[MandieD]

Heating a whole free-standing house to comfort in long sleeve t-shirts and jeans (68F/20C) in a cold climate is a luxury that’s only a few decades old, especially taking into account how much average houses in the US and Canada have grown over the past century. Open floor plans are also a modern extravagance in cold climates.

Before that: smaller houses, closed off rooms, wearing sweaters inside all winter, sitting around a fireplace/stove most of the evening, and using thick down comforters half the year (if you could afford one).