Dream Home

My friend Pilar recently posted a question: what would your dream home be like? So for fun, I spent an hour over dinner coming up with a sketch of an awesome residence together with some notes on its special features.

Here are my thoughts.

Entry to the house is via a large gate framed with palm trees. The gate opens to a straight driveway lined by palm trees. To the left and right of the driveway is a lake populated with swans and ducks. The straight portion of the driveway leads to a circular portion with a fountain in the center. There are four exits off the circular road. One exit leads to the guest house. Another exit leads to a good-sized garage connected to the main house. Another exit leads to the front door of the main house. The last exit leads to the servant quarters. Vibe: Refreshing.

The house itself is Mediterranean style, two levels, sunny and breezy throughout. It has a beautiful ocean view. Vibe: Tropical.

The front door has palm trees to either side and is lit by torches with flickering flames. The entrance hall has high ceilings, a dramatic sweeping asymmetric staircase, a modern crystal chandelier, and a few spotlit modern sculptures. Vibe: Elegant.

The living room has large expanses of glass with a great view of the pool area and the ocean. Tropical fish tanks are built into the walls, and one contains jellyfish bathed in cool ultraviolet light. There is a modern fireplace for chilly nights. Vibe: Inspiring.

The pool has both an indoor and an outdoor part which can be separated by a large glass panel when the weather is cold. The pool is an infinity design, with water overflowing over the top and cascading off the sides. There is a diving board, water slide, jacuzzi, hammock area, and plenty of grass and flowers. The guest house shares the pool area with the main house. Vibe: Playful.

The library has plenty of space for books, a few comfy chairs, a grandfather clock, an old-fashioned fireplace, and a well-hidden computer console. Vibe: Cozy.

The master bedroom has a glass ceiling that is opaque by default but can be turned transparent to allow for star gazing. There's a modern tall four-poster bed with delicate gauze drapes. There's a patio with a pool/ocean view and a staircase that leads down to the pool. Vibe: Sensual.

The master bathroom has separate his-and-her areas with their own sink and closet, as well as a large shared walk-thru shower. The shower includes ceiling-mounted faucets to provide a rainfall-like effect. Vibe: Practical.

For fun, there are several secret passageways and hiding spaces. Where are they? I'm not going to tell you! Vibe: Secretive.

The security system provides visual and auditory access to most places in the house, and is password-accessable from any web browser. Better keep that password safe! Vibe: 007.

The various rooms in the house are sometimes linked in unusual and innovative ways that indicate that the architect was thinking in three dimensions instead of two. Vibe: Creative.

My guess is that a house like this would cost between 3 and 10 million dollars depending on its location. Here's a link to a house that is similar to what I have in mind.

For the record, I spend very little time thinking about this kind of luxury, and it doesn't even make it into my top 10 list of things I want in life. That being said, I bet it would be a lot of fun!

If you decided to blog your own idea of a dream home, please email me a link. Here are the dream homes so far: Kytari, Becky, Chris, Alan, Ben.

Comments

[SBG"P"]

This sounds so magnificent. I especially envisioned your idea of a full "sky-light ceiling." This is terrific to be able to gaze at the stars while lying in bed. I know as a kid I purchased a bunch of glow in the dark planets and stars, and pasted them to my ceiling. Also, as a scorpio, a water-sign, :-) I empathize with your 'water theme throughout the house." In my research and experience I have found that 'water' whether it be ocean front, pools, lakes, fountains, aquariums is what most people dream off in thinking of their dream place. I also found it interesting that as someone quite advanced in the technology industry your descriptive thoughts did not focus on gadgets, smart home devices, buttons being pushed, robots moving around.. are these things important?

[Graham Glass]

I think that my dream home would contain quite a bit of technology, but keep it hidden in the background. For example, the glass ceiling might be made from a liquid crystal display that kind be turned from opaque to transparent at the touch of a button or a voice command. I'd prefer a peaceful, minimal, tranquil kind of place rather than one buzzing with robots!

[Kytari]

http://kytari.blogs.com/be_inspired/2005/03/dream_home.html

[Becky S]

Wow, your description is hard to top...

I'm not an architecture buff, so I can't think in terms of structure or even room layout. For me, a good home is all about that happy feeling you get when walking in after a hard day at the soulless office park.

Most important adjectives: comfortable, colorful, and cozy. My dream house has tons of character; it's an older home with a working fireplace, unusual molding and lighting fixtures, twisty hallways, and a wrap-around porch.

I'm undecided on the kitchen: either ultra-modern Viking or 50s style kitsch with pink appliances.

Each resident will have a separate bathroom, there will be tons of built-in bookshelves, and each room will be equipped with speakers that connect to some kind of central music respository (for lack of a better term).

And of course the dream home will often be filled with friends and family.

PS Second home in the city will, of course, be a loft cube: http://www.loftcube.net/

[Kytari]

I want a loft cube now too. There is a lot of room on the top of my building and it has a superior view of the skyline. That is so fascinating.