On Sunday, we viewed two homes for sale in our own neighborhood. Both homes looked very well taken care of and both were def out of our price range. This is also another way of saying that we could not afford to buy the rental home we currently live in were it to come on the market. The fireplace above is from one of the open houses. It looks much like the fireplace in our rental. All of the homes in the immediate area were built around the same time--mid-1920s--and all originally had these great, bold fireplaces. For some reason, many of the homes boasting these older brick and tile pieces have seen them be slathered in bright, white paint. Why? I'm not sure I know. I could guess that the brick on some of these fireplaces had been damaged or covered in black smoke over the years. My personal taste would be to leave the fireplaces as they are and give the buyer the choice to either cover them in paint or not.
Below is a tile fireplace from another sale home we saw a few weeks ago. One can't see, but there are a series of tiles below the mantel piece that show a sort of landscape scene. The white paint thoroughly obscures that fact from a distance. I just don't care for it. Could it really be en vogue to do this?
The above image is from one of the Sunday open houses. There was a crowd forming five minutes before start time. So popular was this home that even the (very friendly) marmalade cat from down the way was wanting to get in on the act! The housing market here does not seem to be slowing down regardless of what may be happening on the national level.
I agree with you about the paint. I would much rather see the brick and the tile. That said, fashion and decor are a very uncomfortable mix for me. I really don't want to have to change the decor every year or so. I am too cheap and too lazy.
ReplyDeleteLove the marmalade cat joining the queue.
Right?! No paint, svp. That cat was a character. He came 'round for the good rubs.
DeleteWe have an old brick fireplace in this house which I don't like, as it's too traditional for me, but we haven't touched it as I think when we come to sell the house many people would prefer the natural look. Personally I'd like to rip the whole thing out. :D
ReplyDelete-interesting perspective from you, as a would-be seller, on the subject. A girlfriend of mine had a dark-blue ceramic sink removed from her kitchen prior to selling as she thought prospective buyers would prefer a white one.
DeleteI think that marmalade cat is the multi-millionaire Garfield from cartoons . . . I heard he is in the market to buy, baby, buy!
ReplyDeleteThat must be it. He's a minted kitty. :)
DeleteOrange tabbies are my favorite of cats. I've also heard them referred to as marmalade, an east mental leap. But recently hearing them called ginger, truly for the first time in my life, has been disturbing. Prince Harry is (disrespectfully) a ginger, and his hair is not orange!
ReplyDeleteOrange cats are pretty great. I'll even take one with white, booted feet!
DeleteI suspect that the paint is to make the home more neutral, as that's what realtors are always stressing when one stages a house. Or they were painted over when that style was out of fashion. Sad, as I like the original, and I'm sure the original is now back in fashion.
ReplyDeleteAhhh, good point re: neutral tones. I also suspect that it could make a naturally dark & narrow house (these are all attached at the sides) appear lighter and more open.
DeleteAll those lovely old brick and tile patterns are fab.