From Victorian terraces to modernist apartments, industrial lofts to Georgian piles, we are in thrall to period homes. Original detail – be it sash windows or iron girders – is king, so much so that we ignore the drawbacks of old houses: draughty windows, tough planning laws, and identikit layout.
According to a new exhibition that traces the history of British mass housing, there's a very good reason we love old houses: space. Period homes, compared with contemporary ones, have lots of it.
"The generosity of space in Georgian and Victorian housing, in particular, is its lasting legacy," says Mike Althorpe, curator of A Place To Call Home: Where We Live And Why. "These homes have high ceilings, big windows and outdoor space, in comparison to most new housing, which has small rooms and low ceilings."
Part of the attraction is how flexible these spaces are. Victorian terraces can be divided into flats (some better than others); suburban semis can be expanded up, out and back. We can knock out walls, fit giant plasma screen TVs above fireplaces, and build into attics and basements. "We've adapted to these traditional houses well," says Althorpe. "We want period homes, but adjust them to fit.
From Victorian terraces to modernist apartments, industrial lofts to Georgian piles, we are in thrall to period homes. Original detail – be it sash windows or iron girders – is king, so much so that we ignore the drawbacks of old houses: draughty windows, tough planning laws, and identikit layout.According to a new exhibition that traces the history of British mass housing, there's a very good reason we love old houses: space. Period homes, compared with contemporary ones, have lots of it."The generosity of space in Georgian and Victorian housing, in particular, is its lasting legacy," says Mike Althorpe, curator of A Place To Call Home: Where We Live And Why. "These homes have high ceilings, big windows and outdoor space, in comparison to most new housing, which has small rooms and low ceilings."Part of the attraction is how flexible these spaces are. Victorian terraces can be divided into flats (some better than others); suburban semis can be expanded up, out and back. We can knock out walls, fit giant plasma screen TVs above fireplaces, and build into attics and basements. "We've adapted to these traditional houses well," says Althorpe. "We want period homes, but adjust them to fit.
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