Through the Looking Glass

This oval window is one of my favourite details on our late Victorian home, and one of the many reasons we were happy to preserve the historic facade while modernizing the interior. Working with the historic structure and adding to it proved to be a lot more time consuming and costly than we expected, and it definitely went against the grain of common advice (which was to tear down the dilapidated structure and use the prime location for a new build). But this is the street I grew up on, and a lot of that emotional connection is tied to the beauty and wonder of the historic architecture that formed the landscape of my childhood. No two houses were the same, nor were the shadows they cast in which we played.

Our particular house was built in 1905, a transition point in eras when there was clearly an interest in varying architectural styles. I enjoy the freedom that brings, instead of trying to recreate a specific style or period - I prefer to see that type of meticulous historic accuracy on period film sets! Periods of time that were beautiful in some ways but painful and unjust in many others. I don’t want to recreate history in our home, I want to create my own modern story that captures what I love about the past while looking forward.

I love the fact that through this historic window you can see a glimpse of modern art, our multiracial child born in the UK, and a reflection of the original architecture that is now a backdrop to our modern lives. I firmly believe that our homes and style need to evolve with the times while evoking what we wish to preserve of the past - all through our own looking glass.