One of my grandmothers had rules / items like that. I think she was 80 before her kids finally convinced her to take the plastic off the sitting room furniture. My cousins and I had not-too-fond memories of sticking to those chairs during the summer months when we were kids. At least she got to enjoy the perfectly preserved fabric before she passed. 
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Coming up on 30 years since I had a cigarette ‐ I still have dreams in which I’ve started smoking again. A lot less frequently, now, but every once in a while…
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One of my grandmas had a bathroom like that. We could use the terlet & sink, but not the bathtub ‐ when we visited, we’d have to all share the other bathroom for that. (*Not at the same time) Eventually she gave up (&/or didn’t notice we were using it).
The strawberry candies were always in the house.
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I used to subscribe to Dwell magazine, which has a lot of information on modular housing. They did a cover story on a house that I fell in love with that was built using modular triangular units. I spoke with the company that sells it; actually with an architect who was doing some work with the company.
(you have to upgrade to view the whole article, but you can see at least a few pics with this link)
The company was out in Washington State, and I was planning to build in the South. The transportation costs would be high to get the units out East of the Mississippi.
The architect said that people mistakenly thought that the modular building would be cheaper, but a lot of costs go into preparing the site and foundation. You also had to still do all the wiring and plumbing. So, for minimal savings, you lost out on the flexibility of doing a custom build.
It was sad to me as I loved the design so much, and I do like modular design.
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That’s an important consideration. With climate instability getting worse, I’d probably go for a much smaller version of the elevated dome featured here…
…with a levee or flood barrier - just in case. The cost of trying to keep the interior of a home from getting soaked, burned, or blown out is expensive. 
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My grandparents had the plastic wrap on the couches too! I think they would usually take it off when people were visiting, though, and then put it back on afterward. But sometimes it was still on when we went there.
I just cannot image spending that much on furniture and then just covering it in plastic and not using it. I guess though, if there’s only two of you and you each have your favorite spot, then anything else is extraneous and might as well be covered up to keep the dust off.
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I think it was more about keeping it pristine for when an important visitor, such as the pastor, or the boss, or a politician, came to visit.
It’s a holdover from the pre-modern (Victorian and earlier) culture of having a pristine sitting room for important guests. That room couldn’t be shabby, dusty, or stained in any way, lest you be seen as either poor, or disrespectful.
Kind of like a family having “good China” for special occasions, but regular tableware for regular meals. (And the China being kept in a special cabinet that shows it off, just so you know you’re not too poor to actually have it, but not rich enough to use it everyday.)
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The decorative towels always had heavy machine embroidery on them to discourage use, since they were uncomfortable to use, and didn’t absorb moisture very well.
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I’m imagining the same design if you’re an outie rather than an innie.
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prolapse cat?
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That’s what I’m thinking, or if you tattoo the outie brown …
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1916:
I lived for awhile in a home almost exactly like that (and was told that it was indeed a Sears house). It was still very solid. Except some of the outside stucco, which went on who knows when.
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I think I know who lives there.
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Not bad going up, but going down?
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From the description that i read they’re extra steep, and there’s no hand rails. I know a deathtrap when i see one
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