Wish Lists and Reality Lists

As I have written elsewhere, I have been browsing THE NOT SO BIG HOUSE again and am struck by a lot of the practical approaches taken in this way of thinking and building. In order to get a big enough house that feel appropriate without turning it into a "McMansion" there are some easy things we can do.
A wish list has all the things that you would love to have in your dream house. Be it a commercial kitchen with sub zero appliances and a master suite with a hot tub on the redwood deck outside the french doors and a 600 square foot studio and workshop your dreams can be unlimited.
A reality list identifies the things that you must have--the things you can't live without. The 600 square foot workshop may not be a practical or affordable reality but a workbench and tool storage or a skylight in the garage might be an affordable way to accomodate the wish in a practical way.A commercial kitchen may not be possible but the best quality energy efficient appliances you can afford and creative design that gives you lots of storage and counter space to work on those (healthy, organic)gourmet meals might be something you caqn accomplish.