Georgian architecture/interiors etc

[Shareb]

Hi all.  There seems to be so much online about the Victorian era but much less about the Georgian.  When I put it in as a search term it pretty much just brings up the big, square, balanced buildings.  I'm studying and planning for my next big project which I am so excited about!  I have a clue about what I'm doing for the bottom level Apothecary shop - lots of pictures to work off.  However I am imagining that the upper level will be where Master Raymond lives.  Given that it's just one room, 340mm wide by 300mm deep, I'm trying to figure what needs to go in there.  It's French - again I have never looked at French architecture, decoration etc - it's not interested me before now.  I'm picking he needs to have some sort of kitchen, bathroom and sleeping area.  But a) how will I fit it all in, and b) what does a French Georgian kitchen and bathroom look like???  Would love some help trying to figure how to work this one room apartment.....

THis is the building....I am going to put a wall across in front of the stairs so that they can't be seen from the shop. 

https://www.dollshousedirect.co.uk/product/french-shop-no-1/

This is the shop....(the teal coloured rooms....)

https://www.pinterest.nz/rebeccareckin/apothecary/

Would love some suggestions please!!

[Sable]

Realistically, you’d like to place 3 rooms in 144 sq ft or approx 45 sq meters?  That’s a tiny space. Maybe a faux door to an implied bath. My French Georgian kitchen is tight with a measurement of 100 sq ft., or 30 sq meters (I hope I’ve converted this correctly). As adorable as that structure is I think the upstairs is meant for storage or just a single room. 

http://www.greenleafdollhouses.com/forum/?app=gallery&module=gallery&controller=view&id=101057

[havanaholly]

When you talk of a one-room apartment I immediately thought of Charles Dickens' descriptions.

[Shareb]

21 minutes ago, Sable said:

Realistically, you’d like to place 3 rooms in 144 sq ft or approx 45 sq meters?  That’s a tiny space. Maybe a faux door to an implied bath. My French Georgian kitchen is tight with a measurement of 100 sq ft., or 30 sq meters (I hope I’ve converted this correctly). As adorable as that structure is I think the upstairs is meant for storage or just a single room. 

http://www.greenleafdollhouses.com/forum/?app=gallery&module=gallery&controller=view&id=101057

Right I'm now searching 18C bathrooms!  This is based in 1744 so actually they probably wouldn't have had a bathroom.  Maybe a watercloset - but most likely just a chamber pot under the bed?  And a jug/bowl for washing?  He is a man living on his own, essentially a healer and would probably have spent most of his time below in his shop.  So upstairs would just have to have bed, storage, table/chair and some sort of cooking area....

34 minutes ago, havanaholly said:

When you talk of a one-room apartment I immediately thought of Charles Dickens' descriptions.

I'll have to look them up!

[havanaholly]

Both Brian Long and Derek Rowbottom have books out for making Georgian dollshouses.  I forget which one I have that describes the various ways the "thunder boxes" were disguised, but I seem to remember a set of bed steps that contained a chamber pot in the bottom.

Dickens' descriptions generally included a bed (disguised as a sofa or perhaps a Murphy bed), a table and a chair or two and a dresser to hold simple items for cooking at the fireplace.  Remember people didn't bathe very often (if at all) and a wash stand with basin & pitcher usually served.

[Mid-life madness]

I always think of Jane Austen even though it is a about 1810.....All of the House Of Miniatures kits are about 1740's and up. My Willow is set after the American Revolution. So, it is  chamber pots for everyone!!!!! ........ and washstands with an ewer and basin in the bedrooms!

[WyckedWood]

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Big-Book-Miniature-House-decorate/dp/1861089546

You might get some ideas from this book, it’s very inspirational. 

[Shareb]

1 hour ago, WyckedWood said:

https://www.amazon.com/Big-Book-Miniature-House-decorate/dp/1861089546

You might get some ideas from this book, it’s very inspirational. 

Yes!  I have this book and was looking through it yesterday!

2 hours ago, Mid-life madness said:

I always think of Jane Austen even though it is a about 1810.....All of the House Of Miniatures kits are about 1740's and up. My Willow is set after the American Revolution. So, it is  chamber pots for everyone!!!!! ........ and washstands with an ewer and basin in the bedrooms!

I do have one 'House of Miniature' kit.  Are they still made new?  Is there a shop or directory somewhere which shows the kits made?  I searched in Ebay and there seems to be so many available.  I guess I need to narrow down the kit/s that I really want/need somehow.

2 hours ago, havanaholly said:

Both Brian Long and Derek Rowbottom have books out for making Georgian dollshouses.  I forget which one I have that describes the various ways the "thunder boxes" were disguised, but I seem to remember a set of bed steps that contained a chamber pot in the bottom.

Dickens' descriptions generally included a bed (disguised as a sofa or perhaps a Murphy bed), a table and a chair or two and a dresser to hold simple items for cooking at the fireplace.  Remember people didn't bathe very often (if at all) and a wash stand with basin & pitcher usually served.

Quite a few of the French beds of the time were built into the walls from what I can see....Not sure if that's what I want to try - but it could be space saving depending upon where I put the stairs.  I've also noticed as I've been researching that French style vs English style vs American style are all very different despite being similar periods.  

[shannonc60]

If I was purchasing that kit, I would convert the attic as well to create more space.

[havanaholly]

10 hours ago, Mid-life madness said:

I always think of Jane Austen even though it is a about 1810.....All of the House Of Miniatures kits are about 1740's and up. My Willow is set after the American Revolution. So, it is  chamber pots for everyone!!!!! ........ and washstands with an ewer and basin in the bedrooms!

I don't think domestic living arrangements were all that different in the Regency era than they were in the Georgian; washstands and chamber pots were pretty much IT through Victorian times.

[grazhina]

There would not have been much furniture, just what was needed, a bed, table and chairs, maybe a roomier chair and footstool by the fire or stove, storage chests, perhaps a dresser with drawers, a wall hutch of some kind. How many pieces and what they looked like would depend on how much money the person had. Furniture styles could vary between countries, but I've found the basic pieces are the same. 

A chamber pot would generally be kept under the bed to be used at night if needed. It would have a handle and generally a lid. Washing would have been done with a basin and wash stand, or in the kitchen if there was one. There would be no tub, people who wanted a bath could go to public bath houses. In the 1700's bachelors would not have had a kitchen, they would have eaten out at cafes, taverns or from street vendors. 

From what I've seen, those built in cupboard beds were found out in the countryside, not in town.

[Shareb]

19 hours ago, shannonc60 said:

If I was purchasing that kit, I would convert the attic as well to create more space.

Wow!  So simple!  Why didn't I think of that!    Fantastic idea!  As it's a kit, I should be able to do that....hmmmm........thanks!

11 hours ago, grazhina said:

A chamber pot would generally be kept under the bed to be used at night if needed. It would have a handle and generally a lid. Washing would have been done with a basin and wash stand, or in the kitchen if there was one. There would be no tub, people who wanted a bath could go to public bath houses. In the 1700's bachelors would not have had a kitchen, they would have eaten out at cafes, taverns or from street vendors. 

From what I've seen, those built in cupboard beds were found out in the countryside, not in town.

I've also seen bedside tables with the chamber pot in it.  The cupboard beds - more a day bed inset into the wall, I've seen only in the Paris town houses etc I've been looking at.  This is some of the info I've since found...

"Seventy-one percent of Paris residences had three rooms or less, usually a salon, a bedroom and a kitchen, the salon also serving as a dining room. But forty-five percent of residences did not have a separate kitchen; meals were prepared in the salon or bedroom. In the second half of the century, only 6.5 percent of apartments had a toilet or a bath. Forty-three percent of Parisian property owners were merchants or belonged to the liberal professions; thirty percent were shopkeepers and master artisans, who usually had had one or two employees and one servant, and lived above or behind their shop or workshop."

He is an Apothecary so I'm picking will spend most of his time on his craft.  Yep - I reckon he'll be down the tavern for most meals - or at other's for dinner.  This particular Apothecary does work for many of the nobles so is potentially a little more wealthy.  Certainly looking at his shop, all the bottles etc are beautiful which he must have spent a fair bit of money on over the years!

[havanaholly]

But if he's a Georgian-era bachelor he would have shelled out most of his money on his shop and supplies, then his tailor and hairdresser/ barber, and so long as he had basic furnishings he'd make do.

[WyckedWood]

I looked at the pictures, looks like a really cool project! 

[Shareb]

7 hours ago, WyckedWood said:

I looked at the pictures, looks like a really cool project! 

I know - I'm pretty excited about it!  I love it when you lie in bed considering how you're going to create things!  

14 hours ago, havanaholly said:

But if he's a Georgian-era bachelor he would have shelled out most of his money on his shop and supplies, then his tailor and hairdresser/ barber, and so long as he had basic furnishings he'd make do.

Yes - I think you are completely right!!

[Contrary Housewife]

On 7/14/2018, 7:25:08, Shareb said:

Hi all.  There seems to be so much online about the Victorian era but much less about the Georgian.  When I put it in as a search term it pretty much just brings up the big, square, balanced buildings....  Would love some help trying to figure how to work this one room apartment.....

 

Hello! 

Try the search terms "Federal", "French Empire" and "Neoclassical". I think only the English called it the Georgian period. I know there are some Federal period room boxes that were very nicely done. 

Your bachelor, if he wasn't getting meals at the pub would likely have a servant or local woman fetch in some basic foodstuff, bread and cheese, perhaps an apple, maybe a meat pie at lunch if he was working especially hard.  So if you wanted to place some miniature food in the apartment, there would be some options. 

 

[Shareb]

19 minutes ago, Contrary Housewife said:

Try the search terms "Federal", "French Empire" and "Neoclassical". I think only the English called it the Georgian period. I know there are some Federal period room boxes that were very nicely done. 

Your bachelor, if he wasn't getting meals at the pub would likely have a servant or local woman fetch in some basic foodstuff, bread and cheese, perhaps an apple, maybe a meat pie at lunch if he was working especially hard.  So if you wanted to place some miniature food in the apartment, there would be some options. 

Wonderful!  Thank you so much for that.  I did wonder about the term Georgian so very helpful to have some other terms to look up.  Yes, apparently people of his class would have had a servant and no doubt at least one apprentice too.  Thanks very much for that!  It's a time period and place I have very little knowledge of so this project is really interesting!

[havanaholly]

The "Georgian" refers to the reigns of the Kings George, I, II & III.  Once the Crown Prince succeeded as Regent (until Victoria came of age) that period was the Regency.

[Mid-life madness]

I always associate the regency era with Jane Austen....the dress changed, but the furniture and technology was the same.

[Shareb]

6 hours ago, havanaholly said:

The "Georgian" refers to the reigns of the Kings George, I, II & III.  Once the Crown Prince succeeded as Regent (until Victoria came of age) that period was the Regency.

Aha!  I always wondered where 'Regency' came from!  Georgian, Victorian, Elizabethen etc of course are all very self-explanatory!