Lead me on my journey, guide me to my destination, you make me better by keeping me in the right direction. This is my ode to hallways, strange topic I am sure most will agree, but I believe this is part of my mission in life. This has crossed my mind quite a few times in the last year, maybe longer. Where did this come from you might ask, well it probably has its origins in my quest for a place I can call home. I have been saving money, not enough, and dreaming of a small house that will fulfil some dreams; for example, my own quiet retreat, a place I can be me, and a place I can write as much as I want. A person’s home is their castle, maybe not quite Windsor but mine all the same.
I have been drawing floorplans for years now, trying to find the best combination of size, efficiency, style and me; let me tell you that is a task. Anytime I look at magazines with interesting houses, I start another design inspired from any small aspect I found appealing. The good news is I have one that I designed recently and it ticks almost all of the boxes, my quest for perfection is both satisfying and incredibly frustrating at this point. I love ninety-five percent of the house; it would be one hundred percent if it was both bigger for more space and smaller to save money, tricky.
I have not shown this one to one of my brothers because he would point out one thing, that for him is unnecessary, the hallway. He would say it is not needed, a waste of space and it cost money for the added square footage; to a point he is right, though it pains me to say it as it would him to agree with me on just about anything, haha. But for me he is missing the point of my hallway, for me it is taking me on a journey. It calls to mind a saying, It’s not the destination, it’s the journey; I couldn’t agree more. I also view the hallway as another room not just a place to walk through and ignore. Hallways can have an interesting character to them, I want to spend time in there and understand it. Part of that probably stems from my grandparents and my mother, her childhood home had a long hallway with many things in it and she has tried as much as possible to duplicate in her own house. My hallway would be much different, it would be wider than the standard and it probably would not contain furniture to obstruct, but would be place of openness and a place for artwork; purpose given to a most neglected area.
Hallways have always been a place where my brain has turned on and given me the excitement of a wondering mind; even in their short distances there is something magical for me in that journey. The same thing happens to me in cars when I am driving alone and also when I am playing disc golf in the woods. I would wager that most don’t understand what I am talking about or would quickly note that I am loony tunes, thanks for the compliment by the way. Some hallways have always given me the best feelings; old buildings with interesting hallways intrigue me greatly. I think Stephen King would agree with me about hallways, just look at The Shining; he made great use of them and I believed he received inspiration from wandering the empty hallways of the hotel he was in.
Whatever the outcome will be, I want my hallway. I want my journey, my art gallery and I want my space to be interesting even if it is a hallway. Those who design and don’t push for each area to be great are falling down on their mission. As I have drawn this small dream that is hopefully my future home, my mission has been to make each and every inch of it mean something, to have a purpose and to draw the eye and excite the mind; I think I have come close, very close. In my house, when you enter the front door you are not greeted with a great room, you are welcomed by a hallway; remember, it’s not the destination, it’s the journey.
I have been drawing floorplans for years now, trying to find the best combination of size, efficiency, style and me; let me tell you that is a task. Anytime I look at magazines with interesting houses, I start another design inspired from any small aspect I found appealing. The good news is I have one that I designed recently and it ticks almost all of the boxes, my quest for perfection is both satisfying and incredibly frustrating at this point. I love ninety-five percent of the house; it would be one hundred percent if it was both bigger for more space and smaller to save money, tricky.
I have not shown this one to one of my brothers because he would point out one thing, that for him is unnecessary, the hallway. He would say it is not needed, a waste of space and it cost money for the added square footage; to a point he is right, though it pains me to say it as it would him to agree with me on just about anything, haha. But for me he is missing the point of my hallway, for me it is taking me on a journey. It calls to mind a saying, It’s not the destination, it’s the journey; I couldn’t agree more. I also view the hallway as another room not just a place to walk through and ignore. Hallways can have an interesting character to them, I want to spend time in there and understand it. Part of that probably stems from my grandparents and my mother, her childhood home had a long hallway with many things in it and she has tried as much as possible to duplicate in her own house. My hallway would be much different, it would be wider than the standard and it probably would not contain furniture to obstruct, but would be place of openness and a place for artwork; purpose given to a most neglected area.
Hallways have always been a place where my brain has turned on and given me the excitement of a wondering mind; even in their short distances there is something magical for me in that journey. The same thing happens to me in cars when I am driving alone and also when I am playing disc golf in the woods. I would wager that most don’t understand what I am talking about or would quickly note that I am loony tunes, thanks for the compliment by the way. Some hallways have always given me the best feelings; old buildings with interesting hallways intrigue me greatly. I think Stephen King would agree with me about hallways, just look at The Shining; he made great use of them and I believed he received inspiration from wandering the empty hallways of the hotel he was in.
Whatever the outcome will be, I want my hallway. I want my journey, my art gallery and I want my space to be interesting even if it is a hallway. Those who design and don’t push for each area to be great are falling down on their mission. As I have drawn this small dream that is hopefully my future home, my mission has been to make each and every inch of it mean something, to have a purpose and to draw the eye and excite the mind; I think I have come close, very close. In my house, when you enter the front door you are not greeted with a great room, you are welcomed by a hallway; remember, it’s not the destination, it’s the journey.