The One Thing that You Will Never Find in a Spanish Apartment

 Quiz time folks. In the average Spanish apartment, what is one thing you will not find?

 

A. a clothes washer

B. outside roller shades

 

C. wall-to-wall carpeting

D. iron bars on the window

If you selected "c" you are correct! 

Wall-to-wall carpeting is popular in the U.S. Why? Some thoughts:

1. It's warm on the feet and a lot of people don't wear slippers in their homes in the U.S. 

 2. Buildings are poorly constructed in the US compared to Spain--lots of wood instead of stone and concrete. Carpeting helps dampen noises.

3. It's cheaper to put down wall-to-wall carpeting instead of hardwood floors.

4. It must have been a stylish choice in the past, because a lot of homes constructed in the 1940s and 1950s have hardwood floors underneath the carpeting. (Why?!)

It depends on where you live, of course. In the American Southwest, Florida, California, tile floors are common. By contrast, no matter where you live in the US, marble floors are ~!FaNcY`~. If you are in the Midwest, wall-to-wall carpeting is all over. Even inside entryways to buildings (!) there is wall-to-wall carpeting.

One thing I love about Spanish homes are the tile and marble floors. So easy to clean and cool on the feet. Not a fan of the new "tarima" vinyl floors but people gotta stay in budget, I guess. And you can buy wall-to-wall carpeting at Leroy Merlin. And come to think of it, I have been to a hotel with wall-to-wall carpeting in Madrid. One out of dozens in Spain, whereas basically any motel in the US is covered in the stuff.

What is your opinion of wall-to-wall carpeting? On a scale of Cozy to Super gross, where do you stand?