Creative design ideas in your dream house - or for your future dream house

[NW-Bound]

Is it much trouble to install a vacuum inlet? Seems to me one should install enough inlets so that he does not need a long 30' hose to reach all corners of the house.

 

[pb4uski]

2" Schedule 40 pipe... a bit laborious to install the you would need to buy numerous fitting that go in the wall so it would probably be quite a bit more expensive, even in new construction.

see

 

[travelover]

Is it much trouble to install a vacuum inlet? Seems to me one should install enough inlets so that he does not need a long 30' hose to reach all corners of the house.

Would not be that hard in new construction. Retro fitting can be a chore.

 

[gretah]

Cedar lining in all clothes closets.

Clean electricity source. All electric appliances and heat. Gas only at fireplace.

Keyless door entry. Not electronic, just mechanic. I've been house sitting for a friend and I love his.

Towel warmer / heater in the bathrooms.

Safe with mechanical lock in hidden location.

Low maintenance landscaping with NO grass.

Elevator - since my knees are decades older than the rest of me. (Too much fun in my athletic youth.)

"MIL apartment" for visiting friends now and semi-retired RN later.

LOTS of storage.

Bookcases with glass doors to lessen dusting.

Central HVAC with HEPA filters.

Long and deep soaking tub.

Bamboo floors.

No more carpets! Washable rugs only, even on stairs.

 

[HFWR]

Being OCD, I'd like to design the innards of the house, with electrical, plumbing, and HVAC installed with efficiency, repairability, and expandability in mind.

My current house is a good example. The master bath is about as far from the water heater as it could be, and still be in the same house...

The HVAC is in the attic, where it's about 130 or so in the summer. It's also not centrally located, so some long duct runs. One good thing in my current home is adequate intake, with return ducts in the living room, hall, and all three bedrooms.

I would definitely err on the side of excess when it came to cable/ethernet/phone drops, and plenty of power outlets.

My sprinkler system was poorly designed, with spotty coverage from using fewer but larger sprinklers. Would be nice to have a central valve box, too, with some allowance for valve repair/replace, rather than impenetrable boxes buried in random locations throughout the yard.


My next house will have a den of iniquity... ;-)

 

[spncity]

In Texas (and likely elsewhere) they are building many new houses with that expanding foam applied under the roof (in the attic space) above the house - there are no vents or airflow from the outside. There is no insulation needed between the living space and the attic.

This allows the HVAC to be up there with virtually no loss of efficiency. and seems to make a huge difference in utility bills (half the cost).

Maybe someone who is familiar with this design can comment on the pros and cons (if any). I'd like to learn more about it.

 

[spncity]

We have a master bath where the entry, sinks, and linen closet are flanked by the large walk-in closet and the other part of the bath. There's a pocket door for the closet and a pocket door for the area that has a deep soaking tub, large tiled shower, and toilet.

We like to sleep in a cool bedroom. Still, it's quick and easy to have a bath or shower in warmth because it can be closed off with the pocket door and the heat contained.

The only thing missing in the master bath is a bidet. If I'd known we were going to live in this house so long... I would've added it.

Of course, if I'd know we were going to live such a short time in a house we built years ago, I would've left it out - ha!

Master closet: Nice to have full-length mirror, shelving units for shoes and more, seating, and hanging rods at different heights.

Down the hall, a cedar-lined closet has high shelves, hanging rods, and enough space to keep an ironing board set up as well as a sewing machine set up on a small table. We added the outlet for the iron and DH put it with the light switch - so when the light is out, there is no power to the iron.

 

[pb4uski]

In Texas (and likely elsewhere) they are building many new houses with that expanding foam applied under the roof (in the attic space) above the house - there are no vents or airflow from the outside. There is no insulation needed between the living space and the attic.

This allows the HVAC to be up there with virtually no loss of efficiency. and seems to make a huge difference in utility bills (half the cost).

Maybe someone who is familiar with this design can comment on the pros and cons (if any). I'd like to learn more about it.

We have that in our house and detached garage with attic loft but we are in a cold weather climate. It is called a "hot" roof. Spray foam is applied to the underside of the roof sheathing between the roof joists.

In our case all the outside walls are spray foamed too so we needed to install a whole house air-exchange system.

DW has often wondered why they don't insulate better in hot climates... (we are in Florida now and it seems that very little insulation is used).. and your post is the first I have heard of spray foam insulation being used in a hot climate.

We don't have AC so I can't comment on that but it is very efficient for heating... out propane usage is very modest.

 

[gerntz]

- one floor living
- 80/20 kitchen sink that allows big basin for washing & yet disposer to avoid so much organic garbage.
- hot water on demand with a flow sensing recycle loop to avoid continuous pumping. We were able to retrofit the line due to access to unfinished space between longest water run & water heater.
- radiant floor heat seems inefficient to me.
- need to store latex paints well above freezing to avoid separation & ruin.
- non-detached garage to avoid inclement weather.
- paddle fans to even out air temps.
- whole house fan to reduce AC reliance.
- hardwood floors over tile to provide more give for old knees & feet.
- we're finding counter depth fridge providing more effective use of shelf space since not so much stuff hidden in the back/reach around, but you pay a premium.
- soft close cabinet drawers & doors are sweet. Can get plastic springs to insert in door hinges to stop them from over opening & banging into walls/other cabinets/fridge/etc.
- love the varied look of granite counter tops. Can admire over & over.

 

[W2R]

DW has often wondered why they don't insulate better in hot climates... (we are in Florida now and it seems that very little insulation is used)..

That may just be a Florida thing. The houses I have lived in here seem well insulated for the climate. I don't know (or really care) how they do it but the houses here are quite comfortable to live in, IMO.

Also, the use of ceiling fans is common here and they help to even out interior temperatures.

 

[Souschef]

We bought a new manufactured home when we married 7 years ago,It was OK at the time, but in the ensuing years, we did quite a bit of updating to get it to where we wanted
Replaced the porch decking with manufactured decking
Replaced the tile counters in the kitchen with granite counters and back splash
Replaced the kitchen faucet and added a dish soap dispenser
Replaced the low end white appliances with slate appliances of better quality
Resurfaced the kitchen cabinets and replaced all the drawers

 

[Mango1956]

We live in a small (1100 sq ft) house which has 2 bed, 2 bath. We recently purchased a prefab backyard shed for my use as a studio to paint (watercolors) and just as a hangout place (she shed!) for me outside of the main house. It has heat, but no plumbing. 8 x 10 feet. I negotiated the price, and DH and I are finishing the interior. It really is a tiny house, built to code, completely insulated and stylish. It will add value to the house when we sell it, as it is effectively a third bedroom/home office. Was very pleased with the company in Seattle from start to finish. Photos Limited Living Solutions Modern Shed

 

[travelover]

......... Photos Limited Living Solutions Modern Shed

That's really cool. I'd have to elevate it , though and make it a tree house.

 

[Mango1956]

That's really cool. I'd have to elevate it , though and make it a tree house.

Under Customer Snapshots on the website, there's a pic of a guy's shed which is "elevated" Customer Not a tree house, but a house on "stilts". I love my shed, and it's not even finished yet. It helped me justify the purchase by reasoning that it will be good for the marriage. Now that he is retired, we can have our respective space. If he wants to watch football, I can go out to my shed and read a book. I'll have a chaise out there with comfy pillows. A win win.

 

[travelover]

................. Now that he is retired, we can have our respective space. If he wants to watch football, I can go out to my shed and read a book. I'll have a chaise out there with comfy pillows. A win win.

I belong to a group of people with small fiberglass campers. A surprising number keep them in their back yards and use them for personal space when they need to get away.

 

[NW-Bound]

A personal space is nice. But before I get a shed, I need to think of using one of the 5 rooms upstairs first. The smallest one is about 12x12, and fairly cozy.

 

[spncity]

Okay - I will admit it right here and out loud. My dream house includes... a bidet. A real one that is a separate fixture.

We had one once in a house we built.

Now that we're staying in our current house for awhile, I'm dreaming about sliding the soaking tub to the right - and there would be enough room. This part of the master bath is over the garage so there would be access to find drains, etc.

And re-tiling the floor and shower while we're at it.

New bathroom counter top and sinks would be nice.

 

[W2R]

Okay - I will admit it right here and out loud. My dream house includes... a bidet. A real one that is a separate fixture.

We had one once in a house we built.

Now that we're staying in our current house for awhile, I'm dreaming about sliding the soaking tub to the right - and there would be enough room. This part of the master bath is over the garage so there would be access to find drains, etc.

And re-tiling the floor and shower while we're at it.

New bathroom counter top and sinks would be nice.

And as long as you have retiled floor and shower, and have moved the soaker tub to put in a separate bidet, and put in new countertop and sinks, might as well update the light fixtures, towel racks, and other bathroom hardware to make it a full renovation. Sounds like this is going to end up being an expensive bidet.

I have lived in my Dream House since 7/1/2015, about sixteen months I guess. I temporarily stopped the upgrading process before having a gate put in the backyard fence between our houses, and plan to make that part of my 2017 spending.

When I have that done, I'd really like to have bright motion detector floodlights installed by my back door. Right now there are regular floodlights there but I wish they worked by motion detection. I don't have the foggiest idea what needs to be done for that, but I'll call my handyman and tell him to make it so.

I read the link in your first post, and all the comments, and really there is nothing there that my house lacks (and that I would want). In fact, it mentioned a dedicated broom closet and I have one in the laundry room that is empty right now. I should put my broom and vacuum in it. Right now they are in my coat closet by the front door, because I prefer my coats to be on a coat rack by the back door.

I guess I'm still settling in. But ah, it's still a dream come true for me. Such bliss.

 

[jjquantz]

DW and I agree that our dream house would include a large music room - say 25 x 30 feet so that we could host musical events at the house. Never going to happen, I can't imagine that a 1200 sq ft ranch with an attached 750 sq ft music studio is going to have much resale value and we can't afford a custom build in any of the places that would have enough musicians to make the dream a reality. But it is our dream...

 

[W2R]

DW and I agree that our dream house would include a large music room - say 25 x 30 feet so that we could host musical events at the house. Never going to happen, I can't imagine that a 1200 sq ft ranch with an attached 750 sq ft music studio is going to have much resale value and we can't afford a custom build in any of the places that would have enough musicians to make the dream a reality. But it is our dream...

Sounds just about the same size as my detached garage. A detached garage might have resale value. Hmmm! Mine also has amazing acoustics, due to the very high ceiling in there. Maybe you could find/build something like that?

 

[JPatrick]

It's a simple thing, but one of the very best tweaks we have done was adding a "solar tube" to our rather dark kitchen. Makes a huge difference.

 

[Music Lover]

DW and I agree that our dream house would include a large music room - say 25 x 30 feet so that we could host musical events at the house. Never going to happen, I can't imagine that a 1200 sq ft ranch with an attached 750 sq ft music studio is going to have much resale value and we can't afford a custom build in any of the places that would have enough musicians to make the dream a reality. But it is our dream...

I have just 1000 sq. ft., but almost my entire basement is dedicated to 2 separate band spaces complete with drums, amps, PA, etc. I also have a fridge that looks like a Marshall amp...

 

[zinger1457]

It's a simple thing, but one of the very best tweaks we have done was adding a "solar tube" to our rather dark kitchen. Makes a huge difference.

Same here, also put one in the kitchen and it was well worth the money. Fairly cheap also with the solar tax credits available at the time.

 

[Music Lover]

Same here, also put one in the kitchen and it was well worth the money. Fairly cheap also with the solar tax credits available at the time.

They give tax credits for solar tubes? Solar tubes are just round skylights...what am I missing?

 

[travelover]

They give tax credits for solar tubes? Solar tubes are just round skylights...what am I missing?

Solar tubes save on lighting bills but add to heating bills.

That said, I love the three I have and would put them in again.