To me, the ‘bones’ of a house is the structure and layout of the house and rooms, and ‘good bones’ would be a useful structure and layout for the house and rooms. The house should have good flow between frequently used rooms, so that you can transition to what you want or need to do easily. The rooms should be laid out in a manner which makes sense for you and your lifestyle. If you like to cook and entertain, it’s probably important to you that the kitchen and the den be near each other and be accessible. You also probably want a bathroom in the common areas of the house that can be used as a guest bathroom. The rooms should also be a useful size and shape. When a room is too big, it can be hard to arrange it effectively or maintain a cohesive theme. Rooms that are strangely shaped offer a uniqueness that is missing in many houses, but that can wear thin when you try to hang a picture on a curved wall.
House with ‘bad bones’ exist as well. Frequently they are houses in which people have added rooms, structurally redesigned the house internally, or were just poorly designed in the when constructed. The most frequent issue I run across is a hallway which runs through a bedroom, so that people must walk through the bedroom in order to get to the other bedrooms or to use the laundry room. The worst anecdote I ever heard about a house with ‘bad bones’ was one where the front door opened into the kitchen. I suppose it was convenient for bringing home the groceries, but not so great when making last minute dinner party preparations.
‘Good bones’ will vary from person to person, but ‘bad bones’ can be almost universally agreed upon. It all depends on your lifestyle and needs when you purchase the house. If you think about how you live and what you want to do in your house, you’ll know a house with ‘good bones’ when you see it.
Seriously though, give up on hanging that picture on the curved wall. Try a mural instead.
