Not Quite Like The Jones'

Over the many years of listening to Quinn talk about the ins and outs of architecture, I feel like I too, have a degree in architecture....maybe not a Masters like him, but perhaps an Associates degree. He has convinced me that while modern design is not the only form of good architecture, it is a step above the rest. I too can appreciate all types of design, but get most passionate about those that are different from the norm. I think that's why I agreed to live in a modern home. Not because I absolutely think that a modern home is best, but because I loathe the idea of living in a home that looks and feels just like my neighbors. Now, I know that we all don't have architects for husbands to design us a unique house, and that many of live in subdivisions that are designed by monetarily driven developers, where houses are either, tan, taupe, or sand color, but we can make it our own.


TV shows and other media try to convince us through shows like "Flip This House" and "Sweat Equity" that we should design our homes for "sell-ability", and that we should always keep in mind who might own our home after us. But by doing so, we end up living in homes that we have designed for someone else. We lose a little bit of ourselves when we don't follow our hearts, even in something as trivial as what color tile you put in your shower.

My fantastically stylish sister in law, moved into a tract home several years ago. Knowing this may not be the home of their dreams, but also realizing it is the home of their budget, they set to work making it their own. Here on the west coast, contractors love to put horrible texture on the walls (orange-peel, knock down, and the like) of homes. In the spirit of transforming this into "their" home rather than the developers home, or the home that looks exactly like their neighbors, they began to hand trowel a smooth finish over the original wall texture. While some questioned, "Why would you do that?", they would answer,"Why wouldn't we?" Because of their efforts, their home that originally looked the same as three doors down, now has a uniqueness of it's own.

With the advancement in technology, even those of us that live in remote areas can have unique design statements in our home. Just because Walmart might be the only store in your town, doesn't mean you have to only shop there. The internet has given us endless shopping options. While we were building our home, we spent countless hours searching for light fixtures and the like that didn't look like we pulled them off the shelf at Home Depot. (www.ikea-usa.com, www.lightingdirect.com, www.ifloor.com, www.flor.com, www.faucetdirect.com, www.formplusfunction.com)


So modern isn't your style? Great. But can you answer, "What is?" Don't give in to the Jones' down the street. Say goodbye to being the same as everyone else. Find out what you love, and if you don't know yet, keep searching. If you can't find something you love, don't buy anything at all. I'd rather live in an empty house than a house full of things that don't represent me or my character.