What makes a house a home?

For the more than 30 years that we’ve been married, we’ve lived in eleven different houses and apartments. Out of these many places, only two really felt like “home” to us; our cute little New England “saltbox” in Chappaqua, New York, and our current “tract home” in Park City. No residence is ever perfect, and between location, views, privacy, convenience, design, functionality, style and charm, there are only a few magical elements that can transform a house into a true home we become attached to. I believe that it’s very hard to ever find or build the true “ideal house.” There always will be something that isn't right or a few features that are sorely lacking and have ways to remind us every now and then. When we bought it, our current abode was intended to be a lodging of transition while we would build yet another “dream home.” Well, just after we moved in, we fell in love with its simple neighborhood and its compact size perfect for just two people; we then started to change a few things here and there, and before we knew it, we had improved the house so much that today it would be hard for us to leave it without having a much better alternative. Yes, we’re always open for something newer and much improved, but we’re in no hurry and we know that rare finds always take time…