Priorities. It all comes down to priorities.
As mentioned, this picture was taken in an expensive salon in a trendy part of town. We're talking $200 haircuts here. Yet, as often is the case, most of the money was put into the "sizzle" rather than the "steak."
The decor had no expense spared. I'm certain a designer was hired. Custom counters and fixtures to create just the right "look." I defy you to find a drop of paint out of place. Yet everything below the surface is, at best, marginal.
The building dates from the 1920's. Windows are single-pane, walls uninsulated, and there are signs of countless renovations over the years (if you know where to look). Look beyond the meticulous conduit runs and you'll find a panel that could have been put in by Edison himself. Beneath that coat of shiny paint you can see the main priority was doing things as cheaply as possible. I would expect to find 50-cent devices used, rather than the $5 commercial grade grey devices. (Any color you want, as long as you want ivory!).
To their credit, the receptacle appears to have but one thin coat of paint. I can't count all the times I've seen apartments with so many coats of paint on the devices that you almost need power tools to remove cover plates. There must be a law somewhere that bans removing covers before painting! It is those places where I often find scorch marks behind the plugs.
