Home as Art

I had brunch with a friend on Saturday. She lives in the cutest neighborhood. I always enjoy hanging out with her. She often takes me to new places and I get to know my hometown in new ways. One of our common interests is urban(ish) living.

We both like neighborhoods with character. There are some neighborhoods in our town that appear to be experiencing a re-birth. I'm sure this is true of many towns. Some of my favorite neighborhoods were built in the 1930s. The homes were (and are) modest scale bungalows. 

Neighborhoods change over time and sometime after the 1950s and '60s, there was a migration out to suburbia. The '70s made this the "new cool" when the brought shopping malls out to the suburbs. 

Beginning in the '90s and early 2000s the bungalow neighborhoods found a new generation of residents. Many people that came from the Northeast found the neighborhoods to be comparatively affordable. Unlike the suburbia's subdivisions with roads that lead to nowhere (most ending in cul-de-sacs), the older neighborhoods have streets and sidewalks that are reminiscent of a time gone by. Also unlike suburbia, with cookie cutter designs, the older neighborhoods have character. 

The older neighborhoods have their original charm with an added new type of modern and even hipster charm, which I love. 

Yesterday, my friend took me by a house she stumbled upon in one of her neighborhood explorations. The house itself has become a sort of art piece as well. Mirrored mosaic tile covers the front. Bold and beautiful and brave are the words that I use to describe what I saw. 

I was able to park across the street (there is lots of on-street parking). The owner was outside working on the side of the house that is still a work in progress. We sat for a minute before deciding that we just had to go see him. The owner was welcoming and enjoyed telling us about his work. We asked questions and he graciously and humorously answered. He offered for us to walk around to the backyard where his mosaic tiled garage took center stage. He has been working on these projects for quite a while.