House envy

Okay, I never have house envy - I love my apartment (tiny as it is), I live in the best location in the city, and I seldom want anything different. Oh, like everyone, I go to someone's house and see something I like, that I appreciate, that I think is totally fascinating, but I seldom see anything that I crave. And I certainly have never seen a house that I crave. Not in my city, not in my country, not in Europe.

Until now.

This weekend I saw THE house, the house I want more than anything else. It's out of the city and right on the water. It's full of windows that face the water and the ocean view is warmed by the view of the islands that break over the horizon. It's totally aligned toward the views, filled with floor to ceiling windows. And absolutely no need for blinds or drapes to conceal the view - anytime of day or night.

That's the biggest selling feature but the house has a whole lot more than that. It was built by an sculptor - he built it himself - so it's eccentric. Which makes me love it more. The rooms don't flow into each other in the way of other houses, he built them so they worked for him and his family. So you might go from a little tiny studio up three stairs and into an alcove for a computer, then around into a bathroom, or a bedroom, and then into a lovely eagle's nest of an office.

There are fireplaces where you don't expect them, long thin strips of stained glass in unusual locations. There are twists and turns - I suspect that it would take days before it all made sense and that's the thing I love about it.

This is a house that has a personality, that doesn't look like everybody else's house - this is a house with a style all its own. And maybe that's why I love it so much. Yes, it has the view of the ocean I probably can't live without, yes it has fireplaces and an office to die for, but its eccentricity is what convinces me.

Kate