For as long as I can remember I have been obsessed with the idea of buying my own house. Recently, I have become obsessed with building my own house. Every house that I look at has at least one thing that I don't like. Plus, I don't like old homes, I mean, they are plenty pretty but old homes means work, time, and money to replace broken parts.
You can call me crazy but I want to build a house. I have been thinking how I am going to have it done once I am able to have it done. I don't want to start building and realize I forgot something extremely important and have to make a time consuming and costly change. (To be honest, that is probably going to happen anyway but maybe I can keep it from happening multiple times? I am sure that my contractor, architect, designer, etc. will be able to offer help along the way too.)
So here it is, how I want my house to look when it is done (complete with Pinterest pictures, of course).
First off, the lot. I have always liked the idea of a sloping lot for a walk out basement, ever since I was in the single digits and visited my grandparents' house in Maine. You can have actual legit windows in your basement. I think a 3/4 acre lot would be just about the perfect size, not too small but not too big. I would also like some nice scenery and a couple of trees for privacy (but not too many!)
I am not decided on the exterior of the house yet. Obviously, some of this stuff is just a rough idea or just a "that would be nice" and not an essential. I like grey houses, cream houses, houses that are not boxy, and houses with part brick or stone and part siding. I would like to use durable, cost effective materials. I am not a big fan of porches, I would just like the front door to be set back into the house (like this) so that your protected while you are fumbling for your keys. In the back of the house I would like to have a nice deck but roofing is something that I can't decide on. A roof over the deck means potentially limiting the amount of light coming into the house, retractable shading seems like a good idea but could I sit out in the rain and stay dry with retractable shading? I am not sure. Maybe I am asking too much. lol A grilling area is something I would really like and a fire pit would be a cool extra.
I am definitely planning on an attached two car garage. I've never had a garage before and it sounds awesome, so I am definitely getting one! I will probably opt for an unfinished garage with nothing fancy and then maybe finish it at a later date when I get over the initial financial set back of building the sucker. I would like the door from the garage to the house to lead into a little entry area with a coat closet and go from there to the kitchen or be very close to the kitchen. I don't want to carry groceries halfway across my house. No windows in the garage though, always thought it was weird to have windows in the garage.
I am definitely going to choose a classy front door. Hands down. I would also like a little foyer area. Part of me is like, No, Kristen, that's a waste of square footage. But the other part wants a little spot dedicated to taking off your coat and shoes and being welcomed into my house. I was thinking at first of having a coat closet right there but I have decided hooks would be a better idea.
I am a little undecided on the flooring for my mini mansion. I know that you are not going to find a single carpet though. Area rugs yes, carpeting no. It really depends on the cost and the color/pattern choices. The seams on vinyl flooring just sounds like a warping dirty nightmare (also ugly?) and the other options are kind of pricier. Maybe I will go for tile in my bathrooms, wood floors on the rest of my upstairs, and vinyl for my basement/lower level. I do think I like stone flooring though. Super expensive but might be pretty awesome in a small (okay, tiny) area. I am really liking light colored floors but I don't really have my heart set on anything in the flooring department right now.
I have decided that all my interior doors, baseboards, and trim will be painted white. No ifs, ands, or buts about this one.
From the foyer area I would like to go into the great room. I quite like open floor plans so I am thinking great room equals living room and kitchen combined. I would like a good amount of room for seating in the living room area, big windows, maybe a faux fireplace, awesome lighting, hookups for a TV if I decide I want to put one there.
The kitchen is one of the two most important rooms in the house for me. I have a vision for my kitchen. I am thinking an L shaped kitchen with a big old island. I would like to build up the corner and put the stove there (like this), I have always hated corner cabinets and I think this is an awesome way to get rid of them. I am thinking a big honkin' hood over the stove would be awesome. On one side of the stove I would like cabinets with a huge sink and the dishwasher next to the sink and a huge window so that I can replicate this look which I adore. On the other side of the hood I would like another big window but maybe not as big as the other one. Some hanging cabinets, the fridge on the other side of the window and a pantry. I really love drawers instead of lower cabinets as well. I am in love with light colored cabinets (especially white). I really like how this back splash looks and how it is brought all the way up to the ceiling. I would like storage all around my huge island (drawers, not cabinets!) and I like the way it looks when the color of the island differs from the color of the rest of the cabinetry. I like dark colored counter tops to contrast with the light colored cabinets but I also like light colored counters that match the light colored cabinets. I am flexible in a few areas. A second oven would be awesome, I have to decide where I'll put the microwave, and a killer light fixture is a must. I would like a booth instead of your typical "breakfast nook" bonus if it matches the cabinets and has built in storage, and triple bonus if there is a window.
I would like a closet near the main living area to house cleaning supplies, vacuum, steam mop, etc. Plugs in the closet for appliances and charging things is a must.
I don't really have any need for a dining room at this point in my life but I would hate to not have one and either want one later or want to sell the house and not have one. So, I would like one that is near the kitchen, maybe separated by French doors or something and that could double as an office until I find the need for a dining room. A big window but not too big since it will probably be an office for some of its life.
I would like one of the bathrooms to be somewhere near the kitchen. It would be the guest bathroom with a toilet, shower, sink, mirror, and a place to hold extra necessities. I don't have much envisioned for this room yet.
Near the guest bathroom I would like to have the guest bedroom. Probably 12x14 with a bi-fold closet and probably a closet system because I hate the one bar and shelf, so dysfunctional. A window in this room but nothing too major. (Windows are important to me, in case you can't tell.)
The master bedroom! The other very important room! I would like to make it a whole little suite maybe. I like the idea of big fancy double doors and then entering a hallway with possible just archways into the bedroom and the walk-in closet and then a door for the master bathroom. (Seems like a good idea, right?) I would like enough space in the bedroom for a king bed, a love seat, a fireplace, and a TV. I didn't have much of a plan for this bedroom until I saw this look. Now I pretty much need a chandelier and a huge window (like in a hotel) that I can put major curtains up and have it look like luxury. I have just the couch in mind for this and wouldn't a fireplace be nice? (I am not sure what fireplaces cost and what upkeep is necessary so it might end up being a fake one). Also, I will have matching bedside tables, lamps, an awesome area rug, and an ottoman.
The bathroom is something I am still working on but I have some ideas. I like the idea of a door-less shower quite a lot. I like this look and the two shower heads means two people can shower at the same time without being too crowded. I also like where the bathtub is placed in that photo. I would like a bathtub that is tall enough so that you can get in a submerge your whole body. that would be luxury! I see a lot of vanities with double sinks these days but I think that one vanity with a big sink and several drawers is good enough for me. I would like a big frosted glass window in this room and a little area to store a few extra towels and extra bath products.
I would like a nice, big walk-in closet for the master bedroom. Enough clothing and storage space for two people, a window, and a place for a good sized vanity (for jewelry and cosmetics storage and for helping me get ready). And maybe another chandelier in here too. lol The closet solution that I will put in this closet will make me so very happy!
Near the bedrooms I would like a closet to store linens, medicines and bandages, blankets, and so forth. Preferably a wider closet, not a very deep closet (stuff gets lost in the back and it is harder to store things accessibly.)
I would like the stairs to the lower level/basement to be near the living areas. Maybe off of the living room. I don't really like the look of just a hole being in the middle of the floor but I don't want the stairs to be closed off behind a door. I did see one look that I liked, it was an archway leading to the basement instead of a door. It was kind of cool looking.
I haven't done much research of foundations or any of that good stuff but I know that a waterproofed basement is an essential for me. It might cost a butt load of money but since the basement will be a major part of the living space water and moisture will not be an option.
In the basement/lower level I would like another seating area, room for couches and relaxing, hook ups for a TV, and that sort of jazz. I haven't got a whole lot of inspiration for this yet. I would like it to have windows all long the one wall leading out to the yard and a patio door leading to the deck. Under the stairs storage would also be awesome. Drawers to store stuff in. More storage the better! And no sense in wasting that empty space.
I would like to put a third bedroom down here, about the same size as the guest bedroom with a small bi-fold closet. I would probably use this room as a hobby room but a third bedroom adds value so a closet is necessary and storage space is always nice. A little powder room so that if you are in the backyard and realize you need to use the bathroom you don't have to go all the way upstairs. lol And because bathrooms near bedrooms is always good.
The last room in my dream house is a utility room. This will hold the washer and the dryer, space for a freezer (just in case), cleaning supplies, probably a second vacuum, storage, the water heater, and all that jazz. I would like a sink for hand washing items, a rod for hanging up clothes to dry on, and I would like the washer and dryer to be raised off the floor because leaning over to put things in and take things out is too much work. lol
I will also have a whole house water filtration system. This is a must have.
And that is that. My vision for my new house. Some of these things are wants (like the honkin' hood over the stove) but most of these things are needs and I might as well not even build if I can't have them (waterproof basement, killer kitchen, beyond awesome master suite).
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