Saturday, August 2, 2014

That old house.

First things first: Wishing all of you a blessed Eid! Minal aidil wal fa'izin.

I love old houses, especially if they haven't changed much over the years. I love the feeling of disorientation I get when I walk through their doors. It feels like a mini time-travel expedition.

Just like this house my family visited recently during the Eid celebrations. It's the family residence of one of my father's closest friends. Built in 1970. Most of the exterior and interior finishings are well-preserved. Renovations emphasized on restoration rather than transformation.

My mother said it brought back memories of growing up in that decade. "They don't build houses like this anymore," she said. "Everything you see here used to be all the rage back in the day. Trendy. Up-to-date."

Well, not anymore. It's still charming, nonetheless. Timber finishings on the ceiling. Decorative patterns cut through the walls, just above the windows, as a natural mode of ventilation. In areas where aesthetics are of minor significance, the windows are louver windows. Very old-school.

What I loved the most, though, were the walls. Tiled from floor to ceiling, in geometric patterns that scream "Disco Era". So irresistibly retro, I just had to take a picture.

Awesome, isn't it?


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