I have your floors also. I think they are stunning and I have cats. But I wouldn't complain because it is easy enuf to clean them - easier than keeping wall to wall carpet clean when you have pets. The beautifu floor makse me want to do something really pretty for the curtains. I havn't played with new curtains in years. I don't have your high ceilings and windows. They are outstanding. I hope you keep this look for a long time. You nailed it.

auntjen - I never heard that joke, but I have to share something similar. I am a teacher and a substitute who is also a friend mentioned she saw someone that knew me. She couldn't recall his name. After asking her what he looked like and anything else she could tell me about him, she frustratingly says, "You know...the blind guy!!!" I sat there for a minute, wondering who do I know that is blind. The only person I could think of was my roommate from college's father, but they live 2 hours away. So, I said to her, "I don't know anyone that's blind from around here." She says hysterically, "No, he's the blind guy, he was at my house measuring my windows." I knew exactly who she was talking about. We cracked up for quite some time. To answer the OP: I'd throw on a bra (I clean in the pjs too!) and baseball cap. I could care less what I look like for someone I don't know. I'd probably grab an empty laundry basket...if I can find one, and throw anything that is left out, (which is usually a lot in our 1500sf shoe box with no basement and 3 kids 4, 7, and 10) in there and toss it in the playroom. Lori

I was reluctant to buy our first house which the realtors called Hidden Hollow. It was a small cape on 5 gorgeous acres 45 miles from NYC. I grew to love it. 22 years later we were ready to move and I found our current house on a day when DH was traveling. I fell madly in love with the house and the land. DH came to see it and picked it apart. There was an oil stain on the garage floor and assorted other "problems" that he could find. Finally he said that since he had kind of pushed me into our first house he would sacrifice and purchase this house. The house is now called "Billy's Sacrifice." I made a sign. He truly loves the house now. The sign is hidden in the trees.

I built my dream home. Not my fantasy home, but as Jan speaks of, my realistic dream home. What was important to myself and my DH. Not the fantasy. I joke that I always dreamed of sit down dinners in a formal dining room. However my reality is that my entertaining style is buffet and indoor/outdoor entertaining so we built our house to accomodate that. No separate dining room. My dream was a walk in laundry but nowadays anything that has a stain on it gets a spray of Spray and Wash and gets thrown in the machine and then goes into the dryer. No fussing with laundry for us so we have our laundry in our hallway to our bedroom behind closed cabinets. My studio is large but that's because I'm a professional artist. DH's office is smaller because he doesn't need as large a space. Plus my space doubles as a third bedroom with a pull out couch if needed. (In the 3 years we've been here, we needed it a total of 3 nights.) Our guest bedroom has a Murphy bed and doubles as an exercise room. It's right sized and there is no separate bathroom for only the guest bedroom. I have no interest in cleaning a bathroom that will be used once in a blue moon so the guest bedroom and my studio share a hall bathroom. None of my guests have ever complained! And many have come back to visit second and third times. And would be back for more except for Covid. My point being, really think about how you actually live and how you will live once you're retired and build accordingly. Not your fantasy.