Tag: WeeklyPhotoChallenge

I've Long noticed that many (most) of the homes I have seen in New Jersey have very few windows. Especially the larger houses. It's as though some architects found inspiration in a box with small holes—the kind of box you use to transport small rodents home from the pet store.

This entry is a response to the Daily Prompt.

When we take photos, we use all kinds of things to frame our images and get the viewer's eye to focus where we want it: plants, architectural elements, lighting. You know what else can be a great frame? An actual frame — a window frame.

I've seen homes where the entire side of the home is paved in vinyl save for a tiny and sad window. This is usually the side of the house with a two-car garage. Why can't garages have windows? It's not like people parks cars in garages anymore. The garage is a place to store all the stuff that used to be in the basement. The windowless basement has been finished and no longer looks good with all that junk.

So when did the "War on Windows" start? Was it around the time Americans stopped decorating rooms with personal items? When beige and white became the best colours because you know "resale value". Not all cities in the USA are lacking in colour. South Carolina, Florida, and California have some very colourful cities. Maybe it's a northern USA issue.

It's the same inside most office buildings. Beige carpeting. White walls. Grey cubicles. No light. The office building where I work has small windows on the outer wall. That's where the court executives sit. Staff sit in cubicles running along the inner walls. No windows.

When my wife and I looked to buy our home 15 years ago, one of the things we loved was how many windows we had. And how much light they let in. If you've followed this blog for more than a moment, you'll know that I'm from the British West Indies. I'm not a fan of winter. It's grey and white and beige. It's the same colour scheme as the inside (and outside) of the average New Jersey home.

I prefer the light. I prefer warmth. I like the big windows.

Each Wednesday, The Daily Prompt Photo Challenge provides a theme for creative inspiration. Participants take photographs based on their interpretation of the theme and post them on their blog anytime before the following Wednesday.