color and light

I have noticed one thing that has changed in my taste as I continue this quest for a place to live in Mexico: I am more attuned to the feel -- as opposed to the look -- of a place to live.

Here is what I mean. In my little burg of Salem, living in a "nice" house means living in a big new house in the right part of town. I have friends who live in the "right" part of town who will not come to my older section of town because they do not feel safe.

My house was built in 1926 and has the distinct feel that a craftsman put his life into building it. And that life gives the house a feel of being a home -- where other lives can be lived. Never mind that the closets are small and there is a bathroom to be shared with three bedrooms.

I would like the same sense in my new house in Mexico. The picture I posted is a stairwell in a smaller house in Barra de Navidad. The colors and the curve make me feel that I am in a place where people enjoy life. (As an example, the house door next to this one is essentially a box stacked on a box -- and it costs half as much more.)

I should note that one blogger (My Life in Chacala) has taught me to truly apperciate the effect that color and structure can have on a home. I always appreciate it when she posts new pictures because I know I will discover something new in life.

That is the sense I am looking for in my new Mexican home.