Dan Brown's Mansion / Brief Tour

Ken · May 25, 2013

... something I definitely would NOT want myself:

"When Brown returns home, it's to a place a lot like his novels."

Something I would DEFINITELY want myself:

"The office in which he writes is hidden behind a painting. Several secret passages can be found in just the library (or the Fortress of Gratitude, as Brown calls it; it holds editions of his books in more than 50 languages)."

... except for the books in different languages.
Only knowing one, they wouldn't be of much use to me ;-)

The link:

http://homes.yahoo.com/blogs/spaces/da-vinci-code-author-dan-brown-house-exactly-180438425.html

ps Do you ever fantasize about your dream home?
Mine would have a library. An oak one.
And a pool -- with a small island where I could write!
And puppy to play fetch with ^..^
So lots of land as well.

Siri Kirpal · May 25, 2013

Sat Nam! (Literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

Cool! Thanks so much for the link!

I used to dream of building a house. What I drew varied over time.

Nowadays we live in a forest, but close to friends and culture and natural food stores. My writing room has a view of treetops. I'd like more book space--lots more book space--but other than that, this is as close to my dream house as I'll get.

BTW, you wouldn't want your books translated into 50 languages? I would, even if I could only read the English version.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

jjdebenedictis · May 25, 2013

I would totally love a house (well, a castle, preferably) with secret passages!

I adore that house. I'd seriously buy that--if, y'know, I were a rich author also.

rainsmom · May 25, 2013

Secret passages/rooms would be fantastic! I would love to have my own space that was completely secret.

When I was a kid, I used to design my dream homes... they ended up being apartments over elaborate barns. Horses rule! These days I prefer to keep the ponies as naturally as possible, so I don't have much need for an elaborate barn. Now my dream home is all about lots and lots of very private property. The house itself would probably be fairly small with tons of character.

CJ Knightrey · May 25, 2013

Oh my, I want that house. It's so awesome, I wish I had the money to get someone to build me a house like that!

Deleted member 42 · May 25, 2013

All I could thing about is what a PITA heating a stone house in Winter in New Hampshire.

Susan Coffin · May 25, 2013

Interesting. That would be fun having a home with secret passages...a secret writing room would be great, too.

Old Hack · May 25, 2013

My house is much better. For a start, it's real-old, not fake-old, and it doesn't have ugly brick-built fireplaces: it has proper stone ones, one of which is taller than I am. My house also has a couple of hidden passageways in the cellars, and we have stables.

However, my house is also part-derelict and has no mains services.

Medi, is New Hampshire as bad as South Yorkshire when it comes to weather? You've seen pictures of the snow we get up here on the moors. Our house has stone walls a couple of feet thick and they absorb the heat, and then radiate it back out at us over the hours: it's almost like living in a giant storage heater.

Ken · May 25, 2013

Siri Kirpal said:
BTW, you wouldn't want your books translated into 50 languages?

... never gonna happen, but yeah; it would be great having my as yet unpub'd trove translated into other languages!

I still wouldn't want to own copies.
I took French for 7 years in JHS and high school and it was a torment.
Just couldn't learn the language try as I might.
As a result I've developed a near phobia of foreign languages,
while maintaining awe for those who are multilingual.
(If I was able, I'd love to learn Russian.)

ps Neat idea about designing one, Rainsmom.
I may give that a go from time to time.
At least I can have a dream home on paper!

gothicangel · May 25, 2013

Old Hack said:
My house is much better. For a start, it's real-old, not fake-old, and it doesn't have ugly brick-built fireplaces: it has proper stone ones, one of which is taller than I am. My house also has a couple of hidden passageways in the cellars, and we have stables.

I agree with OH. My flat in Stirling was perfect, it was dated from 1906, and had all the original features including fireplace in every bedroom (my room had been the 'maid's room'), outside wash-house and cornice complete with rose in the reception room.

I was just offered a job with English Heritage this week, so I need to find a place in the Warkworth area of Northumberland. My dream house would be a stone-built cottage, preferably with a bit of history too it, and some land would be the icing on the cake.

Deleted member 42 · May 25, 2013

Old Hack said:
Medi, is New Hampshire as bad as South Yorkshire when it comes to weather? You've seen pictures of the snow we get up here on the moors. Our house has stone walls a couple of feet thick and they absorb the heat, and then radiate it back out at us over the hours: it's almost like living in a giant storage heater.

It's a bit colder and wetter but very similar, inland. The mountains, in the north are extreme (think snow in July as quite possible). The coast has winter and lots of snow, but the temperature tends to be milder.

The food's better in Yorkshire though . . .

Old Hack · May 25, 2013

You've not had my cooking yet, darling.

Deleted member 42 · May 25, 2013

Old Hack said:
You've not had my cooking yet, darling.

You haven't been exposed to the horror known as a New England Boiled Dinner.

Old Hack · May 25, 2013

It sounds suspiciously like the meals of my childhood. Those which didn't come out of a can, that is.

Deleted member 42 · May 25, 2013

Old Hack said:
It sounds suspiciously like the meals of my childhood. Those which didn't come out of a can, that is.

A can would quite possibly be an improvement, depending on the cook and the meat source.

waylander · May 25, 2013

Medievalist said:
The food's better in Yorkshire though . . .

So is the beer.

victoriajakes · May 25, 2013

I live in New Orleans and I love to drive past the house where Anne Rice wrote The Witching Hour. It's so beautiful and gothic and inspirational. If I ever make the big money, I would love to buy a mansion in the Garden District just like hers.

And build a crazy castle with secret passageways in backwoods Massachusetts.

And a beach shack in the Caribbean.

I like to dream big.

Mr Flibble · May 25, 2013

Medievalist said:
All I could thing about is what a PITA heating a stone house in Winter in New Hampshire.

Oh, I don't know, they manage well enough in Scotland with those stone houses (which keep in heat better than brick, unless you have the old cavity wall insulation)

My son has told me we aren't allowed to move unless we move somewhere with a secret passage...I'd settle for a library with one of those stairs on wheels things and a big leather armchair in front of a fire. Butler optional.

(think snow in July as quite possible)

On eof my American customers this week mentioned she was all prepared for a British summer when she moved over here - and then in snowed in July and she

dangerousbill · May 25, 2013

Ken said:
"The office in which he writes is hidden behind a painting. Several secret passages can be found in just the library (or the Fortress of Gratitude, as Brown calls it; it holds editions of his books in more than 50 languages)."

He's also hired a secret society of insane priests to chase him and try to kill him.

frimble3 · May 25, 2013

I'm thinking it wouldn't be that hard to retro-fit a secret passage if you really wanted one, and had a largish room in a large house to put one in.
Pick a wall between two rooms, and build out a false wall, about 3 feet out from the original. Hide a door in the rooms at either end, in a closet perhaps, and there you are.

: )

Ken · May 25, 2013

frimble3 said:
I'm thinking it wouldn't be that hard to retro-fit a secret passage if you really wanted one, and had a largish room in a large house to put one in.
Pick a wall between two rooms, and build out a false wall, about 3 feet out from the original. Hide a door in the rooms at either end, in a closet perhaps, and there you are.

: )

... neat idea.
But you do have to be careful about overdoing that.
It could compromise the building's structure.
Ideally, if you remove a beam,
you should make some sort of alternate reinforcement to play it safe.
(Maybe a crossbeam?)

:Lecture:

@ dangerousbill
One thing's sure.
If he was being chased,
he'd have no problem eluding capture with all those passageways!

Racey · May 25, 2013

Oh this is awesome! Really.
I would love some secret passageways, including one with a writing space. Right now, my writing space is a tiny desk in my room.. not very secret or cool :Shrug:

jjdebenedictis · May 25, 2013

frimble3 said:
I'm thinking it wouldn't be that hard to retro-fit a secret passage if you really wanted one, and had a largish room in a large house to put one in.
Pick a wall between two rooms, and build out a false wall, about 3 feet out from the original. Hide a door in the rooms at either end, in a closet perhaps, and there you are.

Slightly tangential, but...

Someone my husband knows has this monstrously large house. It was built to look monstrous and large (and ostentatious), but the house would also have had slightly more square footage than the city bylaws allowed.

So they built a room into it that has no entrance. It's just a dead space within the house that eats up floor space so the house is legal despite being bigger than the city wanted to allow.

A room in your house no one knows about or can get into--I've always thought there was a really scary book idea lurking in that premise.

Old Hack · May 25, 2013

Ken said:
... neat idea.
But you do have to be careful about overdoing that.
It could compromise the building's structure.
Ideally, if you remove a beam,
you should make some sort of alternate reinforcement to play it safe.
(Maybe a crossbeam?)

If you were only creating a passageway by building a new wall, you wouldn't have to remove any beams or braces. The only issue would be putting that new door into the existing wall, which would require a lintel (in stone- and brick-built houses) which isn't too big a job to sort out.

I love playing with buildings. We've done all sorts here: turned staircases round, rearranged (non-supporting!) walls, moved windows... right now we're renovating an old bedroom, and the attic above it, to create a split-level bedroom for our youngest son. It's looking so good now that I am tempted to take it for my own!

Raindrop · May 26, 2013

I'd like to have my own room for writing, with a large bay window looking into the back garden. The garden would have a grotto, secret twists and turns, and aromatic herbs.

There'd be a forest nearby so that I could go for a run or for a walk easily. I already have that, and I really can't see myself living far from the trees again.

Dan Brown's Mansion / Brief Tour

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