A really good friend of mine recently asked visitors to her blog to describe their dream homes. This was my long-winded reply that I liked so much (I want to buy this place!) that I decided to share it here, too.
My dream home is no more than 2,000 sf. It is either an Arts and Crafts bungalow, or a really nice cape cod cottage, circa 1920, with wooden or new white vinyl windows and window-sill flower boxes, a white front porch, cozy siding, and a yard that is impeccably landscaped in English Country style. Inside, it has quaint architectural touches that make it historically authentic and visually pleasing.
The dining room is painted a deep, bright red (my favorite), with a white chair rail. The kitchen is an Italian-villa aged yellow with sponged or rag texture in varying shades of that color. The cabinets are new, with a medium brown stain and glass windows in the doors. The refrigerator has an ice machine in the door (I've always wanted one of those!), and on the walls are metal or wooden signs saying things like, "Hamburgers, 5 cents each," or "Latte."
The living room is white-on-white, with leafy-green accents and a few red items here and there (because every room needs a little red!). The fixtures are golden, and there is an adorable chandelier with real crystals hanging from the ceiling. Ferns keep you company. The couch, while beautiful, is completely sittable. And you can prop your feet on the coffee table while watching TV (which, incidentally is a widescreen LCD on the wall with Bose surround sound). A couple of my most recent novels are on the end table. Just in case you want to read them.
My bedroom, and the guest bedroom, would be retreats from the world, full of homey comforts and good books to read. If they get a little messy, so what? That's why they have DOORS. Oh, and my bedroom has an attached full bathroom with separate shower and Jacuzzi garden tub.
The third bedroom is my office. Floor to ceiling bookshelves and state-of-the-art technology are in this room. You can see the wide flat-panel cinema screen of my Mac from the door. The floor is tile, because it MUST be easy to clean, after I get paint all over it from my latest art, or perhaps paper clippings and glue from my stationery business. Oh, and I have one of those nifty hands-free, cord-free headsets to wear, because they're just COOL.
Oh, and outside, in the backyard where is is just slightly less beautiful landscaping (the better to fit a sun room, big deck, and small in-ground swimming pool, my dear), is a fenced area for Zoe, my dog, to play in and chase squirrels. And, just after the driveway, there is a separate workshop where I do the letterpress printing of my custom invitations and high-end notecards. Can't have a 2,000 lb. monster in my office, now, can I? Besides, I have to fit the dozens of wooden drawers that hold my metal type, wooden "furniture" to hold the type in place, and pieces of "leading" to fit between the lines of type. Not to mention my expansive collection of 1800s and early 1900s "dingbats" and "printer's ornaments."
I guess that about sums it up nicely! Not too much to ask is it?
2 comments:
sounds like my kind of place....can i come visit and stay in the guest room? ;)
I have been dreaming of this exact place! Only mine is out here in Washington, on Whidbey or Camano Island, with plenty of woods around it and only the ferry to bring me back to civilization :) Great minds, right?
Tara -- from P.P.
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