 The
original finish inside the more ordinary houses was often plain painted
walls with pine panelling on the staircase. It was common for the
kitchen/living rooms of new houses to be fitted
with cupboards. There was little incentive to spend a lot on decorating
the house as the properties were rented, and also the disposable income
of the tenants was limited. Their money was probably spent on portable goods,
ornaments and furniture, rugs, prints and ornaments,
rather than on more permanent decoration, paint and wallpaper, which were
not widely or available, and were very expensive until the early years of
the 20th century. The very best things were always reserved for the parlour
which was where, even in the early 20th century, the household presented
its most respectable face to the outside world coming inside as visitors. |
