Designer, writer and television presenter, Kevin McCloud leapt into our consciousness with his vastly successful show Grand Designs. This month, the affable architectural business owner talks about how we love our homes.
We talk about “falling in love” with a house in much the same way we talk about people. The phrase slips out easily when we first view a property… as if love at first sight might just apply to bricks and mortar. And perhaps it does.
Homes, like relationships, often begin with an irrational attraction. A shaft of light across a floor, a creak in the staircase, the way the garden wall catches the evening sun, something indefinable tugs at us. Architects call it spirit of place; psychologists might call it attachment. I just think of it as chemistry.
Homes, like relationships, often begin with an irrational attraction.
What fascinates me is how this affection deepens over time. You start by admiring a house’s looks – its proportions, its quirks, its view – but eventually, love grows from shared history. The marks on the kitchen table, the worn patch on the stair, the window you open first thing every morning. All this becomes part of your story together. A home is not static; it’s a living relationship, shaped by time and care.
So, this month spare a thought for the place that shelters your everyday life. Open the curtains, let the light in, notice how it falls on the wall you once painted yourself. That small flicker of affection? That’s love… architectural, emotional, utterly human.
