Loss of Color in Lexington

I live in the land of "tear it down, and they will come." (In fact, if anyone wants to offer me a large sum to tear down my tiny old Cape Cod, I'll seriously entertain it.) Most of the new houses that arise from the removal of the old are considerably larger and more elaborate than what they've replaced, but even my envious eyes must admit that most of them are beautiful and style appropriate (bungalows, Georgian, Victorian, etc.)

In the last year, my favorite new tear-down replacement was a house on Waltham Street, near the Lexington Town Center. It was a Victorian (again, style appropriate) with the most amazing color scheme: blues, greens, yellows, with cream trim. I loved that house, and I'm sure the designer/builder put a lot of love and hope into it. It sat on the market for a while (or maybe I'm just thinking of the time it took to build it--can't really tell). Every time I'd drive by I'd admire the colors. Most authentic Victorians aren't just white, you know--they come in all kinds of shades, both bright and pastel. You need a big house to handle the variety of color (it would look strange and splotchy on a house like mine), but this one carried it with dignity and charm.

Well, apparently someone bought it, or perhaps the builder just gave in on his dream (again, can't tell). Now, my beautifully colored Victorian is all beige and cream. Tasteful, nice, all that. "More marketable," maybe.

I hope the new owners are very happy. But me, I miss the color, and I hope the builder tries again with another house. And if he does, I hope he drops me a line, so I can drive by and sigh, once more.