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.

NYC Houses

Below is a description of a series of houses built in NYC. This comes from "The Manufacturer and Builder" ©1879. What I find interesting in this tidbit is the fact that the author admits that the house has a feel of more overall openness. Enjoy!

On the south side of East Seventy-first street, between Fourth and Lexington avenues, Mr. Chas. MacDonald has just completed three houses, which are well worth the attention of those who admire progress in architecture and approve of a change in the monotonous style of buildings that line our tip-town streets. Each house stands only upon n lot of 16.8x56, and yet there appears to be more room in the hallway than is generally found in n twenty foot house. True, it is done at the sacrifice of space in the front parlor, but the center and rear parlors make up for it in width, thus leaving the front parlor virtually to be used as a large reception room. The dining room is on the first floor in the rear of the parlor and extends across the full width of the house, while the middle room and parlor proper are lighted by a transom light, the dining room being lighted by a dome, giving the entire floor A most cheerful aspect. The rear room is connected with the kitchen by a stairway and dumbwaiter. In the wide hallway created by the cutting of the front room lire largo ornamental closets, adding considerably to the conveniences of a floor that is generally bereft of those foatures. The large front room in the basement is intended for a breakfast room, while the remainder of the basement is divided into a laundry, kitchen and storerooms, and withal there is n good sized yard. The houses are four stories high, of brown stone, and the front might bo called a French Gothic. The plans were made by John G. Prague, architect.

Wallpapering

Below is an excerpt from "Painting and Decorating" ©1889 I've included the first few sentences that give the company and location in Brooklyn, NY as well as a description of the type of house and the various wallpapers used in the different rooms.

THE Robert Graves Co. are building a new wallpaper factory in South Brooklyn, and are removing thereto their plant from their old factory in Fulton Street. The latest improvements in machinery and the most economical methods of production will be employed, and the faétory building will be sufficiently spacious for every requirement of their large business. Its length is three hundred feet, and it is five stories in height. They will make all grades of paper, from white blanks to flocks and leather papers. Their Brooklyn wallpaper store does a. large business in interior decoration in that city. The manager reports that he has lately decorated the Queen Anne house of Mrs. M. A. Pray at 1208 Dean Street. The front parlor is in whitefand-gold effects. The side walls are covered with a fine hand-made pressed paper of modern Renaissance design, with gold figure shaded with blue on a white ground. There is a wide frieze of similar design to match, with heavy white-and-gold ornamental picture moulding. The ceiling is frescoed to match the walls. The woodwork is decorated in white and gold.
The back parlor has a hand-made pressed paper having a French blue, copper and gold figure on a chocolate ground. There is a wide frieze in simultaneous contrast, and picture moulding to match. The ceiling is frescoed to harmonize with the walls, and the woodwork is of antique oak. The dining-room has a paper of Persian design on a blue-green ground, and the ceilingis tinted a pale yellow. The second-story front alcove-roam has a paper of Indian ornament, with flitter and gold on terra-cotta ground. The second-floor back room has a hand-made paper with fleur'de-lys pattern on a shrimp-pink ground; the woodwork is cherry. The third-floor front room has a damask paper of conventional floral design on a blue ground. The tbird~floor back room has a paper with Italian lace pattern in pink and cream on a red ground. All these rooms have friezes to match and the ceilings tinted various colors. The hall has imported Japanese leather paper, dado and frieze. The woodwork is of antique oak. The bath-room has varnished tile papers.

1892 China Designs

Below are some examples of China designs done during the 19th Century. What you'll see is the outlines of the patterns for various plates and such.

Designs:
For Bone China Platter

Bread & Milk Set

Fish Plates

Plates

Tea Cups & Saucers

Some Additional Designs

Earlier today I posted the borders to go with last week's wallpapers. This afternoon I thought I'd add some detail designs that are stencils for decorative purposes from 1897 as well.