Gimme Shelter (But make it cozy...)
This weekend, I visited the new home of some good friends. It is, by almost anyone's account, a fabulous house. But not just because of the $1 million price tag (I'm guessing here--I have no idea how much it actually cost. My friends are way to classy to discuss that, even if I was classless enough to ask ; ) This home is outfitted with what I can only refer to as many comforts many of us wouldn't even bother to dream of having.
Some of these comforts include: heated floors in the bathrooms, a fully-equipped kitchen on each of their FOUR levels, high-definition TVs, a HUGE television in the rec room that is so big it's more like a movie screen, a hot tub that pours (like a waterfall) into a small pool, a river view...I could go on and on. The place was simply spectacular. And I am so happy for them that after several years, their dream home is completed. They are a happy, generous, and kind family that deserves what they have worked so hard to achieve.
So after visiting them for the evening, I came home. Have you even noticed how small your own home looks when you just visited a place that is huge? But instead of feeling kind of jealous when I got home to my humble (by comparison to theirs) home, I felt...I don't know...pretty thankful, I guess. Confused? Yeah I was a little, too. And this is what I came up with:
As happy as I am for my friends who have an incredible new home, I just wouldn't want it for myself. I don't mind the fact that my woodwork needs painting, that my basement leaks sometimes, that my closet and bathroom are practically microscopic, and that I can hear my daughter's music even when her bedroom door is closed because my walls are very thin. It's MY home, decorated as I like, renovated little by little when the mood strikes me and when my bank account can fund it. In my twenties and thirties, I thought a lot about accumulating--more, bigger, better. Now as I age, I don't want to look at my house as a place I'll live in until I can afford something more expensive. I don't buy into the idea that I need a big, expensive house simply because my husband has a decent job and many of my friends have them. I don't mind that some of my friends thought I was crazy to buy this house in the first place, because it needed a lot of work and they thought we should live in a newer, more pristine subdivision--like the ones they live in. I love that they got what they wanted, and their neighborhoods are really nice. But, these places just didn't feel like home to me. I just wanted a warm, cozy place where I can read a book, hang out with kids, and hold barbecues with dh and friends while we drink cheap wine and eat burgers from the grill. All I want now is a home where I can create memories for myself and my kids. That's what I call fine living.
Comments
You can find a the kind of cozy places you mentioned at House plans.
Posted by: Bill | May 9, 2006 06:16 PM