Moving

My wife has finally agreed to move. Probably this year; if not, definitely next year.

This is exciting for me. For one thing, I can now put together an estimate of what the house I'd like to build will look like. There may be many changes before the house is actually built, but the one I've designed is close enough to what I expect we'll build that I can safely use it as a starting point. I can look into stuff that really appeals to me as possibly being a part of this project.

For example, I'm fascinated by the solar shingles that Dow Chemical is planning to release this year. They'll be like regular roof shingles, will cost less than solar shingles currently on the market, will be simple enough to be installed by regular roofing contractors, and will (presumably) look good. Some of the cost of solar will be offset by not having to install conventional shingles under the solar collectors, as is generally done now. And helping to keep the price down will be Dow's use of a plastic surface. Currently, solar collectors, even the existing shingle type, use glass to protect the components--but Dow, of course, has decades of experience and research in plastics, so they plan to use a durable plastic covering instead.

I also like the idea of using slate-look shingles that are made of recycled rubber and plastic, but they're about ten times the cost of asphalt, so the non-solar areas of the roof may receive a less interesting covering. But at least now I can seriously contemplate the pros and cons! Up till now, any research I've done about building materials has been an adult version of playing house.

Now I'll approach everything I do around this house from a different perspective, too. Instead of the nice sage green I planned to paint the inside of the garage, maybe I'll do a pale yellow, as suggested by one Realtor. Plantings will be more for curb appeal than for ourselves...and long-term plants like asparagus or blackberries don't make any sense. (Of course, now I can start dreaming about all new plantings for our new home!)

Even furniture becomes a consideration. If we're going to have a more open floor plan, coordinating room-to-room becomes more important. What size, style, color, pattern, might we want for new pieces? When we chose our current furnishings, we had a 32" TV tucked above the fireplace. Now that it's 50 inches, do we plan the great room differently? I like the idea of the TV disappearing behind false books or something when it's not in use. I'm already planning a hidden door in a bookcase between rooms. I've even toyed with the idea of a narrow opening through which an indoor clothesline could extend outdoors. Whatever else the next house has, it will include some fun features along those lines.

On one hand, it's overwhelming. On the other, for a design-oriented person, it's a chance to start over.