I've been thinking about houses a lot lately, as we move towards finally purchasing a house. Over the summer, I visited Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, and got to see the
Smart Home. It is truly inspired in many ways, and I like a lot of the features. But, as others have mentioned, the small, broken-up room style is not so much to my liking.
We recently put an offer in on a huge house. We are currently living in a cluttered, extremely small home (5 of us), and this house would expand our space by 400%. It has many features I like- designed to catch ocean winds (and a great ocean view), yard separated by rock wall from neighbors, laminate and tile flooring throughout, ceiling fans in all rooms, stairs (to me, houses should always have stairs, but I haven't lived in a house with stairs--two stories-- in over a decade, and I've never owned a house with stairs), and a nice, open flow that manages to make the living/dining/kitchen all connected, yet hide the kitchen from those entering the house. So many houses I've lived in have opened right to a view of the kitchen or right into the kitchen, and I don't like that.
One of my very favorite things to do is to look at houses (inside). As a child, I'd design houses on graph paper. I never considered being an architect, but I do love to look at spaces and how they are used. I love the old charm of bungalows and victorian-style houses, but I like a more open floor plan. Open, but defined. I am not a fan of humungous great rooms that double as dining rooms and living rooms, and hey, look, kitchen is right there against the wall!
Really, at this point, I want a nice space to call my own, to make adjustments as needed (the house we are wanting needs a lot of work in the yard- perfect for me!), and to have a little breathing room.
(Keep your fingers crossed for me, I hope we get this house!!)