[710] That Aparment in Paris

Back in 2009 when my folks took me with them to a European vacation we spent a few days in an apartment Paris. My mom got this through a website, and I can't really remember the details. All I can remember is that the apartment was located on a street parallel to Rue Mouffetard. I think the street was Rue Lhomond.

The moment I stepped in that apartment I fell in love with it. We arrived in the morning and we were greeted by the owner and her professional cleaner (who happened to be Filipina). They were finishing up the final touches in the apartment when we arrived, I guess they weren't expecting us that early.

It's been a while since I last thought about that apartment. I don't even know why I suddenly thought about it again. That apartment is one of my dream homes. Not necessarily that specifically but the design. It is such a beautiful and practical home.

It is a rectangular house, with a second floor loft. Once you enter the door (located in the middle of the width of the house) to the left is a kitchen and the toilet. To the right is the dining table, a sofa-bed and the television. Obviously I took that spot. There is a narrow L-stairway located at the left-most part of the house that leads to the second floor loft.

The entrance and a quaint little reading area.

The kitchen area.

This wall separated the "living room" from the kitchen.

The toilet area, right beside the kitchen.

That's the sofa bed I slept on, and to the right is the dining table.

My little area in the apartment.

Other details, the second floor loft has two wide windows that open to see the first floor. The main doorway also has floor to ceiling windows. When you get out of the apartment you come out to a lovely courtyard.

View of the bedroom and the entrance to the bath area from the first floor.

Upon getting to the second-floor you enter the "library" or common area. At the time there was a mattress on the floor for my folks to sleep in.Beyond that room is the only bedroom, where the friends of my folks who were travelling with us slept, and located inside is the shower room and a washing machine.

View upon getting to the loft.

My folks' sleeping area.

Downstairs view from the bedroom loft.

Washing machine, sink, bathtub.

The only issue I have with this design is that the bath area is inside the bedroom. Assuming I copy the design I'd rather have the bath area in a more accessible place. Also maybe I'd try to convert the second-floor common area into another bedroom instead for my daughter. Aside from that I love that house.

Why am I suddenly posting this? I just remembered this house and I tried remembering all I could about it. I'm also posting some photos I took of the apartment. I just regret not being able to take photos of the exterior of the apartment and the courtyard. Oh well.

Maybe for my next post I'll be reminiscing about the apartment we stayed at in Rome. That was another apartment I loved.

Out.

My Current Dream (Tiny) House

Ever since I became aware of them around 2012 or 2013, my fascination with tiny houses has grown.

Something about being able to live in such a small, economical, practical, and energy-efficient abode attracted me, the same way I am attracted to small, economical, practical cars.

The show "Tiny House Nation" shown on FYI helped fan the flames of curiosity I have, to the point that my current dream house is now a tiny house.

I know it will be a big challenge to live in such a small place. The bedroom where my wife, my daughter, and I currently stay at is about the size of a (really) tiny house. For my dream house, I was thinking of a floor area of around 30 square meters, or around 322 square feet.

Based on what I have seen on television and the internet, that would be a pretty big tiny house. The difference with this dream house I want is that I don't want it to be mobile. If this dream was achieved in the Philippines I'd rather have it built on the ground with a solid foundation.

So what would my tiny dream house have?

1. Two sleeping lofts. One for my wife and I, and another for my daughter and any future children. My biggest concern here is how to climb both. Do I go with one "full-size" staircase and a ladder? Or should there be two ladders? The problem with ladders is when my wife and I get older we could have problems going up to sleep.
2. A sloped roof, where solar panels would be placed. This would provide additional power for the house, and maybe heat our water. Also, I never was a fan of the gabled roofs commonly seen in Tiny House Nation.
3. The kitchen would have at least two burners or induction stoves, an oven, a good sink, a decent sized counter for prep, and a big refrigerator. Maica and I love to cook, and so we need a place where we can relax. The kitchen is that place.
4. The bathroom would have a faucet-shower combo, a toilet (I don't think I can handle a composting toilet yet), and a slightly deep sink where we can wash clothes. It doesn't have to be big. I was imagining it to be around 2 meters long by 1.4 meters wide. Oh, and it should have a tabo, or dipper.
5. A sofa bed. This would be in the common area, and the purpose is for guests or for Maica and I when we get older.
6. A self-cleaning fish tank. The link at the previous sentence was a Kickstarter project I became aware of a few years ago, and I was impressed. We'd get a small herb garden, and we would be able to care for a pet fish as well. I wouldn't mind having a dog in the house but he/she might not fit.

These are some of the things I've thought about having for my tiny dream house. I admit I currently have no idea how to achieve this dream, but I will still keep this dream alive. And update it to whatever taste I have as of that moment.

Out.