The Bent Page

Continuing with my photo essay of Cunucu houses on the island of Aruba, let’s take a look at a few more examples. This first one has some creative designs set in the walls.

May not be your favorite but you have to give them credit for being creative. Notice how these houses are sort of “low slung” in that the doorways and windows are set lower to the ground. This gives a clue to how old they are, probably at least 70 to 80 years. This next example shows how outbuildings become part of a homestead complex.

There is the driveway, the main house, the outlaw suite in back and a budding stone wall on the right. Nice progression here. A more compact version can be seen in this next photo.

The buildings remain connected. Then there is this one, which shows how the kitchen is kept as far from the living area as possible. I mentioned that in an earlier post and here’s a classic example.

The chimney sticking up on the right is a sure sign of where the cooking is done. Then there’s this one, which happens to be fore sale, if you’re in the market.

They do like their colors in Aruba. I’ll be doing a photo essay on the colors of Aruba in a few weeks when I compile all the photos. There will also be more houses, including modern Cunucu houses which contain many of the elements we’ve seen in these photos. Before signing off, check out the detail along the corners of this last home. Many of the houses have geometric or animal designs formed into the concrete which is an added feature to distinguish one from the other.

Stay tuned for more.