Homes of the very wealthy were laid out much the same, but with bigger spaces and more rooms for each function. Homes of the poor, and pioneers during this time were usually 1 or 2 rooms where everyone lived, ate, and slept.
The houses were cheap, most had between two and four rooms – one or two rooms downstairs, and one or two rooms upstairs, but Victorian families were big with perhaps four or five children. There was no water, and no toilet. A whole street (sometimes more) would have to share a couple of toilets and a pump.
Historical Context: Many old houses were built during periods of social upheaval, such as the Prohibition era or during times of political strife. Secret rooms could serve as hiding places for valuables, contraband, or even people.
A high ceiling allowed for better air flow, made rooms feel less crowded, made rooms feel more grand and in the hot summer months the difference in temperature between the ground and the ceiling is about 4 degrees Celsius.
In grand Victorian homes, formal living and dining rooms often featured pocket doors. Fun fact, pocket doors were born in this era. These doors slide into a wall cavity when opened, saving space and providing a seamless transition between rooms.
Similarly, the sanitary arrangements in Victorian times were far from ideal. Most homes didn't have a toilet, and entire streets – perhaps 100 households – would have to share a single loo, which was rather inconvenient for the poor Victorians.
The Origins of Double Living Rooms
The formal living room was reserved for guests, special occasions, and impressing the in-laws. Meanwhile, the family room was a cozy space for casual hangouts, movie nights, and those chaotic family game sessions where everyone insisted that the rules had changed since the last time.
The concept was simplicity itself. Using wires, brackets and removable panels, a finished ceiling could be hung, dropped, or suspended below the structural ceiling, concealing all the necessary mess but providing ready access to it when needed.
Plus, before the advent of color-fast materials and disposable Ikea furniture, Victorian homes could be dark places–people used heavy curtains to protect their rugs and furniture from being bleached by the sun. And is there anything creepier than a shadowy, musty house with peeling wallpaper?
“Indoor plumbing was an innovation in the Victorian era,” said Pam Larson, San Francisco Heritage's museum and docent coordinator. “In middle class homes, having a separate room for bathing was often a luxury. Bathroom sinks situated in bedrooms to serve as a washing station were common.
Some would live in the attic bedrooms and some above the stables, but if these rooms were full, servants might have to sleep in the servants' hall and kitchen.
Wealthy Victorians who lived in large town houses employed servants to do their cooking, cleaning and sewing for them. They lived in homes that were lit by gas lamps rather than candles. The homes of rich Victorians were lavishly decorated to show off their wealth.
“Victorian houses in general have ceilings between 10 and 14 feet high,” says Bourgeois. “Lower ceilings came into play when AC became more popular, toward the end of the 20th century.”
'There are around 200 to 300 rooms and between 50 to 80 bedrooms,' says Fiona, 8th Countess of Carnarvon of Highclere Castle, the ancestral home propelled to fame as the location for Downton Abbey in the popular TV series.
They were also more cost-effective and time-saving for painting crews because they made covering up flaws in the ceiling easier. It was quicker and more affordable which allowed for buildings to be completed more quickly, mainly when the economy started growing around World War II.
The area above the dropped ceiling is called the plenum space, as it is usually used for the HVAC air return. The plenum space is also very commonly used to conceal piping, wiring, and ductwork.
Natural Settlement – As a building ages, it's natural for it to settle a little bit into the ground. This slight settlement can cause cracks not only in the ceiling but also in the walls and floors. Moisture Damage – Ceiling cracks can also occur due to moisture damage. Leaky roofs or plumbing issues can cause this.
The homes of the poor were small, cold and damp and often infested with lice and vermin. Water would be collected from a dirty pump in the street and filthy outdoor toilets would be shared with dozens of neighbours. Stoves were new and expensive, so many homes didn't have any way of making hot meals.
Damp. Damp can be an issue for Victorian homes, whether rising, penetrating or condensation. While Victorian properties were generally built with good ventilation, often chimneys have been blocked and windows replaced with modern offerings that reduce air circulation.
Throughout history, all sorts of homes have been built with secret passageways, hidden rooms, and storage spaces out of plain sight. For some people, the reasons for these secret places are practical. Perhaps they fear they will one day need a place to hide from invaders.
He traces the two-door house back to the combined dwelling house and animal stall—sometimes called a “housebarn” or Wohnstallhaus — which existed in every Germanic area of Europe in the first millennium. At first there were separate entrances to the animal stalls and the dwelling portion of these large houses.
In the late 19th or early 20th century, Edward Bok advocated using the term living room for the room then commonly called a parlo[u]r or drawing room, and is sometimes erroneously credited with inventing the term. It is now a term used more frequently when referring to a space to relax and unwind within a household.