<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2YLgkE_0vlA7UTf00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2YLgkE_0vlA7UTf00" width="980" height="653" ><figcaption>Stephen Lenz</figcaption></figure><p>There's a popular question on the internet: What's something you thought was a rich people thing when you were a kid?</p><h2>Let's get this straight—that's not what this is.</h2><p>There were certain things that every kid wished their house had when they were growing up. Okay fine, I'm a '70s/'80s kid, but these things were (and in some cases <i>are</i>) pretty universal.</p><p>Since TV was our babysitter and we watched a <i>lot</i>, that was in most cases the basis for pretty much <i>everything</i> we wanted, whether that be sugary cereal (happened) or trips to Disney World (never happened).</p><h2>Here Are 7 Things Every Kid Wished Their House Had When They Were Growing Up</h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3Txp7F_0vlA7UTf00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3Txp7F_0vlA7UTf00" width="1600" height="1067" ><figcaption>Canva</figcaption></figure><h2>An Intercom System</h2><p>I knew a kid who lived in a very humble home in a subdivision from the '50s. Every room in this house had an intercom on the wall, even the bathrooms. Did they all work? Heck no. The funny thing was that the house was so small that we would use the half-dead intercom to talk to each other in different rooms, and since you had to shout, his mom would scream, "Will you kids stop shouting in the house?!" Now, with smart speakers, you can <a href="https://www.makeuseof.com/setup-google-nest-family-intercom/">pretty much do the same thing</a>, but like most things now, it's less fun.</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0Eu4Fi_0vlA7UTf00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0Eu4Fi_0vlA7UTf00" width="1600" height="1067" ><figcaption>Getty Images</figcaption></figure><h2>An Indoor Pool</h2><p>I knew one kid with an indoor pool. I only remember swimming in it <i>once</i> because it was always in some state of dangerous disrepair. The smell of the chlorine also made you want to—ironically—run <i>outside.</i> All that said, I remember thinking, "It's a pool - but inside!" How incredibly magical.</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4CcZcY_0vlA7UTf00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4CcZcY_0vlA7UTf00" width="1600" height="1067" ><figcaption>Canva</figcaption></figure><h2>A Treehouse</h2><p>When I say "treehouse," I'm not referring to what we had—just a plank precariously nailed into three weak branches, almost guaranteeing a broken limb (both yours and the tree's) and a complimentary tetanus shot. I mean the ones you see in movies: a proper treehouse. A house... in the tree, complete with windows, curtains, a floor, a lockable door, and an actual roof. Bonus points if you had a cool rope ladder that actually worked.</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=070ygC_0vlA7UTf00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=070ygC_0vlA7UTf00" width="1600" height="1067" ><figcaption>Getty Images</figcaption></figure><h2>An Arcade in the Basement</h2><p>It wasn't uncommon for a friend to have a single pinball machine in the garage, but what about those folks who had an ENTIRE arcade in their basement? Dad was likely a collector, and you were only allowed to play one game, usually the knock-off one that he didn't care much about. Still, the whole setup looked and sounded just like a real arcade.</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0FnAQA_0vlA7UTf00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0FnAQA_0vlA7UTf00" width="1600" height="1067" ><figcaption>Amblin Entertainment ('Gremlins')/Canva</figcaption></figure><h2>A Stair Lift</h2><p>I'm probably going to get in trouble for admitting this, but hear me out. I was a good kid—like, really good. But let me tell you, whenever I found myself in a house with one of those stair lifts, a rebellious streak emerged. I couldn't help but daydream about shedding my goody-two-shoes image and riding that bad boy to the top floor.</p><p>However, deep down, I knew it was meant to assist people less mobile than myself. So, even though I fantasized about reenacting that famous scene from <i>Gremlins</i>, it just never happened for me.</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1eUbfQ_0vlA7UTf00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1eUbfQ_0vlA7UTf00" width="1600" height="1067" ><figcaption>HGTV</figcaption></figure><h2>A Sweet Hardly-Finished Attic (aka "Greg's Groovy Attic")</h2><p>You can have your luxurious attic ("What a fantastic use of unused space!"), but all we desired was a hideaway nestled in the highest reaches of the house's eaves, complete with the occasional risk of encountering bats, lack of ventilation, and a creaky pull-down door situated in the hallway ceiling. Why? It's mostly thanks to <i>The Brady Bunch</i>—the recreation of the iconic and highly coveted Brady kids' retreat, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hgtv.ca/videos/524974791634897/">brought to life</a> in the photo above by the team at HGTV.</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1txkZF_0vlA7UTf00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1txkZF_0vlA7UTf00" width="1600" height="1067" ><figcaption>Creative Home Engineering</figcaption></figure><h2>A Secret Room Behind a Secret Door</h2><p>Lastly, it may sound cliché, but thanks to the '80s classic sitcom <i>Webster</i> and the abundance of secret passageways and rooms in his family's house, we almost came to expect these in most homes. Interestingly, they're having a bit of a moment now, as highlighted by a trend piece titled "<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/07/realestate/design-trend-secret-doors.html">Not Just for Scooby-Doo Anymore - The Secret Door Is Having a Moment</a>." So what they're saying is ... there's still a chance?</p><h2>LOOK: Can You Recognize These Iconic '70s Objects</h2><p>Let's take a walk down a very groovy memory lane and ponder some of the things that made life easy, fun and undeniably cool in the '70s.</p><h2>LOOK: Things You Saw at Grandma's House</h2><p>Step into Grandma's house, where cookie tins hold mysteries and even the toilet roll cover has a story to tell.</p><h2>LOOK: These Are Things You'd See in a '70s Kitchen</h2><p>From mushroom decor to that iconic jug (you know the one), let's take a nostalgic trip down memory lane to the quintessential '70s kitchen.</p></div></body>

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7 Things Every Kid Wished Their House Had When They Were Growing Up

There's a popular question on the internet: What's something you thought was a rich people thing when you were a kid?. Let's get this straight—that's not what this is. There were certain things that every kid wished their house had when they were growing up. Okay fine, I'm a '70s/'80s kid, but these things were (and in some cases are) pretty universal.