I have a confession to make... I have a big pet peeve! It annoys me so much when people don't take their shoes off at the door when they come to your house. I guess, it's my upbringing speaking... But seriously, I can tolerate when it's sunny and dry outside, so you barely bring any dust in (even though I still don't know where your shoes have been!) but when it's raining and muddy... Really?? I do have children here. And I myself like to run around bare foot...
When the kids were younger, I obsessively wiped the floors after the guests would leave just because...well, babies crawl and eat everything off the floor! I still sometimes grab the broom... And with my closer friends I gently hint. But what to do with other kinds of acquaintances?
A few months ago I saw a similar to this sign on Pinterest and fell in love with the idea behind it. But since I didn't have $40 to pay for it (incl. shipping), I thought I could make something similar, even if it's less fancy.
I used a board I already had and just stained it with leftover stain. I don't have a fancy vinyl cutting machine of any sort, so I had to turn to simple premade letter stickers:
(by the way, check out the new rug we got for the "dreaded room"! We kind of slowed down working on it because of all the beautiful weather outside and a desperate need to dig my pitiful garden...But I'm just in love with this rug!)
So I just put the stickers on, painted over the whole thing, carefully removed them and slightly distressed the board. I really don't have any step by step pictures because it's just too easy!
But that's what we have hanging in the hall right now :)
I tried to take a better picture but our hall is really so dark:
Now am I too blunt? :) Well, you know me well then :)
Does it bother you when people don't take their shoes off when they come to your house, especially when you barely know them?
Yes it does. It was the way I was also brought up. Love the sign. I am wondering if I will every find time to get to my dreaded room & the whole dreaded basement ??? xx
ReplyDeleteHahaha, I know :)
DeleteCute sign. We've always had a mud entry way-not sure what it's officially called. Currently, in this rental, there is an entry vestibule that has an indoor-outdoor rug. Once inside the front entry, there is a rug where we store our current shoes for the day. We were slippers, socks or go barefoot. My floors are much cleaner as a result. So yes, I do mind someone's dirty shoes all over my floors and rugs.
ReplyDeleteWhile I don't like big clumps of mud being dropped off of someones shoes, I don't mind people leaving their shoes on. For me personally, because of some knee and back problems, the doctor tells me that I should wear my shoes all of the time. If not, I start hurting more. So, I don't usually take my shoes off at home, but I may change them if I've been outside and they're muddy. If I'm at some else's house, I usually follow their lead. If I see shoes at the door, I ask the host if I should remove mine. It's interesting how we all have different backgrounds and habits.
ReplyDeleteWell, it absolutely makes sense for health reasons to wear shoes at home! My Mom (who raised me to take outside footwear off), has the same problem. She usually just switches to "home shoes" as she calls them.
DeleteHow cute is that!!! Before I had problems with my feet we too were a no shoes in the house family. Oh how I miss running around in bare feet!
ReplyDeleteI grew up in a home where we didn't take off our shoes and mom got mad at us if we did, because it wears out socks faster and she didn't like the mess of a pile of shoes at the door. I never worried about dirty floors, children who grow up with a little dirt have healthier immune systems. I swept and mopped as needed. It bothers me to be asked to take off my shoes in someones home, it makes me feel undressed, and I've slipped on floors and been injured because I ALWAYS wear stockings or socks. But I'm polite enough to do what a hostess asks, so no big deal. I do like the Korean way of providing slippers to put on after taking shoes off. I think that is a wonderful custom.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your point of view, Rozy :) And I actually have slippers ready in the basket (under the bench on the picture) for those who come over :) It's the Russian tradition too. My parents still think I'm crazy when they see me running around with my feet bare. Slippers are a must back home because we have mostly wood floors or linoleum there, and it tends to get really cold, in winter especially.
DeleteI;m Canadian and it is common practice here that your shoes get taken off when you enter a home, your home, anyone's home. I have also found it weird that the US doesn't do it as well. Yep, germs germs germs...dog poop etc!!! yuck!!!
ReplyDeleteThat's what I've heard about Canada too! Thank you for sharing, Jennifer. Actually, in my country leaving shoes on is considered disrespectful but I sure don't treat my American friends the same way because I understand the cultural differences. It just bugs me when it's muddy and dirty outside, and some people still don't think twice about bringing it into your home...
DeleteGreat job on the sign. I would love for this rule to be followed at my house.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, not going to happen. My adult children know how I raised them.
However, they don't follow this rule at their home. Thus, they no longer abide
by the rules of my home. My husband refuses too.
I lived near a German lady when I was little. On her door she had a sign that
read; ALL SHOES OFF! THE BOSS.
I think it worked for her. :)
I love that German sign :) After all, you are the boss of your house, and nobody comes over to clean it for you:)
DeleteI grew up in a small bungalow that we kids would always "cut" through from front to back and vice versa. My mother was a saint , she always requested us to remove our shoes as we walked through the home, ah... sometimes it was such a bother. Sorry Mum.
ReplyDeleteI have four children and though I have a back hall and shoe racks etc, sometimes entrance ways can become clogged. They are allowed to keep 3 pairs downstairs and I have been known to put any excess out in the attached garage in a box:)
Culturally where we live just about everyone would take their shoes off, mainly because it is a cold and snowy environment .
I do have a vintage embroidered bag in my front hall and I always offer to guests ( summer because of Ac and winter because of weather) a pair of clean hand knit slippers upon their arrival.
Some friends and relatives just bring their own:)
I can think of two other friends who similarly have "unique" slippers at their front door, one in a lovely ceramic planter another in a wooden bureau.
My friends love the stories behind the slippers that I have purchased from generally senior's knitting groups.
Oh, I love the idea of unique "slippers" holder :) I keep ours in a simple basket under the bench.
DeleteThank you for sharing your childhood experiences :)
My mother is Asian…enough said! It is so ingrained in us to remove our shoes before we enter the house that it doesn't even enter our minds to do otherwise. I've noticed in friends homes where people leave their shoes on their are oftentimes dirt trail stains on their carpets. Did you know that in Japanese culture removing ones footwear (excluding socks) is also a metaphor for leaving the outside world's problems and stress outside, you don't want to bring into your home. Still, that said, I don't ask guests to remove their shoes before entering our house because I realize it may be rude to them. Typically, they intuitively know to do it anyway - I think it's because they see the many shoes at the door already. I completely understand taking shoes off if their are young children in the home though, and you definitely should keep rules of your home the way YOU want it. Your sign is perfect :)
ReplyDeleteOh, I love the idea of leaving outside problems and troubles behind with your shoes!
DeletePersonally, I would be offended if someone did not remove outer footwear and "assumed" it was OK to wear shoes in my house. I am not a germaphobe, I don't have small children and my house is NOT immaculate. I just think it it the polite thing to do. I believe it is a common thread in many cultures around the world, for a variety of reasons, that shoes be removed on entering (sometimes before entering) a home. I am usually barefoot at home, winter and summer (that is healthier than footwear anyway).
ReplyDeleteI loved reading the different opinions, Lena, and I think your project is very nice (just too bad it is necessary) :)
Yes, you know, in Russia it's a sign of disrespect to leave your shoes on. I don't treat people here the same way because I know they don't do it to offend me but I thought a small reminder of our home rules wouldn't hurt :) Especially, if I offer them a choice of comfy slippers.
DeleteYou see this would offend me I understand that I am your guest but I didn't grow up in a house with these rules as my dad was a builder and our house was in a constant state of renovation flux. Having said that I didn't grow up in a country that the culture requirements were to remove your shoes upon entering a home and unless I was aware that this was a requirement upon entering someone home I wouldn't think to remove my shoes, polite or not polite thing to do sorry this totally gets my goat if you don't have children or small paws in the house
DeleteMy Dh has spent time growing up in Canada as such he only remember this practice due pratically and the winter weather isn't the whole thing of having guests over to make them feel comfortable and not the other way around
Been reading your blog for a while but this is my first comment. Personally I cannot imagine asking my guests to remove their shoes when entering my home. We wear shoes all the time, but generally change to indoor only shoes in the house. I have a doormat outside the door, plus a boot brush on the front porch. I also have a mat right inside the foyer door. I have never had anyone enter without wiping their feet, even the dog waits for her towel command before entering from the back yard.
ReplyDeleteI would rather have guests freshly wiped shoe bottoms on my floors than bare feet any day. I do have one friend who has a no outside shoe policy in her home, but she has a basket of flip flops by the door for guests.
Anne, thank you for your comment! I love that you have a foot brush on the front porch. What a wonderful idea! I have a basket with slippers ready for guests, and we also have carpet almost everywhere which makes it easier to walk around bare foot or roll for kids but it's also harder to clean from the outside dirt and grime:)
DeleteLena, what I failed to mention is that I live in the Deep South in Suburbia. I am surrounded by large green lawns and sidewalks. We have snow every 20 years, so I never have to contend with that. Even in the dead of winter there is still a lot of "green" here, so I am sure a lot of it is just locale and custom differences. I don't have to deal with city grime or much outdoor dirt, If we have spent the day in the city we generally rinse the bottoms of our shoes off before coming into the house, but most times we just wipe. Of course I also have wooden and stone floors so I don't battle the carpet issue. Truly other than my flip flop friend everyone here leaves their shoes on..
DeleteI am so with you on the whole "please leave your nasty dirty shoes outside!!" I still wonder why not everyone does this???
ReplyDeleteI love your sign!!! It makes the point in a nice way without you having to do it all the time :)
Shoes must always come off at our house or shoe covers worn. I couldn't agree with you more.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with you, it does bring dirt, etc into the house, but I have to wear shoes with special insoles because of a foot condition that I have. If I go without shoes for just a little bit, I pay for it with majorly sore feet!! But, when I go to a friends house that I know that is what they prefer, I do take off my shoes as a courtesy and then deal with it at home.
ReplyDeleteI lived in Hawaii for 13 years and never had one person come into my home without taking off their shoes. Friends, family, the man who comes to hook up the telephone, fix the washer or fridge, or deliver furniture. It is just done. I never had to ask one person. Just loved it.
ReplyDeleteAnother Canadian chiming in... Rarely do others NOT remove their shoes... So I don't have to deal with this issue. I do love your sign though!! :)
ReplyDeleteI love the sign! It is your house, your rules. :)
ReplyDeleteI can't stand when people don't take their shoes off. It is so rude. My grandmother used to say if people don't respect your property, they will never respect you.
ReplyDeleteAnother Canadian.... Shoes off always! So dirty to track the outside in!
ReplyDeleteoh dear, I guess I am in the minority here. Shoes in the house, don't bother me. In the past, of course if I knew someone had no shoes rule, I would take my shoes off...but since I broke my ankle, it is hard to walk without my shoes. :(
ReplyDeleteYour sign is cute though!