Foolish guarantee

I was watching a home improvement show yesterday.  The designer and contractor were explaining to a homeowner that granite was an excellent choice for a kitchen countertop because “it will never go out of style.”

This seems like quite a bold assertion, particularly considering that granite only gained widespread popularity in recent years. If its style was truly eternal, why weren’t people installing it in their kitchens and bathrooms thirty years ago?

How many times has some poor sap heard these same words from a contractor or designer?

You can’t go wrong with wallpaper. Look at that floral pattern. It’ll never go out of style.

Shag rugs. Classic beauty and almost impossible to wear out.

Why not try sponge painting? It’s both trendy and chic.

What’s the first thing that people remove after buying a home today?

Wallpaper and carpeting, followed closely by the elimination of the God-awful sponge painting which currently adorns two of our rooms.

The senior editor of Fine Home Building agrees.