We've closed on the purchase and we've selected an architect (Lane Design Build) so now the fun can start. It's time to start imagining what our new house might look like. It's time to stop Pinteresting and day dreaming and start discussing actual floor plans.
Here's our wish list:
It looks like a lot, written down. But it's basically what we have now plus a mother-in-law suite and a man cave for The Love Of My Life (TLOML). Oh and a wine room and an outdoor ofuro but that's just table stakes in this neighbourhood, obvs. Okay I'm kidding about the ofuro. That is a bit of a specialist item - but heck, some people have basketball pitches in their basement, or disappearing swimming pools, or six car garages, so a Japanese soaking tub isn't so crazy.
The other thing that people have - that really does seem to be table stakes - is a roof deck. And typically they are massively underused. Great for the fireworks at Christmas and Fourth of July but the rest of the year, deterred by that final flight of stairs and the tumbleweed, people settle for the view off the top floor, which is usually the main living space.
Our house is radical. We are not building out the maximum square footage, and we are keeping our living space on the ground floor. We want a courtyard garden, one that's more than big enough to swing a cat in. Which means the rooftop deck will be off TLOML's man cave, and therefore less likely to be used on a daily basis.
But what if it has that incredible Palos Verdes to Malibu view? What if we can see - imagine it! - white water? TLOML can do a surf check in the morning, we'd go right there at sunset for a G&T, and there'd never be tumbleweed!
What if, indeed. We looked at views from real estate ads from other properties along the street but it's not a precise art - the grade of the streets between them and the sea might be different, and even just 10 feet difference in elevation would change the view.
Really there are two ways to find out for sure. One way is to build it and then take a look. The other is to call a good friend who has a drone and take a look right now. We took that path, more grateful than ever that we could call this man a friend. He came over with his cool technology and hovered above at about the spot a fairly tall human's eyes would be.
The bad news is - there is no ocean view. There are glimmers and slivers. Sunsets would indeed be big and beautiful. But there's no sightline to that expansive Pacific horizon.
The good news is - there is no ocean view. No need to build a roof deck we may rarely use. No need to build a roof deck just to find the only thing it has a good view of is other people's unused roof decks.
Here's our wish list:
| FIRST FLOOR | Two car garage with storage |
| Living room/dining room/kitchen open to courtyard | |
| Wine room | |
| Family room | |
| Large courtyard | |
| Side yard to include outdoor shower & ofuro | |
| Powder room/ 1/2 bath | |
| SECOND FLOOR | Master suite with master bathroom |
| Two bedrooms with shared bathroom | |
| Laundry room | |
| THIRD FLOOR | Ash's bar (lounge) open to roof top deck |
| Katie's office (small bedroom) | |
| Powder room/ 1/2 bath | |
| 2nd/ 3rd FLOOR | Casita: bedroom, bathroom, kitchenette, small dining area, living room (600sf) |
It looks like a lot, written down. But it's basically what we have now plus a mother-in-law suite and a man cave for The Love Of My Life (TLOML). Oh and a wine room and an outdoor ofuro but that's just table stakes in this neighbourhood, obvs. Okay I'm kidding about the ofuro. That is a bit of a specialist item - but heck, some people have basketball pitches in their basement, or disappearing swimming pools, or six car garages, so a Japanese soaking tub isn't so crazy.
The other thing that people have - that really does seem to be table stakes - is a roof deck. And typically they are massively underused. Great for the fireworks at Christmas and Fourth of July but the rest of the year, deterred by that final flight of stairs and the tumbleweed, people settle for the view off the top floor, which is usually the main living space.
Our house is radical. We are not building out the maximum square footage, and we are keeping our living space on the ground floor. We want a courtyard garden, one that's more than big enough to swing a cat in. Which means the rooftop deck will be off TLOML's man cave, and therefore less likely to be used on a daily basis.
But what if it has that incredible Palos Verdes to Malibu view? What if we can see - imagine it! - white water? TLOML can do a surf check in the morning, we'd go right there at sunset for a G&T, and there'd never be tumbleweed!
What if, indeed. We looked at views from real estate ads from other properties along the street but it's not a precise art - the grade of the streets between them and the sea might be different, and even just 10 feet difference in elevation would change the view.
Really there are two ways to find out for sure. One way is to build it and then take a look. The other is to call a good friend who has a drone and take a look right now. We took that path, more grateful than ever that we could call this man a friend. He came over with his cool technology and hovered above at about the spot a fairly tall human's eyes would be.
The bad news is - there is no ocean view. There are glimmers and slivers. Sunsets would indeed be big and beautiful. But there's no sightline to that expansive Pacific horizon.
The good news is - there is no ocean view. No need to build a roof deck we may rarely use. No need to build a roof deck just to find the only thing it has a good view of is other people's unused roof decks.
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