Misperception of "vintage" decor

[docneg]

I clicked on a "news" link that purported to show before-and-after pictures of a 1930s kitchen that "was an eyesore". The link is here:

http://www.shelterpop.com/2010/02/05/before-and-after-outdated-minnesota-kitchen-gets-a-facelift?icid=main|main|dl3|link4|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shelterpop.com%2F2010%2F02%2F05%2Fbefore-and-after-outdated-minnesota-kitchen-gets-a-facelift

What boggles my mind is that the "after" renovation looks more like a 1930s kitchen than the "before". The only item recognizable from the 1930s in the first picture is a radiator. The new cabinets, however, are a style that actually resemble those that could be seen 80 years ago.

A few years back, a deliveryman complimented me on my apartment, saying "You've got a great '70s look going on there." Even if I didn't think it was the ugliest decade in history, I still would have been bowled over at how anyone would think my stuff looked "'70s". Then I remembered a few years prior to that, I noticed young people referring to anything in the remote past as "the '50s".

Does anyone else think it is bizarre that people's historical sense is now so uninformed or quirky? And who would you expect to know what a 1930s kitchen looked like, if not an interior design writer who makes a point of identifying the decade of the offending space?

I'm going to go make myself a good 1930s drink...you know, like a pina colada or a bahama mama.

 

[Yeps]

From reading that, I didn't get the impression that the kitchen was 30s, or that they thought it was, merely that the house was a good house from the 1930s.
They commented also, that they moved the sink back to the original location.

 

[Story]

Some people's perceptive views of history are more akin to Escher prints. [huh]

 

[LizzieMaine]

I'd be willing to bet that the first picture shows the result of a previous updating, probably done in the late sixties, and the countertop was probably installed after that -- possibly in the '80s. That dark wood look was very common on into the 70s. While it did exist in the 30s, it was less popular than bright enamel colors, and it didn't look as cheap and chintzy as it does here.

Most countertops of the era would have had an aluminum or steel trim facing strip along the edge, rather than the wrap-over Formica edge, which screams "80s!" to me.

I think most people's awareness of "vintage decor" starts with their grandparents' homes -- and these days, a lot of those homes might well have a 70s or 80s style to them, so that would be their only real frame of reference.

 

[docneg]

From reading that, I didn't get the impression that the kitchen was 30s, or that they thought it was, merely that the house was a good house from the 1930s.
They commented also, that they moved the sink back to the original location.

The headline I clicked on to get to the story said:
1930s Kitchen Was a Major Eyesore
It's Barely Recognizable After Face-Lift

 

[docneg]

I think most people's awareness of "vintage decor" starts with their grandparents' homes -- and these days, a lot of those homes might well have a 70s or 80s style to them, so that would be their only real frame of reference.

Good point, LizzieMaine!

 

[Yeps]

The headline I clicked on to get to the story said:
1930s Kitchen Was a Major Eyesore
It's Barely Recognizable After Face-Lift

Ah. That makes sense then. The link you gave and the subsequent post did not give me that impression, but I can see why that would be annoying to see that headline.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

A few years back, a deliveryman complimented me on my apartment, saying "You've got a great '70s look going on there." Even if I didn't think it was the ugliest decade in history, I still would have been bowled over at how anyone would think my stuff looked "'70s". Then I remembered a few years prior to that, I noticed young people referring to anything in the remote past as "the '50s".

Does anyone else think it is bizarre that people's historical sense is now so uninformed or quirky? And who would you expect to know what a 1930s kitchen looked like, if not an interior design writer who makes a point of identifying the decade of the offending space?

As far as the average person's skewed sense of history which I believe is due in some measure to the declining quality of education (including college) over the last 30-40 years, we live in an age where just five years ago is considered ancient history in the minds of many people

I think most people's awareness of "vintage decor" starts with their grandparents' homes -- and these days, a lot of those homes might well have a 70s or 80s style to them, so that would be their only real frame of reference.

I fondly remember that my grandparents' home which was built circa 1924 still retained much of its 1920s appearance, including the kitchen, well into the late '60s, early '70s which was the time frame of my recollections.

 

[reetpleat]

While not so much any more, I remember ten to twenty years ago, I would see a lot of dapper old men. They looked good despite the fact that their clothes, ties, hats, shoes etc were all seventies and pretty bad. But they still wore them well.

A point? yes. they wore the clothes they last bought when they last needed to buy new clothes, the 70s. After retiring and getting older, they did not feel the need anymore. Loved the way they looked though.

The point of that is that most homes were remodelled when the owners had a bit of money, or last cared about their decor. As a real estate agent, I see most homes in the areas built in the 20s and 30s, were remodelled in the 50s, with all the plywood cabinetry etc or in the seventies or eighties with the white surfaced (euro) style with the pine trim piece on the bottom.

While many old kitchens 10s 20s, are not so nice as they were not built to be nice, just a work space, they had a certain charm that fit the house. bathrooms too.

But these new kitchens are really dated and look out of place in an older house. The trend today is often to recreate a feel for the old style, with shaker cabinets etc. They are often nicer than the original, but they fit in. Kinid of like how in the 70s period films had bad hair and clothes, but now the trend is to be original.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Reetpleat--

I'll bet you come across many houses built in the '10s and '20s whose clapboard siding had been subsequently replaced with... :::shudder::: stucco.

That seems to be a common feature of many of these old bungalows down here in SoCal, especially in the more run-down areas. My guess is that stucco is a bit more "maintenance-free" requiring less frequent repainting.

 

[docneg]

Reetpleat--

I'll bet you come across many houses built in the '10s and '20s whose clapboard siding had been subsequently replaced with... :::shudder::: stucco.

Or in Appalachia, INSULBRICK (brrr...)!

 

[LizzieMaine]

"You bought a stucco house, and under the law that makes you the stuckee."

Around here the replacement siding of choice was asbestos shingles.

 

[Viola]

Around here the default is red brick (and then siding of some sort, wood or vinyl) and I adore stucco. Siding can do terrible things.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Exactly - clearly it was probably a 30s house that had been giving a kitchen makeover sometime in the 70s-90s, and now, probably with a new owner, it was giving a new makeover to give it a more period-authentic look to the style of the house.

 

[docneg]

I think my intent in posting this got a little diluted. I just wanted to say that the original "hook" or headline for the story was the idea that a 1930s kitchen was an eyesore and was remodeled. My point is that the writer didn't think it was important to point out that the eyesore was '70s vintage, not '30s, and then was seemingly unaware that the improved remodeling looks '30s. [huh]