...because home doesn't happen overnight.

I shared the top 10 features of my dream home a few weeks ago. I thought it would be fun if Steve made a list, too, for comparison. He was game and created his list before reading mine to keep things unbiased. I asked him to mainly think about the shell / structure of the house – not so much about the location. I asked him to choose a few images to demonstrate the features he most desires in a house. As with my list, the images aren’t exact interpretations of the dream home in Steve’s mind but, hopefully, they give you a better feel for it. (He mentioned that the houses shown are all larger than the dream home in his mind.) Here’s what he came up with…

open loft layout

open loft layout

metal sliding partition in open loft

1. Open floor plan. Steve’s dream home has an open kitchen – living – dining space as opposed to separate, walled-off rooms. Movable partitions would be used to close off certain areas for added privacy.

right-sized modern, minimal exterior

right-sized prefab cabin

2. Just enough square footage. Call him Goldilocks. Steve’s dream home isn’t too big or too small. It’s just right. There’s no wasted space and every room serves a purpose or three.

high ceilings with exposed ductwork

high ceilings with exposed ductwork

high ceilings with beams and exposed brick wall

3. High ceilings with exposed ductwork / brick / beams. The “just right” dream home feels spacious and airy thanks to high ceilings. Interesting structural features like exposed ductwork, exposed brick and wood beams lend a loft-like vibe.

vaulted ceiling featuring beams, tongue and groove, skylights

4. Lots of natural light. Big windows, skylights, sun tubes and open air access let light pour in.

5. Solid flooring throughout. Wood, cork, concrete, tile or vinyl plank flooring is a must-have with area rugs thrown down for comfort.

separate modern workshop / shed

6. Detached workshop. Since we’re dreaming…Steve’s dream home is accompanied by a dream workshop / shed. It’s spacious with electrical and plumbing and maybe even small living quarters on the second level. In addition to the one shown above, he also loves the detached outbuildings seen here (designated as ph-1) and here.

7. Great outdoor space. A nice lawn with simple low-maintenance landscaping, a deck / patio and a big ass grill or smoker (Steve’s words exactly) make his dream home just as livable outside as it is inside. He’s really drawn to this outdoor space but prefers a less urban setting. And he basically wet himself when he found this built-in, floating, cantilevered grill setup.

8. Energy efficient. The house is inexpensive to heat / cool and includes a well-organized mechanical room.

9. Well-designed storage. A mixture of freestanding furniture and built-in cabinets provide adequate storage so that everything is in its place.

10. Side or rear entry garage. Also, his dream garage wouldn’t have disassembled bathroom fixtures sitting in it taking up precious space. I’m just guessing on that one.

For reference, here was my list:

1. right-sized
2. plenty of natural light
3. connection to the outdoors
4. open living space
5. high ceilings
6. architect-designed
7. warm wood tones
8. flex space
9. dark exterior
10. prefab construction

When Steve and I compared lists, it was reassuring to find that many features of our (non-existent) dream homes were the same: open layout, right-sized, high ceilings, an abundance of natural light. It was also nice to discover that we both dream of a more intimate space that can be closed off (perhaps with a movable partition?) from the main living space when necessary.

When we exchanged lists, there were a few “Ah! Why didn’t I think of that?!” moments. For me, it was his #5 (solid flooring throughout). I definitely want solid flooring in my dream home. For Steve, it was my #10 (prefab construction) if his dream home was a new build.

I found it interesting that I seemed to focus a little more on how my dream house would look (architect-designed, warm wood tones, dark exterior) while Steve was more concerned with how his dream house would function (detached workshop, energy-efficient, low-maintenance landscaping, well-designed storage). But that’s pretty indicative of how we approach projects in real life. Typically, I’m more focused on the aesthetics while Steve tends to think about how things will be used or how things work. Together, our concerns usually lead to outcomes that address both form and function.

Finally, it was fun to see what images Steve chose. His aesthetic is sleeker, more industrial and more modern than my decidedly warmer vibe. But we both agreed we wouldn’t be upset living in any of the spaces shown on either list.

Have you and your significant other ever exchanged dream home lists? If you like houses (and I’m assuming you do since you read this blog), I’d encourage you to try this exercise. Not only is it fun to see the hits and misses between the two lists, but I think the lists are actually a good jumping off point for buying or renovating a home. Identify the features you both dream of and make them a priority. Then compromise on the other stuff.

If you do happen to make some lists, feel free to share them in the comments section!

images: 1) Bethany Nauert for Apartment Therapy 2) Laure Joliet for Remodelista 3, 6 & 7) Lincoln Barbour for Remodelista 4) House Design 5) Method Homes 8) Morten Holtum for Bolig magazine 9) David Butler for Apartment Therapy 10) Cultivation Design

23 Comments

10.September.2014

What a fun exercise! I love that your lists had so many similarities.
While house shopping, we found a house that we liked and were discussing what renovations we would do to it. It was so fun to see that our dreams were similar and to see where we had different ideas for a specific space.

10.September.2014

Love this idea! I’m going to have my and DH do this. We both have stuff pinned (yes I got him on Pinterest!) so I have an idea of what we both like. Steve’s list looks I bet similar to my own husbands! I’ll have to show him. Thanks for the gorgeous shots!

10.September.2014

My husband and I could live contentedly in just about any of the images chosen by you and Steve. Good timing for me: We’re about to make a cross-country move into a rented space while we look around and take our time before buying again. Now that our nest is empty, we’re thinking differently–possibly a duplex, so the other side can throw off income from tenants who’d keep an eye on our side while we travel more than we’ve been free to do before now. Different life stage, different goals, with aesthetics taking something of a back seat now to other considerations. Interesting topic, your dream houses. Thanks for presenting it.

10.September.2014

Love this idea, Dana :) I’m going to suggest this exercise to my husband!

I was actually just showing him pictures of your home last night as we were discussing possibly vaulting the ceiling in our 2nd floor bedroom. I was trying to convince him it would give the room a spacious, airy feel without actually increasing square footage. He was worried it would seem out of place since the rest of the ceilings in our home are flat. I think it works really well in your home because it is the main/great room.

What do you think about having vaulted ceilings in one or two bedrooms in a home that is “farmhouse style” in structure…?

10.September.2014

I love these lists! All of the spaces that you guys chose are gorgeous!

10.September.2014

I hate to tell you this, but I think you are pretty much in your dream house ;-)

10.September.2014

I think a vaulted ceiling in a master bedroom would work well! We actually had one in the master bedroom of our previous home and it made the space feel grander than the other (non-master) bedrooms on the same floor.

10.September.2014

How fun that you are free to move cross-country and travel now! And it makes me so happy to hear that you’re making it happen. I get a little depressed when I see empty nesters too scared to try new things. What an inspiration you two are! I agree, too, on making new lists at different life stages or when major life changes occur.

Best of luck with your empty nest ;)

10.September.2014

I love all of these!! Can I just say that I love the high ceilings with the exposed beams!!!

10.September.2014

I love this idea! My husband and I have COMPLETELY different tastes in homes…thankfully he lets me make most of the decorating decisions. :) I am going to see if my husband will come up with a list for my blog. Love it!

11.September.2014

I love this idea! In fact, I think this list making and sharing/comparing idea would work well for other subjects as well.

11.September.2014

Yes! You could totally do the same thing with a specific room makeover (each partner lists their top 10 must-haves), kitchen renovation or even something not related to houses like vacation destinations, life goals or family activities. We do something similar at the beginning of every summer with the kids. Each family member makes a list of 10 things they want to do / see over break. We compare lists and make a point of doing those things found on more than one person’s list. (Within reason…the kids always list “put in a pool” which isn’t happening. But we do make an effort to take them swimming.)

11.September.2014

I love the consistency between your lists! While every single picture you posted is GORGEOUS, I can’t imagine myself living in any of them. I think both of our lists would be primarily focused on the location, land, outbuildings, and space for hobbies less than the house itself.

Our last place was a little 1940s bungalow and I totally knew what to do with the space. Our new place is open floor plan, soaring ceilings, tons of light and wood and exposed beams and rock and character… and I’m SO LOST on how to handle it!

11.September.2014

OOOh I love this! Loved your list and now Steve’s. Im totally not surprised that his mind would go to functionality and purpose as opposed to yours being more detail oriented. I love both of your styles and think if that day comes when you really DO embrace your dream, your home is going to be EPIC. Now im gonna have to have Naomi make a list. Im pretty sure hers is gonna look a whole lot like Steve’s and well mine is well..NOT. But hey, opposites attract, right? Thanks for sharing this guys.

11.September.2014

I’ve never thought of the idea of sitting down with my wife and conjuring up some dream home ideas. When I saw the link for the barbecue you provided I almost wet myself as well. I would die for that grill in my back yard.

11.September.2014

It would be interesting to see you and Steve do a list of the 10 Essential you couldn’t live with out. Similar to the GQ column. http://www.gq.com/style/201407/jonathan-adler-10-essentials#slide=1

11.September.2014

Summer Break list = great idea as well! Funny, first thing on my Dream Home list is a family friendly back yard with a pool! We do live in the hottest City in the nation though (we wouldn’t need to heat it), so it’s completely reasonable, as we’d use it 7 months out of the a year… oh how nice that would be!

12.September.2014

Thanks, Dana. We’re ready for a more us-focused stage and all sorts of new adventures: have tent and camp stove, will travel. Did you know that seniors can get lifetime passes to national ($10) and state parks? Have you and Steve started thinking about the empty nest — can you even imagine that far ahead? Dreams are good. :)

12.September.2014

Hmmm…maybe we’ll give it a go!

12.September.2014

I love trading ideas with my wife, we’ve got pretty similar ideas on what we want in our ultimate home, and this kind of place is exactly up our alley and we’ve stolen a few ideas from here too. There’s a site, Adelto that features a lot of places that we love too, very upscale industrial, clean lines and no wasted space or clutter.

15.September.2014

Photo #9 comes from the house that gave us the biggest inspiration for our reno, since it was shown in Living Etc a couple of years ago. I LOVE that living room!

[…] I think I like Steve’s dream home the […]

[…] husband and wife share their dream home wish […]