What do you Love about your home?

As architects and designers, we know the feeling of walking into a home and falling in love. A space can capture us and bring out a wide array of emotions. In honor of Valentine’s Day, we asked our staff what they love about their home.

Donna A. – Location, location, location, I love my home’s location. It’s walkable, amenity rich and safe. The sun orientation and abundant windows create a light, bright interior – a personal must along with the functional, open plan and cozy spaces.

Anthony F. – I love the two doors that open into my boys’ bedroom – one into the living room and one into the hall. It creates a loop and lets us run ‘round in rowdy circles.

Tiffany E. – LOCATION. LOCATION. LOCATION. I love that I can open my front door on a Saturday morning and hear competitive spectators cheering their children on at Lions Field. On any given day I can cross the street and choose whether I want to endure an excruciating hour of climbing the newly installed stairs at Hillcrest Park or play my own personal game of Frogger by dodging mountain bikers as I run through the Fullerton loop. Everything is walking distance.

Daniel G. – The quality of light plus privacy. We live in an Eichler home in the Fairhaven tract in Orange. The courtyard and transparency of our house make it wonderful to inhabit. Also, while there is only one tiny window facing the street, the back wall is mostly glass, encouraging indoor-outdoor living. We are truly blessed.

Adam G. – I love that it is where I find my family every day.

Scott N. – We had the opportunity to remodel our backyard last year and incorporate a pool/ bbq and seating area. The best part was using the technology available to us (AutoCAD, SketchUp, and virtual reality) to see the space in 3D, before committing to such a big investment. Being able to truly design the space to fit our lifestyle increased the usable square footage of our home. This has now become a space that we utilize on a daily basis.

Dinna M. – I love that my home gets abundant natural light in all the rooms. It’s not a big home but the brightness makes it seem more spacious, open, comfortable, and inviting.

Abigail B. – My bed. After a long day, nothing is better than getting warm under a bunch of blankets with a bunch of my pillows in my bed.

Kerry S. – I love hearing my kids’ laughter upstairs be amplified down our high-ceilinged central stair well, filling our home and the downstairs living areas.

Julia M. – My family inside of it because they are the best features of the house. I like the two-story volume too, that welcomes you as you enter the front door. It’s light, bright, and spacious. 😉

Jeremy L. – It’s a single-story home without stairs – we’ve lived there for (12) years. Ease of use, climate control and maintenance both inside and out are just some of the reasons why we will never again live in a house with more than one level.

Mark Re. – I love the Southeast rear exposure to get the bright morning sun and yet be in the shade in late afternoon.

Jessie P. – Backyard! It was our #2 priority in buying a home. We wanted a place to get outside and enjoy fresh air, and also some room to breathe in crowded SoCal….

While the answers vary, many of the responses included three environmental themes: location, natural lighting, and indoor/outdoor connections. However, another common answer had nothing to do with design – it was the people who fill the house that make it a home. Being able to come home to children laughing or the ones you love outweighs many of our favorite design elements. We work in an amazing industry that allows us to design places where people can create lifelong memories.