While trends and necessities change, some so-called weird features of old houses can still delight the modern homeowner. What some might consider useless and old-fashioned might be the perfect opportunity for timeless style and vintage charm. But which of these unusual features are the most-loved?
From strange to whimsical, here are some of the best outdated and odd features you can find in an old house:
Laundry chutes
While modern technology has vastly improved many aspects of laundry day, laundry chutes are a feature only found in very old buildings. Laundry chutes allow the easy gathering of dirty laundry throughout all floors of a multi-story house by routing it through a tube to the basement or laundry room.
While very uncommon in modern construction, many homeowners would likely argue for the usefulness of this particular peculiar feature.
Sleeping porches
Sleeping porches became popular in the 20th century after health professionals began to advocate for the benefits of fresh air while sleeping. Homes in the South and warmer regions of the West frequently had large porches with bedroom setups for sleeping outdoors on warm nights.
Boot scrapers
Boot scrapers are useful for scraping the mud and dirt from your boots before entering your home. In the times before paved roads and sidewalks, dirty shoes were a much more serious problem, necessitating a more specialized tool than a simple welcome mat.
Boot scrapers were typically made from cast iron bars attached to the wall near the ground and sometimes had brushes attached for additional cleaning power.
Dumbwaiters
Imagine having direct access to the kitchen and dining room from your bedroom - this is one convenient aspect of the dumbwaiter. These days you’re only likely to find dumbwaiters in old hotel buildings, but they were a must-have feature of multi-story homes in the 19th century.
These special moving platforms were made to carry heavy loads of laundry and food through multiple floors.
Ceiling medallions
A purely decorative feature, ceiling medallions were popular in upper-class homes during the 19th century. These round decorative pieces add architectural beauty and detail to a room with intricate carvings and inlays.
Depending on the artisan and style of the time, ceiling medallions have been crafted with everything from paper mâché to iron and marble. You can still find them in older houses where they’ve been maintained for artistic appeal and historical elegance.
There are plenty of house features designers and architects are glad to be rid of, but some of them still have their charms and uses in the modern era.
About the Author
Kimberly Hering
Kimberly Hering's devotion to helping people achieve their real estate goals stems from her genuine enjoyment of the process. Whatever the task, Kimberly makes it her mission to get it done, however she can, without compromising her client's needs. Often, that means thinking outside the box. After working with Kimberly, clients describe her as being Trustworthy, Creative, Patient, Highly Skilled, Attentive to the Process and having a lot of Integrity.
After spending more than 15 successful years working on Wall Street, Kimberly transitioned into Real Estate, joining Alain Pinel Realtors, then moving to Zephyr, now Corcoran Global Living, in 2018. During her career on Wall Street, Kimberly was a Vice President working as an Institutional Equity Salesperson for Montgomery Securities for 10 years. She covered the top money managers throughout the US and Canada. She joined Jefferies & Co as a Senior Vice President managing the Western Region Institutional Sales group, while continuing to cover the top money managers.
Kimberly leverages her extensive experience selling equities to top money managers throughout the US and Canada, to successfully negotiating any Real Estate transaction seamlessly for her clients. Kimberly is well versed in Marin's neighborhoods, towns, cities, and education system.
Living in the Bay Area for 35 years, 25 years in Marin and having 2 sons in local Marin schools, Kimberly spends a lot of time volunteering in the community and serving on various local Boards. Kimberly has a collection of resources ranging from the best local breakfast spots to vetted contractors. With her reliable list of valuable resources, Real Estate experience and unsurpassed knowledge of Marin's many communities, Kimberly can guide her clients through every aspect of a Real Estate transaction seamlessly.
Relocating to Marin, downsizing, upsizing, first time home buying, final home purchase or sale, or a lot to build a dream home, no matter the undertaking, Kimberly works seamlessly until the job at hand is completed with 100% satisfaction.