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I love all the aspects of my house that make it look dated. My bathrooms still have 1965 pastel blue or green tile on the floors and walls. Reminds me of days gone by.
Good thing I made my offer on the house on the first day, because they were planning to tear all that pretty tile out and "update" the bathrooms. And I kind of like them just like they are. They are a trip down memory lane, as the saying goes.
I'm with you! At least, part of the way.
My house was finished in 1930, and includes family antiques dating back to the early 1800s. It also includes collections of a variety of things, mostly also antique. The kitchen has been renovated, the bathrooms repainted and refurbished with new linens but otherwise untouched, and other rooms have also been repainted or repapered, in one case. It needs a little cosmetic maintenance right now, but no big changes are in the works.
And I like it that way.
Although I have been yearning over a 1888 mansion in a nearby town, complete with nine fireplaces, steam heat and radiators, five bedrooms, stained glass, art tiled mantels, inlaid wood floors, tower room, attic, wrap-around columned porch, and more. Of course, some dang decorator got hold of it about ten years ago and gaudied it up - bright pink paint in the staircase hallway, cobalt blue walls clashing with amber fireplace tiles in the library, overly large floral wallpaper in bright blue, etc., but that could all be undone and it's in great condition otherwise. Just can't live in two places at once, and couldn't afford both of them. But I do hope it winds up in appreciative hands who won't tear out all the good stuff and replace it with tryndee.
There's a difference between a timeless classic and a house that looks "dated." Nobody faults a house that has period-correct characteristics when appropriate.
But a house that has features buyers would consider dated will not have as much appeal as one feeling "fresher," in most cases.
There's a difference between a timeless classic and a house that looks "dated." Nobody faults a house that has period-correct characteristics when appropriate.
But a house that has features buyers would consider dated will not have as much appeal as one feeling "fresher," in most cases.
CM, you cited glass doorknobs as dated a posts back. When I had a room painted fairly recently, the painters went into ecstasies over my old glass doorknobs, which are original to my 1930s house.
I do agree re shag carpet, gaudy light fixtures, and harsh colors. Not pretty in any era or style, though that shag carpet probably feels good to bare feet first thing on a winter morning.
There's a difference between a timeless classic and a house that looks "dated." Nobody faults a house that has period-correct characteristics when appropriate.
This is great!
My house was built in the mid 1990s. It is a classic "Low Country" style that has been around for several centuries, but it has "classic 1990s" wood trim throughout. It has archways. It has half moon and transom windows. It has brass fixtures throughout most of the house. It has brass trimmed ceiling fans. It has a beautiful glass front door, with brass between the various glass panels. (None of this stuff is "cheap, builder grade for spec homes" stuff, just for the record.)
So I guess that 50 years from now, these elements will be considered "period correct" and it won't look dated, but will simply look like the 1990s classic that it is!
CM, you cited glass doorknobs as dated a posts back. ...
Busted! Yeah, when I listed those, I was thinking about my sister's Victorian. Now that I think this through, it depends on the market. If you're showing a house as a classic, these are now "features!"
If your deck is only a foot or so off the ground, why do you need stairs?? I'm not sure how that correlates to something being cheap and dated.
We don't have a deck. We don't need one.
We once had a house with a lovely deck which was 6-8 feet off the ground and there were NO STAIRS. There was no access to the back yard. We found out the builder was notorious for taking shortcuts like that. That is why I consider it cheap to have a deck with no stairs to access the back yard. DH ended up building one himself and it added so much to how we enjoyed the house. For one thing it kept the kids from running in and out the front door and we didn't have to keep the garage doors open for them either.
This was about 30 years ago when kids actually played outside all day. Remember that?
Which makes a house look more dated, a one car garage, or converting a one car garage to a family room?
This is not so much a matter of being dated as it is being functional for the family that lives there. That's the issue. How does the house work for you? If you are concerned about resale, I'd consult a realtor. But off the top my head, I'd say, move, don't convert if that is the issue.
I love all the aspects of my house that make it look dated. My bathrooms still have 1965 pastel blue or green tile on the floors and walls. Reminds me of days gone by.
Good thing I made my offer on the house on the first day, because they were planning to tear all that pretty tile out and "update" the bathrooms. And I kind of like them just like they are. They are a trip down memory lane, as the saying goes.
If you love the old bathrooms, then more power to you.
For me old bathrooms are just inconvenient. They don't have the right configuration of outlets or space around the sinks.
But, some of us adore old things. It is a free country; if you can find the old house of your dreams, then good for you.
When one follows a trend or believes what the *experts* say when it comes to almost everything, before production of the item is compleed or the last bit of paint dries on the walls of a home that was just built, it is all dated.
Our home looks dated because it is dated. It was built 35 years ago, our furniture matches nothing, most of the windows do not have curtains, there is wall to wall carpet in both bedrooms, the livingroom and kitchen have an area rug that covers most of the floor, we have ceiling fans, recessed lighting, whatever the material for the countertops are and we have paneling in two of the rooms and <gasp> it has been painted.
We also have one more item as an added bonus, one of the bedrooms has a drop ceiling (oh the horror of it all...)
So what, we love our home and that is what matters to us.
I agree with you. If you love your home, that is all that matters.
I think datedness is a concern about resale value, or for the owners when they want more convenience in the house. Also, if you have lived somewhere for a long time, you get tired of the furnishings and the idiosyncrasies of the place. And not all old houses are designed that well. So, change is sometimes good.
You can become fixated on change for the sake of change, or on keeping things the same. Either mental habit can be a fixation. I don't think either way of looking at your house is necessarily wrong.
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