Home, Sweet Home

Steve and I have been looking at 1960s ranches lately. No, we’re not in a hurry to move, but we like to keep our options open. Last Saturday, we looked at the home of Mary Guccione’s mother, Sis, who died recently. On first look, it seemed perfect. It had a room for my studio, original tile bathrooms, a wet bar in the basement, original kitchen counters (in turquoise!), nice neighborhood, etc. Last night we visited again to give it a more critical eye and have come to the conclusion it’s just not right. Have you ever walked into a house and knew it was the right one? That’s what happened to me 10 years ago when we walked into our current home. I took one step inside and knew it was right. This one, while having a lot of the features I love, just doesn’t feel right.

Valerie called to say a house we’d looked at a couple of months ago is being gutted. It’s so sad. The gorgeous slate floors, perfect tile bathrooms and shade brick wall on the back porch have all been destroyed. I’m sure they’ve also taken out the uber-cool intercom system too. Kevin, Valerie’s husband, stopped and talked to the owner to ask him about his “renovations” and found out the guy is just “updating” it to sell it again. It makes me so angry that this guy is destroying all that great style to create a generic box. He’s installing 12″ white tile where the slate was and creating boring bathrooms. Had this been a Victorian mansion I’m sure the Historic Society would have had the guy’s head on a plate for not preserving history. But this *is* history!

Architecture of the 1950s and 1960s is some of the most interesting of all time. Built-ins, colored tile and details made each home individual and interesting. Now, we’re stuck with miles of McMansions full of the same shit. I don’t want an all beige home so it coordinates with any decor. I want something interesting that makes me smile and makes my home different from everyone else’s.

I realize a home owner has every right to do whatever he/she wants to their home. After all they paid for it. However, if you’re planning to buy a home to flip it, don’t assume you know what the future owner wants. Another piece of mid-century architecture has now been destroyed. Stop the madness!