Old Neighbourhood Fun: Mid-Century Home Ornamentation

I love walking in mid-century neighbourhoods - where the trees are taller than the homes and multiple owners have had a chance to add some ornamentation to personalize the homes.

While many complain about the suburban cookie cutter homes of today, it really isn’t any different from the cookie cutter homes built in the 40s, 50s and 60s. However, over time these mid-century homes have been repainted (probably more than once), physically altered and landscaped to personalize them.

I particularly love the railings on the stair and the shadows they cast. The front doors also interest me, especially the metal screen doors with the owners last name initials or the ones with animals.

I hope you will enjoy this photo blog of some of my fun flaneur finds in Calgary’s older communities.

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Charming

Recently, I have become fascinated by the iron railings on the front steps of these middle-age homes. The more I look at them, the more variations I discover.

I particularly love the abstract shadows they cast on a bright sunny day – winter or summer.

There is a charm to them that is missing from our modern minimalist homes with their clean, simple lines. A maple leaf here, a tulip there, a curly-cue in one, an art deco reference in another adds a subtle folksy charm.

Backstory

While we don’t have an ornamental iron railing on our front porch steps, we do have a piece of mid century railing in our garden - rescued from the house across the street when it was being demolished making way for a modern new house.

It goes great with our mid-century playground toys, now garden ornaments we have collected over the years.

They all make for a great conversation starter for people walking by and for kids being dropped off at the daycare across the street.