This time two years ago we were just two months away from buying our first home. Looking back, it was an incredibly stressful time, as these types of things often are. Still, two years on and it feels like we’ve lived here forever. We continue to do little projects and jobs to make the house feel like our own, gently moulding it into a place that reflects our needs as a family and our personal style and taste. We have no plans to move – although that doesn’t stop us using tools like the TSB mortgage calculator to be aware of what we could borrow if we ever did decide to up sticks again.
So, if things were different and an affordable mortgage wasn’t a priority, then where would we live? If nothing was holding us back – money, schools, friends etc – and we had nothing else to consider at all, then what would our dream house look like?
Firstly, where would it be? I would stay in Devon. We love Devon. But I’d love to be a tiny bit closer to the sea. We live twenty minutes drive from the seaside which is great, but what a luxury to be able to walk out of your front door and be within sniffing distance of the sea. That said, I couldn’t handle the tourists that come with living in such a place (it’s why we opted for the edge of Dartmoor over the seaside in the first place) so I would probably have to have my own private beach set in a secluded bay. Not asking for much then.
(Somewhere like this would be ideal – without all the extra buildings around it, obviously. Well, apart from a local pub maybe…)
Then, the kitchen. Oh yes, the kitchen would be IMMENSE. It would be an eclectic mixture of industrial contemporary with effortlessly accessorised vintage pieces. It would be huge, open-plan, with an enormous old wooden table in the middle for everyone to eat around and classic Charles Eames dining chairs. I’d have white subway tiles on the splashback with polished metal counters and bespoke cabinets to avoid an “off the shelf” look. (Can you tell I’ve thought about this a lot?) There would be enough clever storage to hide a small army, along with a double sink with an all angle movable kitchen tap, naturally. There would be an oven built into the wall, alongside an Aga that would stay on throughout winter. And a log-burning stove with a couple of cosy armchairs settled into a nook by the window. I have it all planned out.
We’d have five bedrooms – I don’t want to be greedy – all with a mandatory period fireplace and beautiful large windows letting in lots of light. Running throughout the house there would be a mixture of original flooring; slate, sanded floorboards and plenty of luxury soft pile rugs and sheepskins.
Along with the living room and second reception room, we’d have a play room for the children, a conservatory and a quiet room just for me. I’d like a view, not unlike the one we enjoyed when we stayed in Cornwall recently, so I could sip my gin and tonic as I leisurely looked out of the window. (In my head, this house comes with a nanny leaving me with plenty of time to waft around sipping G&Ts.)
Outside, there would be a large grassy lawn, with a brook and a meadow and an orchard. We’d have lots of outside seating, with plenty of sun-spots to drink those morning cups of tea in the sunshine. Oh, and there would be a hot tub, obviously.
Tell me, what would your dream home look like?
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Thanks to TSB for working with me on this post. For more information about how I work with brands check out my Work With Me page.
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