J. and I moved into our flat in April. It is the one we wanted (British estate, if you know you know), it has wooden flooring, a nice kitchen counter and an open plan, the bathroom is amazing and it is just big enough for us. It has one thing missing and I cannot get over it, the windows are rubbish.
First, they open in an awning style (see scheme below) which is perfect if you need to vomit but awful if you want to look outside. Secondly, they are tinted and the natural colours are always off. Finally, the view. Oh dear god, the view. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve seen that fat guy’s ass. He’s always smoking outside and shouting at everyone (in four months, the police intervened at least 7 times). Sure, I can see the park and some beautiful architecture, but the main stage is a parking lot and the grey flat roof of an office building.
The criminal awning windows.
There is nothing more satisfying than finding a room with a perfect view. I’ve had my luck with my student accommodation (Kot in Belgian) in Brussels which had the most amazing sunsets and windows that opened all.the.way. My tiny bedroom in Cambridge had a glass door opening into the garden and the light was *chef’s kiss*. More recently, my room in Reading had the perfect combination of all the above and was at the back of the house (no street noise).
This may seem like an incongruous fixation but I NEED a good view. See I work from home and I like my office/desk to face the window, I like to observe whatever is happening outside, and I love to see the sun going from one side to the other as time passes (yes I know the Earth is the one moving but you get what I mean). When I need a break, I look as far as possible and let my vision blur to melt shapes and colours together. Not to mention the intense pleasure of opening the windows and knowing you will only smell the fresh air and hear a slight city background noise. And not some cat piss with a side of people screaming (as right now).
There is nothing more enjoyable than opening windows and feeling a light breeze making its way into a room. Whether it is a warm summer night or a rainy day (the sound of the rain, cars driving on a wet road), I love to have a bit of outside inside. At this stage, it is a necessity for my writing endeavour really. An essential opening into the world, something keeping me at my desk until late into the night and a source of inspiration.