Thursday Thirteen #2: Dream Home Inclusions

So Nick and I have been looking into purchasing a small starter Townhome. We are by no means for certain about these plans, but we’re looking into it. All this home looking into is making me think about how great it will be when we’re stabilized and plan on living in the same place for more than a couple years. What do I like and what do I hate? What do I want to learn how to do and what would I rather leave to the experts? Therefore, this week I am listing Thirteen Inclusions in My [slightly extravagant] Dream Home, in semi-order of importance.

1. A Kick Trash Library: both Nick and I LOVE books and reading. Neither of us read as much as we’d like to, but we’re both suckers for books and our collection has been growing enough that we really need to invest in an additional shelf. Nick has had to take all his math/physics books to school because we ran out of room. We also need a great reading chair. In my dream home, this is what I would like:

2. A Wicked Awesome Kitchen: some may say in their dream home they would just include a chef, but I really want to learn how to enjoy cooking, and I think if the kitchen is a room I enjoy than that will be something I could do. Red/Italian themed would be great, but this was as close as I could find:

3. A Private Lake: nothing says perfect like a lake that I could take my family on whenever I want! Think of the view...maybe this will help:

4. A Ginormous Yard: another dream of mine is to have a dog, and dog’s need room to roam and a great house to live in (not the main one, a heated one of their own). Also, I want plenty of trees/berries/garden. None of this is possible without a huge yard.

5. A Great Front Door: I know most of you will think I’m silly for putting this on here, but it’s true. Apartment doors are bland and lame. I want one that looks similar to this:

6.  A Wrap-around Porch: since my 7th grade math project where I had to design my own home I have wanted a large porch that wrapped around the entire house, complete with swing to set a very welcoming tone for my home. I thought it would be so elegant if the dining room had french, glass doors that opened up to it.

7. Bay Windows: another thing apartment living makes you miss is ample amounts of natural light. You take what you can get. But in my dream home, there would be significant efforts made for some fabulous bay windows, like this:

8. A Large Basement: apartment living also means your front room is your family/living/T.V./etc. room. In my dream home, my entertainment room (T.V., video games, etc.) will be down stairs in something that looks like this:

9. A Walk-In Closet: just thinking about a place where I can completely indulge my growing shoe fetish makes me a little giddy. I'd hate to waste space!

10. Wood Flooring Throughout: I am only going to make one point--there is nothing quite like sliding across a wood floor in your socks rocking out to some wicked tunes! Just ask Tom Cruise.



11. Squishy Carpet in Bedrooms: the one exception to the previous rule is the bedrooms Growing up my bedroom had cold, hard tile making it very easy to say prayers curled up on my bed, which is not effective for staying awake.

12. A Tricked Out Tree House: not ridiculous ones like this, but something super fun that I could play in with the kids. Definitely something with a pulley system, windows, and a tire swing. Something like this would be great:

13. A Baby Grand Piano: no, I can't play the piano, but that doesn't mean I can't look classy trying to learn. Why not an adult Grand Piano? Two words: completely unnecessary.

I suppose, for now, I will be happy with something we can call our own, paint when we want, and has an extra bedroom for a baby. The simple life will help me appreciate this stuff all the more once we do have it.