Linda's Dream House: Roof Lines and The Foyer


Gable Roof

Hip Roof

So, I'm 99% sure that I've decided to go with a standard Gable Roof vs. the Hip Roof on my (virtual) dream home. I love a hip roof, but they do cut off a lot of potential space in the third floor, plus the chimney's would need to be moved fully into the house, taking up valuable floor space. The way it comes up out of the roof when placed more on the exterior really bugs me. And finally, the house feels larger with the gable ends. One of my Facebook friends referred to the house as "massive" and yet 2,600 sq. ft. really isn't that massive and every sq. ft. really will matter. 

Other changes from previous iterations include reducing the sq. footage of the sunroom (I didn't really need a 450 sq. ft. 3 season porch (I'd never sit out there in a New England winter) and moving the outside deck around the backside of the porch. It too is smaller than in the original plan, but I think it works well. This all allowed me to have an additional full interior wall for kitchen cabinets - a good thing, as Martha would say. 

I've been working on the first floor plan, but of course I keep getting distracted by decorating ideas. On the one hand, I should be focusing on the layout vs. decoration, but on the other, the details of decoration go hand in hand with the practicalities of living in a space and the architecture that supports it all. So I do find that I am taking a more holistic approach to the design. That said, however, I probably shouldn't be focused on surface decoration like wallpapers, but I just can't help myself!

Susan Harter wallpaper. Interior Design by Gerald Pomeroy

Susan Harter Wallpaper, Richard Henry Dana Jr. House, Interior Design Michael Carter, Photo Eric Roth

Suzanne Rheinstein's NY apartment, living room


Of course, I love the all white wood work too, but my front hall won't have room for a beautiful commode or chair and might seem a little stark without something fabulous on the walls.

And I LOVE this mirrored wall via House Beautiful. Design: Anne Brahler; Photo by Bjorn Wallander.

But I am really falling in love with Susan Harter's gorgeous wallpaper murals, and that they are a local Massachusetts firm makes them all the more interesting to me.




I started mocking up how mural paper would look in the foyer. This is Susan Harter's Delft paper in Black, which I really like. Please note that it all kind of looks like Frankenmural because I've yet to figure out how to get an image to scale properly across different formations like walls and stairs. There must be a way, I just have to figure it out. But, I do think this gives a good idea of how it would look. Also to note that there would be a jib door to a coat closet in the back wall under the stairs, hidden by the wallpaper.



This shows Susan Harter's Barrington Paper in Mist.

And this shows a Rufus Porter painting as a mural. Porter was born in Massachuetts and came from an old New England family dating to the same period as mine (17th century immigrants from England to the Massachusett's North Shore) which makes me feel very close to his work.  But it may be a bit too literal...  Sorry for how the back wall looks - really terrible!

 I guess this image above is kind of what I'd be going for (source unknown, found on Pinterest. If anyone knows the source, please let me know). My foyer would be a little less rustic, however. I have decided that the black and white floor would be painted vs. marble, which was a question I had a few weeks ago. The rest of the floors are all stained black, so I think it would be more historically accurate and fit in better if the floors carried throughout the house, with the front hall having the white diamond pattern painted on.



So, that's this weeks update. The first floor plan is essentially finished, except I need to figure out where to put the basement stairs and where to squeeze in storage - you know, small things like that... I feel an outside bulkhead door to the basement would be cheating somehow, but we'll see.


The second floor is a whole lotta nothing at the moment. So, once I start putting in rooms and walls and the staircase to the attic/third floor, the windows will likely all be moved around a bit. Which will of course mean some shifting on the first floor.

So - muraled foyer, or do we prefer the starker white with beautiful art and mirrors? I have to keep in mind my bright green front entry/mudroom too and how one space transitions into the other.


See all my Dream Home posts here and my Dream Home Pinterest Board here.


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And finally,  on the real life house building and decorating front, there are two fabulous projects you might want to check out:

photo credit: Laila McCubbin Jones, Global Living Magazine

The first is a link to a new series on the blog The Daily Basics written by my friend and fellow #BlogTourNola  member Toma Clark Haines where she is chronicling her Lessons in Real Life Decorating Diva Style. Toma, the American owner of The Antiques Diva, a European based Antiques Touring company, lives in Berlin with her husband B.J. This past November, their apartment burned down in the middle of the night. Luckily no one (including their cat Catpuccino) was hurt, but they lost everything. While I do understand how it feels to lose one's home and any way it happens it's a big blow, I can't possibly imagine the trauma of losing it in a fire along with all your favorite things. Toma and BJ have just signed a lease on a new apartment and Toma will be chronicling her decorating adventures across Europe. The Daily Basics is owned by Cynthia Bogart who will also be a part of #BlogTourNola!


In a completely different and much less traumatic circumstance, Brooke Giannetti of the blog Velvet & Linen is chronicling the design and build of her new home in Ojai, California. Designed by Brooke and her über-talented architect husband Steve, this house will have all the bells and whistles. A true dream house that is coming to life as we speak. You can read all about Patina Farm here.



If you would like my help on your dream home, I would love to chat with you! Please email me. Thanks! Subscribe to ::Surroundings::