HOUSEBABY

Designing our dream home in New England meant deciding between a ranch layout and a multi-story home. This post compares both options through accessibility, cost, energy efficiency, and land use, and explains why we ultimately designed a hybrid layout that blends the best of each for long-term comfort, efficiency, and resale value.

Our goal is to create a space that not only meets the needs of our family but also supports our lifestyle for the long term. Through thoughtful architectural programming, we're defining essential spaces and ensuring each one has a purposeful role in the layout. While we’ll likely make adjustments as we consult with a contractor, this is the exciting starting point of our dream home; where everything on the wishlist is possible, and the focus is on crafting a functional, famil

A Room-by-Room Guide to Designing a Right-Sized, Flexible Dream Home When we started designing our dream home, one of the biggest questions was: How big is too big? We wanted enough space to live comfortably but not so much that we'd be maintaining or heating rooms we rarely use. Striking that balance meant asking tough questions about lifestyle, long-term needs, and how we actually use our home. In this post, we’re walking through our full process for determining the ideal s