As a kid, I sketched out the perfect places to live—my personal castles and villas complete with all the necessities: libraries, interior courtyards, gardens, swimming pools, and stables. I also loved dollhouses—the ones that were built for me and the ones I made myself. The three story string-action elevator in my 1974 Barbie Townhouse was just too cool.
I am still fascinated with living spaces. I study the floor plans of all the apartment buildings that drop ads in my mailbox. I stand outside realty offices comparing the places for rent and sale. There is a little drawer in the wooden card-catalog of my brain for the architectural details I want to include in the house(s) I dream of building.
Today I’m going to take a little time and sketch out some of those ideas to see what I come up with. Then maybe I’ll try to incorporate some of the plans into my real-life living space. I can probably manage a library, but the secret passage and the turret might be a challenge.
What turns up in your dream house?
Posted by kuri at April 30, 2004 11:00 AMNatsukashii!
I used to spend a lot of time sketching floorplans, complete with secret passages, defense systems, etc. I’m gonna try thisd one as soon as I have some time!
Posted by: UltraBob on April 30, 2004 11:54 AMI adore looking at floor plans as well. I will pore over them for ages and love it when they are dropped through my letter box… (much more interesting than pizza menus and ads for hookers). Often on the weekend, my mother and I ride around on our pushbikes checking out the display apartments. I think all the local property developers have met us and think we are completely nuts but I really enjoy it. Kuri-chan - shall we take you with us on our next real-estate adventure? It is a healthy and inexpensive Sunday afternoon entertainment.
Posted by: Tracey on April 30, 2004 12:06 PMNice to see we have something in common. :-)) Even I store away pieces of information on architectural designs that i would like to incorporate into our dream house one day. :-)) My husband’s sister is an architect and she is going to draw the house plans when we are ready.
Influenced by our trip to Lubeck, Germany, I saw those lovely old houses that look like ordinary buildings from the outside and when you walk in through the door, there is a fascinating small cobbled street leading out into an open shared communal garden! Tiny but very beautiful.
(Reminded me of the book “The Secret Garden” )
If i ever have the space, I think i would like to have such an interior garden as well. I know there are lots of other nicer things you could do with the space, but it would still be nice. *sigh!*
secret passageways. i grew up in an old victorian, and to my daytime delight and fright-fueled nocturnal horror, i would explore these tiny crawlspaces that went nowhere behind built-in bookcases and closets, always hoping for discoveries beyond dust-mice.
/.s./
I’m in the process of building my dream house right now. It’s nestled deep in the Maine Woods, like I dreamed when I was a little girl. It will have beautiful old (restored) windows that distort everything just a little bit. It will have three fireplaces and two woodstoves; few things feel better in winter than wood heat.
Best of all, I get to make all the decisions. This feels like the most selfish and extravagant thing I’ve ever done. Every other place I’ve lived in I found myself settling for the weird kitchen, ugly floors, drafty windows. But now I have complete control!
Posted by: Amy on April 30, 2004 09:02 PMA PacMan Arcade machine, each and every time. Sometimes a stand up, sometimes a bar/table model, but it keeps showing up.
Sad, but true… :)
Posted by: Randy on April 30, 2004 09:28 PM