SPRING AWAKENING

How the light changing affects how we experience space

There’s a morning in early spring when I realize my home and the general area in which I live begins to feel more expansive.

The sun lingers just a little longer, casting shadows on the walls. The air moving through the open windows carries with it the faint scent of damp soil and the sweet smells of the early blossoms of Daphne. The moss growing on the concrete wall at our driveway even smells hopefully earthy and appears quite vigorous.

In Irvington, Sabin and Alameda, on our walks through the streets, the homes seem to exhale after holding winter quietly for months. Whether it is noticing the first buds of daffodils or the energized hope of watching my neighbors tending to winter clean ups of their gardens, this is a time to really explore the neighborhood we live in. Front porches even start to become, once again, an extension of our interior lives.

I am curious as to how my clients, colleagues and friends are experiencing this time of renewal, what they are noticing in the subtle transitions of their homes feeling more alive as the light, air and season shifts. What is our participation in our living spaces that respond to season and time?

From my experience in real estate sales at this time of year, there is growing optimism with the longer days of light, including a ‘falling in love’ sensation with a lifestyle - when my buyers view potential purchases. An optimism that may have been shadowed during winter months starts to present itself.

all photos by Shannon Baird - taken in Oregon and Washington