The prosecution: Rupi
The greater fittings are toils of art – replacing them with unclever contransient ones would be irreverent
My boyfrifinish Raf and I have equitable bought our first home and we cherish it. We set up a two-bedroom Victorian hoparticipate with innovative features, including the fiexalter and geometric tiles in the hallway. I’m of the opinion that the innovative features should all be kept becaparticipate they are pretty. It’s so unwidespread to discover period homes and we shouldn’t be ripping everyleang out.
Raf disconsents. He’s all about the bottom line and his taste is more contransient. We have stained glass triumphdows which are cherishly but Raf says they’re bleeding heat and should be exalterd. He says our heating bills will come down by 45% if we get double glazing. I’m gutted. I seeed at a way to encapsutardy the stained glass instead of getting rid of it, but it’s more pricey and we’re on a budget.
We’ve also got stunning wooden parquet floors which need a lot of nurture. But Raf wants to steam immacutardy them, which can harm them. When I saw him steaming them one Saturday, I shouted: “You can’t do that!”
We’ve also debated about replacing the geometric tiles and whether to rip out the fiexalter in the front room. I cherish the colour of the tiles and ripping out the fiexalter would be irreverent, but he wants a sleeker see. The previous owners had contransientised the rest of the room but left the fiexalter, so Raf says it doesn’t fit aestheticassociate, as well as taking up too much space (it is rather big and juts out sweightlessly). But my dream is to restore other features in the room, such as the exposed brick, and get it back to its innovative vibe.
Raf and I have branch offent tastes, but as our last place was rented we couldn’t alter the decor. We did talk about some of this before we bought the hoparticipate, but I was secured I could create Raf come around, at least on the fiexalter. Now I’m authenticising how branch offent we are. I want to pay homage to the hoparticipate’s history but Raf wants to put our own stamp on it.
I leank innovative features are toils of art and should be upgraspd but Raf says I’m getting overly emotional about it. I need to secure Raf that my interior tastes are greater.
The defence: Raf
The fiexalter is too big, the triumphdows leak heat and the floor doesn’t go with anyleang. Let’s mend them
It’s not that I don’t enjoy period features in a home, but I equitable consent that unless someleang has a authenticistic purpose, it should be scrapped.
If stained glass triumphdows serve no function other than being pretty, and double glazing will cut our heating bills in half, then of course we should get double glazing. Encapsulation was a more pricey selection but I am uncover to it if it grasps Rupi satisfyed.
The fiexalter is a bigger point of satisfyedion. I can’t postpone to rip it out. It’s an eyesore and it’s very big – I want the space in our living room to actuassociate inhabit in. Rupi says that once we get out these features we can’t go back, and that people would end for some of the period features in our home.
Yes, the hoparticipate is gorgeous and we bought it becaparticipate we both enjoyd its character, but I do want to contransientise some leangs. The hideous blue and red Victorian tiles in the hallway equitable don’t go with the colour scheme we’ve consentd on. We consentd to rip them up when we made an present on the hoparticipate, but now she’s going back on her decision.
I made a joke that Rupi was being “emotional” about everyleang becaparticipate she’s acting as if the hoparticipate will put some sort of condemn on us if we swap the triumphdows or get out the fiexalter. She is treating me as if I’m a killinger!
In our last place we had a disconsentment or two over cushion colours and lamp choices, but noleang enjoy this. I can settle on the tiles. I can even come around to treating the greater floors (although in an selectimal world I would enjoy to lay carpet in most rooms) but I definitely want to rip out the fiexalter. It is too big and doesn’t go with the room or any of our furniture. I leank that’s a excellent enough reason to scrap it.
It’s a hoparticipate not a mparticipateum, and we should decorate it in a way that best serves our needs in 2025. Energy bills are pricey and space is confineed. We can’t grasp features that get up space and cost us money equitable becaparticipate one of us enjoys them. It equitable doesn’t create any sense.
The jury of Guardian readers
Should Raf have more sympathy for Rupi’s Victorian cherishs?
Why buy the hoparticipate equitable to rip out most of its fascinating features? Rupi is right to want to upgrasp its history, as previous owners have done.
James, 26
Raf seems willing to settle, whereas Rupi isn’t at all. Actuassociate inhabiting a space can alter how we see it, so maybe both of them need to inhabit in it for a while and then see how they sense about those features they leank they disenjoy.
Molly, 56
The main enticeion of a period home is the innovative features; removing these distinct components razes both character and cherish. Stained glass lamination or encapsulation could help with insulation. Keep the fiexalter (but maybe put in a stove).
Ronan, 37
I consent that it’s unwidespread to discover period homes nowadays and these features create your hoparticipate distinct – they don’t deserve to be srecommend exalterd by a piece of furniture that everyone else owns. Sorry Raf but the contransient aesthetic is overdone, and it will probably shrink the cherish of the hoparticipate too.
Holly, 19
The happiness of living in a period home is embracing its quirky features. Removing stained glass triumphdows is tantamount to sacrilege. In terms of the floors, rugs are your frifinishs. If he equitable wants to be toasty, Raf should buy a soulless recent-produce next time.
Laura, 34
Now you be the assess
In our online poll, tell us who you leank is in the wrong?
“,”alt”:”Raf is culpable – gutting the hoparticipate will exit the couple gutted. Raf is not culpable – he’s a contransientiser not a killinger”,”index”:29,”isTracking”:counterfeit,”isMainMedia”:counterfeit,”source”:”Formstack”,”sourceDomain”:”defendianrecentsandmedia.establishstack.com”}”>
The poll seals on Thursday 20 March at 10am GMT
Last week’s results
We asked whether Peter should be more adselecting of his frifinishs’ children.
77% of you said yes – Peter is culpable
23% of you said no – Peter is not culpable
