Although I didn't play, I really enjoyed this exercise. It was fun to read the guesses and see both the black & white and then color pics. I hope you'll do this again with other rooms and houses. Jean

You're always a load of fun, Pal!!! I enjoyed it too--and what a pretty home you had to grow up in. I would like to have that Federal-style mirror for myself. :)

Your parents' house! How wonderful to be included on your trip down memory lane! The Dating Game was a fun, and it's nice to know a little about your family & background. Thanks for sharing.

Maybe I am mostly just used to looking at it but I don't think it has aged too badly. Its still a pleasant room to be in.

Great posts and I really enjoyed guessing. I know why it reminded me so much of my Great Aunt's house now, she was from Virginia and lived in a very posh part of Richmond. I've inherited a few of her pieces and some others from her siblings, along with my own grandparent's dining room suite.

My mother was a huge fan of Williamsburg and we used to go to the yearly VA Metalcrafters sale each year. I have a lot of brass candlesticks and various brass leaf ashtrays that she collected over the years...even split between 4 children we each have a ton! Our daughter went to college at W&M and it brought back great memories to go back and be in the place where my parents took us on yearly pilgrimages. We would return home each year with candy from the candy store, potpourri that made the car smell to high heaven, and enough candles from the candle factory to light the east coast! When she passed away 5 years ago we laughed at the number of candles she had amassed over the years!

I would feel right at home at your parents house, the rooms still look wonderful and classic!

Kat :)

I had a feeling about that peach!

No, palimpsest, it hasn't aged badly. Freshen up the colors, change out some tschotskes, and voila! Talk about good bones...

Was your mother happy with her home? Would love to hear your comments about her decorating, her life, and your best memories of the house.

awm,

Having a house they really like has been really important to both of my parents. My father, who was about my age when they moved in said "The next time I am moving it is in a box". As a first grader, I didnt get it...but so far he is keeping true to his word.

They definitely believed in investing in furniture and fittings, and other than a recliner and an adjustable chair (for age-related infirmities), no new furniture has entered since 1975.

My mother is a big proponent of using interior designers. She has specific taste, but felt it was important to have someone really put it all together and make it work. And the access that designers have to resources (particularly in those days) could allow the rooms to be really personal and unique.

One thing that I think is generational is that they both still prefer wall to wall carpet. They both grew up in the Depression and I think they associate wood floors with growing up on farms or being poor.

I always called the LR their "altar to acquisitional power" but in reality, it wasn't off limits, and I think it just taught us to be careful, and respect things. There is nothing in there thats kid proof, but three kids, a dog, and five grandchildren didn't ruin anything...I think everyone just behaved differently in the LR.

I love the color photos of the LR. Just beautiful. And I definitely think it's aged very well....classic taste, refined, and well executed rooms are really timeless. I remember the flame pattern from that period, and still think it's lovely. And I still love the colors your parents used. Personally, I'd feel very comfortable in that LR....and, I'd still feel contemporary -- not in the modern "decorator" sense, but in the sense of being "in the present". It's all about perspective, the ambience created and the subtle personality the room exudes, in my opinion. Your parent's LR does all of those things, which has ensured it remains a living, breathing space.

What a gift for you to grow up in that lovely room!

Palimpsest, thanks so much for your comments. "No new furniture since 1975" -- there's something so sure and secure about that, like your mother had very definite ideas of what would make a pleasant home in which to raise her family. Your mother sounds like someone I would love to have a coffee and a chat with -- probably many here feel the same way. Good observation about the Depression era generation and wall-to-wall carpeting. My parents & my in-laws have the same attitude, though in their day, wood floor finishes were less family friendly than they are now.

"altar to acquisitional power" LOL! I have three sons who are going through that phase. That attitude changes fast once you get your own place.

Thanks again for for the glimpse into your parents' world. It shows that decorating isn't just an affectation, it's something you really can live your life with.