Home is where the heart is….and where some soul should be too!

Posted by jondavis on Wednesday, 3 of October , 2007 at 3:01 pm

I believe that there is a big difference between a house and a home. It is sort of like the difference between having a meal at a chain restaurant and having a good, home cooked meal. Both will make you full, but one has soul (like a home) and the other does not.

I took this photo while traveling through southern Arizona a few years ago. (Be sure to click on the photo to see the full, large version!) Needless to say, this old fellow was quite a character and his home followed him wherever he went. I came across him parked at an intersection of three roads in southern Arizona. As I approached, he was sitting outside with a cup of coffee watching the world go by. Being a sucker for interesting people and heartfelt photos I stopped and talked with him for a while and eventually asked if I could take his picture. I was struck by several things during my 30 minute visit with him. First, even though scores of cars passed, no one else stopped to even look, much less talk to him. I was also taken by him as a person. He was clearly a resourceful guy and he had quite a set up with his home on wheels and his family of animals. The simplicity and slow pace of his life was refreshing and deliberate as I soon learned. As we talked I realized that he was very bright and he was making the best he could of what was a pretty tough life. There was no anger or remorse from him and the more I listened, the more he reminded me of some of the “saints” of the world such as Ghandi, Thoreau, Jesus, Buddah and Mother Teresa. He was deliberate with his life and I appreciated him for that.

Being in the business, I just had to talk to him about his little, cozy home. He was very proud of it and it was clearly an extension of himself and a reflection of how he lives his life. His little house oozed with soul. It was a living example of the principals of A Pattern Language applied to a micro home on wheels. I loved his house and I felt good about what he had created. He had all he needed and nothing more and he had more freedom than anyone else I know. No property taxes!

As a designer of homes I try very hard to help my customers bring to fruition a home that is an extension of them; their wants, needs, dreams, expectations, values and aesthetic tastes. I feel successful with my customers when they love how their home feels and when they feel a strong connection to it. It is not their house, it is their home and there is a big difference in my mind. The new McMansions that have popped up all over the place have no soul whatsoever. They have the gadgets, trendy touches, expensive finishes and do-dads, along with way too much space that is out of scale with the human form. Their owners can’t possibly have an intimate, soulful relationship with their houses and most don’t even know what they’re missing.

Four years ago we sold our 3000 sq. ft. home and built a 1480 sq. ft. home right down the street. It was one of the best things we have ever done. I love our small home because it fits us perfectly. Like the old man and his traveling home, we are able to have a real relationship with it. Our little home feels airy and open and fits our values. It is where our hearts are… and our souls too. You can see the photo journal of the construction of our little home, along with the floor plan and animations at Little Sunlight Homes.

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Category: Passive Solar

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