The Way of the WASP: What fills the Old New England Family Home?

Dear Muffy: I am fascinated by the old New England houses, when you can find them. What stands out to you about the interiors of old family houses, and are those good goals for today ?

What do I think of when I think of the interiors of New England family homes, the ones that have been in a single family for many generations?

First, I am not talking about the places along the New England coast that have historically been “developed” by outsiders,  people from away with means.  Newport and Northeast Harbor come to mind. 

And I am certainly not talking about the interiors of places where – while strict zoning laws have required a continuity of exterior aesthetics, such as pitched roofs and weathered shingles – the interiors have been gutted and re-gutted with current decorating trends. Nantucket, the Vineyard, and so much of the Cape have become poster children here. Boston’s Louisburg Square,  and all of Beacon Hill for that matter, are legendary for their power to quash proposed change. Just ask my in-laws.

No, I am thinking of the real old family houses.

The ones that have those old WASP interiors that have evolved over generations.  They are many things, but decorated is not one of them.