Ahh, how the world of home decorating has changed over the recent past. I say recent, to include about 50 years. We can well remember our grandparents’ houses – decorated in a way completely defined by wall paper of a specific type; gloss colour paint on skirting boards and dado rails. In our family, the grandparental home was almost copied from a hand book on how to buy a first house and decorate it in standard and official colours. Dark brown gloss for doors and other woodwork; gloss paint in the kitchen of a cream or green shade – gloss made it easier to wipe down. Not for these hardy folks were there any fitted kitchen cabinets or cookers. Oh no they had to put up with a couple of drawer units with metal or marble tops to act as work tops. If lucky, there would be a ‘houdini’s cabinet’ This was the ultimate luxury at one time. A free standing storage unit with a double glass doored cabinet with middle shelf up top, below which was a pull down hinged tray/work top which gave way to space to prepare veges or deal with bread and butter etc. Then below this ‘hatch’ arrangement was another double cupboard, bigger than the top one. This is where your entire cookware was held. The 2 saucepans, their lids, baking tins and often pudding basins etc. No stainless steel or ceramic sink either – but definitely a butler style white porcelain or earthenware one in the corner with a single wooden draining board. Practical yes, beauty personified it was not!