HOME BUILT IN 1950
The Feature Photo is an example of someone's kitchen built in the 1950's. From their perspective it was a modern kitchen. Have you ever wondered what someone would think of your kitchen today? Over time your perspectives change. However, if you get too comfortable with what you have now, not only do you get older, your kitchen and the rest of the house gets older too.
STYLES CHANGE AS YEARS GO BY
The kitchen my mother had in our house, built in the late 1890's, was very different. By 1970, my mother made some changes.
Photo Number 2
This photo is not my mother's kitchen. The point is kitchens changed significantly between 1970 - 1990. Consumers changed too and Charge Cards made it easier to spend and/or go into debt. My mother bought a big built-in refrigerator. She was happy but my dad had nightmares about the refrigerator going through the floorboards into the flat downstairs. Mom got rid of the vinyl floors because there were too many females puncturing holes with high heels into the vinyl flooring. She decided to buy square tiles. The dishwasher had names: Sue, Carol, Patricia, Janet, and Helen. My sisters and I alternated who would wash and who would dry. The stove did not change. It was a heavy white gas stove made before I was born that needed to be lit with matches. There were no shelves in our kitchen. However, we had a walk-in pantry from the day the house was built that was bigger than my bedroom.
By the time I started selling real estate in 2003, most of the homes I listed or sold had kitchen cabinets and a built-in kitchen desk like the ones seen in Photo Number 2. Also, an island became very popular. It was a big improvement over what kitchens offered in 1950 through 1960. The majority of homes I sold had square ceramic tile. Double ovens were also very popular. The light fixtures were the old LED Flush Mount into the ceiling. By the time 2020 came around, kitchens changed for the better.
Photo Number 3
By 2020 open floor plans were popular. Islands were installed in model homes. The old LED Flush lighting was replaced with recessed lighting and drop lights. Kitchens had more cabinets. Sinks were often inside the Island and the Island and Countertops had choices, such as Granite. Marble, Quartz, Sicilian Sand, Soapstone, and more. Fewer homeowners had dining rooms. When the pandemic struck, people needed multiple offices, gym equipment, and playrooms in lieu of dining rooms.
Something else to think about is how the US government banned something as useful as a lightbulb. Incandescent light bulbs - banned. Now there are new LED light bulb standards. Overall, there have been many changes to reflect a change in energy efficient light bulbs and building materials, including costs to replace and renovate.
Changes in 2025
Higher initial costs: New systems using these low-GWP refrigerants may be 15-30% more expensive due to updated technology and safety features.
Energy efficiency: The new refrigerants are expected to be more energy efficient, potentially lowering utility bills over time.
While all these changes are occurring, building materials were too. Windows, doors, patios, flooring, lighting, paint colors, etc. Material Science had a field day inventing something newer, better, more efficient, and desirable by buyers or homeowner who wanted updates in their kitchens and homes. To sell a home, it cost more to get everything up to code or negotiate between the buyers and sellers. All these things are something to discuss with a historical perspective in mind. Everyday items changed. People did too! Our lives changed over time and with every change they affect our current lives and buying power. The best power a consumer can have today is knowledge.
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