Making a Home
What makes a house?
Concrete, lumber, glass, wiring, mechanical systems, lighting, and lots of other products that need to be assembled.
What makes a home?
Hopes, dreams, love, pets, family, that special someone who lights up a room simply by being there, and lots of other things that take a lifetime to build.
Looking back through photos, I am reminded of all the friends that we consider family who have helped build our home. Children have grown up here, some of whom now have children of their own. And since there is still a lot to do, there will always be a place for them to come and help build.
You can see how our family has grown as we built our home, from laying the foundation to gathering together for the holidays. In the early days we camped near the pond, then as windows were placed and the siding was installed (made from lumber sustainably milled from trees on our land), we slowly moved indoors.
We had a plan, but it was continually refined and modified. Holly and I would stand in the front entry (no doors or windows yet) and ask “What do you want to see when you step inside? Should the 1880’s wood cook stove be on the right, or does it need to be closer to the oven? What color cabinets do you want to see next to the wood walls and the timber frame? Where will the Christmas tree go? How high does the stonework of the fireplace want to extend?”
Simple questions can have impactful results, such as our discussion about where the solar panels should go, which went something like this: Why don’t you want them on the roof? Because when it snows we will need to clean them off. Oh, then where do you want them? I was thinking out in front to the left, away from the trees so we will have sun on them most of the day. I don’t want to see them, put them on the right. Because of this decision I can recommend a good backup generator.
We are now in our 18th year of a 5 year plan, and as our family grew more of the interior was finished. Plumbing and wiring got covered up, windows and doors were trimmed, and the favorite question asked by visitors became, “What was done since I was here last?” Then, “What can we do this time?”
I can tell you all about the sustainable measures we took, the quality of the insulated windows, the energy efficient appliances, and the way that the house is sited to true south to take advantage of sun angles. But the truth is that the moments we spent together with family and friends building our home are the things we will remember forever. What makes our house feel like home is the memory of watching our grandsons read books in the loft, or sitting with the pumpkins on the entry steps, or going down to the river for a picnic, or watching a bear just outside the window.
What is it that you want to see? At Mad Moose Architecture this is the first question we ask our clients, and the question we will continue to ask until every aspect of your home has been considered.
