My Dream Home

24 comments:

A few weeks ago a wonderful blogging friend, Cindy who pens the wonderful blog
 Rough Luxe Lifestyle
came up with the idea of having a group of bloggers write about
 building their dream home
and...
 you can visit all of the other blogs 
today too and see what they designed!

This was a bit of a challenge for sure, because like most of us...
I would love to live in many different places...

A loft in Manhattan?

An apartment in Paris?

On a yacht in Monaco?
(remember this is a dream..right?)

Hawaii?
Mexico? Montana?


 But I  kept coming back to a place
that has left an impression on my heart

 this special spot
 has what I consider to be the most compelling and beautiful
landscape
that can be found anywhere....

a big blue sky
rocky coastal ocean panoramas

views,  vistas and rolling hills
plants and wildlife



not one of which takes center stage....

 all are of equal importance to this spot along the coast of California

called Big Sur
it sits
140 miles south of San Francisco

I have had the opportunity to vacation there, quite a few times,
 at an incredible Inn called the 
Post Ranch 

 The Inn and surrounding buildings
were designed by Big Sur architect Mickey Muennig
His designs combine the elements of nature, art and architecture
into a dwelling which becomes part of the site itself


It is hard to see where each aspect of the design begins 
and where it ends

"Architecture is much more than shelter;  it bonds a continuous and worldwide mystery to its inhabitants.  The clients lifestyle, inherent attitudes, cultural background and specific dreams or desires can often inspire new ideas from which a design may spring"  G.K. Muennig


His work is further complimented by the use of raw steel
concrete, redwood, glass and stone

This is a house he designed which has all of those aspects 
as well as an incredible site along the 
coastline

this is it...my dream home!

Big Sur has one of the most stringent environmentally protective land use policies in the United States
which make it difficult to build 
but allows the further protection of declining species of plants, insects and animals

Another aspect of Muennig designs is his use of solar and "off the grid"  
carbon neutral philosophies
such as sod roofs, solar panels and reclaimed gray water

Now for some eye candy....!!!


For those of you who have read this blog for a while 
you know that I am a huge fan of 
modern country

 I have recently fallen for 
 designers that have that certain "thing"...
which is actually the lack of excess and clutter

  clean almost unfurnished rooms 
where art, architecture and texture can be the focus
 Karen Blake






Briggs Edward Solomon







 Pam Pierce



 Ralph Lauren



 Nancy Fischelson





 m. elle designs




 Darryl Carter




I could really go on and on....there are so many beautiful designs to love

but
I have to admit
I really don't believe in dream homes



 life changes so much
and often what you thought you really wanted was just someone else's version
 of the perfect house and not really your version

I wish we spent more time saying
 "right now this is good enough"
and
sometimes less is more
in ways other than decor or architecture


  sometimes all of the hard work results
in a big bucket of flowers and not a house in Big Sur
 so for today I'll take a bunch of lavender


or a swing on the porch



 or a nap on the lawn

in my "dream" house
the one I happen to live in today!

thanks for stopping by, I know this was a long one

here are the others

Collage of Life
Rough Luxe Lifestyle
TG Interiors
Roses and Rust
Linen and Lavender
Splenderosa


please take a peek
I know you will love them

Happy Dream House Hunting

~*Kelley*~






24 comments:
  1. I had a funny feeling our dream homes would be similar! I couldn't live in Big Sur however...too cold and gloomy most of the year (although beautiful all the same) Happy to be close enough to visit as often as we please! We almost used some of the same photos! I love your spin on what a dream home should be...that is why I would want something simpler and smaller! Can't wait to see what everyone else posts!

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  2. Kelley, it is all wonderful! You introduced me to a part of the country I know little about and left me wanting more. I also love your interiors...well suited to my dream farmhouse. And...yes, it is the place where we hang our hat on the day that our family comes to join us that we truly call home...for it is in our heart. Thank you for this lovely post...I enjoyed meeing you here as well and look forward to following.

    Jeanne xx

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  3. Wow! What gorgeous photos! Such eye candy...you have such good taste in design :)
    And I think your style is amazing...always have loved everything you design!
    Have a Happy Easter!

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  4. Kelly...You are so right...I have so many different styles I love...It was hard to come up with just one idea for a dream house...I could live in yours to...

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  5. I've always wanted to go to the Post Ranch Inn. We even had reservations once but had to cancel. This was such a lovely post. I think you are living your dream in a dreamy place right now.

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  6. great post... and agreed that Big Sur would be beautiful.... I would choose a home with a view of the ocean in Montecito... by Oprah :)

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  7. I am excited to visit this area in early summer

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  8. What a beautiful picture you painted for us! It is also good to be reminded to enjoy what we have right now too! Best wishes, Sharon

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  9. What a beautiful picture you painted for us! It is also good to be reminded to enjoy what we have right now too! Best wishes, Sharon

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  10. We enjoyed the Post Inn at Big Sur several years ago and then ate at the ever interesting Nepenthe. Absolutely gorgeous scenery! But, I will say that the curvy roads around there gave me a horrible case of car sickness! But if we lived there, I am sure we would drive slow enough to enjoy it all and keep me well. Your eye candy photos are beautiful. Dream houses are so much fun to plan.

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  11. Big Sur is a truly beautiful place and I would love to go back for a visit one day! I also love all of your inspiration photos of the various designers you like. I think, like you, that as I am getting older, I am less and less driven by the idea of a "dream" home and more motivated to live a life that is full. One with travel, and beautiful people in it more than beautiful things. Though I will admit that a little pied a terre in Paris would be a lovely dream!

    xo Kat

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  12. Love Big Sur! It was one of the first real vacations my husband and I took over 20 years ago, to a place called Ventana! Love your dream home!
    Best,
    Karolyn

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  13. *** Kelley... such beautiful spaces, and a WONDERFUL sentiment you shared~~~ I agree with you!!!

    Thanks so much,

    Linda in AZ
    bellesmom1234@comcast.net

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  14. I use to camp in Big Sur overlooking that rocky, wild coast. All of your pictures are beautiful and would be a dream. But, I agree with you. Being content in your own sweet spot, where you are surrounded by the things and people which make you call your house- home, is really what makes a dream house.

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  15. Your home is dreamier than the others!

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  16. Hi, Kelley. I admire your clean and uncluttered, eco-friendly approach to living. I agree we human beings don't need as much as we sometimes think we do. I also agree that as fun (and healthy) as it is to dream and be open to any possibility, we need to be happy where we are now. -(As with everything, it's all about maintaining that balance, I suppose.)
    I enjoyed being part of this group just to get to learn about those of you I didn't know too well. I'll be visiting again soon. Warmly~LeAnn, linenandlavender.net

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  17. I couldn't agree more. Dreams change along the way, just like we change. We always lived very modestly but I'm scaling back even more that all the children are grown. Some people wish their lives away expecting it all will turn perfect one day. Beautiful photos.

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  18. Hi -- I found your site through the lovely Marsha's Splenderosa blog. Yours is amazing and it happened to start out with a place I know well - Big Sur (which may not always have sun, but it's wildness is never gloomy; just a different kind of magic.

    We live up the coast in Pebble Beach and trust me, even most locals don't drive slow down the coast, so if prone to getting car sick, take something like Dramamine first!

    You did Big Sur and The Post Ranch a beautiful turn and such outstanding pictures - truly awesome!! It's a marvelous place and with a great group of BFF's just went down there for lunch at Sierra Mar and spent a half hour looking for the Condors (it's breeding time, so not always in view this time of year).

    The rest of the pictures were amazing as well - truly a more-than-enjoyable visit and I'll be back for sure! Thanks so much - MMR

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  19. I'm used to metropolis living since we have a business in the city and it is convenient for us. But of course, I still have a dream house. I want it very minimalistic and have an uplifting atmosphere. Anyway, I like all the photos. Those really freshened up my eyes.

    Calvin Mordarski

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  20. From what I can see, you want something simple with woodwork all over the house. I noticed that in every single photo that you’ve pinned, there's always woodwork in there. It's very lovely to see that someone appreciates these kinds of things as well. :) I love your dream house!

    Levi Ervin

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  21. I’ve visited and saw what the other bloggers designed as their dream home, and I can’t take a pick about which is the best because all of it is simply wonderful! Since I can’t decide which is the most beautiful, I’ll just comment about what I found as great in each dream house. What I found wonderful in yours is the lots of woodwork, and your fondness to modern country style; I just find it a peculiar but harmonizing combination.

    Erick Bush

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  22. What a beautiful home! Thank you for sharing. I really enjoyed looking through your blog. You share great posts. Thank you

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  23. You're so right on this one! We will never been totally satisfied, so it's best to be thankful for what we have that is good, today.

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  24. Thanks for sharing such wonderful images about home building, Team Meetings in Toronto

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