Playing real estate

We are not in the market for real estate for three reasons:

1. We just had a wedding (happine$$!)
2. We just put one of our cars out to pasture and got something new with a warranty (now known as the Best. Word. Ever.)
3. We don't know where we're going to live happily ever yet. Hint: it's probably not here.

So for all these reasons and more, it makes sense to rent. We love our apartment and love our neighborhood even more, and have nothing to complain about. But all that said... it's still really fun to look at our options. A favorite habit is looking at places with a completely different design sensibility than our own and imagining it infused with our character. Yesterday, we were in the mood to play real estate, and promptly fell in love with two places that couldn't be more different from each other. (As you'll soon see, we have a lot of big life questions to figure out before we buy... which part of the country to buy in is only the tip of the iceberg.)


Option A: The High Roller

This brand-new high rise is so stunning inside, it has to be seen to be believed. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer sweeping views of downtown Dallas that put every other showcase view I've ever seen of this city to shame. The entire interior of the building is designed by Philippe Starck - from the biggies down to your bathroom's hand towel hooks. An outrageous owners' room opens up to the pool, outfitted with a full catering kitchen, fireplace, lounge furniture, and more. And oh, the pool! Plus, full-on urbanity right outside the building. And one more time... the views! The patios! The ability to pre-game before hopping across the street to a game or a concert! Just amazing. The following rendering does absolutely nothing to suggest the luxury of this place:



Option B: The Oasis

My favorite kind of house - it looks small and unassuming from the outside and is a world unto its own inside. Currently owned by an adorable gay couple having a major love affair with all things Louis XV, the mind has to strip it down to really see it as it could be, with fewer ostentatious antiques and more of our humor. Perfectly sized rooms, one leading to the next. Completely calming inside, with big windows that fill every room with light. A true cook's kitchen... I would be in heaven in there. A cozy little office. A steam shower. A backyard that would breathe life into even the biggest hermit's capacity for outdoor entertaining. An intimate pool. A small guest house/studio. Space to garden. Still walkable to all the walkable destinations in our current neighborhood, but its own little world. Whereas The High Roller invigorates you when you step inside, The Oasis makes you take a deep breath and slow down. Sigh...


Gotta figure out this life stuff so we play this game for real.