Woah. I just started writing and it ended up being more detailed than I thought it would.
The House
Building style: Second Empire Victorian
4 floors: basement/cellar, 1-2 floor living areas, finished attic (with gable windows).
a. The basement/cellar would be semi-finished, with stone walls and floors.
It would have a laundry room w/ chute, a large pantry, small wine cellar, a room for pickling, drying and preserving vegetables/fruit/herbs (including a wood burning stove, water bath canner, etc.), a small and spare powder room.
All the lighting should be as discreet and natural as possible - no spot or track lighting. There would probably be many candles.
Little things would make it cozy: decorative Victorian ironware, braided rugs, display racks for quilts, etc. It should have at least one very comfy chair with a very thick wool blanket to curl up in after canning, etc.
b. The first floor would have seven rooms - one full bath with a clawfoot tub, a restored wash basin (with turned wooden legs) with a sink mounted into it, and a commode with a false pull chain tank; one large dining room with a substantial antique sideboard + fireplace; one living room with plenty of seating + fireplace; one library/study with extensive built-in bookcases and a comfortable, well-dressed window seat; one kitchen with a large fireplace, farm sink, a restored and reconstructed early 20th century stove, a paneled refrigerator, large wall-mounted spice rack, multiple surfaces and storage pieces for an eclectic look, and a large round table with plenty of seating; one wrought iron conservatory with a lovely view and a television/sound system tucked away in a freestanding cupboard; one ground floor guest bedroom with two twin canopied beds for disabled family and friends.
c. The second floor should have 1 master suite with a fireplace; 2 large guest bedrooms with 2 double beds and 1 fireplace each; 1 guest bath in a similar style to the one on the first floor. Each bedroom should be unique, well appointed and cozy.
d. The finished attic would be a sewing room and a place to store and display any remaining collections and knick-knacks I had. It would have to include storage and display racks for fabrics and quilts, as well as my grandmother's spinning wheel, loom and thimble collection. It would have one small powder room.
The ceilings would be 12 feet high.
Furniture and materials should be from the mid Victorian to Edwardian period or at least complementary to them.
The bathrooms, conservatory and kitchen should have high beadboard wainscoting, brick floors and delft accent tiles. All fixtures should have a copper/brass finish.
All other rooms should have teak hardwood floors, crown and base moldings, chair rails, etc.
Lighting and light switches should be discrete and the light switch plaques might be salvaged and restored finds.
The People
I think I would live alone honestly. Probably with a large dog and a small dog for companionship and a couple of outdoor cats to chase rodents away from the gardens.
However, I would want guests staying over all the time. All of the beds would be to accomodate as many as possible, especially around the holidays. I would want to play hostess a lot. Since my family and friends are scattered and distant, I would love to have my house be a hub for reunions and a safe haven for those who are down on their luck.
I would probably have a SO living close by, but I wouldn't mind seeing him or her 3-4 times a week for a few hours at a time on a permanent basis. He or she wouldn't need to stay in the house for more than a few days at a time at most.
The Yard
The immediate front and back would have cobblestone courtyards and paths. The vegetation would be lush, overgrown and diverse. The flowers and blossoms would all bloom white or near white: apple trees, almond trees, magnolias, gardenias, sweet williams, white hydrangeas, etc. Nothing would be too neat or symmetrical, and there would be little secluded nooks with garden benches here and there. Mature willow trees would provide additional 'hiding' spots.
The broader surrounding area would be a dense forest with a creek running through it.
In the far back would be a large gardening and tool shed with a working sink and two potting benches as well as a vegetable garden, herb garden, orchard and a fence supporting wild blackberry bushes. These gardens would be located centrally enough to the shed to avoid a hassle, but would also be spread out and irregularly arranged. There would be a full and automatic irrigation system.
No fence: it's too remote to warrant one.