what class are you? Your living room

[partgypsy]

http://www.umsl.edu/~keelr/010/livingroomscale.html

I thought this was an entertaining way to rank class in the US, though I do have to say it dates from the 80's so some of these things may not relate. I fall into "middle class". Our living room, got props for wood floors, 10 foot ceilings, fireplace, curtains, stacks of books on floor overflowing bookshelf. and our dwarf meye lemon tree, "Dinged" on upright piano, new oriental carpet (our worn one was disposed of when a pet essentially died on it), hanging artwork of my husband and sister, and family photos. Both hubby and sister have shown their work, with my hubby in particular shown in a museum, but are not "internationally recognized". Not sure how should I should rate the collection of records and vintage record player (no stereo).
Now, just need to get myself an obelisk and perhaps a subscription to Paris Match or Hudson review.

 

[Circe]

Heh ... I score as solidly "middle class," which seems about right ... but I have the sneaking suspicion that if I take the time to count every item specifically alluding to the United Kingdom (how oddly specific!), I might wind up "upper class."

Not because I am, mind you: because I specialize in Victorian literature. Methinks there are some holes in this system ....

ETA: Just lucky I'm not an Egyptologist! Was there a huge Tut craze on when this first came out?

 

[partgypsy]

I think it was the late 70's was the King Tut craze, it looks like originally published in 83, so maybe still a reference to that. Yeah some of the stuff, not sure where it is coming from, the English references, and also things in a language other than English (except for Spanish!). They frown on collections, but what if the collection is something fittingingly obscure and rare (particular artwork, your (fill in the blank) dynasty china, stuffed birds, wooden japanese food molds, faberge eggs).

It's funny we used to have a palm tree in our living room, and a worn carpet, but we have been trying to update. Maybe that's the problem with my husband, he likes to furnish rooms like he lives in a castle (tons of artwork hanging on walls, hand me down 100 year old furniture, nothing is thrown out) while we actually live in a modest bungalow.

It makes me remember relatives that did practically all the cardinal sins, including living room furniture with plastic covers. As they became affluent, they switched out their fake fruit baskets and artificial flowers for lalique glass collections. Now I wonder, is Lalique truly upscale, or akin to Vera Wang china (supposed to signify upper class but actually signifying solid middle class?)

 

[minousbijoux]

What class are you in when you're too lazy to take the quiz?

 

[baby monster]

This needs to be updated for tech changes. Almost everyone I know got rid of paper and reads books and magazines on a device. Regardless of their class.

 

[partgypsy]

I don't think my husband got that memo. We have 5 bookcases on our first floor, another 4? in the attic.

 

[NOYFB]

Middle Class at 127

 

[justginger]

Lol - we are solidly lower class. Despite artwork attempting to redeem us, it appears that having a dedicated library-type room was really the death of our living room class. No books, no periodicals, no foreign language - because it's all in its own room! Add in our tv, my framed summa cum laude cert, and the fact that I like wooden venetians and not even a rug could save us!

 

[partgypsy]

Personally, I think the guy who wrote it just looked around his living room and wrote it, detracting things that offended his senses. Don't take it too seriously!

 

[distracts]

Both hubby and sister have shown their work, with my hubby in particular shown in a museum, but are not "internationally recognized".

Yes, I have several family members who are or were (prior to deaths/extreme old age) professional artists, and made a living off of it, showed and sold all over the US, but none "internationally recognized." Also doesn't specify for original art in between internationally-recognized and family. We buy a lot of original art, but it's worth hundreds or thousands rather than millions.

I don't really understand the living room one. Though I do have a funny story about the oil painting portrait - a distant relative paid for one of my grandparents, which my grandmother promptly buried in a closet upon receiving it. The distant relative always inquires about it so we moved it to a place where we can retrieve it and swap it with another painting when she comes over. But it's so hideous and awkward. My grandmother always berates whoever brings it out of the closet. When she dies we are going to gleefully trash it and hope the distant relative never asks about it.

ALSO, who keeps a motorcycle in the living room? How would it get through the front door? My husband's motorcycle is way too big to come through the front door, and wouldn't make it up the steps anyway. Was motorcycle-in-the-house an eighties thing?

Personally I have always liked this "step into social class" one, which is pretty much for dividing well off/less well off.

http://socialclassoncampus.blogspot.com/2012/11/step-into-social-class-20.html

I take 30 steps forward in this, and I think it's very telling that the four I don't take are due to things other than financial privilege -

If you had a private tutor - didn't need one because I had excellent grades. My brother had a private trainer for baseball though.
If you have been to Europe more than once as a child or teen - I refused to go on trips because I hated traveling. I would only go to NYC and Colorado. While this doesn't leave me with a European vacation, it still smacks of privilege.
If you had your own TV as a child or teen - My mother was anti-technology for much of my time at home, but she'd mellowed by the time my brother got older so he had a tv in his room during high school.
If you opened a mutual fund or IRA in High School or College - I did not but my brother did. He was very interested in that sort of thing.

 

[Rhea]

Lower class. I scored a 7. We having nothing in our living room except what is typically in the living room of a 2 bedroom purpose built flat with no eat-in kitchen. TV, 1 couch, 1 chair, 3 pieces of 1960's teak furniture, a small wood dinning table with chairs stacked in the corner. Nothing on the walls and surely no curtains. We aren't overlooked and have a great view of the Thames, why hide it! We don't do cushions or lamps either. Looking at the list makes our flat seem very minimalist.

The survey seems to apply more for people who live in large houses, like my parents who have a separate formal living room and dinning room rather than modern city living.

 

[davi_el_mejor]

I uhhh practically scored 0... We have a crap ton of our own artwork in our living room, and black and white photos from the 30-50's... I think this guy is a tool

 

[distracts]

Nothing on the walls and surely no curtains. We aren't overlooked and have a great view of the Thames, why hide it!

Yeah almost no one in my family has curtains. We have a view of the lake. My parents and aunts/uncles/grandparents lived on large lots with wooded areas and had views of that. I've always thought curtains were just for bedrooms and bathrooms (where blinds are also acceptable)!

I guess what bothers me most about this is much of it seems to be matters of taste rather than actual class. I roughly tallied up the house of an old-money friend (lower class score) and an heiress whose house I am occasionally at (middle class score, a bit higher than mine). Both of these people have many millions of dollars that have gone through a couple of generations, which sounds like upper class to me!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

This needs to be updated for tech changes. Almost everyone I know got rid of paper and reads books and magazines on a device. Regardless of their class.

This is the first quiz that gave me positive points for having more books than book cases provide room for!

 

[packrat]

Whatever dudes, I'm in the fricken negatives, so I'm totally poor white trash. I win!

ETA ha, I can take 6, maaaybe 7 steps if I stretch it, in the other one.

 

[Trekkie]

I squeaked into upper middle class and thus question the integrity of this test!

I'm surprised by my score because, to be honest, my house looks like a sh!t show - lots of crap we inherited from my antique-loving mother, lots of crap we've prematurely inherited from my dad and quite a few pictures by my very well known older brother who has in fact exhibited internationally.

I think what helped my score is that my dad is British and I attended a ridiculously posh boarding school where one absorbed things like how "dreadfully uncouth" it was to hang family pictures on the wall (they were to be displayed in little clusters, in sterling silver frames) and how onealways had fresh flowers in that crystal vase one inherited from great-aunt whatshername, even if all one did was go into the garden and pick a few from there and how one didn'tbuy antiques, one inherited them.

Oh, and my bookcases are always overflowing, despite two kindles and an iPad - probably because I speak half a dozen languages and try to read a book a week in a language other than English and it's quite difficult to find these as ebooks. Besides, curling up in front of the fireplace with a kindle is just not the same - sometimes I want a hard copy, and not just any hard copy, the same hard copy I first read 20 years ago. I tend to get pathetically emotionally attached to my books.

Anyway, I suspect this test is biased towards the Anglophile way of doing things.

Having said that, I know Kenny has a beautiful piano and shares my penchant for good oriental carpets so I really wonder what he scored!

 

[FrekeChild]

Working class. However, this would change a lot if: 1. we hadn't moved in a month and a half ago 2. we didn't currently keep all of our books in the garage in boxes 3. we hung artwork on the walls 4. it had any mention of children's toys/stuff (assuming that it'd be a major subtraction!). Then it'd be hard to judge because we have a ton of books and a ton of art (although not much of it is fancy schmancy) but there is kid $#!+ EVERYWHERE. I'm sure it would offend this dude's sense of aesthetics.

Also, interestingly, there is no selection for tile floor. This dude must not have thought of the Southwest when making up this nonsense.

I also did an evaluation of my parent's living room and they came out as middle class, but it's definitely an upper-middle to upper class living room with original art all over, Italian tile floors, antiques everywhere, books and bookcases like whoa, etc. What a weird scale to dream up.

 

[ksinger]

Yeah, it's a silly test, but a fun little waste of time.

Middle class here. No surprises. Although I have no bookshelves or overflowing stacks in the living room. (I actually need to WALK and have space for other furniture after all). I do have those in several OTHER rooms though, probably enough to send us into some class undefined in that test. Or put us into "library" status.

I have original artwork by family. (Quelle horreur!!) My mother was an excellent watercolorist. And virtually every other piece of artwork is original - I've been collecting pieces since I was 18 - watercolors, oils, ceramics, etchings, glass. I also have some really cool antiques, and a couple of framed book leaves in Latin, printed in the 1490's. So what would you call that style? Traditional eclectic? Artsy Middlebrow?

One thing I get from that test, is that the upper class living room looks boring as hell. Everyone MUST have an obelisk? And a threadbare rug? And sterling frames? And artwork that someone else has determined is "important"?? Bo-ring. I'll take my eclectic no-name art collection any day. And my mess of books stashed in another room(s), thanks.

 

[missy]

LOL solidly middle class here too leaning near the upper middle class range. Like others here I have some artwork from my mom and a friend both of whom are artists so not sure that's really an accurate (not sure anything about this test is accurate haha) evaluation. I love their artwork and feel privileged I have some of their work to display!

We also have a separate library room so deductions for that. On the plus side much of our furniture are true antiques (passed down from my grandparents and also accumulated from one of our favorite antique stores) and we do have some original artwork by some "real" artists and no curtains anywhere! But having a stereo and speakers in our LR is a negative so there we go. We also have speakers and a stereo and phonograph in our library so I wonder if that is a double whammy?

I need to get some sterling silver frames...
(not, I hate hate hate polishing!!!)

Fun test, thanks for sharing part gypsy.


ETA: I should have just ditto'd everything Karen wrote!

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

Ha DH and I live in a studio so our living room is our bedroom and computer room! We scored a solid -31 lol! I guess that's what IKEA furniture and a Kindle gets you.

 

[packrat]

Woo hoo-high five award for a negative score Asscher-glad I'm not the only one haha

 

[dragonfly411]

I scored lower class.... but mostly b/c I don't have a ton of crap in my living room and I have a TV. I don't really think the survey is very fair lol. I have original paintings and original wood carved items (which carved items are not covered) in my living room. I have an antique hand carved armoir that holds our tv and movies. I have a working stone fireplace. But our living room is not huge. We don't have room for 5 million periodicals, or egyptian artifacts, or foreign language framed art..... LOL!!!!! And yes MY SOFA RECLINES . But my sofa cost us 50 dollars and it's leather, and is a good transition sofa until we can get a living room set that a)matches our standards and b) fits. I don't want sculptured elephants or jaguars in my living room and it could never fit a grand piano. The only one of those periodicals I actually read is National Geographic b/c I read everything else online. So here's how I feel about that silly survey .

 

[dragonfly411]

This needs to be updated for tech changes. Almost everyone I know got rid of paper and reads books and magazines on a device. Regardless of their class.

This is the first quiz that gave me positive points for having more books than book cases provide room for!

I felt cheated on this. SO made me put all the book cases in the office, but my overflow is on the floor in the living room HAHA!

 

[partgypsy]

Both hubby and sister have shown their work, with my hubby in particular shown in a museum, but are not "internationally recognized".

Yes, I have several family members who are or were (prior to deaths/extreme old age) professional artists, and made a living off of it, showed and sold all over the US, but none "internationally recognized." Also doesn't specify for original art in between internationally-recognized and family. We buy a lot of original art, but it's worth hundreds or thousands rather than millions.

I don't really understand the living room one. Though I do have a funny story about the oil painting portrait - a distant relative paid for one of my grandparents, which my grandmother promptly buried in a closet upon receiving it. The distant relative always inquires about it so we moved it to a place where we can retrieve it and swap it with another painting when she comes over. But it's so hideous and awkward. My grandmother always berates whoever brings it out of the closet. When she dies we are going to gleefully trash it and hope the distant relative never asks about it.

ALSO, who keeps a motorcycle in the living room? How would it get through the front door? My husband's motorcycle is way too big to come through the front door, and wouldn't make it up the steps anyway. Was motorcycle-in-the-house an eighties thing?

Personally I have always liked this "step into social class" one, which is pretty much for dividing well off/less well off.

http://socialclassoncampus.blogspot.com/2012/11/step-into-social-class-20.html

I take 30 steps forward in this, and I think it's very telling that the four I don't take are due to things other than financial privilege -

If you had a private tutor - didn't need one because I had excellent grades. My brother had a private trainer for baseball though.
If you have been to Europe more than once as a child or teen - I refused to go on trips because I hated traveling. I would only go to NYC and Colorado. While this doesn't leave me with a European vacation, it still smacks of privilege.
If you had your own TV as a child or teen - My mother was anti-technology for much of my time at home, but she'd mellowed by the time my brother got older so he had a tv in his room during high school.
If you opened a mutual fund or IRA in High School or College - I did not but my brother did. He was very interested in that sort of thing.

I think i had 15 steps. Some I don't know how to answer (teachers social class compared to myparents. How should I know?) When we were growing up we had 1 tv, which my Dad controlled. I come from a crazy mixed up family where on both sides of the family there have been generations of being very well off, and then losing everything. So basically I'm well educated, because that was how I was raised, but not at all affluent. However I did get all the requisite piano, horseback riding, art, swimming, etc lessons one could ask for.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Oh, and my bookcases are always overflowing, despite two kindles and an iPad - probably because I speak half a dozen languages and try to read a book a week in a language other than English and it's quite difficult to find these as ebooks. Besides, curling up in front of the fireplace with a kindle is just not the same - sometimes I want a hard copy, and not just any hard copy, the same hard copy I first read 20 years ago. I tend to get pathetically emotionally attached to my books.

I also get emotionally attached to my books. Who knows if it's normal or not, but I love to scan the covers and have the fond memories of the good books come back to me.

We ended up with four Kindles (two KFires, the original Kindle w/keyboard, and the paperwhite) and I just sold one of the KFs and the original Kindle. The paperwhite was a gift from DH so I'm keeping that and the ONLY reason I'm keeping the KF is so I can watch movies or TV shows sometimes up in bed.

The part that is soooo pathetic is that I plan to BUY actual physical copies of all the books I've read on my Kindles and liked. There were some horrible ones, but others that I loved, so I'll go to the used book store. I wanna do it, but have waited b/c I'm a bit worried it may cost hundreds, even for used, to buy them all up...

 

[MichelleCarmen]

This needs to be updated for tech changes. Almost everyone I know got rid of paper and reads books and magazines on a device. Regardless of their class.

This is the first quiz that gave me positive points for having more books than book cases provide room for!

I felt cheated on this. SO made me put all the book cases in the office, but my overflow is on the floor in the living room HAHA!

That is so unfair. You need to move at least one book case back into the living room! You want to be able to have friends see your books and be able to showcase your favorites when they come over.

I always wonder when I go to a house and a person doesn't have any books. You can tell your SO that it confuses people when they don't see at least one bookcase.

 

[ksinger]

This needs to be updated for tech changes. Almost everyone I know got rid of paper and reads books and magazines on a device. Regardless of their class.

This is the first quiz that gave me positive points for having more books than book cases provide room for!

I felt cheated on this. SO made me put all the book cases in the office, but my overflow is on the floor in the living room HAHA!

That is so unfair. You need to move at least one book case back into the living room! You want to be able to have friends see your books and be able to showcase your favorites when they come over.

I always wonder when I go to a house and a person doesn't have any books. You can tell your SO that it confuses people when they don't see at least one bookcase.

Ha! I usually walk in, see how utterly clean everything is, and sigh in envy: no clutter, everything with a place. Then I slowly realize that there is nary a book in sight, or any other indication (generally) that that person DOES anything - usually no evidence of hobbies or interests either. Then I'm no longer envious.

My fondest wish for when I'm dead and gone, and my friends are selling off all my stuff, is that people like me and my husband, come in to peruse the "stuff", see our wildly eclectic book collection, and say, "Dang, but I would have liked to have a beer with whoever lived here, they must have been interesting people: just look at the range of their BOOKS!"

 

[kenny]

Having said that, I know Kenny has a beautiful piano and shares my penchant for good oriental carpets so I really wonder what he scored!

I transcend class because I don't shive a git about ranking.

 

[Dee*Jay]

-9 on the first test and 3 steps in. But children, old people and animals like me, and I'm one helluva lot of fun at a party, so whatever "class" THAT all translates to, I'm good with it.

 

[diamondringlover]

Guess I am low class lol I scored a -23 lol my living room is pretty small and doesn't have alot in it at all, we repainted it last year and I have not gotten around to putting anything on the walls...I need to get in gear and go shopping lol