Charmion, there is an interesting house museum in Canberra (Our National Capital) called Calthorpes' House, which dates from 1927 and still has its original furnishings. Everything, furniture, draperies, carpets, etc. was bought new so lasted for several years. By the time it may have been getting time to replace some things WWII had started, so it was easier to keep the familiar things. Time went on, the daughters married, Mr Calthorpe died, and Mrs Calthorpe was quite happy with her house and its contents; she never had an attack of "everything new", so it stayed that way until she, too, died and the daughters decided to sell it to the government who wanted to preserve it. It really is a wonderful time warp - even has an air raid shelter in the back garden.