Brutuses, I like your counter and agree with your reason for choosing it. I still have the Formica "butcher block" counters that my kitchen has had since 1978. They are in very good condition and blend well with my kitchen. They certainly aren't up-to-date, and eventually we will change them out....but not until there is truly a need. And, the photos below show just where my practical (stubbornly so? ;) streak began. This is the house where I grew up, and my father still lives there. These photos were taken just a few Christmases ago. Yes, those are the *original* coppertone appliances, Formica counters, and a faux brick backsplash in their kitchen. In that second photo of their living room, the wool carpet and drapes are also original to the house (1965), and still look nice and timeless. Can you tell that they loved and were influenced by their visits to Williamsburg? :) My parents have always taken good care of their things (that carpet is spotless), and remembered the lessons from the Great Depression. They didn't see a need to replace something until it was required (and neither did most of their friends)...my mother said that those coppertone appliances would outlive her, and sadly they have. They didn't criticize if others liked to keep up with the "latest and greatest", they just didn't feel that need themselves. She and my father enjoyed their "antiquing" trips and found lots of goodies (almost always at a bargain price) on their jaunts, went out a lot with family and friends, and my mother enjoyed hosting events for her various ladies' clubs, so they did have some fun with a little of their money. They just didn't replace things just to replace them. That house may be full of older (working) appliances and some out-of-date finishes, but somehow it still "works". It is a warm home full of laughter and fun, and everyone always feels welcome there. I hope that my kids will remember my home the same way, regardless of the finish. :)

Despite the title of this thread, I think it is becoming increasingly difficult to tell one decade from another, in terms of design. In the 20th Century, it was fairly easy to identify styles from one decade to another, up through the 1980s, but ever since the 1990s, things have become a bit more blurred, for one reason or another. Younger people generally dictate design trends because the care about them more, but lately they have not been dictating much that is uniquely recognizable. Minimalism is somewhat popular now, but it was also popular in the 1950s when I think it reached its pinnacle in design terms, although it started in the 1920s or 1930s. I am reminded also of the Italian Futurists of the 1910s - we do not have movements like that any more. For me, decades have lost identities - they don't even have names any more since the 1990s. What do you call the first decade of the 21st Century, and what do you call the second decade? Do they even deserve names? How can things be dated if the dates don't have an identity, much less a name? Around 1900 people called their period the "turn of the century", but does anyone say "turn of the millenium" about the period around 2000? It is also the turn of a century, making the previous term ambiguous, but I don't hear it being called anything. I hear about generational names, but those do not apply to design styles, as generations last longer than design styles.

Hi Kate, We live in NYC area, go to several open houses a month, many are multi million dollar properties. On this end the answer is "no." Grey is very popular here and sends a mental note to perspective buyers that the property has been updated. Anything that is beige screams "builder" and all white walls translates to "landlord-rental paint" Currently, buyers here shudder at anything in the orangy-red colors. I've heard countless people mumble at open houses "we'd have to redo the floors" when presented with outdated, bright orangey colored wood floors. White kitchens and subway tile is received with relief and enthusiasm. Having said that, "grey" comes in so many different shades that it's easy for everyone to find one they like. Agree with everyone above though, find what you like and go with it! We have lots of grey in our home and love it, but our grey is in paint only and at that, on accent walls. I could easily have it changed in a heartbeat.

Cindy it's been raining here for about the past 12 hours for a grand total of 2.25". Like you we really needed it and the ground has soaked it up with ease. Sat will be dry for a brief break before getting more rain on Sunday at maybe another inch. Nothing violent here, no high winds or lightning, this should end the pollen season for the most part. The week ahead looks coolish with the lowest temp predicted at 44F by Weds morning, otherwise sunny with daily highs around 70. The garden is very happy today.