Entertaining Friends, Family and Frenemies!
Mar 15th 2008
Karen HawkinsOn Writing!
One of the reasons we bought the house that we did was so that we could entertain which is what we’ve been doing this weekend and why my blog is so late (sorry!). Now, I’m not a big Par-tee Per-son, but I AM a big Get Together With Family and Friends Person.
So, some of the things we looked for when we bought our house was 1) large kitchen (sometimes there are eight or nine of us in there, cooking at the same time), 2) two separate living areas so the Music/TV/Movie Watching People could be in one place and the Just Talking People could be in the other, 3) great lanai or parch or outside gathering area with a fire pit (which we added later), and 4) the correct guest v. bathroom ratio.
All in all, we love it and think we’ve made the right decision. However, now that we’ve been here a while, we wish we’d thought about a few other things — like more closet space for our decorations/extra bedding/et cetera and space in our kitchen for a larger fridge.
When you bought/rented/borrowed your current living situation, what things were you looking for? Entertainment areas? Kid play areas? A place to do your crafts or put your collectibles? And has it worked out? Is there anything you wish was oh, a little different?
33 Comments »
Aspen on 15 Mar 2008 at 1:10 pm #
My Dream house
1. Comfy window seat for all my reading.
2. I LOVE the idea of hidden passageways. If I ever have kids I think I would make a small door that would connect their rooms. Like in Julie Garwoods book Ransom.
When I was a kid my sisters and I would shimmy down the laundry shoot to get downstairs. Oh the memories.
3. Tons of open space. I get claustrophobic easily and hate feeling crowded.
Kathy/Cookiedough on 15 Mar 2008 at 1:59 pm #
I live in a small one bedroom apt. full of nooks and crannies and 12 ft ceilings
I wish there was more storage, but I’ve been here for 13 yrs, the longest I’ve lived anywhere, so I guess it mine!
My dream home- oh lottery goddesses, hear me- would have a huge kitchen so I could cook to my heart’s content. A nice big family room with cozy couches for all of my family to slouch on.
a great sea view with a nice big porch overlooking. I design it in my head when I can’t sleep. It grows or shrinks with my needs of the day.
Karen Hawkins on 15 Mar 2008 at 2:04 pm #
Aspen, I would LOVE a secret passageway! A friend of mine in high school had a hidden cupboard in her bedroom and I was soooo jealous! A windowseat would be nice, too. Those are great ideas!
Kathy, your place sounds marvy! I love high ceilings. Wish I had more nooks, too!
I forgot one other reason we bought our house - the school district is awesome.
dbrown3400 on 15 Mar 2008 at 2:10 pm #
My dream house would come with a housekeeper. . . or two! Right now I live in what is called Supportive Housing and only have a room. I’ve lived in a large home that my ex and I built to spec, but then I did have a housekeeper. Haha…
It was designed for entertaining with a large great room with a four-sided fireplace, large dining room and designer kitchen. That was a lifetime ago.
Kasey on 15 Mar 2008 at 2:11 pm #
Secret passages would be awesome! I would love a secret room simialr to the one in a series of books I am reading. It is the secret library where a gentleman’s club resides in the Kathryn Caskie books.
Currently I am living in a two bedroom apartment with my sister. She is living with me while she is going to college up here. The one thing I love about my aprtment is the hudge closet in my bedroom. I think it is about the same size as my bathroom and I totally love it. I store so much stuff in there. I don’t know what I would do without all that closte space.
Suzanne Enoch on 15 Mar 2008 at 2:48 pm #
When I bought my house, I looked for an open-type office (mine now overlooks the living room below), and an extra room that I could use to display my movie stuff. It’s now called the Display Room, and I’m looking for red velvet ropes so I can charge admission. Goddesses are, of course, free. *g*
Now I wish that display room had been bigger.
jessie e on 15 Mar 2008 at 3:05 pm #
Good idea! I will definitely get a secret room/passage in my house when I buy one. In my parents’ house, my mom wishes she had a bigger laundry room so she could be comfortable folding. Right now we are having tornados, so I’m really glad we have a basement, and will always by a house with a basement if possible.
Maggie Robinson on 15 Mar 2008 at 3:30 pm #
I had my dream house (4000+ sq.ft.) when the 4 kids, 2 grandparents lived with us, and wouldn’t want to clean it anymore. The first thing I fell in love with in the current house is the front porch, which I spend a lot of time on. Nice private yard, too. Three levels, so if everybody comes home they can hide from each other. Open kitchen/dining room so you can always stuff one more person in. We don’t have a garage, which is bad when you’re digging the cars out of the snow at 6 AM—so that’s the only thing I’d change. Oh, I might add a half bath just in case.
Judy F on 15 Mar 2008 at 3:34 pm #
I live in a one bedroom apt. I orig picked it for the built-in bookcase with cabinets under it in the dinning room. I wish it had more closet space and storage. My bedroom is roomy but a tad chilly so I have a lovely elec blanket.
My dream house would have lots of bookcases. I love those pics in mags of a whole wall of bookcases built in. I would like to have a reading window seat too.
I would like to have a bigger bathroom, with a nice tub you could really soak in for a while.
Santa on 15 Mar 2008 at 3:38 pm #
I love my split level ranch. What sold me was the kitchen they had just remodeled. Twelve years later - I’d love to have a bigger one with an island. I’d love a bigger den and another shower but what I’d really love is a room of my own. I don’t have an office or separate space to write. Right now I’m off the kitchen. The cherubs are in the den on the computer and watching TV and the DH is in the bedroom nursing a cold/flu/creeping crud.
Just like Virginia Woolf and Eliza Doolittle - all I want is a room somewhere…..
Yasmin on 15 Mar 2008 at 3:40 pm #
We live in a 3bdrm apt. It is pretty big the only downside is the one bathroom. It is huge but there is only one. Everything else is okay compared to the one bdrm we were staying at till they gave us this one it it perfect. We have been here 4yrs and are now looking for a house since we would like a yard of some sort.
Kim on 15 Mar 2008 at 3:42 pm #
Karen–You are going to be SO sorry you asked this. *g*
Well, our current house. I only had two must-haves. 1. my dog would be allowed. 2. it was in our price range. We haven’t bought yet and its really hard to find a rental that will allow pets. Um, and now we’re up to 4. eek.
Now, I wish for closets (we have none), a landlady who understand her responsibilities and a better neighborhood.
When we win the lottery my dream house will have:
1. a industrial kitchen, grill, huge fridge, kitchenaid mixer (I lust for thee!), two ovens, convection oven and a dish washer (other than me that is.) Lots of useful cabinet space. A pull out cabinet that has HUGE canisters for sugar and flour (they hold like 20 lbs.) Stainless steel everything! Even the counters for easy cleaning. I won’t go into the pans, utensils and dishes I want.
2. A Huge master suite with a bathtub I can go scuba diving in. Balcony with a hot tub overlooking our wooded backyard.
3. LOTS of closets.
Kim on 15 Mar 2008 at 3:46 pm #
cont.
4. Indoor pool that looks like a hidden pond.
5. One of those big open staircases in our family room that will have cathedral ceilings so at Christmas I can have a 10 ft tree and run lighted greenery up the bannister.
6. all wood floors (again, easy cleaning)
7. A cat room that would have a door going outside to an enclosed cat patio.
8. a library with floor to ceiling bookcases.
The house would be designed like a old Victorian and set back on a lot away from other houses for lots of privacy.
Not that I’ve thought about it much or anything *g*
Oh and I’d LOVE to have secret rooms!
Claudia Dain on 15 Mar 2008 at 4:06 pm #
Karen, I’d love to have a secret stairway! You know, one of those behind-the-bookcase, secret panel staircase that leads from the ground floor to my bedroom. Wouldn’t that be cool?
Other than that, I’m living in my dream house, for the most part. The hallways could be wider, the bathrooms a tad bigger, but I’m not complaining. I have a real library, floor to ceiling bookcases which are jammed packed—I know I’ll never get those in another house.
The bookcases: that’s what makes the house so dreamy!
Karen Hawkins on 15 Mar 2008 at 4:40 pm #
Oh these are some great ideas! I would love built in bookshelves, and yup, a yard for the pups was essential, more laundy folding space would be nice - hadn’t thought of that, and oh a dispay area for my ink well collection would be divine though I don’t have enough to have a whole room.
Great ideas! I need to make a To Get/ To Do list and start making plans.
Kerri on 15 Mar 2008 at 4:44 pm #
One of my pet peeves with builders is how they build and/or perceive the concept of libraries. Most of the time, the “library” does not have adequate space for the thousands of books us avid readers seem to have. And then there are the decorators that spout off about not crowding your bookshelves with - books! I READ my books - they are not for show!
We live in a beautiful, huge house that we bought as a spec. The only thing I would change is that it needs more outlets. We have three in the garage, but only the ones by the sinks in the bathrooms. What if I wanted to add a heated towel rack, or coffee maker, or other fancy shmancy thing? Also, our bathrooms are tile, and if I could redo them, I would make sure they were heated!
Paula M on 15 Mar 2008 at 4:52 pm #
when we bought our house 9 years ago I wanted a big garden and lots of space inside and a utility room., all of which we got in this house and since then we have added to it. It was originally 3 beds, 1 bath, lounge and a big kitchen-dining room with a utility room (which when we bought it was ‘kermit’ green!! We have since added on to it and now have a fourth bedroom with an en-suite shower room and a large playroom/den. The garden is about 100 feet long and about 35 feet wide. I have turned a large part of the front garden into a vegetable plot!!
The only thing that I wish I could change would be the hallway. I would love a hallway big enough to put the Christmas tree in.
Paula M on 15 Mar 2008 at 4:55 pm #
Oh Kerri when we did our house up I asked for under tile heating in the family bathroom and in the kitchen it is fantastic in the winter. My mum loves coming to stay in the winter as when she gets up to go to the bathroom in the night the floor is lovely and warm!!LOL. The kitchen floor is nice as when I’m cooking in the winter I don’t have to wear slippers as the floor is warm. I would recommend it to anyone who is thinking of putting in a tiled floor anywhere in their house.
Judy F on 15 Mar 2008 at 5:35 pm #
Ok I am moving in with Paula M. Heated tiles sounds lovely.
I would like a place that has enough room to put stuff away that when I go looking for something I don’t have to go on a scavenger hunt to find it. LOL
My next place I am going to have an office. Right now my computer cabinet is in the dinning room off the kitchen. The cabinet closes up so you don’t know what it is but I would like some room to work when I am on here.
Some day…
Paula M on 15 Mar 2008 at 5:39 pm #
You’re welcome to Judy F but at the moment the weather is c@*p!! Rain, Rain and a bit more rain but at least no gale force winds.
Paula M on 15 Mar 2008 at 5:42 pm #
K -Ha I keep forgetting to mention I’ve just started reading How to Abduct a Highland Lord. I’m up to page 38 and am now off to bed (it’s 2245 over here in the UK) and am going to read more so far its good.
Sabrina Jeffries on 15 Mar 2008 at 7:02 pm #
We’re living in our dream house, BUT the yard is too big for us. We’re not really yard people. I do love the deck, though, which overlooks the yard.
What I’d like (and what we plan to do downstairs eventually) is hardwood floors. We eat in the living room a lot, and I HATE wall to wall carpet. I can tolerate it in the bedrooms, but I’d have the whole house be hardwood floors if I could. I grew up in houses like that, and I much prefer those floors.
I would LOVE an indoor heated pool, but our lot isn’t big enough for that (and it’s a corner lot, which is problematic). My son would use one SO much, though, if we had one. His caregivers take him to a public pool every single day. It’s his favorite form of exercise. Mine, too, actually.
But other than that, I LOVE MY HOUSE!!
FreshEChelle on 15 Mar 2008 at 7:28 pm #
I live in a condo in a garden apt. complex. What was essential when choosing here? Being out of the flight path for Newark Airport (didn’t realize the Emergency Squad was across the street from my new place, at least they don’t go “lights & sirens” once per minute). I wanted something built in the 1940s or earlier and got that with beautiful original oak floors too.
My wishlist: central air, attached garage, property taxes that cost less than a year of college, and because I’ve never had this, a house you can walk around on all 4 sides. To those of you who live in medium sized metro areas or in a rural area, you probably take this last one for granted.
Karen Hawkins on 15 Mar 2008 at 8:28 pm #
Kerri, the outlet issue is HUGE for me. I never, ever have enough and it gets so annoying when you run out. i have power strips in almost every outlet, just in case.
Judy F, I’m in the process of turning our ’storage room’ into an office. It’s not pretty, let me tell you!
Ah, Paula! That’s so nice! I hope you enjoy it! Btw, your house sounds HUGE! I’m jealous!
Ohh, Fresh, I want a garage. I have a carport, but not a garage because the neighborhood I’m in is an older one and these old Florida houses have carports.
Karen Hawkins on 15 Mar 2008 at 8:35 pm #
Btw, I would like a garden, too, but I can’t even find the time to keep my hedges in order, so I’m going to have to wait until I get that worked out first.
Judy F on 15 Mar 2008 at 9:08 pm #
Ah FreshEChelle, I live across the street from the police and fire dept. Though it did come in handy a few weeks ago when I locked my keys in my running car during the snow that I lived so close. Most of the time its not, I swear they flip the sirens the moment they hit my building. Oh did I mention the warning sirens for storms is on top of the building. Man that think is loud. So my next place will be a bit further away from the police/fire dept.
evlqn on 15 Mar 2008 at 9:29 pm #
My dream house is Rivendell, but barring that I want to live in a house with floor to ceiling bookshelves, I could fill them easily. I saw one once that had bookshelves three stories high, I WANTED that house!
And I need more than a two-butt kitchen. Until we did some work in ours it was barely a one-butt kitchen. Someone who has never cooked a day in thier lives obviously designed it. The island was in the middle of the floor and if you were using the dishwasher you could not open the refridgertor. All traffic had to be one-way or there was a jam of major proportions. Inadequate storage space and no real work area. We moved the island to the outerwall and it is better.
I also want at least 5 bedrooms so no one gets displaced for guests. A large family room, our bedroom serves that purpose right now. I need a large room for my sewing. and we need a garden room or a greenhouse for year round veggies.
I love our deck and front porch just wish they were larger.
doglady on 15 Mar 2008 at 10:27 pm #
I’m with eviqn. Rivendell will suffice. I am on my dream property, but the house is a nightmare. It is a 14×80 foot trailer. One day I will have a lovely little English cottage with a library of wall to wall bookshelves and a fireplace. Two bedrooms/two baths. A modest kitchen. I work in a bakery. I don’t like to cook much at home. A monstrous atrium room where my dining room would be. A huge writing studio. A small music room. A nice livingroom. That’s about it.
Now I would love to have an indoor/outdoor kennel all the way across the back yard with individual runs for each dog, an indoor bathing/grooming area and a common play area. Then I would want my pasture refenced and designed as a playground for the dogs. A small summer house in the little grove between the house and the pasture.
An expansion of my grape arbor. And most of the five acres to be an expansion of my tiny WIP English garden. How’s that?
Karen Hawkins on 15 Mar 2008 at 10:39 pm #
I think we should all get together and open a home design studio. We’d make a fortune!
There are so many things I want to do to my house and you all are just adding to the list. Now I wonder why my tile isn’t heated (or water cooled) or there’s no pool in my backyard.
As for perfect libraries, ever seen the one at Biltmore House in Asheville, NC? I drool everytime I see it.
FreshEChelle on 15 Mar 2008 at 11:56 pm #
Biltmore is so amazingly livable for a such a grand home. The loggia is IT. Spot on reminder KHo!
Karen Hawkins on 16 Mar 2008 at 6:39 am #
Thanks, Fresh! I’ve been a bunch of times and I always think, “OH YEAH, I COULD HANDLE THIS!”
And I could!
cail on 16 Mar 2008 at 8:28 am #
oh this all sounds lovely!!
i live in a 2br apt, on a 3rd floor walk up. i’d LOVE laundry and a dishwasher, but alas, it’s not possible. i do like the large closets which is such a commodity in NYC. My kitchen is decent sized. At least it has a full size fridge and oven.
My ideal house would be on a large amount of land and by the water with a dock.
Growing up, before my parents redid their third floor there was a room that you could only get to through a random door in the bedroom, or through the closet in another room. I, my dear friends, had a secret passage way leading to a secret room. Then they knocked it down and turned the third floor into a very cool great room and a br. (there is still a secret passage way in the attic, but its hard to get through.)
Karen Hawkins on 17 Mar 2008 at 7:01 am #
Oh, cail! You had a REAL secret passage? I’m so jealous! They always had those in the Disney Movies and I was dying for one, but my parents had a ton of kids in our house and it was hard enough trying to find real bedrooms for all us. Sheesh!
Thank you all for sharing your future home dreams as well as your current situations, too. It’s neat to see how many different places we all come from and yet we have so many other things in common!