My Dream Home

When you arrive at this abode, you are welcomed with big oak trees drooping so low their leaves touch the ground in the breeze. You feel calm and at peace. Three steps up and you are in the sunroom, wrapping the front of the home. An old worn-out wooden bench welcomes you to take your shoes off and hang your coat up, it’s funny how a home can invite you to do things without having to say any words. Plants are hanging, sitting on stools and ever-expanding. It is hot and humid here, the plants are happy, the leaves are vivid greens and new sprouts are shooting up everywhere. 

Once you enter the home, there is a large foyer with a cascading staircase. This home was built in 1979 with love, the kitchen is to the right and a huge island grounds this prep space with old flooring running through the home. The windows are letting in so much sunlight I want to stay here, soak up the rays and never leave. The lower cabinets are a dark green matching the vines of pothos leaves, there are so many that this seems to be their home, the owners just live there. The upper floating shelves are open and inviting, filled with mixed mugs and plates, plants and decor. 

It is so beautiful I feel like I am in a dream, as you flow into the dining room, again soaked in sunlight, across from the foyer, the original hardwood floors and old peeling wallpaper show you its history from the many years of paint and wallpaper updates as if it were rings on a tree. The colourful low-hanging chandelier adds to the character of the home, it has lit up so many meals that this family has gathered together for. 

Moving to the back of the home, the living room makes me want to sit and snooze by the window like a cat on a lazy Sunday afternoon. The 70’s upholstered furniture is still vibrant and colourful, even though it's obvious how many books have been read, how many laughs were let out and how many hundreds of records spun on the old record player that somehow still worked. It was like looking into a time capsule of a life being lived.

This home wasn’t a square box covered in different shades of white paint and pot lights, it was a home, that had seen decades of weather, beauty, sadness, new life, first footsteps, ballet shoes hung on the back door and forgotten, allowing the shedding of winter and the flowering of spring. It was accepting of all and never left anyone out in the cold, it was an oasis, and even in the storms it always stood strong. 

As you glide up the staircase with a mixed gallery wall of family photos and carpet lining the middle of the stairs, you find yourself in the master bedroom, the wainscotting is covered in dark navy blue, and the upper walls a soft white, the perfect balance. It draws your eyes around the room, taking in all the details, the soft layers of bedding, the window seat covered in pillows, and the books that hold countless stories pilled up on the floor. 

Across the hall is the nursery, the pastel colours, the wall hangings and piles of stuffed animals, this little haven is the perfect place to drift off to sleep as a little one. The last room was designed for a little boy, his love for legos is apparent and the many toys make your eyes wander around the colourful room, making you feel youthful. Seeing this space made me feel like a kid again, wanting to sit down on the plush carpet and play for endless hours, don't you miss imagination? The way our minds were able to create anything, flowering through the solid lines of society, it was such an expansion of personality. I wish I could go back.

Finally, the backyard feels like a sanctuary, a small wooden table sits underneath the hanging lights, . The tree overhang, mushrooms sprouting out every chance they get and flower pots housing many different blooms spread out around the eating area reminded me of a simpler time, but I truly, never want to leave.