East vs West.
To be clear, this is not an article on geopolitics. More heading to Devon over Kent!
Some people head east, but I’ve never understood why. East feels wrong to me—flat, enclosed, uninspiring. If the west is a promise, the east is a warning. Even the light feels harsher, sharper, and less forgiving. Perhaps it’s my internal compass, but the East has always felt like heading into something restrictive. West, on the other hand, calls with open skies, long horizons, and the comfort of knowing you’re moving toward something better.
I once cycled to Land’s End. It wasn’t about the destination so much as the journey westward. There’s something about that direction—the way the land opens up, the sea appears, and the air feels different. Heading west is about leaving behind the crowded and the known, chasing the expanse, the promise of something beyond.
This love of openness extends to how we experience spaces. Deer parks, with their long estate fences, embody this perfectly. These fences are boundaries, yes, but they’re not walls. They invite the eye to look through them, framing the rolling estate beyond. The herds grazing in the distance add to the sense of something grand and unattainable, yet it’s all right there, just beyond reach. The fence holds you back, but the view pulls you forward.
Design works this way, too. When done well, boundaries don’t just keep things out—they create focus, intrigue, and longing. A simple iron gate or a low stone wall can transform how you perceive a space. They shape what you see and how you feel as you approach, pause, and take it in.
I’ve often considered how this sense of westward openness and framed boundaries translates to homes. A porch or veranda, for instance, is a kind of threshold—a pause between public and private. A window that frames a long view makes the whole room feel connected to the world outside. These are not just design features; they’re emotional cues that make a space resonate deeply.
So, stop and think if you ever need to go east. Is it worth it? Probably not. Head west instead. Chase the light, the horizon, the spaces that make you breathe a little deeper. Whether it’s a journey to Land’s End or the comfort of a porch overlooking a garden, the West offers something the East never will: freedom, openness, and the feeling that you’re exactly where you’re meant to be.
You will always find me at carl@carlarchitect.co.uk
This Week’s Links:
Talking of heading west: Things to see in Dorset.
And Somerset:
Floating sauna made from shipping containers installed in California. More buildings should be put on water.
The worlds narrowest Fiat Panda – just don’t go out in the wind!
Ferrari have lost it – they’ve made a new Mazda.
I’m not a motorbiker, but I like the look of this.
Main Image credit: Head west, where the horizon beckons and the east is left behind.
