My Dream Home

#This is a collaborative post

When I was younger, I had an idea in my mind of what my home would look like when I was old enough and grown up enough to be on the property ladder. I had an exact image in my mind of the exterior, the outside space and what the inside would look like, and I feel like I’ve been chasing the dream ever since. I could picture my family playing in the garden, two girls with brown curly hair running around in the open space, and this part so far has come true at least. Whilst I love where we live, and my home has many many positive elements (including an epic back garden and a good location for schools and local amenities), this house is far from the image I had of my dream house; and I hope that one day in the not too distant future, we will be in a position where we can upgrade to something that more closely fits the bill.

Here’s what my dream house will need:

• A large family kitchen – our current kitchen is by far the weakest link in our current home, and it’s only when you have tried to make a roast dinner in such a small space that you appreciate just how valuable a ‘normal’ sized kitchen can be. I don’t need it to be huge, but I would love to have enough counter space to prepare vegetables as well as have our coffee machine and microwave on display. We don’t currently have a microwave, and not because we are being healthy and cooking from scratch, but because we don’t even have enough room to host one! I’d love to have a large space big enough for a double or range oven, an island at which we can all sit and eat breakfast together, and it be a clean, light and airy space, perhaps with skylights to bring in lots of natural daylight. I love the idea of the kitchen being the ‘hub’ of the house, a place where conversations happen, chats about our day whilst making dinner, and where we all enjoy each other’s company rather than sat in the lounge in front of the TV. The reality is we can’t suddenly magic a huge kitchen from nowhere, but we can look at places like Kitchen Warehouse to bring a fresh feel to the room by replacing kitchen doors in a brighter, lighter shade.
• A statement staircase – I love homes where the staircase is more than just a pathway to the upper floors, but staircases that really stand out and make a statement. If the dream home didn’t already have them, I would buy contemporary staircases like a spiral from top to bottom, or a cantilevered staircase design to create the illusion of floating steps. I love the light that having gaps between each step brings to the house, and in comparison, our standard 12 steps to our second floor are just a little bit boring.

• A big garden – I have to be honest, if I could take my current garden with me and move it to a four bedroom detached property instead I would totally do it. We spent a lot of time and money renovating our garden to make it the ideal space for our young daughters – and I am really proud of what (mostly my partner) achieved. It looks amazing, is perfect for parties and family gatherings, and enables us to get the girls outside in the fresh air as much as possible, whatever the weather.
• Window seats – this one is a bit of an odd one, but I really love the idea of window seats in our master bedroom, ideally overlooking the garden, where I can sit on a comfy cushion with a throw draped over my knees and read a book whilst watching the sunset before bed. I am fully aware this makes me sound about 85, but it’s an image I have always had in my head when I picture my happy place, and I will know it when I see it!
• An insta friendly home office – as a blogger, I often get total envy when I see images of other blogger’s home offices. Clean white desks and neatly sorted stationery, books shelves and inspirational prints or family photos in frames and collages. I currently have no designated space to work in, so my work is either done on the dining room table or even worse, in bed! My paperwork is everywhere, we have no real storage space and my work life feels like dis-organised chaos – mostly because it is. I’d definitely have a child free office space in my dream home, and if there wasn’t space in the main house itself, I’d even be up for a summer house in the garden for the same purpose.
• Bi Fold Doors off the lounge – In the summer I love getting outside in the fresh air, but don’t always want to sit in the sunshine in the middle of the day when the sun is at its hottest. Instead, I’d love to be able to throw open the bifold doors, bring in a nice cool breeze and relax whilst still feeling like I am making the most of the good weather! I love how smart and clean bifold doors look, and the feeling of bringing the outside in with far less restrictions than a traditional patio door.

• An epic shower – Our shower is currently over the bath, and whilst I love having a bath and would never want to part with one (especially whilst the girls are young), I do love the idea of an epic power shower or wet room. I love the idea of an intricate yet striking feature mosaic tile wall, and a rain forest style shower than pelts down from above and takes you from a bleary mess to wide awake energy filled being in just a few minutes flat. The latter may be wishful thinking on this one! 🙂

Too much to ask? At the moment it appears budget wise it is, but I hope that one day we will get there! Unfortunately the house prices are so expensive in our region at the moment that we will need to save for a little while yet, but hopefully my wishlist isn’t too achievable.

What would make your dream house wish list?

*This is a collaborative post*