Oh, Deptford...

When I was around twenty years old, my mom sold the house where I grew up and moved to a smaller, more manageable house. She would move twice more, the last time, after my sister got married, and live in a smaller apartment downtown, close to her job and some of her friends. A year ago, my sister and I were talking about the house where we grew up and she said she had no idea what had happened to it. I went on google maps (google, always the stalky ex-boyfriend took me there) and could not even recognize my old block. Everything had changed so much I could not even recognize the neighboring houses.

That's why I found this video so endearing. Not because I'd like to go back to that house (the memories are fab, don't get me wrong) but because I think that people who can go back to the house where they grew up can indulge in some kind of bittersweet nostalgia that I cannot even concoct. I left that house when I was fifteen and would only go back for summer vacations. By the time my mom sold it, it was already a memory.

Cobbie and Joseph went back to Cobbie's childhood home and made it their own. It's a very familiar layout for people who have lived abroad (it can be found in countless movies set in London) but for North American people, it may look totally 'different' and for some, 'small'. We know how house sizes have grown in this country in the last fifty years to reach ridiculous mass. I love that his mom suggested he should buy the house from her (it was rented out after they moved out) and keep it.

I love the mood of this house: it's bright, it's warm and it's imbued with their personalities. I love the idea of having a huge sliding door to the balcony (I also have light coming from one big sliding door and I really appreciate it) and it goes very well with the open concept they decided to use for their layout. It's versatile, it's not cramped and it allows for many configurations. Isn't that what you would like in your house?

The idea of plastering the whole house is fantastic, I think. It creates texture and makes the color look almost creamy and it makes the bedroom a mood (no TV, natch). Also, remodeling allowed them to move the bathroom (and make it feel it boutique-y) and place a bench next to the entrance. I like that idea because I always come in with a handbag and keys and a coat and that's just handy. I also take my shoes off before I go in my space, so yeah. I also love the idea of records (you know I love going crate digging!) and the idea to make the space adapt to your needs (that table can really sit eight, if needed!). I am going to steal that shelving unit idea, btw. I need to get myself to thrifting!

I love the plants, the records, the books. The use of space and the kitchen and that stained glass! Totally homey.

Nostalgia sometimes pays.

XOXO