A simple abode.

We are not fancy people. We eat spaghetti. Wash our own cars. And laugh at shows like “The Office” and “30 Rock” on TV.

Our house isn’t fancy either. It’s small and was built mid-century. Like much of our furniture, it’s a collection of old and not so new. The cabinets and countertops are circa 1990. The floors are original, with an arthritic spot in the hallway that groans when you tiptoe over. The single-car garage door? Original too. And the two petite bathrooms almost qualify as time travel. Pink tiles in one. Aqua in the other. NuTone heaters still in the ceilings.

Nothing gleams—even when it’s been scrubbed clean. We’ll never have the space to put a hamper in the bathroom, much less stretch out after a morning shower. I’ll never come home to spa surroundings after a long day. And there’s no danger we’ll feel like gourmet chefs making dinner in a five-star kitchen.

When we bought it, we decided all that was okay. Pink. Aqua. Squeaks. Cracks. It’s colorful, our little piece of the American Dream. None of the previous owners tried to erase the past. It’s lived in. Likable. Mildly and carefully modified in spots, but still a renegade in a “new-is-better” and “keep it neutral” world.

To me, though, the little house on the winding avenue is mostly this: Perspective. It’s a mortgage that respects our financial strengths and limitations. A reminder to make careful, prudent decisions, from renovations to life choices. And, last but not least, it’s the understanding that something shiny won’t make life any richer.

My favorite thing about this perspective? It attracts like-minded individuals. Individuals who make great friends and neighbors. Who, despite the latest trends, largely live with what they have instead of rushing to install Jacuzzi tubs, slate floors, or add more square footage. One walk through our winding streets, and it’s evident what an incredible sense of community has formed from this nod to nostalgia. But that’s just one of the benefits to living here. The other? There's no room for the Joneses to move in.