Please show me your backsplash...

[BlingDreams]

I knew you were building big, just not THAT big.... Thas not a house, thas a PALACE!! When we moved I intentionally went smaller..... I'm actually glad for that, though I will live vicariously through you!!

Yeah.... SO and I both cough a little when people invariably ask how big our house will be. We actually asked the builder if they would be willing to modify this house plan so that we could remove around 2000sqft from it but they said no. I really wouldn't be surprise if, when we move to our "forever" home, we build a very similar house but about 1/2 - 2/3 the size. The floor plan is just perfect for our life and lifestyle.

Here's a preview of pretty much what our house will look like, except surrounded by woods . (Note that the left side prior to the columns is the garage)

 

[rocks]

Extraordinary is the perfect word, and I didn't think it existed either. I was really resisting moving again (I've done it too often recently), but SO never stopped looking and when he came across this opportunity I knew I'd be a fool to say no. It's on a little tucked-away road that up until recently has had all farm land, but some of those owners are now selling and their land is being snatched up. It is owned by a developer, but we had a selection of house plans as well as the opportunity to customize (to an extent... and pulling teeth each time!). We're in the most affluent part of the state and that's what the builder is targeting with this development - no lots under 5 acres and a price point that's too embarrassing to mention.

One of my favorite parts about our lot is that it backs to county-owned park land, which means that no one will ever build behind us so our tree-views are secure

When SO retires in about 10 years we plan to build our "forever" place from scratch so we're seeing this as good practice for that experience!!

Lol..."a price point to embarrassing to mention". We live in NYC and East Hampton, so nothing phases me anymore.

I say...."GOOD FOR YOU!" Just enjoy your good fortune and beautiful new home....though I have to admit that I wouldn't know what to do with such a spacious home. In fact, that is the biggest problem hubby and I will have when we retire and leave ny. We are all about smaller and uber high quality (by small I mean 2500 to 2800 square feet). My idea of luxury is multiple subzero's/Wolf appliances and afew very spacious rooms.

 

[BlingDreams]

Lol..."a price point to embarrassing to mention". We live in NYC and East Hampton, so nothing phases me anymore.

I say...."GOOD FOR YOU!" Just enjoy your good fortune and beautiful new home....though I have to admit that I wouldn't know what to do with such a spacious home. In fact, that is the biggest problem hubby and I will have when we retire and leave ny. We are all about smaller and uber high quality (by small I mean 2500 to 2800 square feet). My idea of luxury is multiple subzero's/Wolf appliances and afew very spacious rooms.

First, thank you for your kind words of affirmation. We are genuinely ecstatic about our home but dread the snide comments that may come from others. I need to let them roll off my back (which isn’t my nature! ).

Truthfully, our idea of the perfect home is similar to yours. I’d love a 3000-4000sqft home that has top notch trimmings inside even though it’s on the (comparatively) smaller side, with none of the nonsense rooms like “formal dining room” and “formal living room”. Who entertains like that anymore?? The problem for us is that they don’t build that way around here so we were stuck with what’s available.

And YES to Subzero’s! It’s part of my kitchen upgrade plan (in addition to the island) by replacing the Monogram 48” refrigerator with the Subzero 48” pro refrigerator. That fridge is SO smartly designed and for someone like me who cooks alot and loves organization it’s about as closer to perfect as I can get!

 

[rocks]

First, thank you for your kind words of affirmation. We are genuinely ecstatic about our home but dread the snide comments that may come from others. I need to let them roll off my back (which isn’t my nature! ).

Truthfully, our idea of the perfect home is similar to yours. I’d love a 3000-4000sqft home that has top notch trimmings inside even though it’s on the (comparatively) smaller side, with none of the nonsense rooms like “formal dining room” and “formal living room”. Who entertains like that anymore?? The problem for us is that they don’t build that way around here so we were stuck with what’s available.

And YES to Subzero’s! It’s part of my kitchen upgrade plan (in addition to the island) by replacing the Monogram 48” refrigerator with the Subzero 48” pro refrigerator. That fridge is SO smartly designed and for someone like me who cooks alot and loves organization it’s about as closer to perfect as I can get!

First...the snide remarks do not merit a reply. Just do not engage. You aren't asking anyone else to pay for it and aren't asking to have your taxes waived. the snotty remarks say more about them than you. I really believe that.

EXACTLY! Everyone I know voices the same sentiment. Yet that is what the builders build. Dear friends of ours built a 6000sq ft home in quogue. They have one adult child. The house has 6 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms (the builder wouldn't shrink the house down to 4 bed and 6 bath). It is gorgeous. The only sensible thing about the house is that the formal living room is tiny...more a sitting room (so why have it?). After 3 years they were ready to downsize to a 4000sq ft with fewer beds and baths....nothing to be had.

Yes to the 48 inch subzero. Upscale builds here generally include subzero Wolfe appliances. We replaced the kitchenaid in our beach house with a new 48 inch with thru the door water and ice. Would not do the water and ice dispenser again. It is temperamental, but love the fridge. Have a smaller one in the city, and they really do keep food fresher. Also got a new Miele dw. I was skeptical, but it does a remarkable job....far better than any dishwasher we have had. Also have two subzero wine fridges...a full height and an under the counter. Again, they are better than the kitchenaid we have in the city.

Just keep an eye on the builder...double check everything. Though exhausting, It will be worth it.

 

[Arcadian]

Yeah.... SO and I both cough a little when people invariably ask how big our house will be. We actually asked the builder if they would be willing to modify this house plan so that we could remove around 2000sqft from it but they said no. I really wouldn't be surprise if, when we move to our "forever" home, we build a very similar house but about 1/2 - 2/3 the size. The floor plan is just perfect for our life and lifestyle.

Here's a preview of pretty much what our house will look like, except surrounded by woods . (Note that the left side prior to the columns is the garage)

We lived in Masschusetts which isn't known to be cheap but the houses are a wee bit smaller...lol I used to live by Pond Road in Wellsley, MA. Pond Rd is known for its massive Palaces. Matter of fact, we always walked on Wellsley college campus and I'd run into the mom and daughter duo that owned the big horse farm off Pond Rd.

the living space of our house there was slightly under 2000sqft, but then there was the entire basement (another 2000sqft) which had all my gym equipment and my office. then the attic which we never used except to store stuff. Cleaning out that house was a pain in the ass! OMG I'm so glad my house here has no hidden space!

I think its great when you can get what you want, no matter the size. And iffen y'all want a palace, go for it! Every queen needs a palace!! (Just some are smaller than others)

 

[missy]

First, thank you for your kind words of affirmation. We are genuinely ecstatic about our home but dread the snide comments that may come from others. I need to let them roll off my back (which isn’t my nature! ).

Truthfully, our idea of the perfect home is similar to yours. I’d love a 3000-4000sqft home that has top notch trimmings inside even though it’s on the (comparatively) smaller side, with none of the nonsense rooms like “formal dining room” and “formal living room”. Who entertains like that anymore?? The problem for us is that they don’t build that way around here so we were stuck with what’s available.

And YES to Subzero’s! It’s part of my kitchen upgrade plan (in addition to the island) by replacing the Monogram 48” refrigerator with the Subzero 48” pro refrigerator. That fridge is SO smartly designed and for someone like me who cooks alot and loves organization it’s about as closer to perfect as I can get!

@ILikeShiny Oh my gawd, some people suck. Jealousy perhaps? Definitely do not engage with such petty people. You should not feel embarrassed for anything let alone respond to those who are less than nice about your good fortune and your beautiful home!

A word about Subzeros. We love our 48 inch Subzero but I hear that the newer models are not as good as the older ones. We purchased ours in 2003 and it has broken down three times but OK that is the life of the appliance no matter how expensive it is. The problem is the lack of authorized Subzero repair people so that is something to be aware of. And the main reason we didnt go with a new Subzero at the beach house. But you are right. Nothing beats the beauty of the subzero especially inside the fridge. I do love it.

I agree with @rocks an with our new beach refrigerators (we purchased two to make up for the space we were losing by not getting another Subzero for the beach house) we got the ones without the ice dispenser on the door. Less likely to have issues. We will see.

Lol..."a price point to embarrassing to mention". We live in NYC and East Hampton, so nothing phases me anymore.

Yes same here. Living in Brooklyn the costs are crazy. And at the beach the costs are crazy. Whenever we watch the HGTV house hunting shows I am always asking my dh why do we live in some the most expensive places? LOL. But I don't want to leave despite the costs. Not yet anyway.

I think its great when you can get what you want, no matter the size. And iffen y'all want a palace, go for it! Every queen needs a palace!! (Just some are smaller than others)

Yes to that. Every queen needs their palace and that palace can vary depending on the needs of that queen.

 

[rocks]

A word about Subzeros. We love our 48 inch Subzero but I hear that the newer models are not as good as the older ones. We purchased ours in 2003 and it has broken down three times but OK that is the life of the appliance no matter how expensive it is. The problem is the lack of authorized Subzero repair people so that is something to be aware of. And the main reason we didnt go with a new Subzero at the beach house. But you are right. Nothing beats the beauty of the subzero especially inside the fridge. I do love it.

So true. There are three authorized dealers in eastern Suffolk, including an "open box" dealer. He is awesome and will deliver Tristate. No monkey business....everything comes directly from subzero. The only authorized repair service is pretty awful. Unfortunately, they represent all the luxury brands so we are pretty much stuck. In the city we found a repair service that isn't the authorized service provider, but they are fantastic as well. Happy to share.

HGTV.....it only reinforces what we already know. NYC is starting to loose its allure for hubby and me, and my brother as well. We feel like the only purpose we serve is to pay the bills. City officials, specifically deblasio, treat our neighborhood as a revenue source and nothing more. We are "rich" enough to pay crazy taxes and fees, but not rich enough to have influence. The suburbs of ny, nj and ct aren't much better. We have several friends who have relocated to upscale parts of Florida because of the combination of local taxes and cost of living. When he stops working, we are gone.

 

[missy]

So true. There are three authorized dealers in eastern Suffolk, including an "open box" dealer. He is awesome and will deliver Tristate. No monkey business....everything comes directly from subzero. The only authorized repair service is pretty awful. Unfortunately, they represent all the luxury brands so we are pretty much stuck. In the city we found a repair service that isn't the authorized service provider, but they are fantastic as well. Happy to share.

HGTV.....it only reinforces what we already know. NYC is starting to loose its allure for hubby and me, and my brother as well. We feel like the only purpose we serve is to pay the bills. City officials, specifically deblasio, treat our neighborhood as a revenue source and nothing more. We are "rich" enough to pay crazy taxes and fees, but not rich enough to have influence. The suburbs of ny, nj and ct aren't much better. We have several friends who have relocated to upscale parts of Florida because of the combination of local taxes and cost of living. When he stops working, we are gone.

Omg so true! I loathe DeBlasio. With the intensity of a thousand suns.
He is the biggest hypocrite of them all imo.

As for authorized repair for Subzero yes there’s one here too and just one. Probably the same one lol. And it can take a while to get an appointment when the fridge breaks down. What a pain. We tried non authorized repair people but they just are not as good. And Subzero actually covered the cost of the parts for us which they did not have to do on a 14 year old fridge. So kudos to them. I think they felt badly there’s only one authorized sub zero repair for us.

And yes NYC and NJ are quickly becoming impossible for regular folk to afford. Such a shame. I will hate leaving in the future if we need to but the advantages of living here are quickly becoming not worth the cost of living here.

 

[rocks]

Omg so true! I loathe DeBlasio. With the intensity of a thousand suns.
He is the biggest hypocrite of them all imo.


And yes NYC and NJ are quickly becoming impossible for regular folk to afford. Such a shame. I will hate leaving in the future if we need to but the advantages of living here are quickly becoming not worth the cost of living here.

Did you know that deblasio is in favor of eliminating zoning restrictions for building height in all residential areas with the exception of historic districts (and I suppose his neighborhood). He is totally in the pocket of the developers. The rest of us, be damned. And.....as far as he is concerned, we are not regular folk in need of protection or even consideration. We are here to be exploited. The afflodable housing argument is a scam. The developers get additional height and a tax abatement. People who can't afford to live here are told they have the "right" to, and they have the right to the same amenities. Forget about the fact that we either don't have or they can't afford the services (like schools) they need for a comfortable life. Then, on top of it all, our taxes necessarily have to go up to compensate for the abatements and below market units.

 

[missy]

Did you know that deblasio is in favor of eliminating zoning restrictions for building height in all residential areas with the exception of historic districts? He is totally in the pocket of the developers. The rest of us, be damned.

Yes he is truly the worst of them all. I detest him. And he is such a class A (A-hole) hypocrite. Omg remember the subway fiasco? He preaches about how great the subways are and let everyone eat and drink on the moving trains and how safe it is despite no more police presence on them and yada yada yada and then he never takes the train. Except once and he had the police clear the whole car (get out you homeless I am deblasio king of the world or at least nyc) before he would get on. Class A A hole to the max. Arghhh and ughhhh.

Sorry for the political threadjack. This is why I don’t like talking politics on ps. I don’t want to offend anyone but omg some things are too ludicrous to believe. And hypocrisy is just the worst imo. Believe in your beliefs but don’t say one thing and behave in the complete opposite way. Yeah. That is DeBlasio to a T.

He’s on the side of whomever benefits him the most. Period.

 

[rocks]

Yes he is truly the worst of them all. I detest him. And he is such a class A (A-hole) hypocrite. Omg remember the subway fiasco? He preaches about how great the subways are and let everyone eat and drink on the moving trains and how safe it is despite no more police presence on them and yada yada yada and then he never takes the train. Except once and he had the police clear the whole car (get out you homeless I am deblasio king of the world or at least nyc) before he would get on. Class A A hole to the max. Arghhh and ughhhh.

Sorry for the political threadjack. This is why I don’t like talking politics on ps. I don’t want to offend anyone but omg some things are too ludicrous to believe. And hypocrisy is just the worst imo. Believe in your beliefs but don’t say one thing and behave in the complete opposite way. Yeah. That is DeBlasio to a T.

He’s on the side of whomever benefits him the most. Period.

How about deblasio's regular trip to his gym in Brooklyn by SUV with police escort? Remember the first thing he did? Extend the wall around Gracie mansion?

 

[missy]

How about deblasio's regular trip to his gym in Brooklyn by SUV with police escort? Remember the first thing he did? Extend the wall around Gracie mansion?

Yup. Too many things to list and that’s another great example of his hypocrisy. Did you hear he’s trying to get a paid position for his wife ? Or perhaps that has already happened. I’m on a news blackout. Too upsetting for me to read or watch the news these days.

 

[rocks]

Yup. Too many things to list and that’s another great example of his hypocrisy. Did you hear he’s trying to get a paid position for his wife ? Or perhaps that has already happened. I’m on a news blackout. Too upsetting for me to read or watch the news these days.

She is busy traveling to elevate her profile. Political aspirations. Just what we need; do you remember early in his first administration he had a staffer who was a friend of his wife, living in nj, with an inmate husband (convicted felon as I recall). Teflon.

Didn't hear about a paid position. Need to research. She is as big a hypocrite as he is.

I didn't always agree with Bloomberg, and still don't, but he was the best mayor i can remember.

 

[missy]

She is busy traveling to elevate her profile. Political aspirations. Just what we need; do you remember early in his first administration he had a staffer who was a friend of his wife, living in nj, with an inmate husband (convicted felon as I recall). Teflon.

Didn't hear about a paid position. Need to research. She is as big a hypocrite as he is.

I didn't always agree with Bloomberg, and still don't, but he was the best mayor i can remember.

We are on the same page completely.

 

[rocks]

I'd take Bloomberg back in a heartbeat; wish his presidential aspirations weren't a pipe dream....

 

[missy]

I'd take him back in a heartbeat; wish his presidential aspirations weren't a pipe dream....

Haha get outta my head girl. So would I. In a heartbeat.

 

[redwood66]

@ILikeShiny that house is lovely and what a statement the columns and rock makes! I love it. Like others said you should have what you want and unsolicited opinions be damned. Too many people don't know how to mind their own business.

 

[BlingDreams]

@ILikeShiny that house is lovely and what a statement the columns and rock makes! I love it. Like others said you should have what you want and unsolicited opinions be damned. Too many people don't know how to mind their own business.

Ha! I'm going to have to practice my retorts. Snarky enough to get the point across and also get them to shut it

We just got back from our lot. We took the dogs there to run around a bit and see if there were any changes. We weren't expecting much because ground won't be broken for another 4-6 months, but it looks like the official surveying was done because there was white tape showing where the driveway will be as well as the boundaries where they can clear trees. We were trying to figure out exactly where the house would sit and what direction/angle it would face, but it wasn't possible. We're going to ask about how far back the tape extends on the property, as we want to keep as many trees back there as possible and it looks like they might be planning to clear more than we'd like. Hopefully the tape is just "no further than here", and not "clear to here".

Anyway, here's a photo from today. The white tape was hard to see so I doodled in some white lines to show you where our driveway will be!

 

[Austina]

Truthfully, our idea of the perfect home is similar to yours. I’d love a 3000-4000sqft home that has top notch trimmings inside even though it’s on the (comparatively) smaller side, with none of the nonsense rooms like “formal dining room” and “formal living room”. Who entertains like that anymore??

We do!

Your home is going to be fabulous @ILikeShiny - who cares what other people think. We had similar comments when we bought our last house, 7 ensuite bedrooms, 2 cloakrooms, people asked why we needed such a big house for 3 of us. I told them we didn’t ‘need’ it, but why not?

 

[rocks]

Ha! I'm going to have to practice my retorts. Snarky enough to get the point across and also get them to shut it

We just got back from our lot. We took the dogs there to run around a bit and see if there were any changes. We weren't expecting much because ground won't be broken for another 4-6 months, but it looks like the official surveying was done because there was white tape showing where the driveway will be as well as the boundaries where they can clear trees. We were trying to figure out exactly where the house would sit and what direction/angle it would face, but it wasn't possible. We're going to ask about how far back the tape extends on the property, as we want to keep as many trees back there as possible and it looks like they might be planning to clear more than we'd like. Hopefully the tape is just "no further than here", and not "clear to here".

Anyway, here's a photo from today. The white tape was hard to see so I doodled in some white lines to show you where our driveway will be!

We can help with the replies. Heaven knows I've had practice with hubby's family. My family on the other hand thinks that we are perfectly normal.

As for the white tape...typically they tape the building site/foundation.

 

[missy]

Ha! I'm going to have to practice my retorts. Snarky enough to get the point across and also get them to shut it

We just got back from our lot. We took the dogs there to run around a bit and see if there were any changes. We weren't expecting much because ground won't be broken for another 4-6 months, but it looks like the official surveying was done because there was white tape showing where the driveway will be as well as the boundaries where they can clear trees. We were trying to figure out exactly where the house would sit and what direction/angle it would face, but it wasn't possible. We're going to ask about how far back the tape extends on the property, as we want to keep as many trees back there as possible and it looks like they might be planning to clear more than we'd like. Hopefully the tape is just "no further than here", and not "clear to here".

Anyway, here's a photo from today. The white tape was hard to see so I doodled in some white lines to show you where our driveway will be!

Very nice! I love that you have so much privacy and open space where you are. We have the opposite lol. But I guess that is our trade off for being on the water unless we were billionaires and could afford to buy a few lots next to us on either side! Oh I wish.

Since we are sharing pics of the exterior of our homes here's our beach house. Neighbors close on either side but we planted trees and shrubbery for privacy. But yeah it would be sweet to buy the neighbor's property on either side of us.




Backyard



at night when the city is lit up it can be super pretty



and since this *is* PS here is the backyard view with Bea popping in bwahaha.



That Bea...Thanks for looking and would love it if others would share pics of the exterior of their lovely homes.

 

[Tekate]

Now there is a classic, beautiful home.. very nice... I love the color.. awesome Missy!!!!!!

Very nice! I love that you have so much privacy and open space where you are. We have the opposite lol. But I guess that is our trade off for being on the water unless we were billionaires and could afford to buy a few lots next to us on either side! Oh I wish.

Since we are sharing pics of the exterior of our homes here's our beach house. Neighbors close on either side but we planted trees and shrubbery for privacy. But yeah it would be sweet to buy the neighbor's property on either side of us.




Backyard



at night when the city is lit up it can be super pretty



and since this *is* PS here is the backyard view with Bea popping in bwahaha.



That Bea...Thanks for looking and would love it if others would share pics of the exterior of their lovely homes.

 

[missy]

Thank you @Tekate! The brick cottage portion is the original 1929 house. 2 bedrooms originally. The prior owners built the addition and though I am not certain of the style this is called we love it. We think they did a wonderful job adding to the house. Our friends call it the Castle home haha. Nevertheless it’s perfect for us and I’m glad we weren’t stuck on a certain style home as my 2 favorite homes are Mid Century Modern and Craftsman and this is neither.

 

[rocks]

Very nice! I love that you have so much privacy and open space where you are. We have the opposite lol. But I guess that is our trade off for being on the water unless we were billionaires and could afford to buy a few lots next to us on either side! Oh I wish.

Since we are sharing pics of the exterior of our homes here's our beach house. Neighbors close on either side but we planted trees and shrubbery for privacy. But yeah it would be sweet to buy the neighbor's property on either side of us.




Backyard



at night when the city is lit up it can be super pretty



and since this *is* PS here is the backyard view with Bea popping in bwahaha.



That Bea...Thanks for looking and would love it if others would share pics of the exterior of their lovely homes.

That is fadtantic! We have acreage, but the water is across the street and our driveway is 1/4 mile long....

 

[missy]

That is fadtantic! We have acreage, but the water is across the street and our driveway is 1/4 mile long....

Thanks rocks! When we sold our last beach house which was not right on the water that was a requirement for me and one of the main reasons we moved to this house. Being right on the water and having sand. For us nothing beats being able to have coffee right there with the sea and the sand in our backyard. It's our little slice of heaven.

 

[Austina]

It’s absolutely lovely @missy, so interesting and characterful looking.

 

[Arcadian]

OMG @rocks come live by meeeeee! I'm surrounded by folks from New York and the Northeast....


I moved mainly because I could work from anywhere with an internet connection, phone and a locked door, and we got sick of paying nearly 10K in taxes. Not to mention what it was doing to my salary base....

I still find the cost of food to be ridiculous down here, + you gotta pay tax on it. However, I do think its novel that there's quite close to me, drive thru liquor stores I've not seen one of those since I lived in the midwest.

 

[missy]

It’s absolutely lovely @missy, so interesting and characterful looking.

Thank you Austina. I hope one day you can visit us there.

 

[rocks]

OMG @rocks come live by meeeeee! I'm surrounded by folks from New York and the Northeast....


I moved mainly because I could work from anywhere with an internet connection, phone and a locked door, and we got sick of paying nearly 10K in taxes. Not to mention what it was doing to my salary base....

I still find the cost of food to be ridiculous down here, + you gotta pay tax on it. However, I do think its novel that there's quite close to me, drive thru liquor stores I've not seen one of those since I lived in the midwest.

Where are you? The taxes here are oppressive. We would be happy with $10k which qualifies us as insane. When hubby retires, we will head south, on or near the water. My parents have an ocean front condo at amelia island. We would like a house on the marsh. Maybe suburban charleston; one of the islands. We need to start getting serious about next steps.

 

[missy]

Where are you? The taxes here are oppressive. We would be happy with $10k which qualifies us as insane

Haha I guess we qualify as insane too because that would be lovely having only 10K in taxes. I didn't want to pry but I also would love to know where @Arcadian lives or at least the general vicinity. I have a feeling it is in a warm climate...I don't do well in the heat.