Probably the hardest part of deciding to build your forever dream house someday is deciding what all you want to make sure it has inside of it.
The first step is to look at what you have now. Make a list and take pictures of the things about your current home that you want to make sure you repeat. Take pictures of those places that you love about your current home.
Make a list of all the things you would love to change. Maybe the laundry is on the wrong floor or end of the house. Does your dream house have you sitting on the floor to load the dishwasher? Do you have enough lighting? Do you like the way you enter your bathtub or shower? What mistakes have you learned about from your current configuration of your house?
Start taking pictures of houses that appeal to you. What is it about the façade, the placement of the door, the landscape that makes that particular house feel like home to you.
- Take pictures of restaurants, hotels, stores that have cabinetry or mirrors, light fixtures, colors, or table and chair placements that you like.
- Take photos of friends’ homes that enchant you.
- Start a file of magazine photos of interiors, furnishings and dream kitchens, outdoor spaces, gardens that appeal to you.
Generate a dream list with everyone who will be residing in your someday forever home. Any man caves there? Shops?
What do you see in your backyard from your dream forever home? An ocean? The mountains? An opened field?
What’s your outside limit for how far you will drive to get to a grocery store in that forever dream home?
Your files should be filled with all the things you love. As you find things you like better than others, get rid of the things that no longer are your favorites. You will find as you explore, that your taste will change over time or across the seasons. Consider whether you actually prefer one over another or you are going to want the flexibility to incorporate both styles.
This is YOUR dream. This is not a designer’s plan. This reflects how YOU would use your home and be surrounded by things you love with the people you love.