House Design for the Ages

Yesterday a real estate agent friend asked me to join her in checking out a 107-year-old home on the market here in Tampa Bay. A house this old is almost unheard of in these parts, when it was built the local population was probably topping out at 250 inhabitants who were likely outnumbered by Gators and mosquitoes 1000 to 1 and a million to 1, respectively…

But whoever built the home was no backwoods philistine. The house encapsulates many of the turn-of-the-century building trends: In order to decrease taxable street-facing square footage it sits sideways on the lot, it boasts brick floors on both of its 2 stories, and features a large glass conservatory connected to the kitchen as all the best houses of the era brought the outside in…

It was heartening to see this gem of a home still standing, but sad that it was in such a state of disrepair. I’m not sure what will happen to this home in this market as not a lot of buyers are feeling motivated to take on total house rehabs at the moment. A mortgage is one thing, an improvement loan a tougher bet to take… (Please let there be an investor who remembers when real estate used to be the wise/safe choice over pouring money into an Internet start-up or the stock market!)

Seeing this house makes me wonder what we’re building, designing, creating right now that will still feel as real and look as good as the bones of this structure 100 years from now. The homes that are being thrown up in my area (yes, still!) are in the horrid mock-Mediterranean style—brackish shades of mustard, embellishments and with no purpose whatsoever, terraces with no view… Let me just say that barrel tiles on the roof does not a Spanish Colonial make!

I’ll do my best to ignore the new construction and hope that a buyer with house pride in her heart comes along and rescues this charming, clapboard-sided Cinderella story-in-the-waiting…! In 2109 it could still represent the best in house design.

Roxie Mae