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We see so many shows where the first thing they do is condemn the 70's or 80's kitchens, give it 30 years and they'll be doing the same with all the tile and granite.
You took the words right out of my mouth. (but I'll include tearing out those lovely built-ins in
those 1920's - 1930's homes).
A slightly different list from the local paper that I just saw today.
Quote:
1Light fixtures that are polished brass and have scroll work or fluted frosted glass. But, be careful. Original old light fixtures that fit the home's architecture are often worth preserving.
2Swag window treatments. Straight, tailored drapes or shades stay stylish, so long as they are not scalloped of poufy. "You want streamlined and edited, nothing that looks like a dust collector," Kelly said. "If simplicity isn't there, neither is timelessness."
3 Themed rooms. Rooms built around a theme get dated fast. Remember the Southwest craze? All that aqua and peach and sand-washed woods took the country by wildfire, then burnt itself out. However, elements of a theme, like a cowhide rug mixed into an eclectic interior, can work for the long haul. "We're not talking Western camp," said Kelly, "but cowhide in a sophisticated way, like how Ralph Lauren pulls it off."
4 Cottage-cheese ceilings, also known in the trade as popcorn. "They must come down," she said. "They will never come back in style."
5 Faux finishes. "We have become more authentic in our approach, so faux is not as popular."
6 Tile counters. When you can have a solid surface for not much more expense, why have tile? Kelly asked. "No one wants to clean grout on a horizontal tile surface ever again. It doesn't matter how tight the grout lines are. Go for a slab."
7 Fake plants. They are almost always past their prime, even when brand new.
8 Shower curtains. See swag window treatments above. Now think, "Ick."
9 Black baffles on recessed can lights shout 1980. Change them to white or silver.
10 Extra layers. Many homes would look instantly younger, fresher and more up-to-date if owners would edit and streamline what they have. However, homeowners commonly add stuff but don't subtract, so after 10 years it takes an archeologist to cut through the layers. Accumulation, more than any other factor, puts years on a home.
I can get behind most of these but shower curtains? Now if they mean multi-layer, fabric and swags, then yes. But a shower curtain in general is a functional item so they aren't going out of style!
Last edited by emm74; 01-26-2015 at 12:33 PM..
Reason: to add link
The popcorn ceilings stay; I have no intention of turning my life and household upside-down to scrape them off. Furthermore, my house was built in the '70s, which means the popcorn potentially contains asbestos. It was much safer to encapsulate them with a good coat of paint, leaving them otherwise undisturbed, so that's what we did. I don't care that the home decor industry considers them out-of-style.
Last edited by randomparent; 01-26-2015 at 01:25 PM..
The popcorn ceilings stay; I have no intention of turning my life and household upside-down to scrape them off.
Ha! I was thinking the same thing when I read that. Ours aren't true popcorn ceilings, but still textured and dated. Our house was built in the late 80s and apparently at that time it was still an "upgrade" to texture the ceilings because they did it all over the first floor but left the second story alone. I don't care for it, but I can think of a lot better ways to spend my time and money that worrying about scraping down my ceilings. No thanks!
Ha! I was thinking the same thing when I read that. Ours aren't true popcorn ceilings, but still textured and dated. Our house was built in the late 80s and apparently at that time it was still an "upgrade" to texture the ceilings because they did it all over the first floor but left the second story alone. I don't care for it, but I can think of a lot better ways to spend my time and money that worrying about scraping down my ceilings. No thanks!
Indeed! It's expensive, incredibly disruptive, and potentially dangerous to remove old popcorn ceilings. I will happily live with them.
Last edited by randomparent; 01-26-2015 at 01:33 PM..
Indeed! It's expensive, incredibly disruptive, and potentially dangerous to remove old popcorn ceilings. I will happily live with them.
I don't really see why popcorn ceilings are thought to be so bad. A ceiling is a ceiling unless there's stains, holes or something really wild going on. The added texture it gives is somewhat appealing to me. I doubt that I'd have it done to a new house, but for homes of that time period I think it looks fine.
Something that I NEVER liked and really scream dated now is the TV "cubbies" or whatever you call them above the fireplace. Right before flat-screens took off & were everywhere, builders were offering to do recessed cubbies for the old-school TV's. Some of these cubbies had doors that could be closed when not watching TV.
I think a lot of people started putting their flat screens above the fireplace just to cover up the old "cubby hole" that is now obsolete!
We rented a house for a couple of years that had a TV cubby adjacent to the fireplace in the family room. We left the space empty, which looked odd, but whatever were we to do with it? Had we bought the property, I considered having a carpenter finish it as a bookcase.
Something that I NEVER liked and really scream dated now is the TV "cubbies" or whatever you call them above the fireplace. Right before flat-screens took off & were everywhere, builders were offering to do recessed cubbies for the old-school TV's. Some of these cubbies had doors that could be closed when not watching TV.
Oh yes, our house has one of those in the master bedroom. Not above the fireplace, but a little mini closet on the wall. What was funny is that when we were first looking at the house we asked what was back there. The owner said he really didn't know and couldn't remember ever opening it. So he opened it and there was an ancient TV hiding back there, probably from the previous owner of the house!
It wasn't over the fireplace, but I had a built in shelving cubby including a shelf to hold the tv in my last house. Fortunately, the size was just right to fit the old tube TV I had. When we moved last year, I gave that TV away. No clue what the new owner is using the shelves for - they are very deep to be bookshelves, but awkwardly shaped to fit today's tvs.
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(but I'll include tearing out those lovely built-ins in
