While I am painting - the Housekeeper's room

While I am painting I will show you the first ideas for each room starting with the Housekeeper/Cook's room.

I can't find any useful inspirational photos for the Housekeeper's room.  This one has the basic notions though:

I am working with a fairly small room, so her fireplace will be small and plain.  This was a period when mantelpieces hadn't really come into their own and it wasn't usual to have things placed on them.  This is a reasonable representation of a simple fireplace and hearth.

She has the huge linen cupboard which I showed you in a previous post (under lock and key) taking up the whole of the back wall but she will need the basic things like a comfortable armchair, a very small desk and chair and a small table and chair.  The two chairs can be used at the table for any meals she may want to take away from the other servants or with a visitor. She will also have a rug.  Old one from the house of course.

Only in large houses was a housekeeper's room strictly hers;  generally it was shared with the lady's maid and other senior members of staff who needed a quiet space now and then and certainly all the senior staff would have eaten there and not in the servants hall.

Dalton House is a modest house and this is a small room and, in this house, it is strictly Mrs Dallow's room to do with as she wants.  Some compensation for having to be Cook and Housekeeper.