La Fortuna, Main Floor

The new house was built in 2000, by introverted people who clearly had a lot of books and knick-knacks.  I conclude this from the evidence:  introversion -- the house is mostly closed off to the neighborhood (a typical snout-house with a two car garage more accessible than the front door, and small windows facing the driveway) and bookish (built-in bookshelves in every room).

The driveway/garages are on the north side of the house -- the south side, facing the wonderful View, is mostly floor-to-ceiling windows.  The front door opens onto a large open room with a stained glass image of a tree and falling leaves; along one interior wall is a floor-to-ceiling, 10 foot wide bookcase.  This room instantly became known as The Tree Room, and it is, for the moment, HomoDommus's study/personal space. The Tree shades the view of the loggia, a large concrete patio inner courtyard with an awning of wisteria.

The Tree Room.  Estimated 10 feet x 10 feet (to the end of the wall).
The great room is beyond the opening.

The bookshelves, actually, are a little odd. They are deep and tall -- 12" at least both ways.  Great for tchotchkes and coffee table books; not so great for paperbacks.  HomoDommus was planning to either take them out and rebuild them, or add sub-shelving -- I'm not sure.  I think they add a lot to the room architecturally, and should be left as is, although I admit I don't know what they'll fill them with.

HomoDommus and The Texan look at the big shelves.

Immediately behind your right elbow as you walk into the house, facing back north, is the dining room.  This is a narrow room and feels more closed in than the Tree Room (which shares the same walls).  It has a little arched doorway into the kitchen, which in the plans was a pocket door (but looks and functions better as just an arch).

The Dining Room

If one walks straight ahead from the front door (walking west-southwest) through the wide archway, one enters the Great Room.  This is really three living spaces, separated by floor and massive bar-height counter.  One space is for casual dining -- under the tiffany lamp on the left (next to big windows looking out at the loggia).  One space is the kitchen (more tomorrow on the kitchen). And the last is the living room.  The windows here look out at the view -- the house is built on so steep a hillside that the yard is about 15 feet below these windows (many steps down from the loggia).

The Great Room.  Note the stairs up, on the right, lined with more of the tall, deep bookshelves.

The Master Suite runs the length of the house on the east side.  Mentally return to the Tree Room (or look back at the pictures above).  Behind the large bookcase is a short hallway to a bare little guest bathroom -- a posh white ceramic basin sink with a faucet and a single tap, all coming directly out of the wall, and a toilet.   (I forgot to photograph -- perhaps the Family will provide one.)  A long blank wall -- probably there was a chest or case there for holding towels and soap.

Girl-Child remembered that when they toured the house a couple weeks ago, the sink had been an artistic one of blue and green turtles. They must have been attached to it; the room is painted dark blue to match -- at least they replaced the artistic sink with a simple, but sophisticated white basin.

If you turn south (right) from the bookcase in the Tree Room, away from the guest bathroom, you will enter the Master Suite.  Here again, large windows overlook the loggia, on two angles. FemmeDommi's Library is south of the bedroom, with a door directly onto the patio.  HomoDommus will be taking out half the bookcase in that room, so there will be room for a chaise under the south window.

The Master Bedroom with Library beyond.

On the north side of the Master Bedroom is an extended bathroom (shower stall separate from soaking tub, toilet behind the door, his and hers sinks).  And beyond that, a huge walk-in closet with miles of shelving and coat rails, and one small window facing north.   This is the same window on the left of the photo of the house from the street behind it.  There is no fan in the closet (and I didn't see one in the bathroom) -- my guess is that Boise is so dry, they don't need to worry about moisture and mildew.

Master Bath, and closet beyond.

The tub may or may not be a whirlpool.  The Teenager volunteered to take two baths a week without complaint, if they could be in the tub. His offer was accepted with more alacrity than he expected.