by Cherise James

Created on: December 16, 2008

Designing your dream home is a wonderful experience, full of hopes, visions and expectations. Like any worthwhile endeavor, it can be crazy-making, annoying and stressful. Whether you intend to sketch a floor plan on a napkin and take it to a professional, draw up a floor plan and facade elevation and take that to a professional, or do all the drawings yourself, here are some tips to help you design a home that will make your dreams come true.

Start by looking for styles you love. Magazines are usually your best source for this step. Begin stopping by the magazine section of the grocery store or book store on a regular basis and looking through the many magazines about homes. A few sessions will probably have you recognizing a style or two that really appeals to you. This will allow you to focus on that style as you begin to design your special home.

You want your habitat to nurture those activities you find fulfilling, that give you peace and hope, that encourage you to meet life. Begin thinking about spaces you need for each family member, storage of household goods, showcasing collections, enjoying family activities, and facilitating hobbies and work. Your dreams for abundant life must match up to your floor plan's features, so become aware of what physical layout will help you fulfill those dreams, and plan extra square footage dedicated to the rooms that foster those dreams. For example, you may want extra space in a master bedroom for a reading/journaling niche, or a large workbench area in the garage. If you love sweeping vistas, give your home large windows that take advantage of the views on the property where you intend to build. If you love to catch the morning sun, give yourself large kitchen windows facing southeast. Also keep in mind the style you are aiming for, since the style usually dictates the number of floors the house should have, how large the windows should be, and whether the house will be formal, casual, or something in between.

It is important that your dream home accommodate the realities of your day to day life, maybe even easing the edges of your day so you have a chance to soak in your home's qualities. You can accomplish this by designing a floor plan that reduces the number of steps between spaces (i.e. a straight shot from garage to kitchen with groceries, or a laundry room in the same area as the bedrooms). And by including rooms especially for the activities that take your time (a craft room for scrapbooking, a computer room

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