Isabella & Max Rooms: Oh, Which House Would You Pick?!

Sunday evening I attended this years Street of Dreams in Portland, arriving as late in the day as I thought I could get away with (with family in tow) in attempt to avoid the crowds. My husband I thought it'd be fun to take in the event as a date, but the kids would have none of that. They love a good house tour (fantasy house hunt) as much as their mother...oh, they do me proud!

Get ready for one long post! Today I'm showing you two houses, one my family voted as the one they would buy, if we were looking (and looking in this price range) and the other I selected. I couldn't do a thing to convince them to change their minds, but in the end I think they actually got me over to their side.?

House 1:

This house surprised me, looking at the floor plan before the show I wasn't that taken with it. But once inside, it proved to be amazingly cozy and welcoming with an absolutely fantastic flow. A staircase near the?master and a second on the other side of the first floor off the kitchen made moving through the rooms a breeze with everything very accessible. And then there were the details. Millwork, and more fabulous millwork, lighting from Rejuvenation Hardware throughout and a soothing and sophisticated ?color palette of whites, creams and grays.

The barrel vaulted ceiling had me at first glance into this home, which paid a lot of attention to its architectural details throughout.

A hallway is not left to be simply a passageway. From below...

...and above.

The kitchen was not over the top, but beautiful with classic detailing.

An outdoor space off a studio looking down to the covered entertaining area off the kitchen.

The master suite was striking with a checkerboard grasscloth on the headboard wall, and a stunning bathroom beyond.

A tub tucked perfectly into a little nook.

And it seems a washer and dryer are all the rage in master walk-in closets.

Leaving the master, turning to the right was the staircase to the upper floor. I loved the floor tile and the abundance of paneled walls.

Details add up, a recessed area at the top of the stairs to feature a piece of artwork.

Upstairs bath, classic and timeless.

The upstairs family room slash media room featured a curved wall of windows, a beamed ceiling...

gorgeous bar...

...and stairs leading back down to the kitchen.

Like I said, this floorplan was fantastic, making the home feel cozy and?livable.

And back out the front door where a cluster of fixtures made quite the statement.?

I didn't want to leave.

House 2:

Now this was the house that looked great on paper, I simply adored the placement of the pantry, butler's pantry and mudroom with pass through to the pantry. How brilliant is that??

Somehow, despite taking hundreds of photos, I didn't end up with a great shot of the exterior of house two.

Upon entering there was a handsome studio with plank flooring and grasscloth walls.

But straight ahead was the one of the best features of this home, the family room opening up to the outdoor entertaining area...

...which naturally was covered. It's Oregon after all, we want to be outdoors more than the couple of months a year it doesn't rain!

Off the outdoor area, adjacent to the family room was the dining room, separated but open to the kitchen with a pass through. Loved this.

Such cheerful tile!

A generous pantry with a second refrigerator.

From the pantry looking back through the kitchen to the family room.

But on the other side of the pantry wall sat the mudroom with a pass through for groceries...

...just off the garage. Isn't this just the best space planning, this would be sooooo convenient!

Through a second butlers pantry into the morning room.

The master was not my favorite room, but I liked the bathroom.?

Broken into a few smaller spaces it had a cozy feel, and I liked the brown tile.

The closet? Wow. It went on forever...

...complete with washer and dryer.

More cheerful tile in yellows in the kid's upstairs bath.

And back to the kitchen, such a fantastic space in this house!

Which one would you select?

And if you didn't guess, I was wild over the look and feel of the first house. It simply had an elegant and chic look which was special. But my family was crazy over house two with it's main floor living spaces and access to the backyard...so in the end I had to agree with them. If we were really house hunting we'd be moving into house number two!

And can you believe there were FIVE more homes?!?

One including the cutest little cottage in the backyard of a Tudor style home. More later in the week!

Source: http://blog.houseoffifty.com/2012/07/oh-which-house-would-you-pick.html

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