the little gunnell family : Ten Details My Dream Home Would Most Certainly Have

Hey, this is a just-for-fun post because I was on Pinterest last night thinking about, well, my dream home (which is not abnormal for me...I've thought about my dream home since I was a teenager).

In contrast (to my years of planning), whenever I ask Dalin what his dream home includes, he pretty much says something along the lines of whatever I want or not too small. He doesn't care as much about that stuff as me but I'm a planner and a dreamer and I love preparing for the future. Plus, I definitely know what I like and this will give you a good idea of my personal tastes.

So here are ten details that my dream home would most certainly have (and any number of which would certainly add ample character to any home):

10. A Variety of Stone, Wood, & Tile Patterns.

I love pallet wood and a variety of colors and natural textures. I definitely prefer old to new and would rather live in a bit of a fixer-upper than a new housing complex or development (Dalin, not so much--probably because he'd have to help me fix anything over 5 feet;). I love places with history and character.

9. Wooden beams exposed in at least some part of the house.

I love the log cabin feel that wooden beams give a home. It's a very comforting feature to me, and I love the sense of history that they come with--lots of beams come from old ships, historic sites, even now-protected forests. That makes a piece of your home really one of a kind and my dream home would absolutely fall into that category.

8. A stone fireplace.

My home would have to have a stone fireplace to be considered my dream home. I love fireplaces (especially sitting and reading by them in the winter) and particularly fall through winter, a fireplace is, in my opinion, mandatory for the holiday season. Plus, I don't know how I would survive my least favorite (also incidentally the coldest) months, November and January, without a warm fire to look forward to. I loved laying on the floor in front of my parents' fireplace with my feet up on the brick by the fire to keep warm while I read or drew. Plus you can roast marshmallows and hotdogs whenever you want! Sigh...such good memories.

7. A sunroom or enclosed porch.

Probably my favorite room in my parents' house growing up was our sunroom. I loved to sit in there with the windows open spring through fall pursuing my interests (reading, drawing, painting) or wrapped up in cozy blanket in the winter (especially the years we put our Christmas tree in there). I love that it's like being outside without being in the direct sunlight or elements, and that you can enjoy them year-round.

6. A washer and drier in my closet (or an attached laundry room).

I am not a fan of doing laundry. Never have been and I doubt adding three (or six) kids will change that. I don't know why more homes don't do this, but it makes sense to me that folding laundry would be slightly less terrible if you were already in your closet and could just put stuff away as you pulled it out of the drier. My children would have to come pick up their loads, but it seems like it would save Mom a lot of time!

5. A garden of fruits and vegetables.

I love gardening (especially the idea of it;) and even though my family growing up had years on and off where we were on top of the weeding and maintenance of our own garden, I think that is an important goal that I would like my family to work toward together. Plus, if we were successful, think of the money saved--especially for a big family! Growing our own produce would be awesome.

4. A front porch and columns.

I love colonial and victorian homes (big surprise coming from a New England girl, huh?) and columns are an important feature of any true New England-style home. They're even better when they come with a front porch that's big enough to squeeze a bench--maybe even a porch swing--on. I would love to be able to sit outside during spring and summer and watch my children play in the yard or to sit outside with Dalin at night and stargaze. Plus it makes a nice place to sit and talk with friends or visitors and drink some lemonade or something:).

3. A library.

It doesn't even have to be a whole room, but I'm a dedicated reader and I need books in my life. I would love to have a little nook in part of our house where I could escape to read or where I could bring my children for story time. Plus, if it smelled anything like Barnes & Nobles, I'd be in there all the time.

2. An outdoor fire pit in a wooded area.

Some of my fondest memories took place at my Grandpa French's fire pit in his backyard. It was a short ways in the woods and was very rustic compared with these, but all that mattered was how much fun our family had sitting and talking and eating around the fire together. Even in the dead of winter, we braved the cold to roast food and be together as a family, and truthfully, I don't even remember feeling cold despite being surrounded by snow and icicles in the woods. I want a place to build similar memories with my children and family.

1. A backyard lagoon.

Hey, this is my dream home so it can get a little crazy. Who wouldn't love a natural-looking lagoon with lots of tropical plants and rocks to enjoy after a rough day? It would also be heated (at least during cold months) and have one or many waterfalls. I love being in the water and this would be amazing, wouldn't it? Admit it;)

I hope you had fun taking a peek at my ideas for a dream home and maybe acquired some new ideas of your own. Let me know what you think is crazy (if anything) or which of these ideas (and the memories attached) you can relate to!

What details would your dream home contain? Do we share any favorites?