The Simple Pleasures – and Features – of the Classic Maine Lakefront Camp
January 28th, 2008 categories: Maine Waterfront Living
Installment #2
The Death of the Pine Interior
The era of pine interiors ended in the early 70’s. The Masonite Company developed a new miracle product called sheet paneling. The sheet paneling was only ¼” thick, light, and easy to install. The sheet paneling was not wood at all, but particle board with a plastic film finish. The chocolate brown sheet paneling was far cheaper than ¾” pine and builders, wanting to save a buck, took to the product like ducks to water.
Few camps built after the early 70’s have the classic pine interior. The 70’s, the era that gave us the leisure suit and the Nehru jacket, also gave us orange Formica kitchen counters, naughahyde lazy boy rockers, shag carpeting, sliding glass doors, aluminum siding, and the dreadful, hideous masonite chocolate brown sheet paneling. The appearance of sheet paneling does not improve with age. The only thing sheet paneling does with age is buckle at the seams.
Coming soon – Installment #3: A Sin of Giant Proportions
Tom - MrLakefront
