SHOULD ROCKING CHAIRS MAKE A COMEBACK?

Laundry Chutes And 9 Other Ingenious Home Hacks That Are No Longer In Use

Image: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Many technological solutions of the past that have been replaced by newer inventions still linger in old houses. Some of them, you might even have seen in your grandparent’s home or somewhere else. A number of these old features, like the laundry chute, are quite handy even in this day and age. Take a look at the following ten items and see if you can recognize some of them.

Image: Quino Al

Until a couple of decades ago, landline telephones were an essential means of communication. Every place had one and it was a communal device for every person in that location. Telephones were big, sturdy, and quite elegant, actually. But they weren’t always so compact.

Because of their big, heavy stature, they required quite a bit of space. Homes used to have niches in walls for this purpose. These phones had cords, so people had to stand around to talk. Hence, phone niches often appeared in hallways, kitchens, and bedrooms.

Image: Marcos Assis

It might seem odd today but, up until around 1940, most families heated their homes by burning coal. Coal delivery men traveled door-to-door to provide people with the fuel to power their furnaces.

These men shoveled coal through a small door and down the chute into the basement. Once in the basement, homeowners could shovel the coal directly into the furnace. Today most of these chutes have been sealed, though you will often still see the iron doors on older homes.

Image: Grant Durr

Not to be confused with the famous Murphy bed, which folds into a closet or wall to save floor space when not in use, the Sorlien ceiling bed was stowed in the ceiling. This device was lowered from the ceiling via a crank, with hidden weights in the wall working to counterbalance the bed.

The obvious advantage of this bed was that it took up no closet or wall space, with floor space used only when in service. The ceiling bed only worked for houses with an attic above.

Image: Stefan Steinbauer

Even basic things like light switches evolve. There was a time when those humble but useful devices had not one but two buttons for each light. One to turn on the light, one to turn it off.

The button you pushed, stayed down. And, when you pushed a button, the one that was down, popped right up. Neat, right?

Image: Melanie Kreutz

It seems like a quite useful thing to have if your shoes are dirty and you need to scrape them off before entering a place, right? If you’ve ever walked up to someone’s front door and seen a strange ground-level cast-iron contraption, that is it: it’s a boot scraper.

In some homes, these tiny iron ornaments still stick out in front of the door. Many include ornate spirals and designs, including animals. Usually, two boot scrapers would border the door at the end of a walkway.

Image: Ray Shrewsberry

Root cellars were used to store vegetables, fruits, nuts, and other things for long periods. Some were simply an unfinished room in the basement while others were built into the ground a short distance from the house.

Modern refrigeration has rendered root cellars unnecessary for most people. But if you have one, you can certainly still put it to good use and store foods that maybe don’t need to be frozen but are best kept at a cooler temperature than that room.

Image: Nacho Fernández

If the idea of a dark space full of rusty razor blades right in your bathroom gives you the chills, you are not alone. But there was a time when that was a real thing. A couple of decades ago, medicine cabinets had a tiny slit to dispose of old razor blades. Where might those dirty razors go? Nowhere, really. They merely went into the wall.

If someone were to remove the medicine cabinet, they’d likely see all the discarded razors. Keep that in mind if you plan to have someone replace your old cabinet.

Image: Jason Murphy

Once upon a time, milk was delivered door to door in the early morning hours by milkmen dressed in white overalls. That is why having a milk door was standard in many homes. The small door was situated on the outside of the house and was used by the milkman to pick up empty bottles and leave fresh ones.

Milkmen usually delivered the drinks early in the morning so families could drink milk with breakfast. Sometimes, milkmen would deliver other products such as eggs, cheese, butter, and soft drinks.

Image: Kaylah Matthews

Imagine not having to drive a nail through your walls to hang a picture. It would be convenient, right? Well, until some decades ago, that was the norm. Enter picture hanging molding.

The whole contraption looked like, well, a molding design in the upper segment of the interior walls. Movable hooks were hung from such rails and, in turn, pictures were suspended from those hooks.

Image: engin akyurt

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a little door on your bathroom wall where you could simply toss your laundry and have it fall right next to the washing machine? Well, there was a time when that was the case in many homes with more than one story.

Laundry chutes were designed to relieve the burden of carrying laundry. They're so handy that many people still install them today. No one knows who invented the first laundry chute, or when. Newspaper articles describing early linen chutes date back to the 1890s.

The 10 books that changed us (and still do)

Accepting death as part of life, that growing up is painful, and that love is often what saves us are just a few of the lessons these stories bring, through tears and laughter. For those of you who have been lucky enough to read these gems, this is a chance to rediscover them. For those of you who have yet to encounter some of these books, here are the powerful lessons they offer.

"To Kill a Mockingbird" is a classic 1960 novel by American writer Harper Lee. It is a coming-of-age story set in Alabama during the Great Depression. The plot follows a young girl named Scout, as her lawyer father, Atticus, defends a Black man who is falsely accused of a crime.

The book has many powerful lessons, and moral courage is key. The story shows how racism and unfair judgment can hurt innocent people. The mockingbird is the symbol of innocence, since Atticus teaches his children that they must never kill one because these birds don’t harm anyone; they only make beautiful music.

"The Catcher in the Rye" is a 1951 novel by American writer J.D. Salinger. It follows Holden Caulfield, a troubled 16-year-old who is expelled from boarding school just before the Christmas holidays. During this time, he wanders the streets of New York alone, searching for a real connection as he deals with growing up.

The core message centers on how teenagers really think, through everyday slang, while reflecting on the adult world, which Holden considers full of "phonies" who fake it to fit in. The angst of feeling lonely and like an outsider is central. Holden also wants to protect the innocence of children and imagines being the "catcher in the rye" who saves children from falling off a cliff while they play in a rye field.

"The Outsiders" is a 1967 novel by American author S.E. Hinton that defined the young adult (YA) literary genre. It is a story about a group of teens divided by class. It follows two different groups: the "Greasers" (poor kids) and the "Socs" (rich kids) living in Tulsa, Oklahoma, during the 1960s.

The plot centers around Ponyboy Curtis, who is 14 years old and discovers that people are much more than their social labels. The story is an iconic representation of the raw emotional challenges, social divides, and search for identity that occurs during adolescence.

"1984" is a 1949 dystopian novel by English writer George Orwell. It is set in a totalitarian regime where the Party is led by the omnipresent figure known as Big Brother, who exercises extreme control over everyday life, including "thoughtcrime" (questioning those in power is already a crime) and "newspeak" (the destruction of old words so rebellious ideas are impossible).

It remains one of the most important novels of human history. It is a horrifying warning about what happens when a government has too much power, including control of truth, language, and even privacy. Its message is considered by many a crucial reminder to stay vigilant and protect our personal freedoms.

"Animal Farm" is another novel written by British author George Orwell in 1945. It is an allegorical novella that puts farm animals center stage, as they seek to overthrow their tyrannical human farmer. The aim was to create an equal society, but the revolution ended up being betrayed by the pigs that led a dictatorship as ruthless as the humans'.

It is a satire of the 1917 Russian Revolution, alongside the rise of Stalinism in the Soviet Union. Each animal represents different leaders and groups, such as the Pigs who signify Stalin and Trotsky, the loyal, hard-working Horse who symbolizes the working class, and Mr. Jones, who represents the dethroned monarch, Tsar Nicholas Romanov II.

"The Great Gatsby" is a 1925 novel by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald. It is set in the 1920s in New York, and it's told by Nick Carraway, who moves next door to an intriguing, newly rich man named Jay Gatsby. Gatsby is completely obsessed with reclaiming his long-lost love, Daisy Buchanan, who is trapped in a marriage to Tom, by throwing lavish parties to win her back; this pursuit ends in betrayal and death.

Throughout the story, themes such as love and greed are explored, exposing the dark side of the Roaring Twenties and the pursuit of wealth. To this day, it remains a warning that the limitless desire for money can corrupt even our deepest dreams.

"Pride and Prejudice" is a novel first published in 1813 by British author Jane Austen. This romantic story follows sharp Elizabeth Bennet and wealthy, quiet Mr. Darcy. Each of them must overcome their personal flaws of pride and prejudice to stand a chance at falling in love and getting married.

It has become a cultural touchstone by showcasing something that affects us all: how people misjudge others based on first impressions, wealth, and social status. As each character faces family drama, social rules, and personal mistakes, they learn to look past their flaws to find true love.

"Little Women" is a novel by American writer Louisa May Alcott, originally published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869. Set in the 1860s in Massachusetts during the Civil War, it follows the lives of four sisters: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March, as they learn about love, loss, poverty, and the importance of family.

It’s considered a timeless coming-of-age classic because, for many readers, it is a realistic portrayal of what growing up is about. The March sisters are far from perfect, and each one makes mistakes that they then learn from. It is also a foundational text on female ambition, giving a voice to young women and showing that their daily lives, feelings, and dreams matter too.

"Jane Eyre" is a classic 1847 novel by British author Charlotte Brontë, written under the pen name Currer Bell. This story centers on an orphan named Jane and her experiences. The school she goes to is harsh, and she faces a cruel childhood. Later on, she begins to work as a governess (teacher) at a mysterious estate known as "Thornfield Hall", where she falls in love with her moody boss, Mr. Rochester.

This story revolutionized literature as it is the first novel to focus on the moral and spiritual growth of a young woman who wasn’t rich, passive, or traditionally beautiful. The main character, Jane, finds purpose in becoming a governess after all the hardships she endured and fights for her dignity and independence, refusing to settle for anyone who doesn’t see her as an equal, prioritizing herself over love.

"Charlotte’s Web" is a 1952 children’s novel by American author E.B. White, illustrated by Garth Williams. It tells the story of a sweet pig named Wilbur who is saved from slaughter and befriends clever Charlotte, a spider who writes words in her web to save his life. In doing so, this book explores universal themes such as friendship, loyalty, and the inevitable cycle of life.

It is a timeless masterpiece that stands out for its simple prose, offering deep lessons about life and loss, including how simple acts can save the world, and Charlotte's words show how the way we speak about others matters. Wilbur once asked Charlotte why she did all of this for him, and she replied: "By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone’s life can stand a bit of that."