Bed Sheets and Blankets

So much has recently been written and printed regarding sheets, pillow-slips and other white clothes for the bed that it may be quite as well to dismiss them with a few words. In the great majority of cases, even those favored housewives who have GOOD HOUSEKEEPING as a guide, are content for the most part with plain, serviceable cotton. This if neatly made up...Continue Reading

Sweet Dreams - A Look at the Bed and Bedroom of the 1850's

This being a cold and snowy afternoon has me drowsy and looking over at my feather pillows and covers wishing to slip off into slumber. So with that said and the fact that we have had some recent articles on bedroom cottage furniture, we are going to go over some advice from the book The Practical Housekeeper, about this topic. We have mentioned before how...Continue Reading

Cottage Furniture - Bedroom Set

Still on the topic of an early Victorian bedroom, it was suggested in the book The Architecture of Country Houses good furniture could be purchased from Edward Hennessey of Boston. It described a small bedroom set like this: "This furniture is remarkable for its combination of lightness and strength, and its essentially cottage-like character. It is very highly finished and is usually painted drab, white,...Continue Reading

Cottage Furniture - Wardrobe

When most of us think of the early Victorian era, we think of highly ornamental furniture and decor. However the book 'The Architecture of Country Houses' published in 1859, suggests that the highly gilded, ornate furnishings and details should be left to city dwellings. The mindset of cottage homes was to have a more subdued and peaceful surrounding. The book goes as far as to...Continue Reading

Home Decoration - The Chambers

"Chambers" The walls of bedrooms should be decorated in light tints and shadings, with a narrow rail and deep frieze. Most housekeepers prefer rugs and oiled floors to carpets, but this is a matter of individual taste. Rugs are as fashionable as they are wholesome and tidy. These floor coverings should be darker than the furniture, yet blending in shade. If carpets are chosen...Continue Reading