nián zhōng wǒ men yǒu le zì jǐ de yī tào fáng zi

2016年中，我们有了自己的一套房子

In mid-2016, we got a house of our own

jiù zhè lǐ de píng

就这里的50平

This is only 50 m2 here

fáng zi gé jú bù zhèng shì yī gè shàn xíng

房子格局不正，是一个扇形

The house is out of shape and is a fan shape

suī rán yǒu yī gè hěn dà de mǐ gāo de chuāng hù

虽然有一个很大的2米高的窗户

Although there is a big 2 meter high window

què shì wǒ men zhěng gè fáng jiān wéi yī de cǎi guāng de guāng yuán

却是我们整个房间唯一的采光的光源

It is the only light source in our whole room

nián wǒ hé wǒ lǎo gōng yǎo yǎo yá

2015年，我和我老公咬咬牙

In 2015, my husband and I gritted our teeth

mǎi xià le zhè tào xué qū fáng

买下了这套学区房

And bought this house nearby a school

shǐ yòng miàn jī zhǐ yǒu píng mǐ

使用面积只有76平米

Its usable area is only 76 m2

zuì dà de tè diǎn jiù shì tā de céng gāo bǐ jiào gāo

最大的特点就是它的层高比较高

The most special about the house is that the ceiling is quite high

wǒ men xī wàng zài zhè gè jiā lǐ

我们希望在这个家里

We wish to provide our child more space

gěi hái zi gèng duō kě yǐ pǎo kě yǐ tiào de kōng jiān

给孩子更多可以跑可以跳的空间

To run and jump at home

bù xī wàng gěi tā liú xià shén me yí hàn

不希望给她留下什么遗憾

We don’t want she has any regret

zhè tào wèi yú běi jīng běi wǔ huán wài de bié shù

这套位于北京北五环外的别墅

the villa located outside the Northern 5th Ring Road

dāng shí zhǐ shì yī gè máo pī fáng

当时只是一个毛坯房

Was still a roughcast house

shì bié rén tiāo shèng de

是别人挑剩的

It was a leftover house

hù xíng yě bù shì tè bié hǎo

户型也不是特别好

Its layout wasn’t so good

wǒ yī yǎn jiù kàn zhōng le zhè gè zhōng shì jiàn zhù de yuàn luò

（我）一眼就看中了这个中式建筑的院落

I took a fancy to the Chinese-style courtyard at the first sight

wǒ yòng le shí nián duō de shí jiān màn màn dì gǎi zào

我用了十年多的时间，慢慢地改造

It took me more than ten years to slowly transform

zhěng gè fáng zi de zhuāng xiū dào wán gōng

整个房子的装修到完工

I’ve been furnishing it gradually

dà gài lì shí le xiǎo bàn nián de shí jiān

大概历时了小半年的时间

over the past decade

huā fèi le wàn zuǒ yòu ba

花费了25万左右吧

It cost about 250,000 yuan

wǒ yòng le hěn duō tòu míng de yuán sù

我用了很多透明的元素

I used a lot of transparent elements

jiāng liǎng gè wò shì hé kè tīng

将两个卧室和客厅

to place two bedrooms and living room

shí xiàn zhè zhǒng rèn yì dì dǎ kāi hé chuàn lián

实现这种任意地打开和串联

to achieve arbitrarily open and series

ràng tā yǒu kāi kuò de gǎn jué

让它有开阔的感觉

let it feel open

chuán tǒng de yáng tái fēi cháng zhàn yòng kōng jiān

传统的阳台，非常占用空间

Traditional balcony is very space consuming

wǒ xuǎn yòng le yī zhǒng kě yǐ kuài sù chāi xiè shì de liàng yī gān

我选用了一种可以快速拆卸式的晾衣杆

I chose a clothes rail that can be quickly removed

zài xū yào tā de shí hòu

在需要它的时候

When it is needed

jiù kě yǐ kuài sù dì dā chéng yī gè liàng yī de qū yù

就可以快速地搭成一个晾衣的区域

you can quickly create a laundry area

wǒ fēi cháng xiǎng shòu měi tiān wǎn shàng zuò yī zhuō fēng shèng de fàn cài

我非常享受每天晚上做一桌丰盛的饭菜

I really enjoy making a hearty meal every night

děng tā huí lái de shí guāng

等她回来的时光

When she returns

wǒ men kě yǐ yī qǐ kàn zhù diàn yǐng

我们可以一起看著电影

We can watch movies together

yī qǐ tǎo lùn jù qíng de fā zhǎn

一起讨论剧情的发展

Discuss the development of the plot together

zhè yě shì wèi le shí xiàn wǒ duì ài rén yǐ jí duì jiā tíng

这也是为了实现我对爱人以及对家庭

It is also for my love and my family

guān yú měi hǎo shēng huó wèi lái de yī gè chéng nuò

关于美好生活未来的一个承诺

A promise that is about a better life for the future

wǒ men lì yòng zhè gè céng gāo

我们利用这个层高

Taking advantage of the height

bǎ zhǔ wò diào dào le èr lóu

把主卧吊到了二楼

We hang the master bedroom in the air

zài kōng zhōng diào chū le liǎng gè wò shì

在空中吊出了两个卧室

The construction of the steel structure

suǒ yǒu de chuáng dōu shì gēn gāng jié gòu yī tǐ

所有的床都是跟钢结构一体

All beds are embedded in steel structure

yuán běn zhǔ wò yī lóu de wèi zhì

原本主卧一楼的位置

The space originally for the master bedroom

jiù chéng le xiàn zài chǎng kāi shì de gōng zuò qū

就成了现在敞开式的工作区

at the 1st floor is the current open working

wǒ yǐ qián bù tài xǐ huān zuò jiā wù

我以前不太喜欢做家务

I didn’t like chores

rán hòu bān dào zhè lǐ lái yǐ hòu

然后搬到这里来以后

But after moving to here

měi tiān jiù gēn qiáng pò zhèng shì de

每天就跟强迫症似的

I start sweeping and mopping after getting up

qǐ lái yǐ hòu jiù shì sǎo dì cā dì

起来以后就是扫地、擦地

like an OCD patient

bù yòng de dōng xī wǒ dōu huì jīng cháng rēng diào

不用的东西我都会经常扔掉

I throw away things

duàn shě lí

断舍离

that are not often used

fáng zi zhuāng xiū wán zhī hòu

房子装修完之后

After decoration,

yǒu píng mǐ zuǒ yòu

有150平米左右

the house has around 150 m2

jiā lǐ de miàn jī zēng jiā le yǒu yī bèi

家里的面积增加了有一倍

The area doubles

suǒ yǒu de péng yǒu lái le yǐ hòu dōu shuō

所有的朋友来了以后都说

All of our friends are like

wa mí nǐ bié shù de gǎn jué

“哇！迷你别墅的感觉！”

“Wow, it’s like a mini villa”

yī céng jī běn méi yǒu kāi kuò de kōng jiān

一层基本没有开阔的空间

So I transformed the original several small windows into a big French window

wǒ bǎ yuán yǒu de xiǎo de chuāng

（我）把原有的小的窗

So I transformed the original several small windows

chāi jiàn chéng kuān chǎng de luò dì chuāng

拆建成宽敞的落地窗

into a big French window

bèi hòu de qiáng shàng wǒ kāi le yī gè mǐ chāo zhǎng de héng chuāng

背后的墙上我开了一个5米超长的横窗

On the wall behind I installed a horizontal window of 5m long

kě yǐ kàn dào chuāng wài zhú zi de yáo yè

可以看到窗外竹子的摇曳

Through it you can see dancing shadows of bamboo

yǔ duì miàn qiáng bì shàng de shuǐ mò huà xiāng hū yīng

与对面墙壁上的水墨画相呼应

It’s like a long scroll of which resonate with the ink and wash painting on the opposite wall

wǒ huì zài zhè lǐ hē chá dàn gǔ qín

我会在这里喝茶、弹古琴

I would drink tea and play guqin

suǒ yǒu kōng jiān jūn shì méi yǒu mén de

所有空间均是没有门的

There’s no door in any space

zhè yàng kě yǐ ràng guāng xiàn shēng yīn zì rán dì liú dòng

这样可以让光线、声音自然地流动

Light and sounds can flow freely in the house

zhè tào fáng zi jīng guò shí duō nián de dǎ mó

这套房子经过十多年的打磨

After polished for over 10 years

xiàn zài shì zuì shū fú zuì lǐ xiǎng de zhuàng tài

现在是最舒服最理想的状态

The house is in the most comfortable and ideal state

yě shì wǒ yī bèi zi xiǎng yào zhù xià qù de dì fāng

也是我一辈子想要住下去的地方

And I want to live here for the rest of my life