The Sitting Room

This short tidbit gives a bit of insight into a very popular room during the 19th Century.

The Sitting-room.
IN almost every house there is a room, generally a small one, that is made to serve as substitute, at one time or another, for all the other reception rooms; in the class of house under notice, it is sometimes termed a morningroom, sometimes a breakfast-room, but we have preferred to adopt the term sitting-room.
By reason of its varied uses, we shall adopt a suite of furniture something after the style used for a dining-room, but lighter in construction, in order that it may not appear disproportionate in its place. The wood we would suggest for this suite is walnut, or some wood of a similar tone. The upholstering may be in tapestry or velvet, the colours of which will be best regulated by a careful consideration of the amount of wear to which it is likely to be exposed.
The furniture designed for this room will also be well adapted for cottages, where space is often the main consideration.

In Figs. 1 and 2 are shown the front and side elevations of the fireplace, with overmantel. It will be noted that we have endeavoured to meet the views of those who like a large surface of mirror, while we have at the same time paid due regard to construction and proportion. The panels in the sides may either be of wood or of plate looking-glass. The other details will be given in enlarged drawings in our next paper. The upper portion, it will be seen, is arranged as a shelf for the display of potteries and trophies.
The woodwork, as in our previous designs for the like purpose, given in this series, is protected by a marble interior, the same material being used for the kerb fender indicated in the sketch. The grate shown is one having a straight front, with painted tiles in monochrome, either blue, marone, or sepia, on an ivory ground. Some persons may possibly take exception to the subjects; these may, however, be varied at the option of the purchaser, although, without specially defending the practice of using such subjects for fireplace decoration as are here shown, we cannot see that they are in any respect less suitable to the purpose than some of the half-clad classical figures adopted by many of our leading artists.