My Dream House
I used to love watching the hit television series, MTV Cribs where celebrities, especially rappers used to flaunt their massive houses and cars. It will come as no surprise therefore that I’m a big fan of mansions. Although I’m not into all that freakishly large houses with ten bathrooms sitting on an island with no immediate neighbors, I love a bit of opulence in a suburban type of setting.
Hey! Don’t crucify me if I come out sounding materialistic and extravagant. At the end of the day, our homes are our safe havens where we ought to feel safe and in control. And if I’m going to spend the rest of my life there, why not make it as comfortable as possible for me and my family.
Location
I want my house to be located in a suburb, not far away from the city. I’m not into the whole exurb type of lifestyle. I want to be able to easily access the city whenever I want to, without having to travel a long distance. The city is not much of an issue for me, because I love relocating to new places and meeting new people. Although, I read somewhere that if you want to make your dream come true, you must harness the power of focus.
Concentrating all your attention, efforts and resources on a given objective makes you achieve it. Stating that I would wish to live anywhere in the US may not really help me in my course towards getting the house of my dreams. I would therefore wish to live in Chicago, preferably in Buffalo Grove.
Front of the House
It is true that first impressions last. People judge you based on what they see from the outside- your house is not an exception. I want the front of my house to be a reminder of what to expect inside. It should have a nicely terraced pathway that dissects into two at the water fountain, which should be between the house and the gate.
Although there will be a garage large enough to fit two vehicles, there should also be enough space on the outside to accommodate several vehicles for temporary visits. There should be a nicely kept lawn on either side of the pathway. Flowers and decorative grasses should be planted round the water fountain to make it more eye catching.
Living Room
I picture my living room as the place where my family will spend quality time together, talking, relaxing, watching television and playing games like Monopoly. My living room should be modern and classy. It should be large with bright walls, decorated with colorful wallpapers and decorative stones. It should have large windows with large curtains to allow in fresh air and bright sunlight.
It should have the usual furnishing, such as sofas, recliners, cabinets, coffee table, accent chest, side tables, a credenza and an entertainment center with a large screen on it. As for the décor, there will be family portraits, paintings, exotic souvenirs and a chandelier for delightful lighting. Although I wouldn’t consider myself a book worm, I like to read from time to time. Therefore, there should be a large library bookcase within the living room with books ranging from religion, finances, inspirational to personal development.
Kitchen
I want a large kitchen in a horseshoe or U-shape design. One side should have storing cabinets, a refrigerator and a microwave area. The adjacent wall should be the cooking section with a few cabinets for cooking appliances. The last wall should be the cleaning section with a sink, a dishwasher and storage cabinets for utensils.
It should have an island in the middle of the kitchen that will function doubly as a storage area for beverages with a wine cooler and an eatery area with six stools around it. The island may also act as an alternative area to prepare food. The main reason I prefer the island to be part of the kitchen layout is to allow us to have a quick bite in the mornings when the family has to go to work and school.
Dining Room
Next to the kitchen, but in a separate room is the dining area. It should be designed in such a way that it can be accessed from the living room and the kitchen. It will therefore have to points of entry. On the wall overlooking the dining area is a large wine cabinet that stores both wine and glasses.
The wall opposite the kitchen door should have a large window for natural lighting and fresh air during the day. The dining table, preferably made of glass, should be decorated with flower centerpieces, beautiful table vases and candles nicely kept in metal candlesticks. There should be at least eight chairs round the table for the large family that I plan to have. Two seats on the opposite ends of the table for me and my hubby and three chairs on either sides for the kids and visitors.
Next to the wine cabinet should be a small cabinet. On top of it we will keep the statue of Buddha praying with candles round it. As for the lighting, I’m thinking of wall lights round the room and one chandelier centrally placed above the dining area.
Master Bedroom
This will be my nice little haven and it has to be special. It has to be bigger than other rooms obviously. It will have a sitting area with a coffee table, where I can sit, relax and read books. There will be a king-size bed with a soft mattress and lots of sheets to keep us warm. Next on the bed will be two nightstands, one for each one of us. On the nightstands, there will be bedroom lamps and a book, at least on my side when I feel like reading in bed. The walls will have portraits of the two of us and the children. There will be a door that opens up to the balcony. It will have a few chairs and a table, where we can relax at any time of the day.
The master bedroom will have its own bathroom. There will be the toilet area, a shower and a bathtub. The shower will have translucent glass walls surrounding it. There will be a sink area with cabinets for keeping bathroom appliances. Next to the bathroom will be our closet. This is where we will be storing clothes and shoes. One side will be his and the other side will be mine. On my side, I will divide it into different sections for clothes, shoes, bags and jewelry.
Other Bedrooms
The whole house will have five bedrooms. Aside from the master bedroom, there will be four more bedrooms, three for the kids and one for the visitors. Apart from the necessary bedroom appliances, the bedrooms will be designed based on gender. Girls’ rooms will be brighter, with pink walls, flower curtains and lots of dolls. Boys’ rooms will have white walls, plain curtains and lots of toys and sports gear. There will be cabinets in the kids’ rooms, where they can keep their personal items and a chair for them to relax. There will be closets for their clothes too.
The only thing missing in these rooms is the bathroom. They will all share one bathroom on the other end of the house. The master bedroom and the kids’ rooms are all upstairs. The guest room is the only room downstairs. It will not have the extravagant touch of the other rooms, however it will not be absent of comfort.
Laundry Room
There will also be a laundry room. Nothing much is expected from this room, except that there will be a washing machine, an ironing board and a place to fold the clothes. There should also be cabinets for the laundry appliances.
Back of the House
Overlooking our garden at the back of the house will be our patio. It will have a dining area with a dining table and chairs and a relaxing area with sofas. Also in the dining area is a barbeque, where we will be grilling different delicacies during the weekends for our friends. I love flowers and it is only right that I have to own a garden.
It will be full of different types of flowers, shrubs, decorative grasses and trees. Past the garden will be an open ground with nicely kept lawn, where the kids can play with our pets. Next to the playground will be the family pool. It will be fenced round with galvanized steel panels to keep the kids safe from drowning.
While we spend so much time and resources building the house of our dreams, we forget one important thing: building a home. My dream house will have all the opulence and comfort that money can buy, but I want it to have everything else that money cannot buy, such as happiness, peace, trust, love and unity. The success of a home is not measured by the material possessions it has, but by the level of happiness and contentment that its members have. That is what I strive for: A successful home and not a successful house.
