What is my dream home?

Living in my own space, especially as a designer, makes me want my own dream home. Some people may want to live a simple life and don’t care for a perfect home, however I can’t imagine a space that wasn’t exactly personalized for me. Although my home is temporary, I’ve made it into a great space for myself. Living in an apartment, you cannot do too much before your landlord starts getting concerned about your move-out date and what expenses there will be for all the things you’ve put their property through, but some places allow you to add your own personal touch.

My current apartment has an amazing loft, which lets lots of evening light through. A dedicated workspace to get my work done is a must, especially with my working from home currently. I am able to have an open and spacious home while having separate spaces for my own use. The unit comes with a garage and in-unit laundry, which comes at the hefty price I have to pay each month, but it’s well worth the expense. Entering my own private room, all of the walls are painted in a spicy, deep red and terra-cotta, while Moroccan lamps hang from the ceiling and reflective cling-film on the windows refract light into beautiful rainbows of color during the evenings. The living room has plenty of seating for company and has a great view of the neighborhood. The neighborhood is quiet and set back, but so close to the highway, so it’s convenient as well. My home, although it is rented, has plenty of painted walls and large paintings and wall art to compliment the spaces. However, it comes with its own downsides.

My home comes with an HOA within the apartment complex that pays to upkeep the pool, gym, and greenery, along with other things such as ensuring my balcony has nothing attached to any of the walls or ceiling. This means that I had to take down my privacy bamboo screen, plants, and beautiful lights which were once cohesively brought together to create a private experience for anyone who wanted to enjoy their coffee outdoors. On top of this, the west-facing rooms can get extremely hot during evenings and especially in the summer. Unfortunately, this means that I cannot comfortably enjoy my private room during the evenings. The running AC during the summer means extremely high prices, and this is on top of the high housing prices. The space is only temporary, and I will be moving out, so I cannot make it my dream home no matter how much the thought of renovation is itching in the back of my mind.

So if this cannot be my dream home, what would it be? Well, I’m glad you asked, because I could go on forever about this but I will try to keep it short. I want a spacious home with plenty of storage room to keep the clutter out of sight. Organization is extremely important to me, so everything must be neat and labeled accordingly. My home should be built to last, using high quality materials and high quality labor. The expense will be high, but maintenance would be low. A large, wraparound porch is a must, overlooking a large back yard that I can do with what I want without fear of an HOA. My children and pets would be free to explore and play safely, while I could be free to grow my own produce. My design skills would freely flourish and I could add in hand-crafted and unique art pieces and furnishings from the talented local artists around me. Renewable energy, such as solar, is a must but I may keep in mind the future battery consumption and waste that this will produce.

To sum things up, I want a home that is built to last. This home will be used for generations to come, and a home that my children will grow up in and eventually take over as their own. Making the design choices for my own is important, and I believe everyone, no matter their dream home preference, should have the freedom to express their creativity and individualism.