floors and rooms
Posted by P. Bingham on September 03, 1998 at 20:19:18:
In response to Kitchen in the basement?, written by SuzanneR on September 03, 1998 at 12:41:13
Here are the various room location one would typically find in a townhouse and these based on an overview of a large group of period townhomes that I have researched:
The kitchen is in the basement which looks out onto a small courtyard (area). The ground floor (street level) contains the dining room and might also contain the library and offices. The first floor (the floor which came off the front entrance of the house contained the drawing room. Also on the first floor would likely be the ballroom and/or music room and/or gallery, though sometimes these rooms were located on the second floor. The Lord and Lady of the house would sleep on the 2nd floor, and it was not uncommon (especially in older homes) for their rooms to be connected, by an ante room, to other public rooms. There would also be guest rooms located here. The 3rd floor held the nursery and children's bedrooms as well as the school room. A few Upper servants might sleep here too, though they often had their own rooms near the kitchens and offices. This floor, along with the attic, generally had a back stair for access. In the attic the servants slept.
The Country house fluxuated even more so than the townhouse and every example I've seen is different from another. Here are a few examples:
1. The ground floor with the kitchn and all domestic offices, the first floor a saloon which opened up into all the reception rooms, drawing rooms, etc., the ballroom and the gallery. The second floor the bedrooms.
2. The ground floor with the front parlour to back parlour to ante-room to library; The first floor a small ante room to music room to second drawing room to anteroom to a room containing a bed if needed ot a third drawing room; the second floor family bedroom suites.
3. Ground floor the morning room; the first floor the reception rooms to small drawing room to ante-room.
4. Ground floor the kitchens; first floor the entrance hall to great drawing room to two more rooms to library and dining room to another drawing room to the Duke's and Duchess' sleeping quarters.
Patricia
- Thanks P! This is great clarification. (NFM) elaineL 09:20:38 9/04/98
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