apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Well, now I wish for that table--and I do have the room, just don't have the cash!

And a Papa Bear chair in suede...and a few De La Espada chairs

but that isn't for the house, actually. So, I'd wish for one room with a high ceiling. I adore my 1740 farmhouse's 7 foot ceilings, but one room with a 10 foot ceiling would make the low ceilings even more appealing.

1-That the secret closet be made real.
2-A bathroom refurb to include a Japanese soaking tub.
3-Wooden floors to replace the old carpet in the bedroom.

ok, a new water heater too.

I would wish for a house with history, but updated plumbing/electric. Having lived my adult life in new construction, I personally am tired of the look.

A home with a good soil back yard for a garden, solid walls, and mature trees.

Cubby holes and odd windows and good wood trim...ahhhh.

A house that could tell tales about previous residents.
That is my dream house.

Of course all this and my family, too.

1 - secret passageways or hidden rooms behind moveable bookshelves
2 - full size trees growing indoors
3 - lake-esque pool and hot tub surrounded by tons of foliage and a waterfall.

Higher ceilings.

Every day, I think about it. Just driving home tonight, I was peeking into the lit fin-de-siecle apartments that fill the older parts of town, and the rooms just FEEL so good, even from the outside. They can BREATHE with the higher ceilings.

Large bathrooms with open showers and a Spoon bathtub.

An office/guest room addition

(and my fourth would be for a larger dining room)

1- new electronics - combo washer dryer/lcd tv/lap with wireless internet,digital cable and TIVO
2. no bugs - my neighbor is gross and I don't care what I do, I still occassionaly have a roach come and visit.
3. hardwood floors.

I'd love beautiful old herringbone floors with an inlaid edge, carved matlepieces over a couple of fireplaces and beutiful old carved ceilings.

AND I would like a pair of Pappa Bear Chairs in old worn leather- almost any color.

I can take care of the rest.

1) refinished floors
2) a great hand-made dining table
3) a super comfortable lounger

1. a little terrace for my cat to bask in the sun
2. working fireplace
3. an incredible view

A house on the beach.
Character
Good bones

After reading some of the previous entries (I love flower222's wishes), mine are rather boring!

I wish that our house:

1. had more natural sunlight.
We have basically one window per room, and due to trees/direction/overhangs there isn't much sunlight in the house. Good during the dog days of summer (cooler house), but I find it a bit depressing. DH, who is a geek and movie buff, loves that there isn't any glare when he's looking at his monitor or the TV.
I thought about installing solar tubes, but recent hail storms (broke skylights across town) have made me wary.

2. had a more open floorplan.
It's an early '80s home, so there are very defined rooms with definite small doorways leading from room to room.

3. had larger kitchen & master bath.
Again, early '80s home with not much emphasis on the kitchen and baths. I'd be willing to give up our 2nd living room to add the space to the kitchen & bath -- too bad they're not adjacent.

Basically, I want a different house! So why haven't I moved?
a) Location (good established neighboorhood close to work, and I'm only a block away from a decent park)
b) price (was in our budget at the time)
c) trees (established neighboorhood with a large tree on almost every home lot).

1 - A completed kitchen (right now the room where the kitchen should be is all cement board and drywall and our fridge and microwave are in the dinning room)
2 - The bathroom from the movie "Gloomy Sunday"
3 - Central heating/AC

I too would like to do a little time traveling -- to stop the previous owner of our 90-year-old flat from ripping out the butler pantry's vintage cabinetry. He installed dark granite, glass shelving, and mirrors. I've seen the original built-ins in other condos, and it hurts.

Two and three? Change the flat's orientation from east-west to south-north and add a second bedroom.

1. That I could own my apartment, rather than rent it.
2. That my indoor sun porch were a real porch, still big enough to eat on, but with sun shining on it so I could grow vegetables.
3. That the radiator in my living room wasn't in the window bay.

1) That the original radiators/steam heat system hadn't been removed from the building.

2) That the kitchen was more open to the main room (the kitchen is basically a converted walk-in closet) and had a window over the sink.

3) That the entire apartment could be magically switched to the opposite side of the building, so that the windows and balcony faced south. We get a despairingly pitiful amount of light in the winter, and it's noticeably more difficult to grow plants on the balcony.

1-No more water/leaking/dripping/moldy issues in the building, most specifically the bathrooms.

2-I like the suggestion to reorient the direction of the building. I'd also like to knock down the two buildings on either side of us so we could actually get some sun light in from the side.

3-New sink and cabinets in the kitchen and bath.

1- A low-ceilinged den with dark wood built in bookshelves and thick thick shag carpet and an Eames Lounger to read in.

2- A big bath and shower in the master bath

3- A decked out basement media room with soundproofing foam squares on the walls and a great couch/recliner set up.

I want ...
1. A magic dining room that is comfortable for 12 people or more, but also comfortable for just me & my husband.

2. Bigger master bath with more storage & a great tub for hubby to soak in.

3. New kitchen cabinets & countertops. The builders-grade oak & cream laminate is so depressing.

1. The commitment needed to finally pick a rug for the cold concrete floor in the living room.

2. The guts to put up some wallpaper in the dining room and study

3. The cash to spend on these two expensive items.

(4. finiding perferct metal chairs in good condition for the new patio we are installing....you know those cool retro rocking sort of chairs)

1) A little personal outdoor space - our old place was much less nice but we had a huge balcony and I miss it.

2) A little more natural light - it's pretty light, but it's East-West on the first floor on a tree-lined street, and I work at home so I always wish it was a little brighter.

3) Lots of money. Money makes other wishes (Baker furniture, the perfect rug) possible.

First, antique french settee.

Second, "green" wood floors.

And, clawfoot bathtub.

1. Updated electrics, working heating and leak-free plumbing for me (the last one for all my neighbours too!).
2. A little balcony that catches the afternoon and evening sun and has space for plant pots and a chair or two.
3. Properly painted woodwork - I'm about to enter an epic paint-stripping session through the whole flat and I'm feeling a bit intimidated. :(

I like flower222's wishes too!
I'd wish for
1- a library with rolling ladders
2- a shower like daryll hannah's that's all stone with a waterfall of water and plants all around
3- a walk in closet/dressing room
aah, to dream!

1. a large walk in closet & dressing room
2. a white bertoia chair
3. a neighborhood with no litter

i think i can get the chair.

a HUGE kitchen where entartain cook and live
A HUGE bathroom with bath tub
a HUGE balcony/terrace/outdoor where I can soak in the sun with my boyz chasing birds.

and possibly someone to share it with but that's another story...

my three wishes

1. a bit more open wall space to display more of my art collection.

2. an o.k. from the board to add that terrace i oh so want...

3. and the ability to go back and have bid just a bit more aggressively on that certain richard prince piece...

I could go on on if I thought really big...in general our little townhouse is perfect for us now, but the top three things:

-studio space-as a creative professional, I would love to have a work room that isn't my dining room table.
-a large bath tub
-more storage

1. To be able to transport the gorgeous 1890's farmhouse I grew up in out here.

2. Failing number one, that we had a full height second floor - airy with big windows and Deep South elms outside them.

3. That our kitchen weren't so small and irrevocably poorly configured.

1. wood floors
2. to own or to have a landlord who will let me paint/paper.
3. A room to use as an office/library/workroom

storage - including an organized garage!
wood floors from salvaged wood
water softener!

It's all doable, just need to save!

is it too late to change my small condo into a farm with a tree house of course? oh, yeah, make that a japanese zen-like farmhouse retreat in a beautiful countryside setting!

uno: bookshelves in the walls
dos: bigger windows
tres: staircase with storage inside them
:) My townhouse would be perfect then!

I live in a rental (new construction) so I'd like to add some character to the space
1. Wood floors
2. Vintage style bathroom (subway tiles, claw foot tub, pedestal sink)
3. Linen closet

1. 16-foot ceilings

2. Old style NYC apt casement windows 16 feet high (or
thereabouts) to go with my ceilings

3. A gloriously large bathroom flooded with natural light, attached to a dressing room not unlike the one in Mommie Dearest

And... a sewing/exercise room.

I rent a pre-1906 earthquake flat in S.F. and I wish I had
1. any outdoor space big enough to barbecue
2. a walk-in closet instead of the 11" deep and 36" wide one I have now
3. a driveway, garage, parking spot to spare me from endless circling before getting home...

I love my house, but I wish it had…
1. a real entryway with a closet for coats and space for a little table
2. a master suite (but that doesn't really fit in a 1920 bungalow)
3. a finished basement

I'm in one of the great Chicago bungalows and really, really love living there, but here are the three things that would make me love it slightly more:

1. Upstairs bathroom - we currently only have 1 bathroom that's on the main floor.
2. A finished, water-proof basement that contains an old knotty pine bar from the 50s - 60s - 70s.
3. Smooth walls on the second floor - it appears that a previous owner finished the upstairs, and didn't do that great of a job with the drywall or paneling.

I'd live in a high-rise rental built in the 1950's.

I'd like:

1. Higher ceilings
2. Higher floor
3. Bigger bathrooms

ooh, wishes!

Mine would be:

1) I'd love a new kitchen.
2) new hardwood floors throughout the main floor would be nice
3) a gardener would come in handy.

I want a table like that one and can't find one. Any ideas where I could acquire one?