House dreams

I decided if I had unlimited funds and could use them to remodel a house, I'd want a twisty slide going from the upstairs down into the yard--or out of the house and then back in, ending in the playroom--big enough for even teenagers to use.

And I'd want a custom hardwood floor in the playroom that had roads built into it so kids could play cars. Like a giant, hardwood-colored train table, built right in as the floor of the playroom. No doubt it would be really difficult to make, but wouldn't that be so cool? (Maybe that's only cool if you have six boys and one tomboy living in the house....)

Also I'd like a rehearsal/recital room where we could hold old-fashioned artist Salons, where artists could come showcase their new, edifying art, and people could give TED-style talks about their passions, and musicians could play their new music....a place we could enjoy and encourage good, edifying, uplifting art (but not necessarily sentimental or gospel-themed art--I'm not talking a Mormon Pop thing). This room could also double as a dance studio, of course, so we could teach our kids how to dance properly, or take dance lessons ourselves, or just hold family dances for the joy of it. I do love dancing! Oh, and when Tim was rehearsing his own show or groups, I could eavesdrop.

And a really, really big kitchen. With two fridges, two freezers (in addition to those on the fridges), two dining tables (one for projects, one for eating at), and a giant pantry.

And a quilting room with a flannel wall, so I could stick quilt pieces to the wall and fiddle with the arrangements until they were perfect.

And I'd want those fancy solar-panel shingles for the roof, and one of those single-house windmills they are starting to use here and there to generate power (there was one in Utah near Orem library on Center street for years and years that was a brilliant design, and quiet--I'd want one like that). And something that could turn the heat in an attic into electricity somehow. Also, I'd want a whole-house fan (those things are amazing) and swamp cooler(s) as much as possible instead of A/C. But I'd want the swamp cooler(s) installed at ground level instead of on the roof so they'd be easy to maintain.

And I'd want a guest house, so people could come visit and stay with us and not suffer from our messy sleep schedule. We love having guests, but the sleep thing makes it really difficult.

And I'd want a huge yard full of trees. With a field somewhere nearby to play ultimate frisbee on.

And a pingpong table. I'd love to play ping pong with my kids.

Of course, if I were designing a house, it would probably be unsellable when I got done with it because I would do all kinds of funky, practical things for me (laundry room full of shelves and hooks, for example) that are totally uncool. I don't like, for example, the cluster floorplans that are all the rage right now. I really like ranch-style houses, and they are so, so out of fashion, but not retro-cool. Just outdated. And nobody else on earth thinks it would be perfect to live in a big house with 5 living rooms and 13 bedrooms. But that sounds like a dream to me.

I'm curious what other people would put in their dream houses? It's always so fascinating to see what would make people happy....

Addendum: Also, I want this: http://thesteampunkhome.blogspot.com/2008/10/holly-blacks-hidden-library.html
And this: http://www.winextra.com/archived/art/wooden-m-c-escher-floor-tiles-are-awesome/