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Friday, July 26, 2013

Unconventional Choices for a Migraine Friendly Home

As my husband and I have been picking out various options for our new house I've come to realize my migraines and I run contrary to conventional wisdom. We've passed on a whole lot of "desirable" options on account of my deep pragmatism and sensitivities.

In the bathroom we could have upgraded to a garden tub and separate shower. This would have also given us a big window above the tub. Not wanting the big bright window in the bathroom, which I would just need to cover anyway, we went ahead and opted for the standard tub/shower combo, which means we also get a linen closet. Plus, we kept the standard one piece tub/shower instead of upgrading to tile. These one piece fiberglass and plastic tubs are SO MUCH easier to clean. Tile may have a nice aesthetic but it's a constant battle to keep the mold out of the grout. No thanks.

In the kitchen we passed on the conventional wisdom that says cherry cabinets are the high end choice. That cherry color is hard to match with other decor and, frankly, I just prefer brown or black. They also offered us a upgrade to a beautiful hanging light fixture right above the sink, but that puts the light just above my eyes creating a migraine nightmare. The standard kitchen would them provide a built in microwave above the stove. That's what we have now and I hate it. As nice as it is to have the microwave off the counter whenever I cook, which is all the time, the microwave gets all wet with steam and the venting off the microwave never works right. Instead I opted for a simple hood, which was actually a savings.

We then had the option to put bay windows in the dining room and the master bedroom but opted instead for the standard sliding glass door in the dining room and the two smaller windows in the master bedroom. Bay windows let in more light and would just be so much harder and more expensive to cover up. The daily battle I have with extreme light sensitivity makes covering the windows a must. They will be covered 95% of the time so bay windows would just be craziness.

We may not be making popular choices here but we will have a practical, migraine friendly home and that is exciting to me.



1 comment:

  1. Well Dear, your health and pain levels are far more important than some fancy upgrades. You made very wise decisions. I will take Fiberglass over Tile any day. Your so right....much easier to clean. Anything with low maintenance and less cleaning....I am all for it. So exciting to be building a home and specifically designed for things to be better accommodating to your own needs.

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