the breakfast area and living area. They're not one room and yet they're not separate.

quote:

Originally posted by Cha Cha Walters:
It's definitely "space", as in a house with four bedspaces and three bathspaces. In most places, yards are now referred to as exterior expanses and garages are automobile enclosures. Attics are uppermost capsules and basements are subterranean excavationary chambers. Anything else would be tacky.

LOL...well, I ain't talkin like that!

"Room" if it is a room. I would say "area" if it was larger. "Space" is way up high.

Doormat - Amen to that!!

sort of hard to define a "room" when you have 20ft ceilings and open areas that flow from the entry thru to spaces that can be used for either dining/living/family/study. Sorry "we designers" seem to be upsetting y'all - I can assure you it's not intentional.

I'm not upset. I just think it's funny.

quote:

Originally posted by SuzInAustin:
sort of hard to define a "room" when you have 20ft ceilings and open areas that flow from the entry thru to spaces that can be used for either dining/living/family/study. Sorry "we designers" seem to be upsetting y'all - I can assure you it's not intentional.

That's actually a good point -- about the open floor plan "spaces". They really aren't rooms, just sections of one huge room. I never thought of it that way. I think when it's really sectioned off and well defined, it's still a room though.

Buzz word two-fer:
Tonight on "Red, White & Green" the female co-host told the owner: "You have alot of volume in this space!" Yow! Since there wasn't any loud music blaring from a radio, I guess she meant "You have a big room!"

quote:

"You have alot of volume in this space!

Now THAT is a good one. I'm shaking my head, smiling.

I digress for a bit....

Ever since I read a book on linguistics years ago (and I'm a writer) I've been fascinated by people's choice of words.

(There is actually a field that looks at the choice of word for the context, occasion and speaker education level. For example: 'ask, request, inquire'....A Ph.D. might use 'inquire' as his normal everyday word, but a HS dropout might never use the word and 'ask' is what he uses)...ANYWAY....

Saying "request" when "ask" will do; or "attempt" instead of "try."

It's like legalese and police talk: "extricate from the vehicle," "traverse" instead of "cross" or "negative medical outcome."

Airline people will do everything they can NOT to say collision....instead: the planes were close to "occupying the same air space"!

And let's not even get into PO L I T I CAL double talk.

But I love using big, fancy words sometimes myself...so there!

The utility of jargon and double-speak is ubiquitous...in other words: people use big words all the time, when simpler ones will do. Sometimes it's cute, other times inane...many times it's just plain silly....like on HGTV when HOs are coached.

So let's all enjoy the 'spaces' in our 'residences,' 'bring the outdoors in,' 'install' 'window treatments' on windows that 'let the light in' and invite 'loved ones and acquaintances' over to we can 'entertain.'

thanks for sharing, clbselah... would you share the title of your linquistics book, please.

my mom would always pull some big fancy word out her hat once in a while, which always amazed me. I try to do the same for my daughter, but, i'm like, all brain-fried like most of the time so i like can't think of a smart word whatsoever and i'm all "doh! just eat your dinner"
sigh..

The word "volume" is appropriate to use when freferring to a space or room. It refers to the amount of space (or air) a room occupies by measuring its height, width and length. The volume of a room is used to help calculate its heating and cooling needs, for instance.

The terms "spacious" and "airy" are often used to describe the feeling you get in a room with very high ceilings, because it has a high volume of space relative to its overall size.

The word "volume" is not a fancy five-dollar word. It simply means the the amount of space (or air) a room occupies, by measuring its height, width and length. For instance, a room's volume is needed when calculating its heating and cooling needs.

When people refer to a room with very tall ceilings as "spacious" or "airy," they are describing their sensation of a room with a lot of volume, relative to its overall size.

If you love language try Richard Lederer. He's funny and serious, mixes history of language with culture, in a sociology context.

Check out the titles.

The book I read goes back to the early 90s: "Adventures of a Verbivore"

Other books (ALL GOOD)

"Word Wizard: Super Bloopers, Rich Reflections, and Other Acts of Word Magic"

"More Anguished English: an Expose of Embarrassing Excruciating, and Egregious Errors in English"

"Sleeping Dogs Don't Lay: Practical Advice for the Grammatically Challenged"

"The Bride of Anguished English: A Bonanza of Bloopers, Blunders, Botches, and Boo-Boos"

"The Miracle of Language"

"Comma Sense: A Fun-damental Guide to Punctuation"

"Crazy English"

"Fractured English"

"The Play of Words"

"The Revenge of Anguished English: More Accidental Assaults Upon Our Language"

Thanks, clbselah, for the book recomendations. I've read some of them, but not all. I took two courses in linguistics and one in the origin and development of the English language. All were very interesting.

Back to words describing area. My new non-favorite is "tight." A bathroom is no longer small, it is "tight." A master bedroom that is undersized is "tight." Of course, that is the perception of the potential HO. A bathroom in Luxembourg of the same size might be described as spacious. Size, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. I say, sometimes out loud, "No, your pants are tight, the room is small." On one HH last night, I think the woman used the word "tight" about 15 times.