Sometimes I wish my house were bigger
I'll just pause here for a moment so that those of you who have seen my house can clean-up the coffee you just spewed all over you computer. Perhaps I should have said, "I wish my house had more usable space." Is that better? Marginally? For those of you who haven't been to my house, it is big. Really big. Embarrassingly big. But we really only use a fraction of the space. What I wish is that we had the resources to turn much of the unused/unusable space into something useful. We have an entire third floor which could be turned into bedrooms, both for some of our children and for use as guest rooms. Right now, it is three rooms and a bathroom, all of which are completely unusable, and an over-sized play room. Yes, I know having the huge playroom up there is nice, but does it really need to be this big? It just invites monster-sized messes. And then there is the attic above that...
Anyway, why am I thinking about this? I have started having that dream again. In our previous house, which was very small with two bedrooms where we lived with 4 children, I would have a recurring dream where I would find extra rooms which I had 'forgotten' about. For obvious reasons, the dreams stopped when we moved to our current house. But, in the past week or so, I have been having it again, but this time, I'm finding guest rooms that I had forgotten about. You see, recently, there have been several instances of people needing a temporary place to stay. There was another single mom and her two daughters who possibly needed lodging while they worked out other arrangements and there was a family who was stuck between leases who needed a place to stay. I would have loved to offer a place in our home, but we are full-up. Our house guest and her daughter are here through August and there is the possibility that we will have 3 children from the H-S family staying here depending on when their parents travel to China to adopt a son. I also would have liked to offer rooms to fellow Holt families when we have our Holt Vietnam reunion here in July. It is frustrating to know we have the square footage, but not the usable space.
I hope that when we eventually move onto other lodgings that whoever lives in this house can make use of it that way it should be used and not just be a couple of people knocking around in an over-sized house.
Anyway, why am I thinking about this? I have started having that dream again. In our previous house, which was very small with two bedrooms where we lived with 4 children, I would have a recurring dream where I would find extra rooms which I had 'forgotten' about. For obvious reasons, the dreams stopped when we moved to our current house. But, in the past week or so, I have been having it again, but this time, I'm finding guest rooms that I had forgotten about. You see, recently, there have been several instances of people needing a temporary place to stay. There was another single mom and her two daughters who possibly needed lodging while they worked out other arrangements and there was a family who was stuck between leases who needed a place to stay. I would have loved to offer a place in our home, but we are full-up. Our house guest and her daughter are here through August and there is the possibility that we will have 3 children from the H-S family staying here depending on when their parents travel to China to adopt a son. I also would have liked to offer rooms to fellow Holt families when we have our Holt Vietnam reunion here in July. It is frustrating to know we have the square footage, but not the usable space.
I hope that when we eventually move onto other lodgings that whoever lives in this house can make use of it that way it should be used and not just be a couple of people knocking around in an over-sized house.
Comments
I am completely intrigued by the fact that you have a THIRD floor and THEN an attic! I've seen the picture of your playroom.
Remind me (or tell me) why that 3rd floor is unusable. Please elaborate! Is it an exit issue? That would be my guess.
How many bedrooms DO you have?
I am interested in houses solely on the structural aspect, in a weird way. I really don't care about your decorating or the mess contained within. I just love the configurations.
I do have a a walk-up attic (my FIRST!) in my current house which we are remodeling for our bedroom and a sitting room.
I might have to get to know you IRL so I can visit the big ugly house. Oh, and you, too. :D
blessings,
Sandwich, who might begin stalking you, just to see your house. (kidding!)
Number of bedrooms? Depending on how you count it, there are 7, not including the third floor. A guest room on the first floor, and six bedrooms on the second. J. and I have one, B. has one, TM, D. and K. share one, A., P., G., and L. share one, one is our schoolroom, and M. has a very small one in the back. The boys' rooms are a tandem, so technically can't be counted as two rooms.
And Sandwich, let me know if you ever visit Chicago. It would be fun to meet up.
e