I toured a house from the mid seventies last month, and the entire time, I could not stop smiling. The shag carpet was still down, and the kitchen still had an avocado green color.
It felt like I had walked right into one of my childhood pictures. Everything was so familiar and yet so completely different from the house I live in today.
I started thinking about the changes that have occurred in homes over the last fifty years. While there has been some genuine improvement, I think there are also a few things that we may have lost something on. Here are twenty-one differences that stood out to me the most.
The Shag Carpet That Went Everywhere, Even the Bathroom
Throughout the seventies, carpet went into just about every room of the house. It was commonplace in the living room, down the hallway, in the bedrooms, and yes, sometimes right up to the toilet in the bathroom. Today we tear all of that out and put down hard floors we can actually clean. Anyone who has tried to vacuum deep shag totally gets the picture.
Dark Wood Paneling on Every Single Wall
Almost every finished basement and den had dark wood paneling. It gives a warm feeling to the room, but it also can be a little boxy feeling. Now we try to find as much bright or white space as possible. Oddly enough, light paneling is making a comeback as an accent wall.
Avocado Green and Harvest Gold Everything
Imagine an entire kitchen matching avocado green, harvest gold, or some burnt orange color no one can name. Nowadays the only options they give for kitchen appliances are stainless steel or black. Every house on the block has the same looking appliances. Say what you want about the seventies, but at least those kitchens had personality.
The Living Room Nobody Was Allowed to Sit In
The front of the house had a living room that no one used. It had nice furniture, new vacuum lines in the carpet, and children were not welcome. It sat in waiting for guests who came maybe twice a year. Today we would never allocate that much space to a room we don’t use.
The Kitchen Was Its Own Closed-Off Room
The kitchen had walls and a door separating it from everybody else. Whoever was cooking ended up cut off from the rest of the party. Now we break down every wall we can find in the name of open concept. The older style did a much better job of hiding the mess.
One Television for the Entire Family
There was one TV in the house, and it was a real piece of classic furniture. The whole family would sit and watch the same show because there was no other choice, but now every person in the family has a screen in their hand, and we can all watch something different even in the same room. We gained a lot of choice and lost something in the trade.
The Phone Was Attached to the Wall
The phone was attached to the kitchen wall, and the cord was long enough to wrap around the corner. When a call came through, everyone in the house would hear it, and the only way to get a semblance of privacy was to sit on the stairs to the basement. Now, we all carry a phone in our pocket wherever we go. That tangled cord will be a memory for everyone over 30 and for those under 30, it will be a mystery.
Closets You Could Barely Fit a Winter Coat In
The closets in older houses are honestly shocking. People did not have enough clothing for more than a few feet of hanging rod. Today it feels like a dealbreaker for most buyers when a primary bedroom does not include a walk in closet. It speaks volumes about how much more clothing we all own.
One Bathroom for Everybody
Having one bathroom for five people was typical for families back in the day. There was a sort of schedule in the mornings and being fast about it was a learned skill. Nowadays, builders put a bathroom on almost every floor and often one for each bedroom. It is a significant improvement and one that no one would want to give back.
Houses Were a Whole Lot Smaller
The homes of the past were much smaller than what people would expect today. People would not think of it as strange that the bedrooms were smaller, the ceilings were lower, and the family would fit snugly. Today, the average new house is almost double the size of one built in the past. More square footage did not create more happiness.
The Dining Room That Actually Got Used
The dining room was set with real dishes and used almost every night. Dinner happened at a certain hour and everyone was expected to be at the table. Nowadays that room is often an office or a playroom, or just the place where the mail piles up. We eat at the island or in front of a screen instead.
Wallpaper Loud Enough to Give You a Headache
Wallpaper was daring, florally patterned, and often decorated every wall of the room. Some patterns were so overwhelming they could give someone a real headache. Nowadays, we usually use paint, and wallpaper is saved for a single accent wall (if we use it at all). Removing old wallpaper has ruined more than one of my weekends.
Popcorn Ceilings in Every Single Room
Almost every room had a textured popcorn ceiling. They were great at hiding flaws and were quick and inexpensive to install. Ironically, people are willing to pay to have all of it removed and ceilings smoothed. It is one of the first things potential buyers see when they walk into an older home.
Laundry Day Meant a Trip to the Basement
Laundry meant hauling a heavy basket down to a dark corner of the basement. There was usually a clothesline out back for anything that would fit on it. Now the washer and dryer sit upstairs next to the bedrooms, and that one change has saved millions of trips up and down the stairs.
Surviving July With One Box Fan
Having central air conditioning was not an option for most families. You cooled off in July with a box fan in the window and a whole lot of iced tea. Now we set a number on a wall and the entire house obeys it. It is hard to explain to a kid how unbelievably hot those summers got.
The Garage Was for Working, Not Parking
The garage served as a workshop and storage and a place to fix things. There was a workbench, coffee can full of screws, and a car was parked inside (rarely). Garages today are built with capacity for two or three cars and finished like any other room in the house. Fewer people fix their own things now, and you can see it in the space.
People Simply Owned a Lot Less Stuff
The first thing you notice walking through a house from the seventies is the emptiness. Not as many clothes. Not as many gadgets. No bins of stuff stashed away for some day. We have more storage than any previous generation, yet we still run out of space. It is worth asking who really came out ahead on that trade.
A Kitchen With Almost No Gadgets
The kitchen had a mixer, a toaster, and perhaps even a percolator on the counter. Everything else was done with a knife, a pot, and two hands. Now our counters are full of air fryers, blenders, coffee machines, and other gadgets we use maybe twice a year. Cooking has become much easier and the counters are much more crowded.
Windows That Let Winter Right Inside
Single-pane windows let the winter come right into the house. You could feel the cold rolling off the glass from clear across the room. Double and triple panes now keep a house sealed up tight and warm. Anyone who has lived with old windows knows exactly what that draft feels like.
The Front Porch Was the Neighborhood Hub
People used to sit on their front porches, and passersby would stop and chat. They knew who lived on the street and often knew quite a bit about them. Now, we construct privacy fences and back decks. We’ve gained privacy, but we’ve also lost a little of the community.
Nothing in the House Was Smart
Nothing in the house was connected to anything. The thermostat was a dial, the doorbell was a button, and the lights had simple switches. Now, my house texts me when someone is at the door, and I can adjust the temperature from a parking space. It is useful and a little strange.
The Sunken Living Room and the Conversation Pit
Somebody in the seventies decided floors ought to have levels, and for a while everybody went right along with it. Sunken living rooms and conversation pits were the absolute height of style. They made for excellent chatting spaces, but they were not so great if you were carrying a tray of drinks. Nowadays people build everything flat and level, mostly because too many folks stepped right off the edge.
Every Basement Had a Wet Bar
Most finished basements would have a little bar tucked into one corner. There would be some stools, a little sink, and a shelf of glasses that nobody touched more than twice a year. People really entertained guests at their homes. Now, that same corner is a home gym or a place to stack holiday bins.
Kids Shared a Bedroom and Nobody Complained
Having two or three children in one bedroom was completely normal. You learned to divide up the room, share a closet, and fall asleep while somebody else was still talking. Nowadays most families expect every child to have a room of their own. Something was probably lost in that, though I doubt anyone misses the bunk beds.
Nobody Had a Home Office
Nobody used to have a whole room in the house set aside for work. If you brought paperwork home, you spread it out across the kitchen table after dinner. Now a house without an office or at least a small desk nook is a hard sell. Work came home with us somewhere along the way and never really left.
Pink and Blue Tile in the Bathroom
Pastel tile covered the floor and ran halfway up every wall. The tub usually matched, in soft pink, light mint green, or sky blue. Today’s bathrooms are white subway tile and gray paint over and over again. Dated as those old bathrooms were, at least you remembered them.
