I can imagine it looked "faboo" in those rather spartan, minimalist canal house flats in Amsterdam. (for one of which I would have given my first born.....if I had one)............... It was all the rage in New York City Soho lofts and "uber" apartments. As with most things, when it started to trickle down to the hoi polli, it quickly went out of fashion.
They are great. My parents considered buying a flat in one of those 17th century warehouses way back when. But they quickly realized there was no room for my mother's collection of collections.