Immigrants on the Move

I’m writing this blog from the luxury comfort of a friends house in Scotland and as I stare out the window at the raindrops hitting the pane of glass it made me think; does colour make a difference? Across this beautiful and very green country there is a common denominator, the houses are grey. The weather is also mostly grey. It has been amusing me for a few days as I sightsee and dodge the hail and rain. Of course I understand that the stone is local and therefore a source of pride, but with so much bad weather wouldn’t some bright sunny coloured houses help cheer up the landscape.

When we moved to France 9 years ago, it was our first time living permanently outside of the UK. Within a few months my nephew came to visit, a gangly 6’2″ (2m ish) adolescent with an opinion about everything. He lived in Ireland and was ‘mortally wounded’ by the mismatched houses. It became a theme for the week he was with us, his incredulity over each house being unique and a street not being made up of identical houses. It wasn’t something I had spotted, nor been bothered by. In fact, I like unique and unusual houses far more than the conformist repetition of ‘off the rack’ housing.

All architecture is shelter, all great architecture is the design of space that contains, cuddles, exalts, or stimulates the persons in that space. Philip Johnson.

The places I loved most in Spain were the places with colour, where the houses would pop with blues, yellows or terracotta. But my feelings were not often shared, the British (predominantly although other nationalities too) would buy houses in the area we were living, houses that were deep and rich in colour and immediately paint them white all over. I love a white house, I have nothing against them. If you are lucky enough to go to Andalusia in Spain, then try and visit both Frigiliana (voted most beautiful village in Spain) and Cordoba (where the famous Mezquita stands, a Cathedral built over a Mosque, retaining many of the original features). Both places are wall to wall white buildings, but the difference for me is the colours added in. In Cordoba there are blue flower pots on almost every wall with bright pink, red, orange, and yellow flowers growing in abundance, the walls are lined with amazing Moorish tiles full of dark blues and greens that could mesmerise you for hours. In Frigiliana the shutters and the doors are often painted a beautiful blue shade, the streets are paved with geometric patterns, and the backdrop of stark mountains and lush green countryside bring colour to the town.

The history of colourful fishing villages seems to exist almost everywhere. There is a place in the region of Alicante called Villajoyosa where the seafront buildings are each painted a different colour. It is said that when the fishermen were returning from sea, their families would hang sheets out the window to let them know what to expect when they returned. Black for death, blue/pink for a baby etc. But from far away it wasn’t always easy to see which house was yours, so they painted them to ensure they weren’t fearing a death when it had happened at the neighbours house. There are also stories of those same fishermen being supplied with neckerchiefs by their wives in the same colours, that way when they got drunk and stupid in the local taverns the police would know which house to deposit them at. Regardless of the reasons those places have always enchanted me, Cobh and Howth in Ireland are the same and its not only because of the picturesque photos you can take, there is a brightness that those colours bring to the day. Ireland is not a sunny place, much like Scotland you see more rain than clear skies but the beauty of those coloured houses can cause even the drabbest day to seem bright.

Are you an all houses the same person, or do you enjoy the colour, variety and quirkiness of a place with different and colourful architecture? Does the style of architecture make you feel more at home? For me I find comfort in bright houses, and colours, it gives me a feeling of warmth and familiarity.