I think I've found a home

I think I've found a home
Category: Blogging

On Sunday, 14 January I toured the B.C. Children's Hospital lottery show home on Morgan Creek Way in South Surrey. I like to see what the architect and interior designer have done in terms of style, mood and atmosphere. This latest show home (said to be influenced by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, but personally I didn't see it) is one of the most appealing yet. The house is quite large (5,365 sq. ft.), yet it feels intimate. And that's no small feat (no pun intended).

The spacious kitchen, with its large, marble topped island, is a place where family members can congregate and interact without getting underfoot. (Nearby there is a table with a view of the backyard.) It's easy to serve breakfast almost directly from the six-burner gas stove to the raised portion of the island that fronts three tall chairs. I love to cook breakfast. Breakfast being some combination of three or more of the following: bacon (Mitchell's low salt), sausages, eggs (fried or scrambled, free run), hashbrowns, toast, pancakes (real maple syrup is compulsory, obligatory and non-negotiable) or waffles (with vanilla sauce), and whipped cream with strawberries or blueberries. (Yes, it's artery clogging, but even I need to sin sometimes.)

I long for a six-burner gas stove to compliment my cast iron frying pans and grill, and my crepe skillet. Okay, maybe the pans compliment the gas stove, but you get my drift. When it comes to breakfast I'm a purist. Your Teflon coated pans can go to hell. ;-)

A tall fireplace in the living room maintains the atmosphere of intimacy. With bookshelves on either side of the hearth and a flat panel TV mounted above, it's the focal point of the room. My only gripe is that it's a gas-burning fireplace. Burning gas just isn't as romantic as burning wood. Would gives off a distinctive scent, it spits and crackles, and evolves. The burning of wood marks the passage of time. Tending a fire takes care and attention. It could be said that a good fire is analogous to great sex.

Well, except for the spitting.

Moving upstairs, there's a landing that overlooks the front door entranceway on one side and the living room on the other. I could imagine myself standing there, greeting family as they stepped in through the front door, or watching the interactions of family and guests in the living room. The high ceilings above the living room and entranceway create that sense of intimacy. They bring everything together despite the great volume of space. Movement and interaction is not only horizontal, it's vertical, too. (Not that I'm suggesting you leap off the second floor landing.)

The kid's bedrooms are fine. I'll bypass those for more interesting territory: the master bedroom. The romantic feel of the master bedroom might lead you to believe you were in a villa out in the country. The big bed looks like you could melt into it. French doors open to a balcony. Cuddle up to your lover and watch a romantic movie on the wall mounted flat panel TV. Or spend a perfect morning in bed with your partner while you share a simple, but romantic breakfast from a single tray. If this room doesn't evoke fantasies...then try the bathroom. There's a bathtub large enough for two, with plenty of space for candles around the tub, and a large panel of frosted glass for letting the moonlight filter in.

Not that I'm romantically inclined, or anything. Don't get the wrong idea just because I obsess about it.

Maybe it's time to go downstairs. There's the usual pool table, the wine "cellar," the media room...it's what you come to expect in these show homes. But this one...this one has something I dream of. Just off the exercise room is a sauna. Forget about hot tubs. Who needs the chlorine? The sauna is where it's at. Sweat out those toxins, relax those muscles, fall into that soft bed and....

Okay, I'm thinking about the babbling brook.... It's not exactly a brook, but there's a water feature in the backyard. I love the sound of water. It's very relaxing. The backyard could do with some landscaping, but the waterfall makes and excellent beginning and a strong central feature.

If you've been paying attention you'll know that for me what's important in a home is the mood...how it makes you feel. How it shapes interaction between those who live and visit there. Obviously, I value intimacy, romance and relaxation. You may have a different set of values you'd like expressed in your home. Or maybe you just want a comfortable chair pulled up in front of a big screen TV with maybe a side table to hold snacks and beer. Hey, I'm not judging. :-)

Naturally, not everyone can afford a two-million dollar home. But there's a lot that can be done with the right furniture and paint, a remodeled room or two, the right lighting, and a little imagination. And the more imagination, the better.