📙 Part 2: Describe an ideal house or apartment

This episode's vocabulary

Block (noun) - a square group of buildings or houses with roads on each side.

Viable (adj.) - able to work as intended or able to succeed.

Handy (adj.) - useful or convenient.

Out and about (idiom) - active; doing the things you usually do.

Interior design (noun) - the art of planning the decoration of the inside of a building such as a house or office.

To envisage (verb) - to imagine or expect something in the future, especially something good.

Open-plan (adj.) - an open-plan room or building has few or no walls inside, so it is not divided into smaller rooms.

Setup (noun) - the way in which something is organized.

Cramped (adj.) - not having enough space or time.

To confine (verb) - to keep someone closed in a place, often by force.

To adjust (verb) - to change something slightly, especially to make it more correct, effective, or suitable.

Exterior (noun) - the outside part of something or someone.

Dilapidated (adj.) - old and in poor condition.

Colour scheme (noun) - a combination of colours that has been chosen for a particular room.

Explicit (adj.) - clear and exact.

Beyond/within the realm of possibility (idiom) - impossible/possible.

Outlandish (adj.) - strange and unusual and difficult to accept or like.

Questions and Answers

R: Well, this is a great task actually, because I've been thinking about buying a house and where it should be and all the design aspects involved. Ideally, I'd really like an apartment of my own as part of a larger block. Since that would really help me save on heating, especially if it's on the upper levels. Another reason for my choice is that I'd like to be close to the centre of town, and an apartment is pretty much the only economically viable option. Townhouses are, well, a fortune. And frankly, a complete waste of money if it's just me by myself. Plus, I have better access to transport links, which is really handy for getting out and about. As for the exact location, I think ultimately it will be in Dundee, since I'm used to, well, living here. And it's close to my friends and family. And, well, they would largely live nearby. I'd like it to have two bedrooms since even though I'd be living by myself, it would be great for my friends who live abroad to come and stay in. And I doubt they'd appreciate having to, well, just crash on a couch. I'm fine with that sort of thing. But I think it's nicer if you have your own room, to be honest. When it comes to interior design, I already mentioned the bedroom situation, but I envisage it having a lot of decorations, not just in terms of photographs and pictures, but also framed artefacts and objects that I've picked up over the years. I have this huge collection of shirts and scarves from around the world, that I think would look great on the walls, especially when combined with all the various bits and pieces I've been presented with. I'm hoping for a more open-plan setup, when it comes to the kitchen and living room. My friends have that sort of thing in their homes. And I think it makes the place feel less cramped and confined in addition to opening up opportunities for decoration and adjusting the furniture. As for the exterior, I'm not sure that's a big deal. Or at least it's not as big a deal as the inside. Of course, it shouldn't be dirty or dilapidated. But other than that, all I would ask for and expect is that there is a consistent external design and colour scheme. Which is up to the architects, but it doesn't seem to be asking too much. I think it's pretty much standard. I think I've talked a lot about why it's perfect for me. But to be more explicit, I find all these arrangements convenient, not outside the realm of possibility since I'm quite a reasonable person and I don't like anything too outlandish, like a pool or a massive fish tank or anything like that. Just a space where I can sleep and work and entertain myself and others with ease is enough. Hopefully, it's not asking too much.

M: And have you talked to other people about this one?

R: Not recently, no.

M: Thank you, Rory, for your story!