Thursday, June 10, 2021

Different strokes

 Memorable Automobiles from The Past:

 The '37 Ford

The '37 Chevy

Note: We had a unique comment yesterday about auto license plates in the UK. Thanks for the insight, Victor.

For today:

Most readers know I was a builder for a few years. I have been asked about special requests in houses that seemed strange to me.

I had a man show me the plans he wanted me to build on one of my lots. The house had no closets. We talked a little and he preferred wardrobes or the armoire. It makes the house more flexible. They can be moved to accommodate changes. I explained I would be glad to do that if he could put the price of the house in escrow because if something happened and he changed his mind I would have a tough time selling a house with no closets. Of course I never built the house.

Another, Once the lady of the house requested a ‘garden door’ (sectional glass door) into her bathrooms. She preferred curtains for privacy.  I complied, but always smiled at the idea.

One other small one, I always installed toothbrush holders, toilet paper and towel racks in the bathrooms on my spec houses. Once I built for one sweet lady who said she wanted no accessories, holders nor racks in her baths.  It was odd at the time, but now that is not unusual.

Oh yes there was one more. On the lot where I did not build the house with ‘no closets’, I did build for a nice couple from the Bahamas. Wall to wall carpet was still the thing at the time, and the wife also wanted the carpet in her kitchen and bathrooms. In my mind I said, ‘ouch, what will this look like in a few years?’ We did it. Years later I was visiting in the home to talk about a possible addition and the carpet looked brand new.

I had to ask, “Do you cook in that kitchen?”

She smiled, “I know you thought I was a little off when I asked for the carpet there, but I am a good house keeper and YES, I cook and even spill things, but booboos’ get immediate attention.”   She was amazing.

Nite Shipslog

 

7 comments:

Mevely317 said...

This reminds me! When the medicine cabinet in our Arizona house went kaput, we had the devil of a time trying to find a replacement that would fit the 'hole.'. I suggested Tom just sheet rock over it, but he alleged no-one would buy a house whose bathroom didn't have a medicine cabinet. Ha! Neither of our present home bathrooms have one. Different strokes, indeed!

betty said...

Wow that was amazing with the woman with carpet in the kitchen! Diligent she was with cleaning up the booboos. I can't imagine anyone wanting a house built with no storage. That is the first thing I look for in houses we are considering buying (only because we bought a house with little to no storage once and I learned my lesson :)

betty

Victor S E Moubarak said...

It must be amazing to build a house according to one's plans. A made-to-measure house, as it were. Personally, I would like a house divided by two. The front area is where you meet and welcome guests and friends. Then a locked door leading to a private area - kitchen, bedrooms, bathroom etc ... Would you have built that if asked?

God bless.

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

I would say that lady with the carpet in the kitchen had to have been a very good housekeeper. But it sounds like more work than I'd want to do. It's odd the things tha people want in their own homes, but to each his own. We make them the place we want to live in.

yaya said...

First thing we did when we bought our house was take out the carpet in the kitchen and bathrooms! Yuck! Maybe I'm not as good a house cleaner as that lady! The folks who owned the house before us sure weren't!

TARYTERRE said...

no medicine cabinets here either. just a big mirror covering the holes. we almost bought a house without closets. but it was very old old house. and thought better of it. lady was a brave soul having carpet in kitche. amazing it stayed in pristine shape. loved the stories. take care.

Lisa said...

I remember some friends back in the 70’s had carpet in their kitchen. I was obviously kitchen carpet because of the print and texture.
We used to have a carpeted bathroom growing up. That only lasted a few years and would never recommend that idea to anyone.

Love from over here
Lisa