What's your dream home?

[Meryl Schoenbaum]

If you're not currently living in your dream home, what would it be like and where would it be located? If you are already living in your dream home, what are the elements that make it so?

[rubyslippers]

I am moving into my first house next week.

We found a small cottage; I wish I could say it is a "Victorian" or a "Craftsman" or a "Whatever" - - but it isn't -- it is just mine.

This is my "dream home" because in this day and age, the reality of home ownership as it relates to "the" American Dream strikes a little closer to home. Anyway, many of the ladies around here know how long I have looked (and across multiple cities for that matter) - - finally, it boiled down to two real gas lamps in the front yard.

I have a set of housing "rules" - - I didn't want to live on a "double-yellow-lined-road" - - I didn't want to live in a "development" (nor could I afford to in my area) - - so, I would have to say as against-the-grain as it may sound, my dream home has to fit my budget.

Now, on to the "fun" stuff:

Hardwood Floors
Built in Bookshelves
Gas Fireplace
Private Backyard (Garden Gate Included)
Quirky features (red countertops in the kitchen - - they are not "retro" - - they are really from the 1950's and they are fabulous) ...

Some day, I may want to build a "green" cottage incorporating some of my artistic inclinations. I would like to have a large arched wooden door and lots of wrought iron; however, when I stop to think about it, I could change my entry door over time. It would take some contract work, but anything is possible. The thing about it is that I believe anywhere you choose to live can be your dream home ... you just have to have the imagination to truly dream.

[Hillary Black]

Hi Rubyslippers,

Congratulations on finding your cottage dream home! Hardwood floors, built-in bookcases, gas lamps, backyard with garden gate, quirky details -- sounds like something from the pages of C&B! I can picture it. Those are many of the things I know I would want, too. Good luck with your move. We can't wait to see the photos!

[Lisa S]

A dream home is a place that is beautiful to your eye and comfortable for your body where you play out the little joys and dramas of everyday. The joys and dramas become a life and the house becomes touchstone for your memories.

Some days, when I look around me, I see a restoration job well done. I love the board and batten that we added to the walls of our dining room, the built-in cabinets that we restored and rebuilt, the new kitchen that feels old with it's mahogany counter tops, the sunroom addition that went from a 1970's remuddle to a room that feels as though it was original to the house.

Other days, I see the pink bathroom with the overly textured walls and no baseboards. I see a basement with loads of potential, but will probably only be clean at best. It makes me simultainiously want to take a nap and buy a lottery ticket!

But when my daughter sits at the piano in the sunroom, the whole downstairs fills up with music. When my big dog lays right in the middle of my kitchen floor, I can't help but walk by and rub her ears. My kids and pets race out the back door with a slam of the screen. They run and play in the privacy of their own forest. They think they've found nirvana. The hum of the furnace, the draft through the windows, the snow on the towering cedars, cookies baking in the gas stove have made it feel like Christmas all week.

Last night I went for a walk in the snow. As I approached my home, I tried to visualize how other people see it. Lights poured from every window (4 kids ~ try to get them to turn off a light!) illuminating the divided lights on the 1920's craftsman style door, accentuating the coved ceilings in the front rooms, the woodwork gleamed and looked so cozy.

Our dream home is our home. We work hard to make our dreams come true. We appreciate all the little things that happen everyday. Life ~ sadness and drama notwithstanding ~ is wonderful!

[rubyslippers]

Hello Hillary,

The only pictures I have right now are from the "MLS" listing. I will try to post a few thumbnails.

Lisa, I really enjoyed your post. I really love your perspective on things.

[Lisa S]

I'm so excited for you. This will be a new and wonderful chapter of your life!

[Meryl Schoenbaum]

Lisa S., your post (#4) describing why your current house is your dream home is written so beautifully, it's poetic.

And congratulations on your new cottage, Rubyslippers! It sounds wonderful. :)

I'm thoroughly enjoying reading everyone's posts on this thread!

[Zuzu's Garden]

Congratulations on your new home, Rubyslippers! I look forward to hearing about all the things you will be doing to make it your home.
:)
Zu

[Lynzee]

Congratulations on your new home, Rubyslippers! It's lovely! You are going to have so much fun making it home.

[rubyslippers]

I appreciate the congratulations. We'll soon have pictures that are more "ours" as we get to work. Anyway, I do want to hear more ideas about "dream cottages". Many of you have looked for Craftsman homes for years. Others have always wanted a farmhouse. Those tall skinny farmhouses were always so neat to me. Anyway, I would love to hear what you all are thinking. Also, to add another twist to this thread ... if you are not living in your current "style" of dream home, then what have you done to your existing dwelling to incorporate the sense of style (architecturally or decoratively) in the interim?

[Zuzu's Garden]

Meryl - I'd love to hear about your dream home too!

I've been writing about my dream home in the Tiny House thread. Our home is located in the Colorado mountains, surrounded by beautiful, old-growth forest. My husband and I built most everything ourselves, but had contractor-help when it came to spreading concrete and putting in the sheet rock.

The house is tiny, 385 square feet, but has room enough to hold all we could ever wish for. My husband and I designed it together, using 8 1/2 x 11" grid paper, a pencil, an eraser ;), and the same architect's rule that my parents had used to design the home they built when I was an infant. Starting with the floor plan, we were able to create all the drawings required by the county to pass plans inspection and begin building.

Our home is stick-built, but incorporates some green building technologies and appliances - a frost-protected shallow foundation (http://www.byoh.com/frostprotectedshallowfoundations.htm), double-pane windows and doors, 12V lighting, a 12V refrigerator, an on-demand water heater, and an off-grid electrical system which currently uses a gas generator and a wind generator - solar panels will be added later. We will be heating the home primarily with a wood stove and passive solar.

The house is painted bird's egg blue with light gray trim. Next summer I hope to add shutters and move more wild strawberries and wildflowers to continue creating a garden around the foundation.

Inside, there is a sloped ceiling with a 5:12 pitch, and when people walk in, the first thing they say is "Wow" while looking up. The home is open and the light pouring in from the windows and french door is wonderful.

We hope to move in this weekend with the bare essentials. Slowly, we'll bring in the furniture - a farm table with Country French chairs, a French baker's rack and armoire, a leather couch. Decorative items include many garden-inspired finds.

Lisa hit the nail on the head when she said A dream home is a place that is beautiful to your eye and comfortable for your body... It is wonderful to share how we each define and create the home of our dreams. Thank you, C&B, for giving us the opportunity to come in and visit one another at home.
:)
Zu

[Breezy]

When we decided to move farther south I went online to check out real estate in this area and found this house in the listings.
Hubby and I thought we wanted some land with a "cottage" or just land to put a mobile home on.
So we made the drive down here and on the way through town I spotted this house and told my hubby we should look at it just for the heck of it.
We found a realtor and told her what we wanted then I added since we were so close to that little rock house why not stop there first on the way to the others.
We came in the back door so the first thing we saw was the mudrm and then the kitchen. Let's just say it was in dire need of some tender loving care. We walked through the dining room and then saw the living room - I was surprised at how large those rooms were considering the size of the house - then I saw the fireplace and looked at my hubby - I knew that we had found our house.
We did view the other properties but I had already made up my mind.
The little rock house was calling my name the first time we drove by - I'm so glad I listened.:)

[Meryl Schoenbaum]

Can I have more than one dream home? Eh, why not -- it doesn't cost anything to dream, right? ;)

Dream Home #1: A storybook cottage surrounded by a walled garden filled with tall red poppies, yellow and red tulips, lots of French lavender and tall grass that never needs mowing (it's a dream, remember). It would be set in a quaint village in the foothills of majestic mountains that are snow-capped year-round (still dreaming), and there'd be stone fireplaces in every room. I'd have a vintage kitchen for a warm, cozy feel. My living room would have dark wood beams on the ceiling and creamy white walls with dark wood window frames for added charm. My bedroom would be painted lavender (blue lavender, never pink lavender!) with white trim for a fresh, crisp look. I think it would be so much fun to come home to a storybook cottage every day!

Dream Home #2: A home in the Colorado foothills (Aspen would be nice ;)), surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. I've never even been there (yet) but I can tell from photos that I'd love the scenery. It would have a wraparound porch, so I could relax with my guests and enjoy the view from every angle.

Dream Homes #3 and #4: Combining these because they're both in Europe -- a cute little Parisian apartment with the requisite black wrought-iron flower boxes overlooking the hustle and bustle of the city, and an equally cute little apartment in a charming town in Italy.

And I'd be living in my dream homes with my dream man and a couple of angelic children. Ah, I can almost hear the heavenly choirs singing... :)

[memmey]

If I moved in with my dream man I would have to live in New York City. Do you think I could get Mr. Big to leave New York for the country in Acadiana??
Big..*L*.......:o

[Meryl Schoenbaum]

That's so funny you mentioned Mr. Big as your dream man, Memmey -- I was imagining George Clooney living in those dream homes with me as I was writing that post! :p

[Lynzee]

I wasn't in search of my "dream home" when I stumbled upon this little house in the woods. It had been abandoned years before, and time and neglect had certainly taken its toll, but there was something about the little run down house in the woods that just tugged at my heart. I wandered around, cleaned the dead leaves and debris from the window boxes and a couple of the flower beds, peered through all of the windows, then curled up in the swing on the front porch and took in the wooded surroundings, listening to the sounds of nature. Somehow, I knew I had come home.

There were rooms without walls, rooms without floors, rooms without ceilings, but none of that mattered. The sad little house in the woods needed me. And I needed it.

Is it a "dream home"? Not by a long shot.

It doesn't have a fireplace--which is number one in my book. I envision a huge stone fireplace in every room--including the bathroom!

It is an L-shaped rambler that wants desperately to be a cottage. Everything I have done--inside and outside--has been done with that in mind.

The rooms are all very awkward. The previous owners must have thought so too, since they seem to have removed walls at random and put up new walls in much the same way. Even so, the evidence of the existing layout remains--and it was just as awkward before.

The kitchen is tiny and has not one user friendly cabinet. It will someday have open shelving, but that is on hold for now.

It has one bathroom, which is far too small and has a sink vanity that takes up three quarters of the room.

There is a huge brick "slab" in the center of the house that, at one time, held a wood stove. It is now a huge brick "slab" that just takes up valuable floor space but, ooooohhhhh, do I have big plans for it--someday.

It has mismatched flooring because we had to get flooring down quickly. It has mismatched ceilings because we had to get ceilings up quickly. It has temporary walls in place so we actually have "rooms". Quickly was key because it was about a week before closing when we found out we would have custody of The Little Princess, so this was going to be "home" for her, as well, and apparently, the court really frowns upon exposed wiring and other hazards. :eek: :D

No, it isn't a "dream home". Far from it. But it isn't a sad little house in the woods anymore either.

It does still need me. And I still need it. And the little one needs it. It is the only real "home" she has ever known and she loves every little thing about it. Her little face just lights up every time we turn in the driveway and she races across the front porch, throws open the door and yells--usually to no one--"I'm home!"

Is it my "dream home"? Yeah...I just believe it is. ;)

[Lisa S]

I sure like you, our Lynzee. Thanks for sharing the story of your home.

[memmey]

Lynz so sweet. We have all said at one time or the other that it is a state of mind this "cottage" ideal. You can copy it from pages in a book or magazine but I think it is just in a person's personality to nest and take care of something precious. Something worth saving.

My Sister and I had this revelation recently. Every year MaMa made Christmas so fun. The house was cozy and the cakes and pies were always on the counter. Presents were piled under the tree and the house was decorated so sweetly. Little lights and angels and Santas everywhere. We knew she had not forgotten any of us and we would get a nice gift and plenty of food to take home. Everyone left feeling that Christmas had been a labor of love from MaMa.
Well.... we went through the boxes of decorations she used 2 weeks ago getting ready for the estate sale, as we looked through them the angles wings were bent and the Santas kinda beat up. I told my Sister that the things were shorta shabby and I was shocked. The illusion of Christmas was not the decorations it was MaMa. MaMa made Christmas for us. We never saw the crumby things we only saw MaMa's love and earnest labor to show us a wonderful Christmas.

So Lynz, I "get" it, I really do. Any home is a cottage if in your heart you want it to be. Any place is home if that is what you make it.
Thank you for the sweet post, it makes you stop and think about Christmas.
I am so gratful that we are all here to share thoughts this season.

[Breezy]

I know just how you feel about your home Lynz - sweet story & thank you for sharing.:)

[Lynzee]

Awww, y'all are so sweet. :)

Lisa...you know I like you too, my friend. :)

Memmey...I honestly believe that cottage is in the heart. We military families have a saying we live by..."No matter what, no matter where--it's home if love is there." That is so true.

Linn...It's amazing what we can find sometimes when we aren't really looking, isn't it? I just love those unexpected surprises! :)

I, too, am grateful for the opportunity to share this season with such wonderful friends!

[Zuzu's Garden]

Lynz and Memmey - The joy and blessings at Christmas are found in one another. I don't have a Christmas tree this year, but I'm all lit up like a Christmas Tree from reading what you wrote.

Happy, happy Holidays dear friends!
:)
Zuzu

[chyna]

Hmmm, no I can not say that my house is even close to my dream house. But it is becoming home. :) Most of you already know this but I only looked at this house on a lark. We'd been looking for a home for quite a while and just by chance noticed the For Sale sign in front of this monstrosity. I pointed it out to my hubby and then proclaimed I was not interested in it. The second storey addition is just horrible, doesn't match the siding, doesn't match the roof slope and for crying out loud why only put it on one half of the house?!!!! But remembering all those tv shows and articles we'd read about looking at many homes and styles to see exactly what you are looking for I said ok lets take a look. I mean it did have a decent yard and has a porch which was on the list (the yard at least was). I walked into the porch and put my sunglasses on from the over abundance of mint green paint and scurried into the livingroom. And that was it right there and then. Hardwood floors! An arch that separates the livingroom from the library! And high ceilings. Sad to say the love affair did dim after that when we viewed the back bedroom and saw the holes cut into the floor for the half bath being added to the bedroom and the holes cut into the wall and floor in the upstairs bedroom for yet another bath. Honestly I know it is the great thing nowadays to have a shower/bathroom in each bedroom but this house is not big enough to carry that many bathrooms! I loved the windows and the wavy glass or at least the glass I could see thru. The owner worked nights and painted the glass (not sure when that was, from what the neighbors told me the woman was conning the system). At least she hadn't had enough time to destroy all the original features and I did find a couple of the things she'd removed and brought them back.

I guess what I want is a bungalow, loads of plaster and some stained wood. Stained glass window panels (or my ultimate dream, cut leaded glass), chandeliers, a small fireplace that I don't have to rely on for heat, hardwood floors, high ceilings. Something old and gracious. I do watch a house in town that has these tall pillars out front that supports the roof with sleeping porches. I believe it is a four square with a Southern plantation dash. Loads of work but it just needs someone to restore it to its glory.

My house, well since I took over it's care it has blossomed too and I just make sure I don't look up at the second storey or I get really annoyed. :p

[RoseMary]

Our little cabin house did not so much start as a dream house as it did a house of necessity. We were living in a very old mobile home with the dream of building our own house. We saved and saved and finally knew that we had to build or buy another mobile home, as the one we were in was falling down around us. It took four years to build the cabin, so the mobile continued to deteriorate. (One evening, the girls were jumping on their bed (no, they weren't supposed to be doing that:p) and the leg of the bed frame went through the floor). The roof was patched and patched, but it still leaked into the walls, etc.

So, what could we afford to build? That was when we looked into cordwood. Like Zu, we sat down with graph paper and drew out the plans ourselves. We ended up building smaller than we wanted, but it had to be something we could afford. The cordwood walls are 20" cedar logs that we cut and peeled ourselves from trees on our own property. We went out to peel the bark every evening and it was a great time to talk and dream about what the house was going to look like. We had Rob Roy's Building With Cordwood book as a guide.

My husband worked for a lumberyard at the time, so we got a discount on a lot of things, like the wide tongue and groove boards that we put on the inside walls.

Cordwood is not a fast way to build--it takes time. So, we ended up framing with 2x8s starting at window level on the two sides and back to speed our way into the house. The mobile just wasn't going to last much longer.

It has been a journey for us. A journey that is still in progress. A journey that started of necessity and is now one of love.

[Lisa S]

"A journey that started of necessity and is now one of love."

You bring tears to my eyes. Those kinds of journeys are the best ones.

[Breezy]

RoseMary & Zu - I truly admire people who build their own homes - all the hard work and long hours that go into it. It's a labor of love.:)

[annielinz]

My dream home is either a storybook home like you would find in Carmel Calif with enchanted gardens and maybe even a fairy door or Ina Gartens (Barefoot Contessa) house in Nantucket. Since my chances of DH wanting to move to Nantucket are slim and none then Carmel is more feasible since he is an avid golfer. However, unless I win the lottery my home will have to suffice. And like the saying "home is where the heart is" then I am home. I raised my children in this house along with all the memories and like someone stated cottage may not be the style of the home your living in but your state of mind.

[RoseMary]

I love the 'home is where the heart is' quote, annielinz! Home is so much more than a house:).

[oxide]

Whenever I see a McMansion, with those flush plastic windows, crazy hipped rooflines, and those unnecessary nested gables, something inside of me just cringes horribly. It's hard for me to explain it, but I can just tell there's something wrong with it. The proportions are all wrong. It's almost as if there are some unnatural mathmatical ratios that humans object to and the McM has them all. On some level I'm almost offended. I can't trust the house.

But anytime I see a small cottage or especially a Tudor revival, that same thing in me that scrinches up at sight of a McMansion will loosen a little and I feel...I don't know...safe or something. The little house seems so much friendlier. It's a house that likes me.

Anyway, I too would like Storybook home, same as Annie Linz. But I'd like a more Tudor-looking Storybook, not one with a roof that looks as if it is about to fall in.

I'd pretty much have to build a Storybook from scratch, which I could never afford. A more realistic plan is to find a small plain rectangle ranch house on an acre or so, and convert it to a Storybook-ish Tudor cottage. I think I could do it by adding extending the living room about 6 feet with a front face gable, and a adding a quick bump-out for a dining booth. My living room would then be a mini-great hall with a vaulted ceiling and wood beams and candle chandeliers.

The front-gable living room addition would make the house an L-shape, where I could put a porch across the front (not sure if this is kosher to the Tudor style). And by adding a dining booth, that would free up room in the kitchen for an island and a wall of cabinets.

If I really wanted to go for the gusto, I would finish the attic, if only for storage (depending on the roof pitch) and add an eyebrow dormer. And brick-and-plaster the front.

I haven't really thought of decorating the house yet, probably fantasy-medievalish in the great hall and European country in the kitchen. And lots of built-ins. Hardwood floors, of course! What else? Bedrooms would be a little funkier.

The eventual goal is to turn the place into a little homestead with several square foot garden blocks, a mini-orchard (6-7 trees), berry bushes, and possibly a small greenhouse/conservatory. Hence the need for a larger functional kitchen.

This would take years and cost $$$$$. But hey, I'm in a "dream" thread! :p

[cheapdiva]

My dream house is a little bungalow - very storybook looking or Irish thatched roof cottage. It will have wonderful big windows and nooks and crannies. A sweet old banister that leads up to the 2 bedrooms and full bath tucked under the eaves.

Downstairs is a living room with a fireplace and a kitchen that is open to the dining room/sitting room. I want a small fenced in yard with a gate - very secret garden and lots of lush plants.

A brick walk way and a sweet little garage big enough to park my mini cooper in (which I will buy when I have the cottage:D) with a guest room over it.

BUT what would make it perfect is to have many of my girlfriends living in the neighborhood so we could help each other paint, make curtains, do pot luck dinners, help with kids and grandkids, be there through all the important events and the every day trials of life. That would be the BEST part!!!

[Lisa S]

..."BUT what would make it perfect is to have many of my girlfriends living in the neighborhood so we could help each other paint, make curtains, do pot luck dinners, help with kids and grandkids, be there through all the important events and the every day trials of life. That would be the BEST part!!!"

I'd live in a box if I could have this part! I get choked up just thinking about it!

[Gigi]

My dream home... not too BIG ( we live in that now)-not too small- but something just right with a view (that is a must) nice neighborhood/town with a small town feeling. A place where shops are owned by local townspeople and the water is a step away.

We recently purchased a second home on the water- it's small right now because it has two bedrooms/1 bath- but we are almost done with the addition (master bedroom and bath)---the garage will soon be turned into a studio...and it will all be completed by September.

We are hosting a waterfront wedding for our youngest son in September. :eek: But we LOVE every minute of the "hands-on" work we are doing to make our little rancher a cottage by the sea.

[cheapdiva]

Lisa - I'll save the house next door for you, and on the other side will be Mem, and behind us, Rubslippers (Jenny) and Gigi and Chyna, and Thriftstore and RoseMary and ALL the rest!! Imagine that neighborhood!!:D

[Lisa S]

I'll start packing.;)

[Gigi]

I'm packing too! OMGooodness that would be a dream neighborhood! What a neighborhood that would be~ between us all we would have EVERYTHING covered--home tips, gardening, cooking, sewing... I have to stop...the thought is a bit like buying a lottery ticket- just the thought ;)

[yarborough house]

That is a sweet idea. It would be fun to actually have women who are right here to talk to. I miss human contact..

[oxide]

We ladies could all live in a "pocket neighborhood." (google it) It's a concept in which there are about 10 small cottages grouped around a central lawn. Parking is on the outside, garden in the middle, cottages under 1000 square feet. Architect Ross Chapin has several neighborhoods near Seattle.

Check it out:

http://www.rosschapin.com/Projects/PocketNeighborhoods/UmatillaHill/images/UmatillaHill1.jpg

[CohenCottage]

That looks like our neighborhood (minus the prostitutes)!!

[ChapterTwo]

My ideal home is a Victorian, out in the country, with a wraparound porch.
Maybe I'll have that in my next life! :o

[cheapdiva]

Elizabeth (Cohen) -

You CRACK me up (pun intended!)!

And yes, yes, yes to the pocket community! When I am in Seattle in July I AM looking into this! We have checked out Celebration, FL - a "PUD" - planned urban community! If it weren't in Florida, I'd seriously would have considered moving there.

[oxide]

Cheapdive, please check out RossChapin.com, and click on "projects." He's got something like 11 of these neighborhoods. They had to create a new high-density zoning law to do it. Legally, the cottages are condominiums. But I like that you have your own four walls, so you don't feel like you're in a high-rise.

Celebration looks a little too planned to me. I'd feel sort of politically trapped.

I think what is special is that the pocket neighborhoods are so small, less than 15 houses each. I don't think it would work with more than that -- too many people. In my opinion, they are a lot like a block of a street in any neighborhood, except with extreme curb appeal. Who needs a ton of unnecessary lawn anyway, when you can spend the effort on flowers.

And btw, RossChapin is worth checking out just for the small cottage home plans too.

[mac78]

These cottages look amazing, along with the grounds. But, I don't think I would like living in such close quarters to my neighbors. While I currently live in a subdivision, we still have the closeness of neighbors and friendships, yet the privacy of my own front porch and back yard. Maybe when I am "old" my thoughts might change. But I like sitting outside chilling with a "beverage" and probably wouldn't feel comfortable doing it for all to see....unless they wanted to join me. :) Also, they are not quite big enough for me. We like having 2 separate living areas here, a family room and a living room so we can watch tv and do our own thing. I would defiantely like to have a larger version of them on a nice little lot just for me though.

[cheapdiva]

Um, Mac . . .

I would be happy to share a "beverage" with you on the porch!!;) Any one else?

[shabbychick]

I read an article about these cottage communities they were building, but I discovered that they were terribly expensive for what they are. That's the trouble with these planned communities, at least here in Seattle. You're paying a lot for the concept and not getting much house in return. I couldn't afford it. Real urban renewal (or suburban renewal) would be when they start building little communities like these and pricing them for the rest of us. I wouldn't mind living in a pocket community like this if I could afford it (and if I could paint my house any color I wanted it).

[mac78]

Um, Mac . . .

I would be happy to share a "beverage" with you on the porch!!;) Any one else?


Aww thanks.....me and my neighbor do occassionally thru the summer....anyone live around NW OHIO?

[CohenCottage]

Ours is a pocket style neighborhood that was priced CHEAP b/c it's in a formerly bad neighborhood. Now, the neighborhood is on the up and up and we've gained around 40K in equity in 2.5 years. We all have separate yards that face each other with private front yards, and we only have 1 neighbor (a renter) that doesn't keep her yard up well. We are planning on planting some bamboo in containers to block the view to her yard at the bottom of our hill. It's so nice to have friendly neighbors next door to help with projects, keep your dogs when you travel, and borrow olive oil when you run out. We've been really lucky that our group of 4 houses hasn't had any major neighbor problems...

[RoseMary]

I love the idea of the 'pocket' neighborhood, but I'm wondering how they really work out. We aren't used to having close neighbors, and everyone I know that has them does nothing but complain about them.

Still, Maria's idea sounds like fun!! We could all get a lot done!

[shabbychick]

I guess my condo complex could sort of be a pocket neighborhood. It's a cute complex and if you don't think about the shared walls, you could almost say you lived in a cottage. We've got private, fenced courtyards in back and a bit of shared front lawn and tiny individual garden space in front. When I sit outside or am working in my garage, the neighbor kids come by to visit, and once in awhile I'll chat with the people who live next door or across the private street in our complex, but we're not close. But in the summer when it's sunny, I like to sit in the courtyard on my porch swing with my morning coffee. Because my hair is usually standing on end, I don't drink my morning coffee in the front yard. I'd hate to scare the neighbor kids.

We don't have too much trouble with the neighbors. A few of the condos are in foreclosure proceedings, unfortunately. We do have some crime...burglaries, car prowls, and one attempted home invasion (which prompted me to buy a really good storm/security door) but all in all, it's pretty peaceful.

[Lisa S]

I'm a big fan of Ross Chapin. You can find examples of his work in Creating the Not So Big House.

[Les B]

Mac78 we travel through NW ohio to my daughter's and family in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Our home is small cottage. When we bought the home, the entire walls were painted aqua. The bedrooms are 9x10 and only 3. 1 bathroom,small. but my kitchen with a nook for the table is big compared to the rest of the house. When the kids were home it was always fillied with kids,dogs,cats. Now, as everyone has grown 2 dogs we still have many friends that stop in for coffee or Sat. morn breakfast My front porch in the summer is our gathering place. My rockers(have 4) with a quilt on each one as sometimes we will sit there till night and it gets cool @ night here to share a beverage. I love the thoughts of fireplaces,hardwood floors, and lots of built in bookcases. Our house will always be a working progress as it is old and loved.

[mac78]

Mac78 we travel through NW ohio to my daughter's and family in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Our home is small cottage. When we bought the home, the entire walls were painted aqua. The bedrooms are 9x10 and only 3. 1 bathroom,small. but my kitchen with a nook for the table is big compared to the rest of the house. When the kids were home it was always fillied with kids,dogs,cats. Now, as everyone has grown 2 dogs we still have many friends that stop in for coffee or Sat. morn breakfast My front porch in the summer is our gathering place. My rockers(have 4) with a quilt on each one as sometimes we will sit there till night and it gets cool @ night here to share a beverage. I love the thoughts of fireplaces,hardwood floors, and lots of built in bookcases. Our house will always be a working progress as it is old and loved.

I live 50 miles from Ft. Wayne. I live in Bryan, OH. 15 miles from the turnpike. St RT 6 and 15 are 2 blocks away. Where are you coming from.

[Les B]

I live in Newfane, Ny its 3 miles south of Lake Ontario and 20min. east of Niagara Falls.Hubby and I will be traveling out to Indiana in June.

[oxide]

I read an article about these cottage communities they were building, but I discovered that they were terribly expensive for what they are.

I checked Zillow.com the other day, and those pocket cottages cost $300K EACH! :eek: That's probably an inflated housing bubble price, but even so, a 600 sq ft house should cost no more than $60K-$100K depending on the detail in the house. And you're not getting any land with it.

No thanks. For that kind of money I'll ditch the community and buy my own acreage in a different state.

[cheapdiva]

In the Seattle area, that's reaonable! We have two kids out there and one is in a pricey area (Sammamish/Redmond - Microsoft's home) where you can't touch anything in their subdivision for under 7 figures. The other "kid" lives in an less expensive area, owns a duplex and still paid over $400,000 for it.

Our area (Milwaukee) homes are more affordable but we have some of the highest property taxes in the nation - and not great services and our schools in Milwaukee Public School system are some of the WORST in the nation. On our 1,600 foot condo (with no yard) our taxes are over $5,000.

Besides, we could all probably build our own little cottages given the collective talent of this group!!!!

[Lisa S]

You're right about that not being expensive out here. On the other hand, people make decent money. I positively drool when I look at real estate in Wisconsin. Did I mention that my old house in Columbus ~ a huge old Victorian in perfect condition ~ is for sale again? For $259,900! That's penneys compared to our market. I'm so conflicted! I can't move my family, but if I win the lottery, that's the first thing I'm buying.

[Windy]

I have enjoyed reading these!

We just bought our home in November. I won't call it a dream home, but has everything we need. DH is really beside himself with it though. It has an attached garage and 1/4 acre of land.

I would love an inglenook fireplace, thatched roof, and i would LOVE it to be in an area of mountains and the 4 distinct seasons, and close enough to see my sisters. I NEED to have a front porch as well!!!

The last place we lived was a cottage.....over 500 years old (rental)..the 2 bedrooms were tucked tightly under the eaves and often DH would hit his head! It had lots of nooks and crannies too, but it attracted LOTS of cobwebs.....and it was COOOLD in the winter/spring.

[cheapdiva]

Lisa -

What are you waiting for??!! I'm sure we can come up with something for your husband to do!!! :D

[Lisa S]

He can actually work anywhere ~ he's an IT guy and does a lot of work from our home office. It's the kids, schools, friends... that's the hard stuff to walk away from. If we win the lottery, we'd buy this house for Christmases and Halloween parties!

[shadylady]

We have bought our dream home, and are beginning renovations. When we first got married(32 years ago) we lived in a garage apartment(rent $100) and it was so cute. we called it our treehouse becasue every window looked out into huge trees. Lived there for 3 years till we moved to a larger place....2 kids...then an even larger house.....sometimes we would be so stressed about bills or kids or jobs...and he or sometimes I would say "wouldn't you like to be back in our treehouse?" The kids are gone and we decided to downsize. I wanted to live on this little lake (about 400 acre lake) that was made in the 1930s... everyone had weekenders and little fishing cabins... boathouses. Then a new lake was built (1000 sq miles of shoreline) in the 1960s and all the old families built huge places on it and Little Broadway Lake was kind of forgotten. Broadway Lake reminds me of a mountain lake. curvy roads wind around it and you can just see the top of a roof here and there among huge trees. Broadway is owned by our county rather than the corp of engineers, so you can build just about anything you want right next to the water. There are only about 220 homes around the lake and there has been a renewed interest in Broadway because it is always full of water even during the drought we have had in the south these last few years. Anyway, I would drive around the lake every week looking for FOR SALE signs. I saw this really sad looking red cabin...grass all grown up..very unloved. I got out and walked around it....it has stacked stone walls in front and then on the lake side are 3 more sets of stone walls that terrace to the lake....also a winding stone walkway. I looked the address up on our county tax map, called the owners and asked if they would like to sell the place and they said YES! We met them there and when they opened the door..we entered this den and kitchen area that had 2 oversized sliding glass doors onto a screened in porch with a huge deck off of that. The first thing out of my husband's mouth was "Deb, this looks like our treehouse sitting up in these trees!" We were sold. I have been working on the yard(it was full of ivy) and as soon as I round the curve on the drive out there and see that lake between the trees...I just start to relax...it is coming home and we haven't even moved out there yet. Sorry this is so long, but I just love this little cottage!

[Lisa S]

What a beautiful and romantic story! Thanks for sharing it with us.

[RoseMary]

shadylady~your place sounds wonderful! Those big sliding glass doors and the deck overlooking the lake sounds perfect. Post some pictures when you get a chance!

[cheapdiva]

Ya know, I love S.C. - when can I come and visit - how about next February or March? Hang in there - what a perfect place.

[shadylady]

Broadway Lake is the kind of shabby chic place now. Places for sale go really quickly. Some people are buying the old cottages and tearing them down and builing on the lots. The good thing is that no one is building big places. My husband has doubled the size of our dock and we have taken the roof off the boathouse and we are going to build a sleeping porch on top...part of ot screen and the other part old windows. He also plans to build me a potting shed off the back side of it. We cut down a cedar tree and plan to use it for posts and the smaller branches a will be used as railing for the stairs. There is no garage, so we are going to build a carriage house in the front.....as you can see lots of plans...now if we only had lots of money!!!

[Joaquim]

My dream home is nothing too fancy. I just love cottages with plenty of scenery around. Where I am living in right now is the perfect place but it does need plenty of renovation work.

[Rory Bremner]

Stone cottage in the Otago region, South Island of New Zealand, or on the side of a Loch in Scotland. My dogs, girl, open fire and my books......heavenly!:p

[Hillary Black]

If the home has trees and a yard, and it has charming architectural details here and there...plus a cast iron tub... and the house is postitioned to make the best use of the sun, I would be very happy! A view would be outtathisworld. ;-)

[yarborough house]

I agree with Hillary and then add one that is paid off :)

[Carrie]

I'd like a craftsman bungalow with a lake view from a big covered porch.

[koolmimi]

I'm living in it!!! Blue and white house on a 7 acre lake in the Piney woods of East Texas. Screened porch and open deck facing the lake. Rock fireplace in the living room. Horse ranch across the road. Biggest plus is its paid for.

[farmgal67357]

I love the little cottage we have now, but it would be nice to have a fireplace and a second bathroom with a claw foot tub.....

[macwilsmith]

Congratulations for your new home. It's really lovely! Have fun and good luck.

real estate and mls (http://www.marcosold.com/)

[katey]

Many people move and change residences in some reasons. Other people moves for a better life, and other moves for a bigger and better house or what they called their dream house. I also wanted to move and to have my dream house. I like to have a house near the beach or seaside, even it's not big but a kind of relaxing.

[RoseMary]

Everyone has such great ideas for their dream home. I like so many styles that it would be hard to pin it down. I love stone cottages, as well as little white farmhouses. I love Rory's idea of a cottage on a loch in Scotland~it is such a beautiful country!

[ChapterTwo]

Here's an article you might enjoy, about a man building a fairy tale home...
http://www.dailygood.org/view.php?sid=151

[shabbychick]

It reminds me of an Iron Age Celtic roundhouse. It's cute. I wouldn't want to live in it, but I can see its appeal. We've just finished studying the Celts in my classroom, so I'll take this in and show my kids what a modern roundhouse could look like. I wonder what the building codes are like where he is. Somehow I don't think you'd get a permit for this in an American subdivision!

[RoseMary]

I've seen this little house before and really love it--very homey and cozy. It reminds me of what I imagine a hobbit house might look like. I think your students will enjoy seeing the pictures, shabbychick:).

I'm sure you're right about not getting it approved in a subdivision these days --which is the real advantage to living in the sticks, LOL!

[Rory Bremner]

How would you cut your lawn-roof, with a place like that?:confused:

[ChapterTwo]

How would you cut your lawn-roof, with a place like that?:confused:

Maybe you buy some dwarf sheep who aren't afraid of heights (not that it's that high...) :rolleyes:

Shabby - I'm glad I posted it in time for use with your class.

RoseMary - That house made me think of the Hobbits too!