When I was young I used to be obsessed with modern looking homes. I felt that there was something elegant about those types of homes, and living in an old style home myself, modern ones seemed that much more special. I related to those well known sayings in that situation: ‘the grass is always greener on the other side’ and ‘you always want what you can’t have.’
Well, I guess I haven’t changed too much since I was young, because now that I have the modern home that I would’ve died over as a kid, I don’t want it. I’m not sure if it’s just my personality, or if my taste has become refined over the last thirty years. Where I used to value a rectangle, concrete look, I now value double hung windows. Installation of these is actually too difficult in a modern looking home because the windows contrast so heavily with the existing style. You can imagine my disappointment when I realised that I couldn’t have those intricate, beautiful windows in my home.
I couldn’t help but remember that my childhood home would have looked incredible with these windows. Reminiscing about my childhood fills me with a level of nostalgia and regret that I can’t explain. I should have kept my childhood home instead of knocking it down. I could have just gotten rid of any of the parts of the house that were too outdated thanks to a sash window replacement. Melbourne has history, and my old house reflected that.
Now I just live in a house that is the same as everybody else’s. It’s definitely modern and would be appreciated by the people who like that style, but it lacks character and beauty. We only just built this house a couple of years ago, which means we are stuck with it for a very long time. When we decide to move again, I’ll be looking for a house that reminds me of my childhood home.