Readers’ dream features for the home: What’s yours?

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The other day, Yahoo! Homes ran a CNBC story on luxury homes with bold features. It got us wondering: If money (and maybe taste) were no object, what would you include in your home? A slide, like pro poker player Phil Galfond had installed in his Manhattan penthouse? A retractable glass atrium "allowing for unlimited stargazing and sea breezes" (pictured), or perhaps a "jungle in which you can catch fresh fish for dinner" -- both of which CNBC's complete slideshow featured?

We posed the question on our Facebook page, and I've also looked through the comments on the original story. Here's an edited wishlist:

  • A fitness center with all the perks.

  • A koi pond with a water feature.

  • Beautiful paintings with a secret: big-screen TVs behind them.

  • "I have always wanted a drinking fountain."

  • A big library with tall shelves, plenty of natural light, a grand piano at the center, and comfortable seating.

  • A foam pit, like the ones at gymnastics facilities.

  • An indoor basketball court with cameras mounted behind the hoops to analyze jump shots.

  • A hammock in front of a big window.

  • "If I had money like that to blow, then I wouldn't buy someone else's dream house, I'd build my own."

  • A batting cage.

  • A home theater with 3D projectors.

  • "I just want more closet space, and a new kitchen floor."

  • "A simple cabin out in the wild with a root cellar is all I need."

  • "I want a clock tower, a slide, some secret rooms and fancy old-fashioned wood paneling!"

  • "I have one decadent luxury in my home: a heated light in the bathroom so when I get out of the shower in the winter I'm not freezing cold. It costs about $10 a month to run every evening in the cold months, but it's worth it."

  • "I always wanted a giant swing hung from the tallest part of the ceiling in the middle of a room."

  • "If I were to overdo it, I would have a penthouse in New York City with a pool on the top floor (hopefully totally unobstructed views) with grass and trees growing."

  • "I saw a house with a fish tank as the headboard. That would be nice."

  • "My dream house has a wrap-around porch for entertaining."

  • "If I had a kajillion dollars, my home would have a design reminiscent of a gothic castle, but with solar panels. It would be full of secret passageways leading to hidden gardens, swimming pools, and hideouts. Maybe a small menagerie. I would have a small, long-term, trusted staff to keep the place running, and I would host down-on-their-luck families a few at a time so their kids could explore and play. And I would deck the place out in Christmas lights from November to February. For Halloween, I would host the most kickass haunted house parties in the region. I would have either cats or free-roaming peafowl. Probably not both, since I don't know how well cats and peafowl get along."

  • "A water slide from my bedroom to the pool!"

  • "I'd want a stainless steel kitchen (cleans easier)."

  • And, of course, that amazing slide.

One thing that struck me about readers' dream features was that they seemed relatively modest -- and maybe not totally out of reach. I'm hoping to talk to some contractors and designers about how much space and money a homeowner would need to execute some of these -- so if you're in the business and you want to provide a shameless plug for yourself, please email yahoohomes@yahoo-inc.com; comment here or on our Facebook page; or message us on Twitter @YahooHomes.

Even better: If you have photos of a really imaginative dream-fulfilling project, either as a professional or as the lucky beneficiary, we would LOVE it if you'd add them to our Flickr group.