Are 30’s houses ‘period’?

[JoJoSM2]

I’ve heard yes and no and wonder what the majority of Mumsnetters think.

No. After 1910 properties are usually referred to as "Pre-War" (up to 1939) or "Post War" (the first two decades after 1945) and from then on "New Build" or by the decade they were built - e.g. "in a 1980s development".

My kids pointed out a beautiful curvy Art Deco clifftop house today. They both said 'wow' and thought it was ultra modern. I love that they're nearly 100 years old and still look so stylish. Definitely a period house.

I think of our house as period, it was built in the 1950s but to a very 1930s design with a bay window, hipped roof, arched door, stained glass etc. Whereas 1960s onwards I think of as modern even in a mid century way.

IF it's one of those semi detached houses with big bay windows, rows and rows of identical houses, then no I don't think of them as "period", more like early modern.

When I think of period I think of turn of the century and earlier, with unique period features like big sash windows

Currently live in 1930s house. Period features include retrofitted Central Heating with the pipes on the interior walls, a serving hatch and sinks in the bedrooms. On the us size we have decent sized rooms and ceiling heights. Unfortunately I believe it's due to be demolished in a few years and will be replaced by 2020s housing at a lot higher density. (It's an army camp that will be decommissioned in the near future)

I currently live in a detached late 20s house. I’d probably describe it as ‘having character’ rather than period, but it’s definitely an ‘old’ house. I’ve just accepted an offer on it and the EA described it as a period house.

My parents live in a mid 1920’s house and it’s definitely period in places: keyhole porch, square entry lobby with staircase to one side and across, parquet flooring, high ceilings, square landing with 5 equally sized (large) bedrooms, square house (before they extended the rear), stained glass in stairway etc.

It’s a lovely house.

I live in a 1937 detached house, it’s not really period but it still has some of the original features including the small kitchen, fireplaces, deep skirting boards, wood panelling and stained round the outside floorboards. It doesn’t have the picture rails and we changed the windows as some were rotten and hard work to maintain.

Art deco is not a period like Victorian but a specific style of house

Agree with a previous poster, a "period" house is rather vague. You can't really generalise about "all 30s" houses in the same way you can't generalise about " all 50s or 60s" houses.

Ours is 1930s - original panelled doors, huge bay windows with stained glass, 1m thick fireplace between kitchen and dining room, picture rails, quarry tiles, original flooring.

Have also lived in a 1960s house and it couldn't have been more different, it was essentially a square box.

Our house is 1915 (or at least the plans are), and I would say it’s definitely period. It has multiple large bay windows with leaded fanlights, a large oak-panelled inglenook, parquet floors, large skirting boards, picture rails, plaster cornice, original doors. The style of the house is less ‘fussy’ and ornate than most Victorian houses and is much more leaning towards the Art Deco style with straight lines, but it’s definitely a grand house and has a period feel.

I think so. Maybe not in the way of a grand Victorian but they definitely have their own character and architectural style(s) and are distinguishable from contemporary properties.

I live in an area with lots of 30s housing. We have loads of different styles here - art deco, mock tudor, bungalows, other oddities as well as the more standard 3 bed semis.

I am in one of those standard 3 bed semis but we still have high ceilings, fireplaces, parquet flooring, deep skirting, picture rails, rounded internal corners, bay windows, stained glass etc etc. A few people still have the crittel windows and original 'sunrise' gates. I love a 30s house.

I do love a Mumsnet humblebrag.

‘Our house is 1930s and we’ve painstakingly restored the parquet flooring / stained glass / leaded windows / Bakelite doorknobs but I don’t think that really makes it period...’

Yes absolutely

Our house is later Edwardian and it wasn't described as a period house when we bought it!
But then again, the previous owners had covered up the original Minton floor with horrible carpet, painted it horrible bright colours and the stained glass entrance wasn't even photographed
They also had horrible gas fires and laminate flooring covering the original boards
We are slowly restoring it by putting in reclaimed fireplaces, getting the floors restored, all that jazz
So I'd like to think if we ever sold it they could describe it as a period house!

bronzedgodesswannabe

Whether or not you could see those details, your house was still a period house and can be described as it either way.

Even a modernised Victorian house is still a period house. And owners can reinstate period details if they want, like what you are currently doing.

Even a stripped out house does not stop being a period property.