when i was shopping for a house, there was one that was particularly intriguing.
not for the house. it was a bland brick affair. (with a gaping flaw in that the side door was located outside of the gate. meaning i would have to exit the house to let the dogs outside. and once again to let them back in. wait, what?!)
but back to the house. what really made a huge impact on me was that every room of this house told me something about the owner.
fantastic antique butcher block + viking stove = chef
piles of wine corks = wine enthusiast
rolls upon rolls of blueprints & drafts = architect
dark room = photographer
and years after my one time walk through, i can still visualize the layout because i was so drawn in by the owner's story. so i got to thinking. what does my house say about me? about us as a couple? what can you tell about who we are and what we love?
a dog toy explosion = lots of puppy love
a trail of clothing = one of us is a terrific mess (hint: it's not him)
but after that, i'm drawing a bit of a blank. hmmm.
so what does your home say about you? will i know who you are when i walk in the door?
{ image by pia ulin via 2modern }
Interesting post - you've drawn me in. I think a house *should* reflect who we are and how we live. It can be hard to let go of what is expected in a house - a formal dining room, a formal living room, guest bedrooms - but if those purposes don't fit into your life, why hang on to that kind of room? If you will never eat in a formal dining room, but need a home office, think about getting rid of the large table and chairs and replace them with a desk and file cabinet. We eschewed the idea of a formal living room because we would never have sat in it, "nice" things don't really fare well with the dogs, and we did want to have a room to display and *play* our instruments. We tore out the carpet in a bedroom, put down tile and a utility sink for my studio. I have a friend who is rearranging her entire house so she can have a basement pottery studio. But if the house doesn't reflect how we live and who we are, I think it's a waste of space.
ReplyDeleteI think our house says that we love our dogs, so much so that spending time with them usually trumps housecleaning. And I hope it also says that we put our spaces to good use for how we live.
Oh, and I love the walls in the photo you posted.
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