In 1979, Bob Vila’s This Old House debuted on public tv. The present adopted the step-by-step renovation of a Victorian period house and became a long-running success. As historian Carolyn Goldstein points out, the fascination with the “old” has been of rising importance in home improvement since the 1960s. Nostalgia, and a rising curiosity in craftsmanship among householders, contributed to a well-liked curiosity in oldlooking homes with trendy amenities corresponding to central heating. Manufacturers and retailers responded to the will of shoppers to uniquely historicize their suburban properties by marketing cheap imitation molding or columns and other Victorian-style parts. High-quality…