Home Sweet Home -- Part One

In addition to the one in which we're living, we've by now had occasion to be inside a number of English homes. We've recently had dinner invitations from several people we've met, as well as popping in at the neighbors from time to time. I started to make a few observations, but it turned into more than a few. So this will be the first of several posts.

Our street

1. Similarity. It took us awhile to realize that part of the reason we got so easily disoriented in and around Nottingham (and indeed, all across the Midlands area of England) is that so many homes, and so many entire blocks of homes, look very much alike. There was a huge housing boom here in the 1920s and '30s. Lots of housing was needed very quickly as people flooded into the industrial cities.

Another street a couple blocks away from where we live.
You can see the difference, can't you?

Dark red brick was used for almost all of the construction in this region, though there are stucco accents on the front. Usually these fronts are white, but some go to a cream or almost pastel yellow color. A very standard two story floor plan was common.

And yet another nearby street. Differences are subtle.

Although there are subtle differences, one house is distinguished from another in this area by location and by details one does not readily notice on the outside. There is considerable individuality on the inside.

Red brick, as far as they eye can see. Welcome to the English Midlands!

2. Size. Most houses here would be considered small by current American standards. We find our home very comfortable for the two of us. I can easily envision living here if our girls were still at home as kids, though they would certainly be sharing a bedroom rather than having rooms of their own. I think things might get a bit cramped with a growing family. There are no basements. The kitchen gets to be a problem as soon as a second cook or helper is introduced (more on kitchens later). Some houses have garages, but most people use them only for storage as it would be a very tight fit to get a car into them -- even the smaller cars common here.

Getting used to the smaller size, we find ourselves thinking this makes much more sense than the huge homes currently in fashion in the U.S. We pay for quite a bit more space than we actually need (and then pay more in property taxes, utilities, etc.). Smaller would be better for the environment, as well as for our bank balances.