My House is Me

Lisa Hoffman

3 years ago

“My house is me and I am
it. My house is where I like
to be and it looks like all my
dreams.” –Mr. Plumbean

my house is me I taught First Grade…forever. One of the favorite ways to kick off the school year was with a week of color experiences. On “orange day” I would always read “The Big Orange Splot” by Daniel Pinkwater. In it, Mr. Plumbean has a house and yard that don’t blend in on his “neat street”. Day by day, neighbors come to his house and leave to create their own dream house. Following the reading, we would talk about all the things we would include in the house of OUR dreams. 6-year-olds included lots of slides, pools, TVs, and game rooms.

This activity always made me a bit nervous.

I have fallen in love with many different pictures and styles of homes over the years.

The problem is, homes are expensive. And if I build the house of your dreams, that will be my house…forever.

Right now, I am in love with the Dutton ranch on the series “Yellowstone”. I drool over the wide front porch with chairs for sitting (and drinking) while taking in the view. The massive stone fireplace is flanked by deep leather chairs. I’m sure the chef is included in the house.

Unfortunately, my dream house doesn’t have a view of mountains–it’s on the water.

I also love a more minimalist light-infused contemporary home. This has walls of windows overlooking water, gardens, and trees.

Both homes have high vaulted ceilings and have people who cook and clean to keep the spacious space, not just liveable, but where I am pampered, I am nurtured.

The other thing that I love about the Dutton ranch is the feeling of age. My favorite house that I’ve actually lived in was my Third Street house. It was a red brick four-square. The kitchen had beautiful cupboards with sliding pull-out shelves. My bedroom was a converted “sleeping porch” upstairs and I used the actual bedroom as my changing room. This home had just three little problems–location, location, location. It was situated smack dab in the middle of downtown Beaver Dam. Rental homes surrounded it and a Marco’s Pizza was on the other side of the block.

Now the house I live in now does have 20 ft. ceilings in the living room and master bedroom. My house is on the lake. I wish the kitchen were larger and not cut off from the rest of the main floor. I have antiques and fun, rusty metal and archectual flee market finds everywhere. When we built the house (20 years ago) I thought it had EVERYTHING I would ever want.

Maybe that’s the problem. My tastes keep changing. I love light, bright, and airy. I like old pillows, warm and cozy, with a blazing wood fire. I want new, clean, fresh, and open windows. But I want deep, snuggly leather sofas.

Is this a problem?

Maybe…maybe not.

My the house of my dreams can be anything I want it to be.

Even if its not reality…yet.