The Language of Houses

My spouse and I knew nothing about colors; we thought a reasonable choice for the exterior of the house was red.

"No," said the contractor. She doesn't mince words. "You do not live in a farmhouse. Choose again."

I think our next dream was to live in a sleek charcoal box--of the style that Bosch uses in the show "Bosch." We were inspired by the concept of the "upside-down house" in Los Angeles. You enter the house--it's the kitchen. Then you walk *down* stairs to reach various basement bedrooms.

"No," said the contractor. "That is not your house. Think light and bright. Think about sea foam, yellow, or green."

Combining yellow and green immediately made me daydream about jaundice. Or stomach viruses. Did I want the house to resemble the face of a sick person?

I had not imagined that this would be quite such a process. I wish I had entered the discussions with less impetuousness and more humility (and this is the story of my life). We seem to have landed on a solution--but I'll save that for later.

Onward and upward.

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