So here's the first floor of the house I would like to have. Notice first that the center of the house is the library. With plenty of book shelves, a fireplace, and (not shown) skylights and/or high windows on each wall.

The house is divided into two halves. The left half (looking from the back to the front) is for the family and associated messes. The other side, with the `formal' living and dining rooms, is the side guests are more likely to see. Not shown is the second floor. There are two second floors, actually; on the right is a guest bedroom and bathroom. Separated by the library (with its high ceiling) are the kids bedrooms. A small area of the second floor is open to the `toy room' below, forming a small sort of high-bay area. This can be used for vertical practice of ropework techniques (useful for caving, for example) and to set up a vertical treadmill.

Notice also the garage door style opening to the toy room. It is a concrete floored, fully climate controlled room; sort of an indoor garage. It will house piles of caving and other outdoor gear (skis, kayaks, various receiver-hitch attachments...) and also serve as a workshop, with all my tools. Notice also the depth of the garage. Yes -- a vain attempt to leave room for a car or two. And the hatch-marks indicate the deck, complete with glassed-in hot tub.

So, what's that big empty space in the middle behind the front door? Good question. It was time to go to lunch, and enough of my day had already been wasted with this extended daydream prompted by life in a miniscule apartment. Besides, I have to leave something for the architects to do.