Purcell-Cutts House

Living in a box

Purcell was frustrated by most houses of his time. The typical house was basically a box. Each room within the house was another box. Perhaps the room had a window, but when you were inside, you could easily forget what was outside. Purcell complained that every day you would eat in the same spot, write letters in the same spot, go to bed in the same spot. People seemed more interested in their homes' decorations than in how the homes helped them to live.