Daily Archives: August 22, 2010

What we saw on the house tour today was: one badly situated and architected home; a well-designed barn/ranch home that I loved except for the colors; and a gorgeous home in the mountains that was my husband’s favorite.

We really found out the difference between a spec house and one that is custom-built for a family. The last home we visited actually had a dog bath with steps up to it, in the midst of the probably heated three-car garage. That’s the kind of thing you need here, before hitting the mud room!

The customs were not built to our specs because we all have differing needs in a home. The spec homes try to provide everything a potential buyer may want at a price level but may not to be the prospective owner’s liking.

We’ve run the gamut from horse properties to mountain mansions to substandard condos and are really amazed at what people build and design. I started going on house tours in high school and have done so intermittently over the years. One thing it sparks is ideas.

We love the barn idea of trusses (and I love clerestory windows for light) over a master living space but we’re still working out the bedroom areas. We got some ideas today. We need an indoor-outdoor entertaining area and much has to go into kitchen design for my space and space for guests to sit and talk.

It helps that there’s a learning curve and that we may get there by the time to settle down. A few moments ago I would have urged buying 5 acres in the country and building later but not after reading the NYTimes and long-term real estate prices. I dreamed all this, right? I have a home. It’s wherever my husband, dog and I live. That makes a house a home. Cheers, Dee

Seems more like early Fall, but you never know the weather around here. A blue-sky morning could turn to thunder and lightning in a matter of hours. Right now we’ve warm days and mainly cool nights but I was awakened early this morning because we had our slider open and the wind picked up and the shades started rattling.

We spent a few hours on the local home tour on Saturday and plan to see most of the remaining homes today. The economy has brought the number of homes down (15 last year, nine this year) but it gives us ideas and is an interesting way to spend a weekend, except that one has to put on used booties to walk into the homes. Ick. When we started yesterday morning they were new, now they’re old and furry and gross to put on.

Today we start at the second furthest place and work our way back home. I love seeing the kitchens and how they work an outside grill and dining area into the plan. The first place we visited included all the lighting and sound (in every room) outdoors as well as the vaulted wood-beamed ceilings. If Jim and I lived in the main floor we wouldn’t have trouble finding each other.

A part of me likes the space but wonders in certain homes if kids are present are they better in the basement? Others make sure there’s a kid’s suite with play room and sitting room and bath close to the master bedroom but there are so many other places in the house that it might never be a home. I like a home, with an inviting kitchen, bar area for guests to sit and chat while I cook, and homey spaces.

I did see some design materials I like, including rough stone tiles about an inch high and three inches wide, OK for backspash in bathroom but not shower, to me. A lot of probably recycled glass in horizontal tiles in kitchens, it’s all about horizontal tiles (think subway tile NYC but refined). There was stained concrete in the basement of one house that was browns, tans and beiges with etched and intersecting circles. Good for a kids’ tv room but not if they hit their head on the concrete. Perhaps they have to wear helmets.

It’s always interesting to see how the other half lives up here, people who can pony up 400K for a 2 BR ski condo to use a week or two a year or $5 million for the house on the hill. Kitchens and dining areas are always my focus so I’ll let you know what we come up with today. Cheers, Dee