For part of this past Christmas vacation, my husband and I spent a week visiting some dear friends in the southeast. We stayed with one of his good friends; a successful businessman bachelor, a very generous man devoted to Catholic ministry.
I've been looking forward to this trip for some time, because besides being excellent company, this particular friend just finished his own 3,500 square foot dream house, and his tastes exactly coincide with my own.
Panoramic water views on multiple wraparound porches. Balconies. Verandas. Crown molding on cathedral ceilings. Teak floors. Industrial kitchen. Custom tiling. Marble counters. Craftsman woodworking. Waterfall walk-in shower. Custom touches and luxury finishes everywhere. Walls of original artwork. Imported furniture. Persian rugs. A complete guest kitchen!
No expense was spared, and yet somehow it is not pretentious, gaudy, or overdone.
Tasteful. Elegant. Classic. Beautiful. The floorplan is utterly original but eminently practical. It's exactly my style and everything I would want or dream of in a house, down to the bronze towel racks.
The first day was heaven. We sipped wine and tasted cheeses and dried fruits before cruising downtown for the Christmas lights display. When we came back to the dream house, we had jerk chicken grilled over a wood fire in his enormous stone chimney. After dinner, we rushed to do the dishes in his two-drawer power wash dishwasher; a piece of fine china out of place in this magazine house stuck out like a sore thumb. "This is livin'" I thought.
On the third day, our host departed for his own vacation with family in the northeast, so we had the whole dream house to ourselves! We watched a movie on his hidden but ascending-from-out-of-the-solid-wood-furniture flat screen plasma TV, were duly impressed by the hidden surround-sound theater speakers, and leaned back on his plush European couch. I didn't dare put my feet on this couch; it was much too nice. "Wow, what a life," I thought, eating Blue Bell ice cream on a silver spoon.
On the fifth day, I hollered upstairs to my husband. "Watcha doin' up there?"
No response. "That's strange... he always answers me right away."
I walked up the polished hardwood stairs to find him happily frying up an omelet on the six burner gas range. "Oh, he must not have heard me."
That evening, after a taxing day of socializing, I went down to bed early.
Something wasn't right. My husband wasn't on the other side of the wall. He wasn't within earshot. He was hardly in the same zip code. He was in the far corner of the upstairs, which may as well have been 1/2 mile away.
"This house is too big," I murmured to the 12 foot ceiling. "And I'm too comfortable," I grumbled between the 1,500 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets. "And it's too nice," I sighed as I looked for a place other than the Lebanon-cedar nightstand to rest my water glass on.
Then it dawned on me in a flash of sunglare-in-the-rearview-mirror light. Trust me, the irony of the realization is not lost on me.
My perfect dream house... the exact fulfillment of all of my tastes...
"It's a great place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live here."
We currently live with my parents, so understand the house is not ours. But it is over 7000 square feet with 5 bedrooms, 5.5 bathrooms, 2 offices, an exorcise room, 2 kitchens, a living room, ample storage and a large rec room. Basically, they live upstairs and we live downstairs in a 2-homes-in-1 kind of arrangement. It works well for the moment, but I've definitely come to the opinion that a large home should accommodate a large number of people. The more space you have, the more you have to clean, heat, cool, light, etc. There is something to be said for having what you need, but no more. I used to dream about a big dream house. I've altered my dream house a bit. :)
ReplyDeleteI think we need that everynow and then..We like to get away to a cabin in the mountains, and it sure is nice, but wouldn't want to stay..Too short of a growing season for one!
ReplyDeleteI would probably feel the same- but I'd like to try living like that ;)
ReplyDeleteThe grass is always greener until it's time to mow!!!! Great post girl!
ReplyDeleteWhen I walk into a 3,500 sqft house, my first thought is, "Dang, the electricity bill must be huge!" And that's why I give thanks for my 2,000 sqft house. It's plenty big enough for two people and sometimes my husband thinks it's too big. But I remind him that if we housed some kiddies, it'd be a good size. I'm glad you enjoyed your trip and your stay with your buddy!
ReplyDeleteBeautifully written per usual. Heh heh. My favorite part was you looking for somewhere to set your water glass other than upon the Lebanon cedar nightstand!! I'm pretty sure that's a universal experience.
ReplyDeleteOH! LOL...isn't that ironic? Ok...time to rethink the dream houseplan. "Cozy" is the key word. I have some interesting tweaks in the houseplan I did for you. Hey, when are we going to get the next installment of your "Love Story"???
ReplyDeleteI hear ya! As much as I want a LARGE kitchen, that would mean a LOT more counterspace to clean (and a lot more cabinets to fill with dishes that need to be washed).
ReplyDeleteI always wanted to live in the mountains in Montana, until I realized I couldn't grow figs there :).
ReplyDeleteLOL!!! Me too ;)
ReplyDeletehehehe, nice proverb :-D
ReplyDeleteEesh, I didn't even think about utility bills! You're so right!
ReplyDeleteLOL, thanks so much for the kind comment :).
ReplyDeleteuuum... love story... riiiiiiiiiight. I actually AM working on it, contrary to popular belief :). I'd love to see the new dream houseplan! Right now I'm kind of smitten with this one, although it needs so many tweaks as to almost require a new plan (mostly there's no kitchen space, mudroom, and not nearly enough room for a dining area... the basement's walkout is on the wrong side and the bedrooms are postage stamps).
ReplyDeleteI'm glad someone else is asking for the next installment of your Love Story.
ReplyDeleteYour bachelor friend sounds like quite a catch!
He would be, and is looking ;).
ReplyDeleteMy dream house will be simple a bungalow house with a design help from fitted kitchens uk
ReplyDelete