Furniture From a More Complicated Home Life
Homes have changed a great deal over the years, and furniture has changed along with them. If you think patterned wallpaper or china cabinets are old-school, just wait till you hear about these five items. Here are five old pieces of furniture that have mostly disappeared from today’s houses.
Nic and Kier (https://www.flickr.com/photos/38515008@N06/) on Wikimedia
1. Washstands
It might be hard to wrap your head around, but before indoor plumbing became common, washstands were a regular part of bedrooms. They usually held a basin, a pitcher of water, and sometimes a small towel rail. Who knew we should be so thankful for bathrooms?
2. Telephone Tables
When was the last time you heard about landline phones? Well, back in the day they were everywhere, and you needed a special table designed just to hold them. They came with a small seat for longer conversations, and typically had a shelf or drawer for phone books, notepads, and pens.
3. Pie Safes
Yes, what you're imagining is pretty close to what this actually is! Pie safes were cabinets used to store baked goods while keeping insects and dust away. Modern refrigerators and sealed containers have made these useless, but we can still definitely appreciate the name.
4. Sewing Cabinets
Sewing cabinets once held needles, thread, fabric, buttons, and sometimes a built-in sewing machine. They were especially useful when mending clothes at home was a regular household task. No one these days will dedicate an entire cabinet for it though, even if they still love to sew.
Contributor(s): Queensland Newspapers Pty Ltd on Wikimedia
5. Smoking Stands
Smoking stands were small tables made to hold ashtrays, matches, pipes, and tobacco. They were common when indoor smoking was widely accepted in living rooms and studies, and also before people fully realized the terrible health implications. Today, changing habits and cleaner indoor air have made these essentially non-existent.
