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With every year, decade and era, trends and fads come and go. Nothing is more true than in home decor. What was the rage in the 1990’s, we did away with by the new millennium. Anyone paint over honey oak?
The same is true with items in a home that were once the ‘top of the line’ or cutting edge of convenience. I took a walk down memory lane and made a note of what no longer serves a purpose in today’s modern households.
Here are my top five Almost obsolete home features:
The Home Intercom System
The 60’s and 70’s were really the heyday of the home intercom system, though intercoms in the office existed far before then. Now for sale on eBay and described as “vintage” a speaker set with radio may be worth up to $400.
I have seen these systems in homes in the Sioux City Northside area, most often a large sprawling ranch home. The speakers are on the wall, now a dingy yellow color with push button options, typically in the kitchen and in the lower level.
This was a convenience for mom to announce that dinner was ready rather than yelling from the top of the stairs. Some I’ve seen still work, a bit crackly sounding but regarded as a “cool” feature with the kids who have never seen one.
The Wall Mount Phone
The dependency on telephone use has exploded, the mobile phone that is. According to News-Press Now, in 2019, just over 31% of American households still had a landline.
In my childhood home, our telephone hung on the wall in the kitchen, a black, rotary dial with an exceptionally long cord. The long cord was an important feature to be able to stretch around the wall to the living room for conversation privacy. The ring tone was the classic ring that could be heard clear to the barn!
Today these phones are a decor item, also sold on eBay and described as nostalgic. The exact replica of our old phone now sells for $69.99; Western Bell dated 1974.
The Clothes Chute
Considering the designs in current new construction, a clothes chute is no longer a part of the average household. Homes now built with main floor laundry rooms have reduced the need to conveniently toss dirty socks down the hatch.
I grew up with a very small laundry chute in our family home. It was a time saver and probably one of the most convenient features of our old farmhouse. Located in the one bathroom we had, it was an easy throw down to the washer. This saved the dreaded trip to the basement with a basket full of laundry.
Central Vac
Central Vacuums are still in use, however they were at their height of popularity in the 1990’s. This vacuum cleaner was a semi permanent fixture with specialized duct work in the walls. It was a slick trick to hook up a hose to the inlet that collected your dust bunnies to a container located in the garage or basement.
The emergence of the robotic vacuums have become a game changer for the busy lifestyle with the time-saving convenience of not having to actually operate the system. Automatic products such a Roomba will scurry across the floor and bump along the edges to satisfy even the pickiest of cleaners. The added bonus is the ability to schedule a floor sweep from your phone while you are at the gym.
It may be a debate of convenience versus cleanliness as the Central Vac may win a white glove test over a robotic cleaner. This one is not obsolete but it is no longer as common as it once was.
Analog Thermostats
The days of turning up the heat are becoming scarce. Manual analog thermostats are being replaced by programmable and smart thermostats. The push for better energy efficiency and control have taken over the temperature market.
Who does not like the ease of making temp changes from your phone? The new technology gives peace of mind or can alert a potential problem.
I spotted a gold Honeywell thermostat that was just like the one I grew up with on eBay for $17.99. Definitely a blast from the past.
This list is a start. What other devices are fading into the sunset as technology influences our lifestyles? Look for this article at
https://www.facebook.com/SiouxlandWoman and add to the list.
