Monday, September 13, 2010

BBAW Treasure #2-- An Interview With Lorin of Arch Thinking!


This year's Book Blogger Appreciation Week Interview Swap paired me with a familiar person-- Lorin of Arch Thinking. Why familiar? Because she graciously participated in my weekly feature, Scene of the Blog.

It's not always easy for me to interview anyone. I tend to suffer an immediate case of blank-slate-itis. Can't think of a thing. But in Lorin's case, my puny brain kept going back to one thing: architecture.

The natural world means a great deal to me, but in my natural world, architecture plays an important role. Probably because I live in 2,000 square feet of architecture, and since I live in a very large metropolitan area, each time I hop into the car and go somewhere, I find myself noticing a lot of it.

Why would my mind keep thinking "Lorin...architecture... Lorin... architecture"? Probably because it's her source of employment and one of her passions. (My mind does have huge flights of fancy, but usually not when asking people questions.)

There have been two instances in my life where a magnificent example of architecture has moved me to speechlessness and tears because it felt as though the architect had been inside my mind and my heart and knew exactly the type of house that would make me happy. My assignment for Lorin in this interview was for her to tell us about two spaces that affected her the same way-- one exterior and one interior. Here's what she told me:


For the exterior, I am going to cheat and pick a house that I know really well - I was the project manager for the architect who designed this one and therefore got to have a hand in its design. I've attached a photo of the exterior. The house is best known, though, for its interior - it was featured in the first Sex and the City movie.


For the interior, I chose Villa Mairea by the famous Finnish architect Alvar Aalto. (Photos of the space can be seen in this Flickr album.)


What I like about both of these houses is that they are modern, very contemporary, but not cold. 

The house I live in now is very non-traditional - it's a loft-style condo where the only rooms that are actually separate are the bathrooms and laundry. Otherwise, it is just one big open room, with incredibly tall ceilings. There are exposed pipes and beams, most of the walls are brick or hollow clay tile, and it has a concrete floor. This may sound scary to some people, who would prefer to live in a traditional house. But it is, I think, a very warm and inviting place to live.


I hope you take the time to follow both links to the homes chosen by Lorin. They are beautiful. The view of the trees through the windows of the Finnish house are superb.

Can you deduce something about a personality by the spaces in which they want to live? I think so. I hope you do, too. What I learned through this interview is that, although Lorin's choices and mine couldn't be more different (mine are 200- and 400-years old, for example), we both like the same things: plenty of windows, plenty of light, plenty of rooms with views.

12 comments:

  1. Is there an award for best BBAW interview? If so you should get it for posting something other than the 'tell me about your blog and your reading habits'. You continue to inspire in ways that you couldn't even imagine Cathy.

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  2. Awesome interview! Wow. I'm not a good enough housekeeper to live in an open space -- I need to hide my clutter!

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  3. What a lovely interview! I love houses that are old and have a bit of history to them, but I'm beginning to appreciate the beauty of clean, modern lines. The Villa Mairea interior is so calming and makes you feel you are living in nature.

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  4. Love the living spaces described - the clean lines, the windows, the gorgeous wood in the second home - just beautiful!

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  5. I have problems because I like both old and modern! LOL But I agree, lots of windows and space and views are the best!

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  6. Wow! What an excellent & unique interview!

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  7. Hey I wanna live in one like those!

    Here is my BBAW: Interview post!

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  8. Interesting, thinking about where you live reflecting your personality. Having lived on both sides of the US, I can say architectural styles vary regionally! Lifestyles affect home choice, too -- with three kids, my dream home is no longer a 200 year old house (too much work). Maybe in my old age, though...

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  9. Thanks for the fun interview Cathy!

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  10. Bernadette-- Wow. Thank you. I thought I was being a very lame interviewer!

    Beth-- Those open spaces have well-disguised, built-in storage!

    chasingbawa-- I can be at home in either. It all boils down to windows, light, and views. Both old and new can have all that. :)

    Mary-- They are. Lorin introduced me to two beautiful homes!

    Serena-- That's not a problem, unless being attracted to more homes is not what you're looking for! LOL

    Jenn-- Thanks! Lorin and I are glad you enjoyed it. :)

    Gautami-- It would be nice, wouldn't it?

    Valerie-- Yes, there are a lot of factors that go into the decision of which home to buy.

    Lorin-- You're welcome. The pleasure was all mine. I knew you'd have interesting choices!

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  11. I think those crisp, modern spaces say a lot about Lorin! By the way, I'm the same way when it comes to interviews. I can make small talk all day, but ask me to interview someone and I draw a blank and end up asking dumb questions.

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