anatomy of a dream home

aka: a future wishlist (and plan, because it will come true)

i’ve made a few notes like this, showing photos of homes i absolutely adore

so i decided it was time to make a full post. incase it isn’t already so obvious (who am i kidding, it is), i’m obsessed with homes. i love interiors, i love seeing different styles, and i love how our homes hold our lives so dearly. home truly is the backdrop to life—it’s where we share moments and memories, where we rest, relax, and where we retreat to when the world feels too heavy.

and while our home does serve as the backdrop to our lives, it often feels like it’s own character. it takes on different feelings and vibes depending on the season of life you’re in. you can walk in to someone’s house and instantly get a feel for who they are and what matters to them. home is like a mirror, reflecting the type of life lived between it’s walls. and of course, like any sane person who is obsessed with houses, i have a dream home wish list. that is, things i know will be in my future dream home (because i’m delusional about manifesting!).

this is more of a visual wish list, but i’ll still explain what i love about each image and why.

there is so much i love about this. the layers and texture, the windows and door, the WOOD! i think most of all i love the wood in this picture, how rustic and cozy this space looks. i can visualize it empty and it still feels cozy because of all the wood panelling and ceiling beams.

a gate, for a classic, timeless look. and on a practical, to keep only those i want in and everyone else out.

built in dreams.one thing about me is i love a built in, doesn’t matter where or what room i’ll always opt for a built in if i can.

this dining nook seriously inspired me about a potential down the road project for my own home.

a mixed exterior with stone. my future dream home will have at least some stone exterior i’m 100% sure of that.

the wallpaper. love the wallpaper, with matching quilt and pillow shams. having a wallpaper pattern transfer into other elements of the room is so chic and cozy to me. and of course can’t forget that built in shelf, and the gabled roof. attic transformation dreaming.

obviously the wood. need i say more? this wood is a dream. & the sink, can’t forget that sink.

this is a more simple one, but i love the all white, the windows, the roofline with the beams. i love what a simple, classic base this is. i can picture this being the perfect dining room or sunroom.

again the main star of this show is all the wood. the wood cabinets, island, and beams. i also love the tile backsplash wall and the brick floor. all of it together is a dream.

obsessed with this exterior. i have a long term plan of one day doing a sunroom addition, and my goal would be this—the windows, the white, the sloped roof, and again love the stone.

this is another one that serves as attic inspo for me. i’ve noticed i love an all white room especially if there is some interest in the texture, like panelling, bead board, gabled roofs, and so on.

once again, exterior dreams. i’m noticing i love stone and natural looking finishes.

top to bottom, this wood is an absolute DREAM. the ceiling, floors, table, cabinets. i love it. i really like how its all the pretty much the same shade. it feels monochromatic in a way that is surprising, and i really like that.

these built in wood shelves surrounding that precious window seat.

incase it isn’t already abundantly clear, i love wood. absolutely obsessed with how cozy this is.

mudroom dreams. the island, the storage, the brick floors. obsessed.

absolutely love this gingham couch, the mix of patterned pillows, the window, and of course the ceiling and beams.

cedar shingles. they just speak to my coastal girl heart.

these windows are stunning! and i love the brick foundation and floor. a perfect sunroom.

the beams and the fireplace. absolutely love this. it’s kind of giving the holiday. if i could curl up and read a book here i fear i’d never leave.

so thats (some) of my inspiration. my home pinterest boards have thousands of saves (like… almost 6k). honestly sometimes i love scrolling way back into the archives to see what i was loving way back in the day. its fun to see how much has changed, but also what has stayed the same that i’ve loved for years! so i highly implore you to not make new boards alllll the time and instead keep adding to some so you can go back and see what stays true. it’s a great way to tell what is timeless for you vs what trends you moved on from without realizing.

how to bring the vision to life

having the vision is the easy part, bringing it to life is harder. of course much of my wish list is a future home manifestation—features that are actually built into the space like dormers, big windows, cedar shingles, or stone. but the overall feeling is something you can bring home no matter what home currently looks like. we live in a small house—a house that i love dearly. it’s the house i grew up in, held on the street where i trick-or-treated in the fall and played with the neighbourhood kids in the summer. there is so much i love about this house, but it doesn’t look anything like my dream home photos. that doesn’t mean i can’t make this space look like a dream while we’re here.

your first step

the first step in making your vision a reality is identifying specifically what you like, and more importantly: why. what is the overall feeling that each image gives you? how do you want your home to feel? your inspiration will fall into a few categories: easy to achieve, medium to achieve (not hard but not always cheap or easy), and hard to achieve/ need to come built in. we can’t always have the million dollar home with all the built-ins and panelling, but sit with your inspiration and figure out what you like about those. that part is easier to achieve.

for my inspiration:

• built-ins = customized, 90s, homey

• panelling = rustic, cozy, warm, old

• wood, stone, brick = natural, contrast, eclectic

• window grids = classic, timeless, coastal

• wallpaper & clutter = cottage, lived in, cozy, fun

with that list, it’s easier to look at and see an overall theme and feeling. i like nostalgic, timeless, cozy and homey spaces. i gravitate towards materials and colours that feel neutral and natural (shades of white, brick, stone, wood), i like a cottage-y feel, and i like some character (panelling, built-ins, window grids, etc.).

the tips

1. take your time

i think the most important thing to remember is that home takes time. don’t rush out to get everything quickly, you’ll end up not loving each piece and how they all come together. a thoughtful home is collected over the years, with pieces that really mean something. we took years to buy a rug and curtains (probably could have been quicker but curtains are expensive, and i didn’t want to settle). at first i was embarrassed by that, but then i realized no, it’s a gift to be patient and find what i actually really love. anyone can rush out and just buy something they ‘don’t hate’, i wanted to find something i truly loved and would love for a long time.

the most beautiful looking homes are collected over years, with items that feel personal and meaningful.

2. make it your own

inspiration is great, and really helps figure out your vision and what you like. but don’t forget to make it your own. the goal isn’t to recreate exactly what you see on pinterest, but rather to create a home that feels like that. thats why i like taking my inspiration and whittling it down to what i actually like about each picture and what feeling it evokes in me. try chasing moods and feelings instead of hunting down specific copies of items. it gives you space to really make your home reflect you, while still fitting with the vibes you like.

also find your inspiration offline when you can. flip through home decor books, especially older ones or ones themed for homes you like (i love english cottage books). find vintage home magazines, and curate a vision and moodboard from that. not because there is anything wrong with pinterest—it’s my favourite! but social media is programmed to show you what’s trending right now. it can cloud your vision a little bit, so finding inspiration in other places lets you find what you truly love, not just what’s trending.

3. work with what you have

anyone who really loves homes probably has a semi-unrealistic wishlist of things they hope their future home will have. i mean thats what this whole post is about really. but your dream home shouldn’t wait until you have a giant renovation budget or are buying a new house. there are a lot of smaller changes you can make to turn your current home into a dream of it’s own, wether you plan to be there forever or just for a while. also remember that eventually, everything can be changed, fixed, moved, or expanded on. really it’s just a matter of budget, but sometimes buying a cheaper home in a great area outweighs having everything on your wishlist right away.

there are so many home projects you can do to totally transform your space, depending on the budget and how involved you want it to be.

$ projects:

• rearranging furniture

• refinishing furniture

• collecting decor

• changing light and plumbing fixtures

• small diys

$$ projects:

• painting

• wallpaper

$$$ projects:

• making “built ins”

• new windows, doors, etc. (when needed)

• renovations & additions

• finishing unfinished spaces

4. recreate one small corner fully, instead of the whole house partially

don’t underestimate the power of a little reading nook, a well lit shelf, a bed made with linens you’ve been coveting. one spot thats completely done gives you more of that ‘dream home’ feel than partially finished rooms do. it also lets you see that your vision is possible, and it’s a great way to experiment with styles and things you like before fully committing to the whole shebang.

there's something almost psychological about it. walking past five half-finished rooms every day chips away at your motivation, but walking past one corner that's exactly right feels motivating. it reminds you why you started this in the first place, and the beauty that comes as a result of your effort.

5. play with scale

most of us don’t have the perfect house for all of our interior (and exterior) dreams to come true. but instead of focusing on a lack of square footage, or how your space doesn’t have all the exact built-in details you dream of, play with the scale and layout of your home to really change up your space.

think: mirrors, vertical shelving, light colours, and keeping sight lines clear. these are all things that can make a smaller space feel like the airy, expansive rooms you're pinning, even when the actual dimensions haven't changed. also don’t be afraid to play with a few big, anchor pieces of decor. an oversized lamp or vase, a or a tiny almost easy to miss detail is usually what takes a room from looking nice but average to wow.

so there you have it, my anatomy of a dream home. a future wish list, a loose plan, a few tips for how to bring the vision to life. none of it has to happen overnight, honestly it usually can’t unless you win the lottery (which hey, here’s hoping right?!). i think the time it takes is some of the fun. a home that comes together slowly—piece by piece, corner by corner. it ends up feeling more you than it would if you could snap your fingers and just live in your pinterest board. let it take time. it gives you room to change your mind, to let your taste evolve, to notice what you actually love living with versus what just looked good in a saved post.

so take what resonates, leave what doesn’t, and start wherever feels most exciting—not necessarily where it’s most “practical.” maybe that’s the reading nook. maybe it’s finally hanging the art that’s been leaning against your wall for six months. the point isn’t to check boxes, it’s to build a space that feels like an exhale every time you walk into it.

this is just my version of it. yours can look completely different, and it should. that’s kind of the whole magic of it.

happy dreaming & decorating!

with love, kyla

ps. what is one thing on your dream home must have list?!

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