Ask the Readers: Your Ideal Space?
When I was little — really little — I remember wanting to live in a house with a long living room that poked out over a forest. I realize that maybe I saw pictures of Falling Water and decided that’s where I would live when I grew up.
Nevermind any practicalities.
Then of course every movie ever made that showed people living an urban lifestyle had them living in lofts. So I thought I wanted to live in a loft. I still sort of do. Sort of. Although you have to be really good at arranging space when you don’t have walls. And I’m not really that good at arranging space.
Now when I see mid-century architecture I dream of owning one of these retro two-flats in a west Chicago neighborhood, rehabbing it so it looks super modern and organic in the interior, and renting to a tenant.
Either that, or a storefront.
There I would be, living above a little store that I would operate, selling vintage furniture. The only thing you can see is my Astro van parked out front.
Oh! I almost forgot: my question! Readers: what do you consider to be your ideal space? Has it changed over time? Where do you see yourself living in the future? And where do you live now? Is there a huge gap between where you are and where you want to be? What has created that gap and what can be done to bridge it?
Once upon a time I thought I had created my ideal space. I ordered faucets from England and light fixtures from Italy. The finished product was a far cry from the Barbie-dream-house-meets-Neuschwanstein Castle I dreamed of as a child. Instead it was a Martha Stewart inspired, Elle Decor wannabe designed to make me feel good about myself.
So I suppose one could say the ideal living space is something we are always striving for, and our idea of that is constantly evolving. For now, I am finding contentment with a rather crooked vintage rental curated with found objects, some expensive pieces from my past, and the people and animals who really make me feel complete.