Chitownproperty

From this week’s Chicago Tribune real estate section, a look at how people actually live, regardless of how fantastically a builder or architect might present the home.

“Life is messy, and most houses can’t handle it,” [Builder Magazine] said in a feature on the “Reality House,” a show home based in part on the researcher’s findings.

Stacks of newspapers were piled in corners. Kitchen counters were strewn with mail, book bags, appliances and, of course, homework. Makeshift home offices were crammed with computers, copiers and other office machines.

Unfortunately it seems, the prettiest materials and details get hidden as life accumulates. Most homeowners interviewed by the magazine said they would gladly give up some of the floor space in living rooms and master suites for more storage.