Every week Kuniko and I have been going in to talk to an architect and plan out the new house. The experience is usually fun, sometimes stressful, sometimes a little scary, but the guy is really helpful and we’ve come to look forward to our weekly sessions. There are only a couple more left, and then we’ll start the paperwork process through the local government to get a building permit, and we’ll be good to go. So, with the end of the planning process near, here it is:
Top 5 things I’m excited about in the new house:
5. The Back Deck
We’ve got some space in the back and the idea is to build a very small deck out there to relax with some tables and chairs, put out some plants, maybe a BBQ, and use it for entertaining and getting some outside time. This is low on my top 5 list because we haven’t planned it yet (and haven’t seen the price tag). I’m sure once we get a better idea about the deck it’ll jump up a few places on the list (or if it’s too pricey drop off the list altogether!)
4. The Study
Upstairs we have three bedrooms, and one of the smaller rooms we’ll convert to a mini-library. I’ve got tons of books that are always in the way, and so we’ll use some very tall bookshelves and get that all organized in one room out of the way. It should be a nice place to do research, use the computer, or just hide away.
3. Heated Floors
Since we picked natural gas for cooking and heating rather than electric we got a nice freebie – heated floors in the main living area. It works by circulating hot water under the wooden floors and keeping the room nice and warm during the winter. Kuniko’s parents have this too and it is so nice. Considering the size of the room, a little heating would be a good idea.
2. The Big Living Area
We’ve combined the living area and a dining area to make it one big (by Japanese standards) room to spend most of our time. On the side of the room is a bar counter attached to the kitchen, so it should be a natural gathering spot while dinner is cooking.
1. The Big(ger) Kitchen
Most kitchens in Japan are pretty small. Since the woman is the cook in almost all Japanese families, it is a built-for-one affair. Since Kuniko and I don’t roll like that we figured we needed a bigger kitchen. We doubled the size of the counter space, with some bonus cabinets in the back and some cool gadgets to keep appliances plugged in but out of the way. We’re both excited about the kitchen, and together with the counter/bar it should be a lot of fun to cook/party/entertain there.
This is by no means a complete list – lots of little details like the super-automated electronic Japanese toilet seat, actual insulation in the walls and ceiling, a wider balcony, and a walk-in closet in the bedroom will make for a nice place to live.
So far we’ve had fun coming up with ideas. The latest estimate is that the earliest we could have the house built and be ready for move-in would be late spring 2009, so it is still a ways off. Talking about it every weekend just builds up the anticipation…
