Tree Railing
Jacuzzi Tub
Jacuzzi tubs are awesome. Lots of jets, lots of bubbles. Every bathroom needs a big tub like this.
Pool Safety System by Poseidon
This would also be good for any pool owner to monitor activity, should a neighbour or animal fall in the pool when it's not expected to be in use.
Cool Stairs + Slide
Awesome stairs, but with an added slide for the little ones...
Oh, and maybe a firemans pole somewhere.
Back-up power
In addition to the UPS system in the technology room, designed for electronics, fridges, freezers, etc, there needs to be a system to go beyond the 4 hour mark. Ideally, the solar and geothermal system can also be integrated with a generator system capable of powering the entire house for a week before requiring a re-fuel.
It makes sense that this generator is not in or connected to the main house, so maybe we have a utility house at the back of the property that houses this generator, any of the pool, spa, irrigation, water-pump type equipment, as well as connecting the solar or wind farm back to the house infrastructure.
If we have a big solar or wind array, and we're selling back to the grid, it makes sense to have it go to a separate area from the house, should it require professional services, etc.
Actual Storage Rooms
You know how most people fill their garages with stuff instead of cars? And basements have corners or entire rooms filled with things you can't throw away (or don't want to) but that really shouldn't be in a basement corner? Well our dream house will have rooms specifically designed for storage. Off the garage, there'll be a room for car related stuff. Off the Kitchen-- a pantry, with lots of shelves for appliances that are rarely used and bulk food that we needed to buy.
Near the pool there will be a linen closet filled with towels and robes and slippers. This closet needs a warming device so that towels come out feeling fresh out of the dryer.
The dining room can have a little door, and in a little cubby will roll out a cart with extra chairs, extra leaves for the table, and anything else big.
If the recreation room has a TV, Stereo and other electronic bits-- maybe the back of that wall is actually the technology room, so that everything can be wired with ease, and controlled throughout the house?
In the basement, but in an area close to the stairs nearest the kitchen, we can havea wine and fruit cellar. Storage at temperature, essentially.
Each bedroom should have ample walk-in closet space, designed in such a way as to adapt to the age of the child or guest. (Kids rooms don't need as much 'hang up clothes' space, but can appreciate bins for toys, etc)
In addition to all of that, the house, preferably at ground level, possibly connected to the garage, should have a secure storage room for things like documents, art that isn't currently on the walls, other valuables, etc. This room should be accessible only from the inside of the house, but ina covert way. It should be connected to the surveillance system, and should be locked at all times.
Near the pool there will be a linen closet filled with towels and robes and slippers. This closet needs a warming device so that towels come out feeling fresh out of the dryer.
The dining room can have a little door, and in a little cubby will roll out a cart with extra chairs, extra leaves for the table, and anything else big.
If the recreation room has a TV, Stereo and other electronic bits-- maybe the back of that wall is actually the technology room, so that everything can be wired with ease, and controlled throughout the house?
In the basement, but in an area close to the stairs nearest the kitchen, we can havea wine and fruit cellar. Storage at temperature, essentially.
Each bedroom should have ample walk-in closet space, designed in such a way as to adapt to the age of the child or guest. (Kids rooms don't need as much 'hang up clothes' space, but can appreciate bins for toys, etc)
In addition to all of that, the house, preferably at ground level, possibly connected to the garage, should have a secure storage room for things like documents, art that isn't currently on the walls, other valuables, etc. This room should be accessible only from the inside of the house, but ina covert way. It should be connected to the surveillance system, and should be locked at all times.
Automatic Blinds
You know in that movie 'The Holiday' when Kate Winslet can't handle the time change in LA, because it's so bright and she wants to sleep, and then she hits a button and the blinds come down auto-magically? That.
Phantom Power Control
Set up the wiring in the house so that in every room, there are 3 kinds of outlets: Always On, Phantom Kill, and UPS.
Always On are for things that don't need to ever get turned off. These are things like freezers, fridges, alarm clocks, etc.
Phantom Kill are usefull for almost everything else in the house. These are outlets that will have normal appliances, tvs, chargers, lamps, etc. These will be wired in such a way that when the last person leaves the house for the day, they can kill the power to almost everything in the house.
UPS plugs will be the least used, but each room will have one. These will be wired to a UPS (uninterrupted power supply) and are useful for computers, servers, sump pumps, etc.
Always On are for things that don't need to ever get turned off. These are things like freezers, fridges, alarm clocks, etc.
Phantom Kill are usefull for almost everything else in the house. These are outlets that will have normal appliances, tvs, chargers, lamps, etc. These will be wired in such a way that when the last person leaves the house for the day, they can kill the power to almost everything in the house.
UPS plugs will be the least used, but each room will have one. These will be wired to a UPS (uninterrupted power supply) and are useful for computers, servers, sump pumps, etc.
Speakers
Every entertaining room (living, dining, library, kitchen, patio, pool area) should be wired with speakers that can either be piped in directly from that room (say from an ipod that someone connects in that room) OR from the technology room, controlling music from the file server.
There will need to be some sort of controls, but this can be over wifi, as every room will have access and be able to control the media via the network.
There will need to be some sort of controls, but this can be over wifi, as every room will have access and be able to control the media via the network.
Music Room
Ideally in a basement or sub-basement, this room is either behind solid concrete walls, or is acoustically insulated from the rest of the house.
It should have enough circuits on the breaker box to support lots of sound equipment, amps, recording gear, etc, and if possible, should be EM shielded or have it's own 'clean power' supply to reduce recording noise.
This is where we'll put the drums, other instruments, recording equipment, etc
A separate room within the main music room would also be useful, almost like a sound booth, for isolating tracks, etc.
It should have enough circuits on the breaker box to support lots of sound equipment, amps, recording gear, etc, and if possible, should be EM shielded or have it's own 'clean power' supply to reduce recording noise.
This is where we'll put the drums, other instruments, recording equipment, etc
A separate room within the main music room would also be useful, almost like a sound booth, for isolating tracks, etc.
Technology Room
Have all the wiring, surveillance, ethernet, fibre, and other aspects of the houses technology feed a central room. Extra cooling will be needed.
Install a file server with redundant backups, accessible from everyroom at Gigabit speeds. Host all media in this room.
CCTV of the Wind Tunnel, an other areas of the house that need watching (pool, backyard, front door, etc) should be accessible to any TV in the house via the technology room.
Install a file server with redundant backups, accessible from everyroom at Gigabit speeds. Host all media in this room.
CCTV of the Wind Tunnel, an other areas of the house that need watching (pool, backyard, front door, etc) should be accessible to any TV in the house via the technology room.
Floor Lighting
Like in a movie theatre. When it's dark, there should be subtle lights illuminating hallways for the kids and guests to get to the bathrooms, etc.
Another idea I had was to build into each outlet faceplate a small night-light so in the event of a power failure, all the outlets become lights.
I think there should be a switch on the wall to silence a smoke alarm. There should be lots of smoke alarms, because it makes sense, but it should be easy to silence them in the event of a cooking or candle related alarm.
I think there should be a switch on the wall to silence a smoke alarm. There should be lots of smoke alarms, because it makes sense, but it should be easy to silence them in the event of a cooking or candle related alarm.
Gigabit Internet in Every Room
Wireless Access points all over the house as well. Every room should have excellent reception. If service permits, install FTTH at the maximum bandwidth available.
Wire the house for Fibre, Cat5 and RG45.
File Server in the 'technology room'
Wire the house for Fibre, Cat5 and RG45.
File Server in the 'technology room'
Closed Cell Sprayfoam Insulation
Vertical Wind Tunnel
This would need it's own 'staging area' as well, where people can store and put on their flight suits, control the tunnel, etc.
The tunnel itself should have lots of plexi-glass for viewing, and if possible, be connected to the house in such a way that people in the house can 'view' without being disturbed by the flights.
CCTV in the tunnel should be able to be piped to any TV in the house via the technology room.
The tunnel itself should have lots of plexi-glass for viewing, and if possible, be connected to the house in such a way that people in the house can 'view' without being disturbed by the flights.
CCTV in the tunnel should be able to be piped to any TV in the house via the technology room.
Secret Rooms and Passageways
The kids should have a secret room or passageway from their room that either is just a place to hide out, or also connects to a passageway that takes them to common area, like the library or the music room in the basement.
This could be something like a firemans pole from the top floor to the basement, or a ladder, so they can go up too. Privacy controls should be in place so that one kid can't sneak into another kids room without their permission.
One of the main floor rooms like the library, should also have a secret room behind a bookshelf or something, that's cozy, and place where someone could go to read a book.
This could be something like a firemans pole from the top floor to the basement, or a ladder, so they can go up too. Privacy controls should be in place so that one kid can't sneak into another kids room without their permission.
One of the main floor rooms like the library, should also have a secret room behind a bookshelf or something, that's cozy, and place where someone could go to read a book.
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