I sent a newsletter yesterday that spotlighted my four favorite time capsule houses from 2011. Reader Joe took a look at the four homes, and mused:
OK, the problem is “How does one know when he has something worth preserving?” We all admire those select-few geniuses who kept their mid-century homes in mint condition, but I suspect most of us went with the flow and re-decorated as periods changed. I mean, we, too, had a 1964 home, but by the ’70s, we had to redecorate, because it seemed so gross. Fast forward 50 years, and I would give anything to have that house back in its original condition! (I’ll bet the original GE appliances would still be working!) Maybe it’s that we become smarter with age, or maybe we are just washed over by the wave of nostalgia. Memories do seem to become more important as we get older. Those of us in the retro movement certainly do have a keen appreciation and vivid memories of “back then,” but which of us was brilliant enough not to ever touch a thing and to preserve our mid-century glamour? I mean, pink? Turquoise? Who would have thought?
If we keep everything as it is in our homes today, is it possible that, in 50 years, people will be dying to have what we got? ….
I definitely have strong opinions on this question. But I’ll put the question out to readers first: