Inside the house

Inside the house

The organisation and decoration of rooms provides vital insight into the way people lived in a house.

The use of space reflects social relationships and how the occupiers interacted.

Look at the contrast between private and public space. The areas where family and servants or other dependents "lived' may look very different from rooms for entertaining or rooms for the more formal aspects of life.

A comparison of different people's living space can reveal how social hierarchies. Rooms might show the varying dynamics between master and servants, master and mistress, parents and children.

Rooms may even be designated for specific genders. Space designed or decorated by one sex would have a specific function that was associated with either male or female elements. A room such as a library may have been established as a totally male preserve whereas a nursery might reflect the design choices of the women in the house.

Collections

Are there "collections' of pictures, armoury, porcelain, tapestry or furniture?

People speak volumes in their choice of valued personal possessions. By choosing to own and display an item it is given importance in the living space.

Why were collections popular

Many of items were collected for more than their beauty or personal interest. Many articles may have been bought to enhance the family's status or owner's reputation.

These collections leave physical evidence of how the collector wanted to present himself to the world.

Collections reveal the fashions of the time. Objects may also illustrate certain values that the owner wished to associate himself with.

Try to find time to consider these influences as you walk around a country house. By understanding the allure of a collection you can enhance your enjoyment of the whole experience and learn more about bygone times.