What's something modern you won't miss when it becomes obsolete?

[vitanola]

Well, an Early Victorian house was generally fully carpeted, preferably in a reversible Ingrain, but lesser rooms would have used Venetian or common rag carpets, sewn together and stretched from wall to wall, for hardwood flooring was a great rarity before the '80's. It was not unknown for the impecunious to lay only a thin strip of carpet around the edges of the room, covering the center with a Drugget, a coarse canvas carpet protector, leaving the impression of expensive all over carpeting.

Sorry that you hate wallpapers so. It is nearly impossible to to a correct impression of a pre-war interior without at least some of it. You have not lived until you have hung century old cheap wallpaper. On a ceiling. The place that I'm currently restoring will pretty much be papered throughout, save for the kitchen and bath which have of course been finished in sanitary enamel.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I love Wallpaper. We had a couple different farmhouses over the course of my childhood and I can't think of a room in them that didn't have some sort of wallpaper.

 

[HudsonHawk]

Well, an Early Victorian house was generally fully carpeted, preferably in a reversible Ingrain, but lesser rooms would have used Venetian or common rag carpets, sewn together and stretched from wall to wall, for hardwood flooring was a great rarity before the '80's. It was not unknown for the impecunious to lay only a thin strip of carpet around the edges of the room, covering the center with a Drugget, a coarse canvas carpet protector, leaving the impression of expensive all over carpeting.

Sorry that you hate wallpapers so. It is nearly impossible to to a correct impression of a pre-war interior without at least some of it. You have not lived until you have hung century old cheap wallpaper. On a ceiling. The place that I'm currently restoring will pretty much be papered throughout, save for the kitchen and bath which have of course been finished in sanitary enamel.

Two reasons I hate wallpaper:

1. I've never seen any that wasn't uglier than a mud fence.
2. It's a royal pain in the you-know-what to remove.

No thanks, not a chance. I haven't the slightest interest in recreating a pre-war interior.

 

[Shangas]

Our house was built in the mid-1960s. It lived and breathed wallpaper.

The most butt-ugly 1970s wallpapers that you could EVER IMAGINE. Brown suede, some cheap, reflective glossy flower-patterned junk, and some fluffy, biege-coloured rubbish that would give you nightmares!
I remember helping dad to steam off all the paper and peel it off. It was mighty fun. And I can assure you I don't miss ANY of it. I'm sure the papers that existed in the 20s & 30s were much nicer than the horrible, postwar earthtone 1970s monstrosities that we had.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Our house was built in the mid-1960s. It lived and breathed wallpaper.

The most butt-ugly 1970s wallpapers that you could EVER IMAGINE. Brown suede, some cheap, reflective glossy flower-patterned junk, and some fluffy, biege-coloured rubbish that would give you nightmares!
I remember helping dad to steam off all the paper and peel it off. It was mighty fun. And I can assure you I don't miss ANY of it. I'm sure the papers that existed in the 20s & 30s were much nicer than the horrible, postwar earthtone 1970s monstrosities that we had.

I can't stand the pseudo-Colonial wallpapers of the mid-late '60s -- I don't know about the rest of the world, but in the US there was a huge fad at that time for fake "Early American" wallpaper designs, covered with images of spread eagles, Liberty Bells, Paul Revere on a horse, crossed muskets, Betsy Ross flags, and parchment scrolls with "We The People" engraved in flowing script. It was like living every day trapped in the middle of a Fourth Of July pageant. Especially if you were descended from Loyalists.

Wallpaper with small, abstract patterns is quite pleasant. I have fruit-patterned paper in my kitchen, and when circumstances permit I'm going to re-paper my living room with something small and quiet. When I moved in, the walls were '70s presdwood paneling, which was torn out and thrown into a burn pile before I even bothered to take off my coat. Underneath were four or five layers of ruined paper, and then the plaster walls. I repaired the broken places and painted the walls a neutral color because that's all I had the budget to do at the time, but I can't let a wallpaper pattern book go by without sneaking a look at it.

 

[HudsonHawk]

I have a wet bar area in my den (actually, it's a dry bar area now, as I've removed the sink when I put in all that gorgeous granite) that was covered in that ugly 80's Miami Vice looking patterned mirror stuff. When I removed the mirror, there was an ugly layer of black and white verticle striped paper, which looked like prison bars. Peeling off the cell walls revealed a layer of the most hideous 70's brown and orange Cowboy/Pony Express with wagon wheels print you've ever seen. I saved a piece as a warning for future generations.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Speaking of ugly seventies wallpaper, we had stuff similar to this in our kitchen, which came out with the remodel.

Something along these lines:

Our house was built in the mid-1960s. It lived and breathed wallpaper.

The most butt-ugly 1970s wallpapers that you could EVER IMAGINE. Brown suede, some cheap, reflective glossy flower-patterned junk, and some fluffy, biege-coloured rubbish that would give you nightmares!
I remember helping dad to steam off all the paper and peel it off. It was mighty fun. And I can assure you I don't miss ANY of it. I'm sure the papers that existed in the 20s & 30s were much nicer than the horrible, postwar earthtone 1970s monstrosities that we had.

My grandparents remodeled their kitchen around 1976, colonial style cabinets, and wallpaper with bicentennial style americana on it.

 

[Foxer55]

vitanola,

Well, an Early Victorian house was generally fully carpeted, preferably in a reversible Ingrain, but lesser rooms would have used Venetian or common rag carpets, sewn together and stretched from wall to wall, for hardwood flooring was a great rarity before the '80's. It was not unknown for the impecunious to lay only a thin strip of carpet around the edges of the room, covering the center with a Drugget, a coarse canvas carpet protector, leaving the impression of expensive all over carpeting.

Few carpets in my home except for area carpets that cover mainly the center of the room. I paid an extra $15K for wood floors when this place was built. Carpet has been identified by many an allergy specialist as the source of everything from migraines to respiratory problems to much worse. And bugs. You cannot clean wall to wall carpet regardless of what anybody says. Mold, mildew, bugs, and all kinds of slime can bury themselves in the carpet and fiber and never be removed. If its an area carpet it can be disposed of. Easily. Even cleaning an area carprt in my experience leaves the things so objectionally smelly from the cleaning chemicals that its easier to just replace the things. I have a real problem with some of these chemicals.

Sorry that you hate wallpapers so. It is nearly impossible to to a correct impression of a pre-war interior without at least some of it. You have not lived until you have hung century old cheap wallpaper. On a ceiling. The place that I'm currently restoring will pretty much be papered throughout, save for the kitchen and bath which have of course been finished in sanitary enamel.

I agree that some kinds of wall paper are appealing, however, wall paper has a serviceability problem. Putting it up is a pain in the keester. If it looks ratty from age you can't paint over it, it must be removed and that is a pain in the keester. Cleaning it can be a problem. Paint is just easier, cleaner, and quickly repainted especially if you want to change things.

I tend to stick with the less time consuming and more serviceable methods so I have more time to do the fun things. Now working on my Vette even to clean the engine nice and spiffy before taking it to the track is a fun thing. And its just as therapeutic.

 

[sheeplady]

There's a difference between high quality wallpaper and low quality wall paper. They're also a difference between installed correctly and installed incorrectly wallpaper.

I personally don't care for a lot of wall paper because it tends to be low quality and installed wrong. However, some of the wall paper is beautiful. My parent's home has wallpaper in it from the 1920s, and it has held up beautifully. The paper my parents installed in the 1970s? Not so much.

For removing wall paper, nothing beats a steamer. However, if it was installed correctly it' a heck of a lot easier to remove. Everyone who puts wall paper directly on wallboard should die a slow painful death.

Personally, I like the looks of the hygienic movement in the 1920s- lots of tile, washable paint, furniture on legs, etc.

 

[vitanola]

vitanola,



Few carpets in my home except for area carpets that cover mainly the center of the room. I paid an extra $15K for wood floors when this place was built. Carpet has been identified by many an allergy specialist as the source of everything from migraines to respiratory problems to much worse. And bugs. You cannot clean wall to wall carpet regardless of what anybody says. Mold, mildew, bugs, and all kinds of slime can bury themselves in the carpet and fiber and never be removed. If its an area carpet it can be disposed of. Easily. Even cleaning an area carprt in my experience leaves the things so objectionally smelly from the cleaning chemicals that its easier to just replace the things. I have a real problem with some of these chemicals.



I agree that some kinds of wall paper are appealing, however, wall paper has a serviceability problem. Putting it up is a pain in the keester. If it looks ratty from age you can't paint over it, it must be removed and that is a pain in the keester. Cleaning it can be a problem. Paint is just easier, cleaner, and quickly repainted especially if you want to change things.

I tend to stick with the less time consuming and more serviceable methods so I have more time to do the fun things. Now working on my Vette even to clean the engine nice and spiffy before taking it to the track is a fun thing. And its just as therapeutic.

Hardwood floors and area rugs were initially promoted as a sanitary, and less labor intensive alternative to carpeting. In the Nineteenth Century carpets became pretty foul over the winter, for vacuum cleaners had not been invented and homes were largely heated with coal, which left carpeting choked with dust and soot by spring. Spring cleaning generally included taking up the carpets, opening their seams, carrying them outdoors to be beaten clear of dust, and then washed, brought in, sewn up, and re-laid.

Area rugs on hardwood were much less trouble, and could be carried out and beaten whenever necessary.

Wall-to-wall carpeting returned to fashion in the 1930's, for with the advent of the vacuum cleaner it seemed to be less labor intensive than rugs. In the post-war period, the availability of cheap synthetic broadloom pretty well took over the flooring market.

Wall-to-wall carpet has its place, in early Victorian and mid-century interiors. Turn-of-the-century (EITHER century) interiors are better served with rugs and hardwood.

As far as wallpaper is concerned, well, if you want to do an early Twentieth Century room you really must use it. I really don't mind papering, save for ceilings. Installing paper is really no more of chore than changing the bands in the Ford, sharpening the lawn mower or waxing the linoleum. Cleaning is not too much of a problem, in these days of natural gas heat. Just take loaves of fresh bread, split them lengthwise, and gently rub the split Sid over the paper until the bread turns grey.

 

[R.G. White]

Cold, depressing, "day-light" fluorescent light bulbs. They are harsh and uninviting, it completely confuses me how anybody can actually like them.


After my grandpa died I removed the wallpaper from his "TV Room", which was only covering one wall, and it came right off with a few pulls. I didn't have to use steam or anything and was finished in no time. It was this really horrendous stuff from the 70s; white with orange and yellow star burst designs covering it. Thank God it's gone...

 

[fashion frank]

Cold, depressing, "day-light" fluorescent light bulbs. They are harsh and uninviting, it completely confuses me how anybody can actually like them.

I must agree.
When I heard that the G.E. plant that makes the good old regular lightbulbs was going to be closing because they were going to be "outlawing" those type of bulbs , I had my wife go out and buy a case of them

All the Best ,Fashion Frank

 

[Gregg Axley]

I'll have to agree with the statement regarding hardwood being more sanitary.
When I was a kid, I had hardwood floors due to allergies.
Now that I'm an adult, I clean my carpets with the vacuum weekly, and every few months with a carpet cleaner.
I'd rip up the carpet to reveal the 50yr old hardwood below, but with 2 dogs (1 being a Red Heeler) hardwoods aren't a good idea because of running fits. I like the furniture in the upright position thank you.

BTW I have the wood paneling mentioned (maple) with a wood burning fireplace, and orange carpet from 1980. All are in excellent shape, and it's a time capsule of sorts. While some don't like it, I do. Oh sure I'd like real oak or something like that, but I don't have that kind of money.

As for wallpaper, all I remember as a kid, is the pain I saw people in while trying to put the glue on, and then quickly trying to place the strips on the wall while keeping the seams straight. I'll stick to paint.

 

[hatguy1]

Neckties. The most worthless invention ever created, IMHO. Thank God for "business casual" eliminating the daily need to wear a tie to work.

 

[Otis]

... hardwood being more sanitary.

Totally agree, especially if there are pets around.

Just picturing larvael egg cases of parasites nestled between carpet fibers freaks me out.

Give me one of those modern wonders of architecture with hard surfaces everywhere!

 

[Foxer55]

sheeplady,

I'm sorta with you on this. I really kind of prefer the Amish minimalist look with chalk white walls and strategically place furniture, frames, and items. Easy to take care of, easy to keep clean, and easy to look at. Some people like to cram a room or whole house with stuuf everywhere, like a museum full of knick-knacks. I get clostra-phobia in a place like that.

 

[vitanola]

Totally agree, especially if there are pets around.

Just picturing larvael egg cases of parasites nestled between carpet fibers freaks me out.

That is why one should take up one's carpets or rugs and expose the to the fresh air and sunshine periodically.

Give me one of those modern wonders of architecture with hard surfaces everywhere!

You lost me at "Modern", I fear. I've owned quite a number of houses over the years, the earliest of which dated to 1776 and the newest of which was put up in 1927. The only "modern" home in my past was my parent's 1961 vintage Ranch in suburban Cleveland. Nice enough place, but even as I child I preferred old houses.

 

[Foxer55]

Otis,

Totally agree, especially if there are pets around.

Just picturing larvael egg cases of parasites nestled between carpet fibers freaks me out.

Give me one of those modern wonders of architecture with hard surfaces everywhere!

Agreed.

 

[Fastuni]

Neckties. The most worthless invention ever created, IMHO. Thank God for "business casual" eliminating the daily need to wear a tie to work.

Blasphemy.

 

[HudsonHawk]

That is why one should take up one's carpets or rugs and expose the to the fresh air and sunshine periodically.



You lost me at "Modern", I fear. I've owned quite a number of houses over the years, the earliest of which dated to 1776 and the newest of which was put up in 1927. The only "modern" home in my past was my parent's 1961 vintage Ranch in suburban Cleveland. Nice enough place, but even as I child I preferred old houses.

1776 can be considered pretty modern in the history of dwellings. It's all a matter of perspective.