I have given every one a rest by not posting a subject for a while [“Lets discuss rentals “was my last] This one has been on the wood stove for a while and its still warm from the post ,Meeting For Board Members”. There are several romantic posts going on right now , plus Rez seems to be thinking about taking a new bride . [He hasnt officially announced it though] I thought it might be the best time since the girls are writing more lately.
What personal values would you put in a home to be used by your family and your self ? This should be signature of your daily life at home . It doesnt matter what it might be as long as you type it for us to read. This is also a great time for the lurkers to post , and anyone that can find those keys. I will give the most popular in the other post as an example ;
A kitchen is a work center [command center ] for the ladies normally . Some of us thought before that it should include a utility and pantry combined to die for so to speak. She could do laundry and have access to to ironing , pressing, crafts, freezer, large shelves for stocking up on grocery deals , etc. Of course the kitchen might be off the bedroom , and the den so she could be more efficient in her daily duties . Also a door off the garage to have you unload her groceries . She might have a window out the back to check on you or the kids . Im gonna add a radio /phone head set with mic. This is a cool deal that slips around her head like an operator . She can talk non stop and still work hands free. 1800 operators use them all the time .
Thats just one ,….
Tim Mooney
Replies
Big kitchen table. Comfy chairs around it. I like that better than an island.
Give kids some space. What is it with so many of the contemporary house plans I see that are bigger than 3000 square feet, and the kids rooms are ten by ten? Sheesh, the master bath is bigger in most cases. This sickens me.
Let the man and/or woman have the type of room that they want, and if it's the garage/shop for him and a kitchen for her, fine. But some people want sewing rooms, or studies, or libraries or whatever. I don't like the idea that the kitchen is the woman's room. Doesn't work for me. Not that I don't adore my kitchen. But I'm more than that, or that and the bedroom. and my own "other" room is important symbolically.
There's alot that I might say, but since I don't have a family, I don't really know what I'm talking about. I'd never, for instance, let a child have a TV or computer in their own room.
"The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half light..."--???
I'm with Ms. Stakrle Twink, the erstwhile librarian, conscience of our collective. We need our own spaces. The lucky builder is the one that has the opportunity to get to know the client and their quirks, rather than hope the spec house looks appealing to someone. I need a workshop. But I'm a bigger fan of the kitchen than my wife. I think the living areas should be separated by more than half a wall. A place for the kids to see Barney or company to watch football, away from the place where someone might want to sit and just be with themselves and their thoughts. Personally, I want a soundproofed MBR, and light proofed too. Not from noises going out, but noises coming in. I hate the sounds of cars or people or dogs or fireworks or whatever when you're trying to get to sleep - and I hate light for the same reasons. Never needed an alarm clock. Sun came up and I did too, like it or not. Yes, I've invested in blackout curtains. They don't work well enough. I think as a society we're progressing to the extent that multiple phone lines into the same house is looking more attractive to people than it must have 20 years ago. I was gratified to be able to answer promptly, and I did. I said I didn't know. - Mark Twain
Sound proof master is a good selling point and not terribly expensive. Good idea . I think the time has come to wire every room for phone . Quite a plus in bathrooms. I see you think there is a need for an activity room also . Would be a kids room for you away from the master bedroom . [far away] I think that is important for the kids to have a strow room that doesnt have to be ready for inspection by company.
Tim Mooney
We were blessed with a huge house to grow up in. It was not decorated at all, and only minimally furnished, but we had lots of space to do our things in. We had four kids in my family. Until the fourth came along, we had one extra bedroom that was the "playroom." (Six bedroom house, very unusual.) My parents thought that part of encouraging us to develop interests to carry us through life, was to give us the room, the supplies, and the equipment to pursue them with. Way more important than up-to-date window treatments, and I'm appreciative they thought that way.
The mudroom concept is sooooo important! In my house, the wall space for a fireplace/chimney was never used, so that volume in the wall is empty from basement to roof. So many times I've thought how easy it would be to poke a hole upstairs and make and instant laundry chute/dumbwaiter!"The blue and the dim and the dark clothsOf night and light and the half light..."--???
I think the woodshed shoud be close to the back door and have a covered walkway so the wife and kids don't get wet when they bring in firewood.
Brinkmann for president in '04
..........................and track in mud!
Dont put a cable jack in the master bedroom.
Allow for things to be stored and not stored on the kitchen table.
put the laundry on the same floor as the bedrooms... what's with this laundry chute thing ?
jimbo.. thought you were going to get kathy one of those new corn-burners so she could shuck instead of split ?Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
"put the laundry on the same floor as the bedrooms... what's with this laundry chute thing ?"
From the last thread;
We were talking about holding on to our money as best we could by not putting a lot of money into design . We had come up with an idea that a story and a half would put the steep roof and dormers to use instead of building that roof for only eye puposes . We also put the kids up there with laundry shutes . The last thread was more about design. This one is about things that you would enjoy in a home. The other post spoke of basements taking the necesary load off of the first floor costs,and adding effective rooms. Almost always they choose the laundry in the basement and a kids room . Thus "the laundry shute ".
Tim Mooney
tim, tim, tim... the kids grow up and leave.. the laundry never does..
every time i talk one of my customers into moving the laundry near the bedrooms , they rave about it for yearsMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Well, I like the idea of all the essentials, like full bath, laundry, master bedroom, kitchen, heating device...all on the ground floor. And all the non essentials, like spare bedrooms, second bathroom, maybe rec room, could be on another floor if the footprint of the house is restricted.
That way folks who have trouble with stairs can fully use the home. I also like the ability to "close off" sections of a home as space needs change - saves on upkeep, heating/cooling, sense of "rattling around" as the number of occupants changes.
Mike, I don't know if it's our lifestyle, or if we are typical, but we take dirty cloths off in the bathrooms. Seems like the laundry would be most convieniently located near the bathrooms (which I'll agree are usually near the bedrooms). What about noise? Do your customers ever complain about hearing the washer and dryer from what they hoped would be quiet areas, bedrooms?
Brinkmann for president in '04
Edited 12/11/2002 9:47:31 AM ET by jim blodgett
"that way folks who have trouble with stairs can fully use the home. I also like the ability to "close off" sections of a home as space needs change - saves on upkeep, heating/cooling, sense of "rattling around" as the number of occupants changes"
This is entering design but this is an issue that is growing with the baby boomers who have raised their children.
If a house is big enough to have split units , a home foot print to shut off the extra bedrooms , bath, closets, to a side of the house or up stairs has years of savings in utilities. If this was the case for the owner its a valid one for sure. He then has the whole market to resell the house. But alone tis would be a vital selling point to the future baby boomers , which will be 'the ' major market in our near future .
That type of plan also offers a split floor plan which is great home value. After all , insulating master bedrooms have come up more than once.
Tim Mooney
jimbo... do you sit down to take off your boots ?.. and if it's in the bathroom, where do you sit ?.... wait .. don't answer that..
ok.. we were talking about this at coffee today.. and someone mentioned that so & so was an unusual guy... not normal..so ,i , not being of the normal persuasion myself, asked them if anyone of them could name a "normal" guy.. it was a class of none..
so, to get back to the point.. no , jim... you ain't normal.. and kathy's married to you.. so she ain't neither.. and as proof i offer... GM trucks... and taking your clothes off in the bathroom....
BTW... AFTER you take off your clothes.. whadda ya do next ?... no , wait... don't answer that , neither..Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
jim.. don't put any sneakers in the dryer... and take your coins out of the pockets... you're gonna be amazed at how quiet the dryer getsMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
I agree. The most useful design is to have the master bed room on main floor with a utility off one wall of the master closet dressing area . A through wall chute to a clothes hamper relieves steps made in the master area . I like a walk in dressing closet where the closet offers everything you wear and room to dress. [including underwear, socks, etc. Hence the bedroom space is saved and not cluttered. Some plans show the master bath and the closet ajoining which is also very nice.
Now heres the problem ; the other bedrooms . If we have to put them upstairs we need a laundry chute over the utility . Mom orders clothes to be dropped 'NOW" , and they imediately start falling as she is sorting clothes . [or Dad if this is his detail] Every morning bedrooms can be cleared before school and beds made with minimal time. All that is lost is 1sg foot of floor footage. I agree that the master beside the utility, but all bedrooms cannot be with out sacrificing privacy to the master.
Tim Mooney
"The most useful design is to have the master bed room on main floor"?? Useful if your kids are older, but if you have kids that are, say, 6yrs and under, do you really think they and you want to be on separate floors? (Other than that teething stage, I mean). Younger kids want to be in bedrooms close to their parents, and I must admit, looking at plans, it's pretty obvious most architects either forget this or don't know it.
Yes, the master on teh ground floor is great when you and the kids are older. And there aint no one who does 7 loads of laundry a week who wants the laundry in the basement. Trust me.
A fridge and a microwave in the bathroom wouldnt be bad along with the TV..and a heated seat would be cool also
Darkworks..The safety guards have been removed for demonstrations purposes only
Ya, I would clarify that second floor bedrooms should have the laundry shoot to the first floor. Half of good livin' is staying out of bad situations.
" And there aint no one who does 7 loads of laundry a week who wants the laundry in the basement. Trust me."
No, there is certainly no one who would want it there , but sometimes it has to be there because of space. Something has to give sometimes . When it does have to happen its one of the few rooms a basement is really good using in that capacity. Thats where a dumb waiter and a laundry chute is kool. Not my choice of locations either .
Tim Mooney
Ok, you are saying an activity room . This could be used for many uses. I said sewing in this huge utility , or activity. The room should have as many uses as it will allow . You talk about sewing , I will share this with you;
I went to see a house where the lady had built in beds that swung out of the wall with closrets on both sides of the bed to hide it from the sides. She built a 3 bed rom house but only needed one bedroom to sleep in herself as the kids were gone. She felt she had to at least build a three bedroom so every thing was built in the rooms to provide her with her sewing in two other rooms . Actually one was a quilting room . the other was a sewing room . Every thing she had went in the massive closets . I spent the night at her house and she had it set up in minutes . Looked like a 200 dollar motel suite . I thought that was cool!
I like the big kitchens , but they have been phased out of the plans as much as childrens bedrooms being good sized. Family kitchens , better known to me as farm kitchens.
I think we may be in the age of either going four bedrooms over three , or we`re going to have to add a variety room . I know offices are playing a big part too.
We usually have a budget , so we have to work these things in before we get to mansion size . I was really thinking about the activity room in the utility with every thing built in in there. I didnt meant to be sexist in my post above over women in the kitchen. Ive just been in way too many kitchens that werent planned at all. I dont really care whose in there . I also like a laundry shute in the deal, and a dumb waiter is its two stories.
Tim Mooney
Kitchen is as much my domain as DW's, and so we need it big enough, and designed properly, so that we can both work without stabbing each other. Kitchen has to be open to dining area and living/family room; during social events, all the guests always wind up in the kitchen, because that's where things are happening (and usually where the drinks are). Easy access to garage for brining in groceries and supplies.
And here's a note to designers: I don't know where most of you "architects" come from, but around here, we get snow and mud. So many houses don't have any mud room/space at the entrance. So your 5 year old comes into the formal living room in muddy boots, looking for somewhere to sit to take them off? I don't think so. You need a space big enough for two or three people (adults/kids) to come in and get the muddies off. Rented one of those godawful split entry things once. Try coming in with two kids, a dog, and groceries, in snowy boots. Open the door, and you're on a 3 x 6 ft landing. Only thing to do was push the kids down the stairs!
So many plans have the master bath bigger than some bedrooms. What's that all about? All I want is a shower, wc, and two sinks (don't go there again; that was a great thread). The kids need a playspace, like an extra large hall area, that is common to all. And the adults need a space to be reclusive in, either together or individually. An "away" space. Sarah Susanka has some really good ideas.
Are those eighteen hundred operators all married or is one of them available for rez?
Excellence is its own reward!
"The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit.
The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are."
--Marcus Aurelius
Didn't know there was a new one in the wings since I never had an old.
Always thought the old laundry chute concept from upstairs connected to the laudry room down was a great idea. Thought split channels separating colors and whites into their own baskets would be a slicktrick.
Guess I really got a 'signature for family life at home' with this post.
Half of good livin' is staying out of bad situations.
Edited 12/10/2002 8:47:43 PM ET by rez
That would be a slick trick with a dumb waiter to put the clothes back up stairs . You are a good sport !
Tim Mooney
One "family value" would be, perhaps, keeping the home for more than the 5-7 years which is now the average, and making decisions about it to reflect that longer term.
As noted, a place for each (psychic or physical - family values can include thrift), but equally important, a place for everyone together.
And spaces which are adaptable. What works now won't work in 5 - 10 years.
________________________________________________
"I may have said the same thing before... But my explanation, I am sure, will always be different." Oscar Wilde
Planning ahead is your thought . Ive been sitting here thinking as the activity room runs away with it early in the race , that room could have many growing uses. Before and after the kids . I agree that it should be "HOME" for several years . But then it should be a top reseller when it hits the market , thus giving the owner enjoyment through the years and then top out the charts in the for sale adds for someone else to enjoy. Good point.
Tim Mooney
Hmmm...what I value in a home. That's just asking for 1000+ words, Tim. ;)
Accoustical privacy. Enough with the homes where you can hear <u>everything</u>. Give me a place with solid doors and thick walls.
Conversely, I like the kitchen open to the family room. I want to keep an eye on the computer and tv usage.
I don't think that kid's bedrooms need to be overly large- 12x12 seems to be a comfortable size. All the school-age children I know do homework in the kitchen or family room, so they don't need a desk. I agree that that don't ever need a tv or 'puter in their rooms. I sure as heck don't want any kid of mine <i>entertaining</i> in his room. Anyhow, an astonishing percentage of grown kids move back in to their parent's home. Can't make 'em <i>too</i> comfortable, or they'll never leave. ;)
Easy to clean flooring- more hardwood and tile, less carpet. A mudroom is a must in our snowy climate.
A well-executed HVAC system, preferably in-floor radiant heat. A fireplace is nice, too.
Rooms should be flexible- for example, we picked out a plan with a formal dining room at the front, then added pocket doors and appropriate wiring so it could serve as a home office. It seems like more and more people are running some sort of business from their homes now.
Seems the post is crying for a variable use room to be used for different uses through changing needs of families and new owners . I had not thought of a dinning room , which adds to the point it needs to be close to the kitchen. I know a lot of uses for a variety room through my study . I will add one use to such that has come in handy many times .
I insulated my garage and installed insulated doors . Cost over run on this was approximately 500 dollars. I have fed three different groups of people there .I set it up with folding table and chairs. I have fed people in the dinning room , kitchen , garage, and game room . I have a portable air conditioner and heater for the garage , plus there is a bathroom [mud room ] with shower for those "dirty days " you dont dare walk inside.
Rigging a dinning room is a great idea .
Tim Mooney
Maybe this is too much of a departure from the "hardware" things that have been discussed.
A husband that doesn't mind doing the dishes, unloading the dishwasher, washing a load of towels, surprising the wife by washing her car on Sunday afternoons.
Eating meals together as a family, with the television OFF.
A whistling tea kettle - it avoids a pot cooking dry and is really a pleasant sound.
A clock that chimes, Westminster, preferably.
Sharp knives, maintained by the man of the house.
( I spent my quiet time on Tuesday morning cleaning the oven )
Greg.
I'm a big family value person, even if my marriage and extended family sucks. LOL
But for me and our house of my wife and 3 daughters (8,7,5) I like the do everything together approach. So, I am building a VERY open floorplan house...to bring everyone together...as in you can't really get away if you want! Downstairs is a laundry/util room, a bathroom, and the rest. Kitchen/rest of space all open. Upstairs are 4 bedrooms...not huge, kids are 12x12, a bath, and another open loft (about 16x10. There's also an open area 16x20 to the downstairs. All the upstair rooms have no ceilings...i.e. the gambrel roof of the building is the ceiling. So you can throw socks over the walls at each other...I'm sure it will happen. Also, all doors except one in the house (interior doors) are pocket doors. I don't like doors...to me they are indicative of hiding things...I like to keep it all out in the open, a value thing.
So, we all have our own place to go to get away (I have 44 acres outside)...but it's not really hidden away...and I look forward to living in the place.
To me an open space like this somehow "controls" or at least strongly suggests a close, open, togetherness in a family.
And oh, I hope to have a laundry shoot from upstairs bath to downstairs as well!
Yep, openness is the way to go. Hard to be too open, but is possible. A co-worker relayed an experience she had at a party at an architect's house in texas. Never having been there before she was amazed that the total living area could be seen from side of house to side. No interior walls. Bathroom consisted of a 4 foot stem wall with glass to the ceiling. She had no other place to go so she left the light out. Roar! Archies, ya gotta love 'em. Half of good livin' is staying out of bad situations.
Great thread so far,I built two large rectangles with 24' by 40' greatroom connecting them one rectangle has a two mudrooms outside one is for dogs and boots inside one is laundry room this connects to m/bath and m/bed also gave my wife a long sitting ,sewing , sunroom, connected to the m/bed. The other rectangle has two kids b/rooms shared bath and office/1/2 bath. The greatroom has the kitchen,dining area,family room and breakfast knook this large area gives the kids a great circle track to chase each other and it separates us from the kids rooms while still being on the same floor. This house was my first attempt at design and construction and I learned so much that I struck out on my own a couple of years later.
ANDYSZ2 I MAY DISAGREE WITH WHAT YOUR SAYING BUT I WILL DEFEND TO THE DEATH YOUR RIGHT TO SAY IT.
What I wanted (want) to build is just like that Andy, two instersecting rectangles to form a big + sign...like a cruciform I guess. Then bedrooms upstairs on 3 of the "wings", all open in the center where they intersect, and one wing a single floor and open to the ceiling. Ends up getting pretty big though...but I love that look...the whole "central" core of the house being open and the general place to be.
Sounds great Andy!
I got real lucky in that the sunroom/sitting room act as barrier from the southside which really helps during the summer I insulated both walls because it was going to be a screened in porch. But after I decided to close it in I created the dog's mudroom, a walkin closet for my wife, and the long sitting room. the two rectangles are nine ' tall and I built the greatroom's ceiling on top of the ceiling joists of the rectangles giving me ten ft ceilings. I put 13 ceiling fans on the ground floor with most of them being remote controlled.I still have 2000 square ft upstairs that is floored and is being used as the attic from hades.
ANDYSZ2I MAY DISAGREE WITH WHAT YOUR SAYING BUT I WILL DEFEND TO THE DEATH YOUR RIGHT TO SAY IT.
Yep, my open "prow" end was to face the south...but I have a number of maples that I want to keep that will provide summer shade.
I think my basic thought was about a 2500 basement...so then something like 4000 sq ft. of floor space. I built the "barn" on a different site, a few hundred feet away...so someday maybe I can build the log house.
Didn't want to wait much longer, my kids would really not care at all in 5 years, and the oldest will be off to college (maybe) in 10!
And I second the desire for carpet. I'm the type who will lie on the floor, wrestle with the kids (3 on 1), the dogs, etc. With radiant heat, carpet isn't great, especially the nice, thicker, plush carpets, but again, it is a lifestyle type choice (not to mention cost) and much of the downstairs will be carpeted (and all upstairs). Except tile in the bathrooms (nice warm floors!) and also at all entry ways. kitchen I think will be engineered hardwood (it's on concrete...) and that will lead from the entry/mud room to the kithen.
Hardwood everywhere, or tiles, and then big area rugs would also be nice...and maybe better with radiant...but more expensive. And I love a nice thick carpet, and soon to be nice and warm to boot!
In Ithaca NY today it is about 30, dismal grey, and expecting 7" of snow tomorrow. But I'm still in shorts and barefoot inside...so I agree with the carpet.
Lets definately not forget the cable or satilite TV hook up in the bathroom. Id hate to miss the first half of the NFL playoffs or the first 10 rounds of boxing ect ya know
Darkworks..The safety guards have been removed for demonstrations purposes only
Edited 12/11/2002 10:27:57 AM ET by RonT
The feature of our house that best fits our family is something I would never have thought of or done myself - it was there when we bought the house. The previous owner built a pool house: 700 sq. feet, one office sized room and one warehouse sized room, with a full bathroom. We weren't sure what we would do with it when we bought the place, but figured we'd use it somehow.
Then my husband got a job working at home. Wow, not having to move a kid out of a bedroom or lose our dining room (which we actually use a lot) was great. He puts on his sweats and commutes 50 feet down the walkway to work every morning, and he can actually shut the door at day's end and leave work behind.
The warehouse room has become entertainment central. There's a big screen TV, foos ball table (not sure how to spell that!), treadmill, etc. out there, and I can send all the kids (including dad who is the biggest kid of all) out there to do what kids do while I get some work done in the house (I do the bookeeping for our business at home). It's great for parties, sleep-overs, guest room (fold out couch), and my husband uses it as a conference room when it's his turn to host a meeting here.
There's a community college a couple of miles from here. We've told the kids that if they want to start college there, they can live in the pool house rent free as long as they carry a full load and keep a "B" average. It's also nice to know that if we ever need to have an extended family member move in with us (which is somewhat likely), we won't have to live on top of each other.
Interesting that several people have such strong feelings about kids not having a computer in their room. Our twins do and it works great for us. But they do NOT, nor will they ever have, internet access from their room. They use it for writing book reports and doing school work, and there are two games on it they can play in their free time. Next year, in 6th grade, required courses at school include keyboarding and word processing. 7th grade curriculum includes spreadsheets and data bases. I'd hate to have to fight with them for computer time!
"A completed home is a listed home."
I think your idea of a big, multi-purpose kitchen or "suite" is a good one, and it has certainly worked for us.
When we first bought this place, one of things we really liked was the big kitchen. It was the first room I re-did--to the max, just the way we wanted it (minus some of the high-end appliances we've bought since then). Several years later, we built a new living room across the back, and decided the little old living room made a nice, big dining room. Now, that big kitchen has the living room on the west, the dining room on the east, the master BR connecting on the south and a big utility room on the north. There's a bar that connects to the kitchen, the dining room, and the hall between the master bedroom and my office. The utility room has a 6x9 pantry with freezer, a toilet (in a closet), washer, dryer, ironing area, sink with drain board, and a small coat closet. It has doors that lead to the garage/carport/driveway, the back yard, and the kids' rooms. When I come in really nasty from a jobsite, I go straight into the utility room, take off my clothes and put 'em straight into the washer, and wear a pair of cutoffs or sweats (depending into the season) into my bathroom to clean up. You can see the TV (and the fireplace) from the kitchen, but you CAN'T see it from the dining room. Fortunately, there was a breezeway between the kitchen and garage, which has allowed us to keep some windows in the kitchen. The two kids' bedrooms were big enough for them to do their homework, etc., in there; I always believed my kids should be able to come up with their solutions on their own, though they were free to come in and ask for help. Having their rooms at the end of that long utility room also allowed them privacy from our music while they were studying and us privacy from theirs. I didn't worry about their having a TV, because they knew damn well it would take a vacation if the grades fell.
Concerning locations of laundry rooms, I've had several customers who really loved it when I put it upstairs with the bedrooms. I tend to like to put HVAC units and water heaters in tall attic spaces, and having all that within a few feet of (albeit vertical) space has worked well. Had recent remodel customer for whom I put a little window between each of the two baths and the laundry room. Even though the two baths and the laundry entered from completely different parts of the house, they had common walls, and she says it has saved many, many steps. I think too many building contractors suffer from having never done any cooking or household chores.
Mac
"What personal values would you put in a home to be used by your family and your self ? This should be signature of your daily life at home ."
Tim, you just asked what every archy/designer should ask, day one. I ask it in a different way, more like how will you use your house everyday, define your needed spaces, define your traffic patterns. Couple other things, and then we deal with the reality bummers like budget.
I like it, good thread.
One thing I designed into my last couple of houses is basement entry from garage, but that was a me thing. Also garage to kitchen access is a must.
Having the first two things I like involve a garage says a lot about designing for local conditions.
Once you design inside you get personal, but again you have to temper it with reality. I like finding little wasted spaces to play with. Sure, get your spaces defined, but play with a nook that isn't being used.
Main entries and stairways are another way you can play. Maybe somebody could entice Armin to post some pics of his place again. In my dreams I could build what he did.
Blah blah blah, sorry for the babble.
"Main entries and stairways are another way you can play."
You want to elaborate there ? Ive seen some closet builtins for books and a tropy case once.
Tim Mooney
Features to keep an extended power outage, say 3+ days, from being a disaster:
Superinsulation. If you don't need a furnace, you certainly don't need a backup heater.
If backup heat source is necessary because the insulation isn't quite that good, it should be able to keep all the plumbing in the house above freezing without have to get up in the middle of the night to stoke it.
A room near the kitchen, attached to the house but outside the insulation - garage, back porch, etc. - to be the refrigerator in cold weather.
Pilot lights instead of electronic ignitors on gas appliances. I know they cost money and sometimes produce unwanted heat, but people I know and trust tell me it feels really, really stupid when the gas works and the water works and you still can't take a hot shower. Maybe somebody could come up with appliances that have both.
Provision for attaching a generator to house circuits designed and wired in at time of construction. This might include a little doghouse for the generator to live in, to muffle the noise.
House is laid out so the kids can chase each other around (through the kitchen, into living room, and around again)
Our bathroom had a grungy old tile shower, I knocked the tile out, walled the entrance in, put in drywall and a floor, cut in a new doorway into the hall. Thought about making it a closet, but instead put in a light, a little storage box of oak ply with a cushion made to fit the top, and it became my daughters reading "book nook".
We had central air and heat put in last year, when they pulled out the wall heater in the hall, instead of patching the hole, I cut it through to the other side, framed around it with oak, and now it's Alex's secret passage; she goes through the hole in the hall and comes out under the baby grand piano.
Saw a kitchen at IKEA that had a little office area off to one side, with a cushioned bench nearby with shelves for toys and books, so the entire family could hang out together and do their thing
Wood is good
Jennifer
"Insanity is trying the same thing over and over and expecting different results" "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds" A. Einstein
Edited 12/12/2002 10:06:12 AM ET by Jencar
What about flooring ? Are we tired of dirty carpet , or is it still the deal or what ? Wood, tile, etc?
preferences
Tim Mooney
Nice area rugs for cleaning. Leave the wall to wall for rentals. Got enough critters crawling around in and on us than to add to it with the colonies of dust mites.:o) Half of good livin' is staying out of bad situations.
Radiant floor heating....
Darkworks..The safety guards have been removed for demonstrations purposes only
What about the energy bills with radiant floor heating Ron ?
Tim Mooney
Tim dont know but I know the radiant floor heating isnt cheap a pal of mine looked into it. If ya can afford that type of system ya aient worried about the heating bill. This is a dream home anyway....
At Darkworks Customer satisfaction Job One..Yea yea were all over it , I got my best guys on it.........
No more carpet!!
Vacuuming carpeted stairs belongs in one of Dante's circles of Hell."The blue and the dim and the dark clothsOf night and light and the half light..."--???
A central vac system. Even makes doing stairs fairly easy.
Oh, and I'm surprised no ones mentioned a small bath/bedroom area for the live in maid.
Edited 12/13/2002 12:32:57 PM ET by BILLYG83440
That's what those little "kids' bedrooms" are for. ;-)
Mac
"Oh, and I'm surprised no ones mentioned a small bath/bedroom area for the live in maid."
Ill bring that up tonight ,.....well, .... maybe not . hahahahaha
Tim Mooney
HAHA!
Ive got two flights and another long one in a rental. Im quite sure Im the only one who ever vacumns the one in the rental . I steam clean them too. Luckily I got rid of carpet on one on them.
Tim Mooney
Bare floors seem to be the current thing. Look through any FHB or other mag and you'll see nothing but wood, wood, wood, occasionally linoleum, almost never wall to wall carpet.
For the last three years I've lived in a house with no wall to wall carpet (tore out the grungy existing, sanded and painted the underlayment, waiting for a remodel to start "any day now"). So I can say from personal experience that I dislike bare floors. I'd much rather have carpet, except in the kitchen. Why? Maybe because I live in S. California and spend a good deal of my time with bare feet. Bare feet feel better on carpet, bare floors always feel dirty.