Getting to know you/us…
Describe your dream home in 3 words.
Josh couldn’t do it either.
How do you distill a home into 3 words? That was a question posed to us during our first meeting with our newly hired architect. For some a home is described in numbers. 3 beds, 2 bath, 3 car garage. Or maybe 2,500 square feet. Maybe some describe a home as a particular style or design such as victorian, farmhouse, craftsman, or ranch. Some may tell about their home by the type of construction used like timber frame, log, SIPs, or ICFs.
Our first official meeting with our architect was an attempt to put a dream into the beginnings of a form and we had big ideas on how to describe our dream home. Josh would probably use the word “nebulous” and that is why we needed help to figure out what we were going to do.
During our first meeting, we were asked questions to help us describe what we wanted but more importantly who we are and how we live. Rather than describing our home in numbers, style, or type, we described our home in feelings, purpose, and efficiency. The numbers of the house are not as important to us as the overall concept and design of the home. Sure we had a basic number of rooms, the need for an office, and a kitchen but how those rooms interacted with each other and the surrounding environment are just as important.
A recent movie that I love is Little Women (2019). One of my favorite things about the movie is Orchard House, the March family home. In the movie, the exterior is a simple wood-sided colonial home, monotone, and understated. The inside is just the opposite. It is filled with yellow glowy warmth, rich colors, stacks of books, half-finished art, and knitting projects. That is what makes a home. A place of warmth, laughter, and coziness. A place where everyone feels comfortable enough to take off their shoes and put their feet up on the ottoman.
Some bullet points I can remember from our meeting over a year ago.
Energy efficiency. Heating and cooling costs are only going to increase. We want as tight of an envelope as we can afford.
A multi-cook-friendly kitchen. We love to cook and often have multiple people cooking at one time.
A home office for Josh who has worked from home since before the pandemic made it cool.
The kitchen and dining room are together but separated from the living space. Having separation so some people can be watching TV and another group can be playing a board game without disturbing each other.
A place to store an ever-growing collection of board games.
A place to store and display LEGO creations.
Easy access to the outside for entertaining and grilling. We love our Weber kettle time.
Describe your home in 3 words. I guess I can’t do it either.
