Dream Home Improvement

One of my favorite things to think about while I’m falling asleep at night is what I would do with our house if we had unlimited funds. I know, I know--if we had that much money we wouldn’t be living in our house, but where’s the challenge in that? The goal is to make the existing house as comfortable as possible by improving its efficiency and making it live bigger. The only rule is that the changes have to be something that could happen in reality. . . if reality included having unlimited funds. Here is our basic floor plan, from the same builder but a different development, for reference.

We have a box bay window without side windows instead of the 45 degree bay shown here. Also, instead of the linen closet next to the tub in the bathroom we have a door from the bedroom. Other than that this is pretty accurate.
In no particular order of importance, here is my list:

1) Move the laundry upstairs to the location of the current linen closet with access from inside the bathroom. I would install two condensing washer/dryer units stacked on top of each other.

2) Make the current laundry closet, situated in the kitchen, a true pantry with an adjustable shelving system, like Elfa, and small chest freezer.

3) Replace my kitchen cabinets. I have blind corner cabinets and I would change them to angled corner cabinets with lazy suzans or blind corner cabinet pull-out shelves. I would replace most of the lower cabinet space with deep drawers, and add vertical storage for cookie sheets. I’d choose a light finish and add soapstone counter tops.

4) Replace all of my appliances. I would get a double gas range like this:

and dishwasher drawers paneled to match the cabinets like this:


5) Replace the exterior kitchen door with a full-lite door to let in more natural light.

6) Again for more natural light, replace the front door with a door like this

This is not my favorite door in the world, but I chose it because I’m cheating on this one. I’m not sure the HOA would go for a door that doesn’t match the rest of the complex. This door is just like my current six-panel door except it has glass instead of the top two panels. I think this door would be more likely approved than a prettier door.

7) Replace my floors throughout. Upstairs I’d have a better quality carpet. I’d make the stairs wood. Downstairs I'd install hardwood with a low-contrast diamond pattern stained in it to help make the rooms feel larger.

I’d put a stone tile in the entry and bathrooms.

8) Move the furnace and water heater to the attic and regain that utility closet for storage.

9) Install a pull-down ladder access door to the attic.

10) Have large storage drawers made for the space under the stairs instead of the black-hole closet we currently have

And while we’re at it, I think this is probably the most efficient stair case I’ve ever seen. I’d build some drawers like these to take care of our shoe storage problem by the front door.

11) Build a custom window seat with storage drawers under it and some floor-to ceiling built-in cabinetry to provide more storage for the living and dining rooms.

12) New lighting throughout. Our current lighting leaves something to be desired, unless you want your living room to always be “moody” and your kitchen to have dark corners. I would add recessed lights to every room and under cabinet lighting in the kitchen.

13) Install a steam shower in the bathroom.

14) Install a new vanity and sinks with some floor to ceiling storage like this (only prettier) to help make-up for the lost linen closet space.

I’d love something along the style of this vanity/sink. I'd put this in the downstairs bath as well.

15) Install closet systems in the existing upstairs closets to maximize the space.

16) Raise the bedroom ceiling heights by vaulting them like this:

17) Get rid of the half wall on our landing and create a shallow cabinet in its place with sliding glass doors.

18) Replace the upstairs bathroom doors with pocket doors.

19) Replace the windows with windows that can keep a bit more noise and draft out and don't get so much condensation on them that my window sills mold. I'm sure the condensation is a combination of cheap windows and poor installation because I guarantee our house is not that humid.

That's not such a big wish-list, now is it? Some of these items are a lot more realisitic (the new oven) and some (read "all") have no chance of really happening. The second step of the game is to figure out how I can modify these ideas to make them something that could possibly happen in our current, very limited funds situation; i.e., paint the ceilings a brighter, cooler white to make them look higher instead of vaulting them. I would also, of course, like to add and delete some furniture and accessories, but nothing else that involves structure or fixtures.