4 ms·

For some reason -- probably human tendency to find points of contact -- this reminds me of something we've wrestled with a lot the last few years, which is how

For some reason -- probably human tendency to find points of contact -- this reminds me of something we've wrestled with a lot the last few years, which is how to decide what to upgrade or renovate and what to retain in our home. Modernism is old enough at this point that you can have a home with modernist design and find that some things look aged or somewhat dated, and yet be modern contemporary, and unusual. For us this has led to a lot of discussions along the lines of "this is clearly old, somewhat dated, and showing signs of age, but it's functional and is unusual even for its time; do we replace it completely, or somehow restore it, or replace it with something similar in aesthetic but updated?" Some of the things in our home have survived through the period of being dated and are now solidly vintage (in a good way), yet modern, and others are still in this fuzzy boundary area. Some things we've replaced, some things we've restored, but our whole house is like this. The simple answer is that you do what you want, but sometimes that's unclear, as your own feelings about things are unclear, and sometimes things have unexpected benefits or costs. Housing and home design, at least in the US, is this one area where I think issues of sustainability maintenance, and reuse haven't really entered the discussion very well. With homes of a certain age, yes, there's plenty of discussion of renovation and historical restoration. But it feels like there's a sort of denial about modernist homes being as old as they often can be, and what it means to be "modern" but old.

kijin 5y ago
The entire home doesn't need to follow a consistent theme. Different parts of a home serve different functions, and are often occupied by different members of the family who may have wildly different tastes. You can keep the old parts that still work while introducing new things. Life is full of fuzzy boundaries, and so do our homes. History and idiosyncrasy make things interesting. An excessively consistent look, on the other hand, feels to me like a carefully arranged snapshot with no context and no life. I for one prefer a soft, cozy, woody and/or steampunk theme for the living, dining, and bedrooms; a sterile, industrial, ultra-modern theme for the kitchen and bathroom where sanitation matters; and a futuristic theme for the home office where all my Turing-complete gadgets live. Sadly I can't have all of them for the time being, but one day I hope to! :)
- actually_a_dog 5y ago
  Yes, absolutely! I prefer something simple, preferably with a good amount of built-in cabinetry in the kitchen. My ideal kitchen might look like it came out of the 1940s or 50s. My ideal bedroom is also simple, but functional and relaxing. Here is the one place I might have soft white lighting (I generally prefer daytime color temperature lighting). Little furniture (bed, nightstands, maybe a chair or other little place to sit). Soft, light colors. No or minimal wall art, and what’s there is not overwhelming. My living room I like to be open and inviting. Here, I’ll mix it up, with mid century lines and some industrial touches. Overhead lighting, for sure. Wall art is interesting and engaging. Maybe even a feature wall. I like my office to be simple again. This is a room to work in, so it has my large, solid wooden bookcases, antique teacher’s desk, metal shelving for miscellaneous storage. This room is somehow cozy and space efficient, while also being simple and easy to take in.

kijin 5y ago

The entire home doesn't need to follow a consistent theme. Different parts of a home serve different functions, and are often occupied by different members of the family who may have wildly different tastes. You can keep the old parts that still work while introducing new things. Life is full of fuzzy boundaries, and so do our homes. History and idiosyncrasy make things interesting. An excessively consistent look, on the other hand, feels to me like a carefully arranged snapshot with no context and no life. I for one prefer a soft, cozy, woody and/or steampunk theme for the living, dining, and bedrooms; a sterile, industrial, ultra-modern theme for the kitchen and bathroom where sanitation matters; and a futuristic theme for the home office where all my Turing-complete gadgets live. Sadly I can't have all of them for the time being, but one day I hope to! :)

actually_a_dog 5y ago
Yes, absolutely! I prefer something simple, preferably with a good amount of built-in cabinetry in the kitchen. My ideal kitchen might look like it came out of the 1940s or 50s. My ideal bedroom is also simple, but functional and relaxing. Here is the one place I might have soft white lighting (I generally prefer daytime color temperature lighting). Little furniture (bed, nightstands, maybe a chair or other little place to sit). Soft, light colors. No or minimal wall art, and what’s there is not overwhelming. My living room I like to be open and inviting. Here, I’ll mix it up, with mid century lines and some industrial touches. Overhead lighting, for sure. Wall art is interesting and engaging. Maybe even a feature wall. I like my office to be simple again. This is a room to work in, so it has my large, solid wooden bookcases, antique teacher’s desk, metal shelving for miscellaneous storage. This room is somehow cozy and space efficient, while also being simple and easy to take in.