Home is where the heart is, but how much do you really know about your home? Each room can tell a different story, offering a glimpse into changing attitudes towards privacy, class, cleanliness and technology.
Dr. Lucy Worsley, Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces, takes you through the history of the house and into the strange world of people from the past.
You may love your home, or you may be desperate to move, but either way, you probably know its corners well. But do you really know his story? Every room in your home has a longer and more compelling story than you may realize.
bedroom. Let’s start by saying that a third of the story is lost: because people are asleep. It’s rude to break into someone’s bedroom today, but it’s really new. Until 100 years ago, people were happy to share not only their bedrooms, but even their beds with colleagues or even strangers.
The Restroom Next we come to the room with the shortest history in the house: the bathroom. 200 years ago there were no bathrooms. The evolution of the bathroom was no easy feat, and you might be surprised to learn that many Tudors had worse personal hygiene than their medieval forebears.
living room. The living room is primarily a place where you can spend your free time. But it’s also an exhibition space – a space to impress your guests with your taste and wealth. At its heart is the chair, originally reserved for the head of the family. The original “president” sat while his servants stood, or sat on low stools instead of armchairs.
kitchen. Early censuses counted neither people nor houses: they counted “flocks” because the cooking fire was the focal point of the house. In the center of a single medieval peasant dwelling there is a hearthstone or flat rock on which a fire is lit.
