Have you ever heard your house speak to you? While most houses may seem mute at first glance, if you take some time to shut off your phone, and curtail your monkey mind, you may have the pleasure of hearing your house talk to you. It’s not English, mind you, nor any language you’ll find in foreign lands. It’s the language of structure, space, and place. Houses are “strong silent types,” and just as you may look into the eyes of a friend who is a “strong silent type” and realize that their eyes are anything but silent, so too the language of your house, if you are willing to wait for it, will offer a rare wordless poetry.
Silence is the New Wealth…
The houses that we live in are faithful servants – tirelessly holding their trusses in downward dog, their windows open or shut per our liking, their floors and walls both soft and hard, all working together to give us the dear benefit of protection and comfort.
Our houses have been through the wildest diversity of conditions: storms, long, lonely nights, scorching summer sun, stars, and countless moon crossings. They have stayed with us through our nutty human-ness – not judging us as we cry ourselves to sleep, fight with our spouses, laugh and eat and dance. How, then, can our houses not have personalities? Some elegant, some quirky, some small, some large, some bold, some shy.
An Introduction to the Language of the House
So, if you are new to all of this, I am happy to offer this opportunity to listen to a house. Consider this “House Listening 101.” As our muse, the 1940′s era Albert Ely Ives designed Studio Cottage in Hana, Maui. I had the great pleasure of listening to this house over a 2-day visit; the ocean as my bedfellow.
Take a look at the video below and let me know if you can hear the language of this house by commenting below:
Albert Ely Ives Hana House (MLS# 371430) from Modern on Maui – Liam Ball
Leave your opinion here. Please be nice. Your Email address will be kept private, this form is secure and we never spam you.