We Had Carpet in the Bathroom… and Thought It Was Normal

I’m a farmer’s daughter who grew up in the ’60s and ’70s—so yes, I realize that puts me in the “old” category for some of you. I grew up in a house my great-grandfather built in the early 1900s. By then, a few rooms had been repurposed, but it still had a formal dining room, a parlor turned living space, a very small kitchen (typical for that time), one bathroom on the main floor—no outhouse, thankfully—and one upstairs bathroom shared by four bedrooms and a “summer room.”

And that was just the house.

There were plenty of other things that simply felt normal at the time—like party lines on the phone or going to a one-room schoolhouse from kindergarten through eighth grade…

And then there were the everyday things we didn’t think twice about.

Calling someone without texting first.
Sharing one family computer (remember that dial-up tone?!).
Waiting days—or even weeks—for photos to be developed.
Plastic on the furniture to keep it “protected.”
Having to watch TV shows in real time. (How did we manage?)

And the interesting part is… none of it felt inconvenient at the time.

The same was true inside the house.

Who had carpet in the bathroom (EGADS)? Rooms meant only for holidays or special occasions? Phones mounted on the wall? Small bedroom closets? No “primary” bedroom with an ensuite bathroom? Garages actually used for cars instead of extra storage?

And the list goes on…

At the time, it wasn’t outdated. It wasn’t inconvenient. It was just… normal.

And somewhere along the way, that definition of “normal” quietly changed—and what once worked just fine started to feel like something was missing. Not because the homes changed, but because we did. What we expect from a home today looks different than it did then…

So, what does “normal” look like today when it comes to a home… and what does that mean for both buyers and sellers?

Kitchens are expected to open into living spaces—often considered the “heart of the home” and where people gather. Reflecting on my childhood home, this still presents a bit of a conundrum. There simply isn’t enough room for all of our family.

Rooms are expected to offer flexibility in how they’re used. No longer set aside for special occasions or holidays, people want to live in every square foot of their home.

Laundry areas near kitchens or bedrooms have become more of a baseline (ours was in the basement). And sharing one bathroom …hmmm… I’m still not quite sure how we managed that with four teenagers all getting ready at the same time!

Closets are expected to hold more. Garages aren’t always just for cars anymore—many have become additional storage or even workspace for home projects.

None of these are right or wrong—it’s simply a reflection of how lifestyles evolve and how people want to live in their homes.

And it’s here that those “used to be normal” things begin to matter a little more—especially for today’s buyers and sellers.

Buyers are often comparing what they’ve come to expect with what’s available in the market (and within their budget). Sellers, on the other hand, are sometimes looking at their home through the lens of what they’ve come to accept as “normal,” rather than what buyers are looking for today.

That gap—between what used to be “normal”, what someone has adapted to over time, and what buyers expect today—can quietly influence how a home is seen and valued.

And sometimes it helps to step back and look at a home from a slightly different perspective—if you’re a seller, what will motivate a buyer to make an offer? And if you’re a buyer, what will truly make a difference in how you use the space over time? That’s where I come in—not to tell you what to do, but to help you think it through.

So, if you ever want to talk through what “normal” looks like for you in a home—or how your current home might land in today’s market—I’m always happy to connect (call or coffee).

And—just for the record—we had carpet in the bathroom… and we still do. (LOL)

Sandi Downing Real Estate/Keller Williams Greater Omaha

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