One of the most interesting things about remodeling a house is seeing how it was built before you got your grubby hands on it. Having worked on some older houses, I’ve gotten to see servant quarters, back staircases, old sunrooms turned into now-old bathrooms, etc, etc.
A building is an artifact of its time. Not just of the way people lived, but of the way people felt they should live – fashion and market pressures. I was just looking at a floor plan of a house that my coworker is remodeling. I found it quite interesting in that it looked like just an 80’s or tract home, so it wasn’t that old. But still with a separate den, dining, and living rooms it was definitely an artifact of a different time.
I wonder what people will think of our gianormous shared spaces and our almost equally gianormous master bedroom suites when they remodel the houses of today in the future.