So here I am (well my feet, anyway) standing in the studio, facing the double doors that open into the 'snug' (as we call it), which traditionally would have been the dining room. We had to re-lay some of the floorboards, as a few has perished and also a couple had been replaced with pieces of heavy skirting board (Albert?)!
I really like the fact that the gaps between the wooden floorboards are not equal, and some gaps are rather large. You find all sorts of things that have fallen in between the boards. Though, sometimes I have to unscrew one to retrieve a lost earring!
The snug is when Audrey's inherited objects live.
I'm just trying to get my bearings…is the snug only accessible via the studio? Or if it was previously the dining room can it be reached via the kitchen or hallway too? Double doors sound very grand – are they original?
ReplyDeleteGood floorboards – I have a similar problem with gaps and D complains that they are draughty – I’m guessing the lovely rug means you are draught free though!
There's another door that goes from the snug back into the hallway. So orginally the rooms would have been separated, and only accessible from the hallway. When we moved here, the door to the studio was blocked up, and wallpapered over (though the doorway was underneath, which we restored - that's the first door that leads off the hallway).
ReplyDeleteDouble doors are unfortunately not grand at all, and quite plain really - we replaced a 1970's sliding door which didn't really slide at all!
Yes, D is right - you can feel the draught through the floorboards, but the rugs do keep it quite cosy.
Ok, I think I understand the layout now, it seems to be slightly different to the Victorian houses that I am familiar with, or maybe layout varies depending on region?
ReplyDeleteGood old Albert, at least he only papered over the original doorway and didn’t brick it up! He must also be responsible for the non-sliding door.
Were the picture rail and panelling original features?
I hadn't thought that the layout would vary on region - now that is interesting!
ReplyDeleteWe have the original deeds which were signed in 1888 (This house was built along with 19 others in this street and the next one in 1877), so the design and layouts of the houses are the same. The houses on the opposite side of this street however were built a little later on (after 1900), so the design is quite different!
Evidence of architectural fashions of the mid to late Victorian era.
I'm quite curious about the varying layouts now - and I could be totally wrong about it being regional!
ReplyDeleteI have just scoured my bookshelf as I have a book called The English Terraced House by Stefan Muthesius, and I'm sure he discusses these sorts of issues, frustratingly the book is nowhere to be found but I'll try to research further!