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At The Halfway Mark - ( first posted on thebarefoodfoodie.org on 21 May 2014 )

 

Descending Flights of Fancy – Project Growing Up Part 8

OCTOBER 17, 2014BAREFOOT HOME

(First Posted 21 May 2014 )

AT THE HALFWAY MARK

10 months from the day the bulldozers razed House to the ground, I am now looking at three and one half levels of structure, steel, concrete, pipes and wires. 
 
Mr Y conducts his intricate orchestration and casts his spell in this myriad of organized confusion. I have laid out my wish list, now mostly debunked, or dismissed by Mr Y as inappropriate, BUT he has gamely gone along with some whimsical requests, and has even added to it. I am pleasantly surprised – this man is not all of function, but has a bit of funk up his sleeve after all! It is all coming together, and the ephemeral glob of abstract space, light and flow solidifies as substance.
 

LESSONS I HAVE LEARNT

 
I have learnt to appreciate that function comes before design. A well thought out house is a well built house,  is a comfortable home to roost. Mr Y is a good teacher. He explains concepts behind the planning and execution. I am becoming a good student, actually following instructions. At the start of this project, I asked myself – what happens when two opinionated, highly egoistical individuals work together. Who wins, the architect or the owner? Now I have the answer  – the House wins! 
 
I have discovered the science behind proportion and composition, and the meaning of minimalism. According to Antoine de Saint-Exupery, ” perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” 
 
It is something that strikes at my very core, whose middle name is EXCESS. Paring down was a journey of saying no to frivolous buys, less-is-more ( still trying to compute that ), adding just the right amount of stand-out accent, simplicity for drama. In short, it required a drastic personality makeover. Restraint is the order of the day ( and makes for a somewhat healthier credit card statement )
 
Patience is an attribute best learnt slowly. Waiting is such an excruciating state of not being in control. While Mr Y and his team hammer and drill away, I wait for those sporadic moments when the phone rings or when a message beeps, and the house-owner is alerted for her marginal inputs on materials, colour scheme, and such like. How I crave for alerts, where I can participate and add just a little touch of ME-ness. This is reminiscent of the teenage angst of waiting, except subject is better looking and younger, though as geeky!
 

MOVING FORWARD

There is a quiet assurance of leaving matters with the enigmatic Mr Y, who is as unpredictably creative as he is protective of his turf. I do not fight from a vantage of ignorance. The rule of thumb is to let the chap do what he does best, while promising artistic expression and calculated indulgences. I can live with that!
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