I Wish I Could Live in a Thomas Kinkade Cottage

Write about your dream home.

Feature Painting: Seaside Hideaway by Thomas Kinkade

I was born and raised in New York City. Prewar apartments and skyscrapers were my trees. The concrete was my grass. Subway stations were my caves. There were no stars, and barely even the sun.

I thought I loved my home until I took several trips outside of it. I could never explain my daily agitation, exhaustion, and claustrophobia until I was forced to leave due to the costs of living.

I still live in a city, but it is much smaller and in close proximity to nature reserves, beaches, and forests. Living in my new town taught me that I actually favor nature. My dream home would most definitely be within any of the scenes painted by renowned artist Thomas Kinkade.

It does not have to be huge

When you are far removed from the extremely wealthy, it seems that life where money buys literally everything would be a dream. However, having experienced and witnessed a sliver of that through others, I saw that it actually comes with endless paranoia over physical security, endless property maintenance, social isolation, and legal challenges. The more you own, the more surveillance and upkeep everything requires.

This isn’t to say that money is not important. Money, unfortunately, is a requirement for functioning in modern society. However, where I live in the US, the gap between the wealthy and poor is so drastic that there is barely a nuanced middle class. Being rich seems to be the only acceptable outcome.

My dream home, however, is not a mansion with a massive pool, enough garage space for a car collection, and steely minimalistic architecture; it is a comfortable sized cottage between 1,500 and 1,800 square feet. It is surrounded in local foliage, but I could use a single acre for a small farm or garden.

A shack or work shed would be wonderful for storing timber, building materials, and cookware. Nearby, I could have a fire pit or outdoor earth oven for summertime gatherings.

It has character and history

I love when houses have stories. Whether it is a hut, cottage, apartment, or castle, homes carry history and vibes. Was the home once a stop for the Underground Railroad? Was it once a place where a family of many told stories by the kitchen hearth after dinner? Did the home survive through industrialization, war, famine, and civil rights movements?

Places with historical connections allow me to feel appreciative of those who came before me. I value and respect their struggles, and I feel their strength and determination through the places they’ve lived and the objects they’ve built and used.

It is made with quality, natural materials

I abhor the factory look of buildings today. They lack shape, color, and soul. Objects from the past, from tools to buildings, are both functional and beautiful. I want my home to be made with stone or brick and wood. Objects and homes from the past were built to withstand weathering.

It includes antiques or relics from the past

Technology has obviously been detrimental to making life easier today. I appreciate older appliances for their look and sturdy design. I would love for my home to have an old oven, hearth, or cellar.

It is in close approximately to nature

I am done with the noise of big cities. I love the sounds of rustling trees, the rippling lakes, and the twitter of birds. My dream home is walking distance from nature. I don’t need to be isolated from neighbors, but I do wish to be away from the honking horns, blaring sirens, the smell of exhaust, and the lack of stars in the sky.

What does your dream home look like? Let me know in the comments below!