I’d Like To Build The Perfect House: Part 1

I’m terribly bright. I really am. But I’m not a house builder. In fact, there are many things I am NOT. I’m a Dummy about many things. Even so, I’d love to build (not with my own hands, of course) a house. A perfect house – for our lifestyle. I doubt I ever will, but it’s nice to think about.

Where would I build it? It’s an interesting question. Like most, I envision a nice scenic spot. Or a secluded wooded area. Water is part of my perfect vision. I dream about having a house in a spot depicted by either of these pictures below.

I can see it now – the house of my dreams (well, not quite) planted on the spot of my dreams. You see, if I could afford the scenic lot of choice – this is about all I could afford to build on that lot.

I’d be sitting on the front porch with my wife. We’d have a one room cabin with a million dollar view. My dream is interrupted with the reality that such a spot would not be where MY perfect house would be built. For a variety of reasons. Too far from the grocery store. No Braum’s nearby. No Subway. No restaurants. There’s no way my kids would be nearby. It’s a nice thought – in many ways – but terribly impractical.

No, if we met with a professional to plan our perfect house there are some things that would make perfect sense. And I’d throw my head back with laughter (as pictured below) at any suggestion that I had no idea what I was talking about. My wife would laugh hysterically, too. She’s laughing now. At me.

Here are some practical elements that I’d have to seriously consider. Keep in mind, the perfect house for us may not be the perfect house for you. Also, keep in mind that perfection also demands that it be practical. I mean, I could hardly design or build a million dollar house and call it my perfect house. A million dollar mortgage is not my idea of perfection. So, here we go – some worthwhile elements to our perfect house.

How Many Rooms Do You Live In?

I live in only a few rooms. The bedroom, the bathroom, the kitchen and the den. I realize other rooms are necessary – like the laundry room. I try to avoid that room, but any perfect house must have rooms beyond those I occupy.

My wife occupies the bedroom, the bathroom, the kitchen, the den, the laundry room, an office and a sewing room. So I’d have to include rooms that suit her, too.

And we have lots of company – so a guest bedroom and a guest bathroom are a must. And once a year, whether we like it or not, we occupy a dining room. But it’s a real waste, so I’d ditch that and make a larger kitchen with a dining area incorporated. I think we’d likely use that space more ourselves, too.

So, we’ll start with the kitchen. It’s the real source of energy (food) for the house anyway. The kitchen would be large and open. In fact, my perfect house would have a kitchen/den/eating area all as one large space divided only by a counter perhaps. Even though we don’t cook often I’d have a gas cooktop. The appliances would be stainless or white because they just look cleaner and neater. The dishwasher would be quiet.

The eating space would comfortably seat 8-10 people. A bay window might be in order. Lots of cabinet space. Lots of counter space. This area would be a congregation area. People would gravitate to this area of the house. This is the hub. Comfortable. Well lit. Spacious. Efficient. And there’d have to be a nice walk-in pantry.

The den would be comfortable for 8-10 people. There’d be sufficient seating for that many. There’d be open space for kids to crawl around. It’d be a room large enough, but not too large. Cozy without being cramped, but not like an auditorium. This space – along with the kitchen – would seem like one big open area that serves to feed and entertain the troops.

I need to do more thought on the den. A professional could help with the best shape and flow for comfortably accommodating 8-10 people. Flat panel television enables some clever configurations. This room would be the home theater space. I don’t believe in a dedicated home theater. I want to live where the entertainment happens. A den is much better for our lifestyle.

Next, the laundry room. Might as well tackle an easy room now. It’d be large enough to have the washer and dryer (duh?) and counter space. A sink would be in this room, too. And a half-bath for when company comes over. It’d be nice to send folks to the laundry room instead of having them traipse all throughout your house in search of a place to pee. And there’d be an area where you could hang clothes – that way clothes can come straight out of the dryer and onto a hanger, if necessary. See, I’ve done some laundry work before!

The laundry room would also have drawers and cabinets for storage. Household tools and all those parts and pieces that exist in every house would be stored here. Lots and lots of storage. And there would be a door – maybe a pocket sliding door – to this room. The dryer vent would go up through the roof to a turbine to get rid of the dryer heat efficiently in the summer. Maybe there’d be some way to capture the heat for winter.

The master bedroom would allow the king size bed to be placed on a number of walls. I get bored with the room layout and would like the option to put the bed on at least two different walls. That means a flat panel TV would need to be viewable (with a killer view) from two different spots, too.

In addition to the bed, a night stand needs to be on each side of the bed. There must be room for a chest of drawers, too – unless we keep the bedroom minimal and put a chest of drawers inside a walk-in closet. I like the minimalist approach myself. So, in the bedroom I’d have the bed, night tables and probably nothing else other than a stand up mirror (to make sure my vampire status remains intact).

Full length windows are a must. Drapery that makes the room dark as midnight, even in the noontime sunlight, is a must. An exterior door to the backyard deck is also required. We’ll get to the outside space later.

Two big walk-in closets would be attached to the master bedroom, or to the master bathroom. Drawers and plenty of open storage – as well as nice closed storage (doors to cover) – would exit here. There’d be room for the entire wardrobe. No more putting away winter clothes in the summer clothes, or storing summer clothes in the winter. There’d be room to properly organize shoes, all hanging clothes and all folded clothes. In each closet would be a full-length mirror and room to dress, including a chair or stool. In her closet would be a built in makeup counter. No muss, no fuss. Close the door and presto! The clutter is contained.

The master bathroom would have his and her sinks. I’d want to think about the best storage ideas, but there’d be plenty of efficient storage. In addition, there’d be one of these showers.

The shower would be large enough to have a small party. Shower heads from every direction would be nice. And a bench would make shaving my legs much easier. It would also have to be easy to keep clean. And high water pressure is a must.

A soaking tub is in order for my wife. I’d let her select what she wants, but I’m very attracted to the tub we see advertised on TV. The one where you open the door, step in, sit down, close the door and then fill it up. This is it.

Of course, when I do take a bath (rarely) – I enjoy stepping into a scolding bath. This design won’t allow that without getting water all over the floor.

The toilet area should be self-contained, well ventilated and have handles on the wall for strength training. A plunger and plenty of toilet paper storage should also be in order. Perhaps an incense holder should be built in, too. Or a high volume air purifier. Sound proof would be nice.

Sewing room. I don’t care. She can design that room. It needs to be large, perhaps the largest room in the house other than the den/kitchen/eating area space. About the size of a 2-car garage should cover it. This room should also incorporate her home office space.

My home office. This is really more of a library than an office. Built in book cases are a must. Floor to ceiling. Along one entire wall. This room doesn’t have to be really big, but something around 15′ x 12′ or larger would be great! I’d want the walls configured so I could put two speakers near corners and set up my stereo system correctly. That means, this room would likely have one correct set up that would have to last, and last.

The room would also have to contain my CD collection. My current thought is to put the CD’s in their jewel boxes in a drawer where the spine showing the title is facing up. The drawers would be large enough to store 4 rows of disks (across) and plenty of them (deep). I’d need storage for at least 3000, but it would have to be expandable. I know CD’s are dying away, in favor of digital downloads. But being the stereo buff that I am – I hate compressed sound on anything other than an iPOD and good headphones. So CD’s are likely to remain in my future as long as they make them.

The room would need a desk set up of some sort to accommodate a Mac laptop or two. A good desktop computer would be nice, too – with a 24″ monitor. I’d actually like dual monitors. Much more efficient. And way cool. In addition, I’d want a flat panel HDTV on one wall. Why not?

The room would have space for one great reading chair – and ottoman (or a great lounger). And a great reading light, too.

Again, plenty of storage for supplies and a printer.

Sound proof would be an excellent addition to this room. Acoustical treatment of the walls and doors would help keep this room isolated. I’d love it.

Great windows, too. And of course, as with all rooms – a ceiling fan is a must.

The guest room would have an attached guest bathroom. It would be on the opposite side of the house as the master bedroom. It would also have its own hot water heater, separate from the master bath. The room would be as nice as any really nice hotel. Simple. Clean. Neat. Comfortable. Homey. There would also be a check-out time posted on the inside of the front door.

The garage would have a novel approach. Cars would actually be able to be parked inside. We’d have a 2-car garage with another self-contained bay – a third door – like our own built-in storage area. That area would be shelved and have cabinets to store whatever we needed to store (neatly). Yard tools and other items would be kept in that 3rd bay. It would have walls and not merely be part of a 3-car garage. It would be a self-contained area. All the floors would painted or have Sport Court type flooring.

I have to think some more about where the dog doors would be located. And where the dogs would sleep. An alcove off the laundry room might work. Like many ideas expressed here, it’s a work in progress. That’s part of the fun.

That’s the conclusion of part 1.

It’s a start. No need for 5 bedrooms or 4 bathrooms. No need for a dining room. Just rooms that would be used every day! Practical. Livable. Perfect. People have all that crap for resale – not because it’s important to their lifestyle.

Part 2 will contain a few more details and the outside. But first, I have to think about it some more. I’m putting on my dream cap right now.