Materials That Age and Materials That Do Not
What People Who Don't Lose Out in Home Building Do, Vol. 14
A newly built house is at its most beautiful on the day it is completed.
Shiny floors, white walls, and fixtures without a single scratch. Defining that state as 'complete' and trying to maintain it for as long as possible is what we call 'maintenance.' Many houses are built on that premise.
However, many people who build homes with architects have a slightly different premise.
'I want a home that grows as we start living in it.'
There are two types of materials
Materials used in homes can be broadly divided into two types: materials that age and materials that do not.
Materials that do not age are typically what we call new building materials. Because their surfaces are treated, they are resistant to scratches and easy to clean. They maintain a uniform and stable appearance for a long time. It is a rational choice in terms of requiring less maintenance.
Materials that age include solid wood, plaster, tile, concrete, iron, and brass—natural materials or those whose appearance changes over time. As they are used, their colors deepen, they acquire scratches, and they develop a patina. Five or ten years later, they have a richer expression than when they were newly built.
The meaning of 'scratches' changes
When you choose materials that age, your approach to scratches changes.
A scratch on a solid wood floor is a record of that family's life. The marks of children running around, the lines from pulling out chairs, the dents from dropping something. A scratch on a uniform new building material floor is 'deterioration,' but a scratch on solid wood is an 'accumulation of time.'
The same phenomenon has a completely different meaning. That is the difference in materials, and also the difference in the premise regarding the home.
'I don't want it to get scratched' is a natural feeling. However, a home where you can live with the feeling of 'I look forward to it getting scratched' becomes more endearing the longer you live in it.
The relationship between cost and aging
Materials that age can sometimes have higher initial costs. Solid wood flooring is more expensive than composite flooring. Plaster walls take more effort than vinyl wallpaper.
However, in the long run, the story changes.
When new building materials start to show scratches and dirt, they need to be replaced. On the other hand, solid wood can be sanded down. Plaster can be reapplied. Many materials that age can be used for a long time while being cared for.
When you consider the initial cost, maintenance cost, and above all, 'whether you can grow to love it the more you live in it,' choosing materials that age is often rational in the long term.
A home that keeps updating its 'completion'
The reason architects and people building homes prefer materials that age is not just about cost or durability.
I believe it is because they view a home not as a "finished product," but as something to be "nurtured."
A home that is most beautiful when new, versus a home that gains depth the more you live in it. Which home one wants to live in reflects how that person approaches life itself.
People who build homes without losing value ask themselves "how will this look in 10 years?" when choosing materials. They select materials while imagining the richness that comes with time, rather than just the beauty of a new build.