interior detail for labourers victorian cottage ( uk)

[nik]

hi there , can anyone point us in the direction of some good links or books for interior details of a simple two up , two down labourer cottage. its not very rural location, its a semi detached next to a river tributary in a market town- from census looks like a mixture of blacksmiths, tanners etc lived there.
im used to georgian and victorian town house details, and want to return some soul to a somewhat modernised semi detatched victorian cottage.

kind of things we are looking at returning to close as possible to what would have originally been there:

skirting types
internal doors ( nasty modern paned glass atm ) - ledge and brace originally?
what of Architraves?- bare plaster atm!
fireplaces- would there have been a simple type in bedroom? picys of the kind of thing would be great.

many thanks in advance
nik

 

[biffvernon]

That must depend on how posh a blacksmith or tanner you want to copy.

 

[nik]

[quoteThat must depend on how posh a blacksmith or tanner you want to copy.][/quote]

ok ,,so lets say a poor black smith/tanner labourer, simple decoration

 

[biffvernon]

Bracket goes after the word quote.

I guess the poor labourer had more on his mind that the style of architracve, so keep it all very basic and simple. That said, in a time when labour was relatively cheaper than now, it's remarkable how much ornamentation in craftwork was indulged in.

 

[Hatster]

Hmm- I wonder if that 'fly repelling' shade of blue would be authentic in certain rooms? We seem to have had it all over our house.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Us too!

I would have thought little bedroom fireplaces would have been pretty indispensible to the Victorian working family. Have you looked at http://www.britainsheritage.co.uk ?

I doubt there'd have been any skirting. You might consider fictive skirting, or fit simple skirting. Architrave might be narrow and very simple- one curved shape if that makes sense.

I think the Victorians liked 4 panelled doors. I say that because here a farming family of the 19th C have stuck on 4 panels on the hallway facing side whereas on the room facing side there are only 2.

Good luck- sounds very lovely indeed.

 

[robgil]

i live in a labourers cottage at present , its pretty original although its got a new kitchen and an oak floor in the living room.
the living room door is a 4 panel stripped antique oak door , the rest are 3 plank oak ledge doors. the skirting boards are modern so i suspect they didnt have any to begin with (i may be wrong though) ,but this house does have an artex ceiling in the living room and part galvanized window frames so id assume its been changed a lot over time.
the front room , with the fire place would have been used as the main room , they would have cooked there , dried washing , bathed etc etc whilst the back room was a scullery type of room. does your cottage have a later bathroom extension built? the house may have been 'modernised' when this was built.

where do you live? the weald and downland open air museum has two of these old labourers cottages , semi detached two up two down cottages.
one is gutted and without plaster so as to see its timber frame and the other is furnished.

http://www.wealddown.co.uk/

im afraid i only got pics of the front room/range when i was there last a i think one of the was basin in the bed room.View attachment 1View attachment 1

 

[robgil]

sorry to re-post but i am at home today so ive taken a few pics of the fire places downstairs and in the bedroom , the doors and the kitchen floor which seems to be quarry tiles although these may not be original , they do look quite old though. the floor in the living room is concrete.

 

[Penners]

I suggest that, before you decide anything else, you need to think about where you're going to put the forge, the bellows, the anvil and the large barrel of urine.

Authenticity is vital.

 

[nik]

thankyou robgil, would love to see some pictures of your cottage :wink:

does your cottage have a later bathroom extension built

yes robgilit has, and i think what would have been the scullery is now the halway.. the stairs have been moved.
its been quite "modernised", the extra space is a good thing but its been "sanitised " too , thats what we will really enjoy rectifying though.
Im please to say it still has the detatched outhouse, minus toilet... think the current vendor was a bit shocked how excited i was about that!

weald and downland open air museum looks like a must visit for inspiration .- thankyou

joceandchris, will have a look at ledge and brace doors with latches i think, i know four panel doors were used in victorian properties, having lived in a georgian house im keen to have different doors other than panel :wink: but want to get it back to how it may have been as much as possible, so will have to do some delving before we decide!
from what i have been told the adjoining cottage hasnt been changed much. i think they still have the stairs in the original place right in front as you go through the front door, where as ours- soon -to -be has been moved and extended.
Might just have to ask for a nosey round.

i would love to post picys when we finally get this property, ( positive thinking!), is that acceptable on such a forum
are people likely to be interested? I know some people have far grander period properties on this forum, but its our humble slice of history!

 

[nik]

I suggest that, before you decide anything else, you need to think about where you're going to put the forge, the bellows, the anvil and the large barrel of urine.

:lol:

or the buckets of warm, steaming gravy made from water and dog faeces, if the tanner brought his work home with him

thanks for the picys robgil, very nice.. just love those doors.

been told by vendor that there are some nasty orange tiles under one of the carpets.... who knows what nasty to one person, might be a gem!

 

[JoceAndChris]

i would love to post picys when we finally get this property, ( positive thinking!), is that acceptable on such a forum
are people likely to be interested? I know some people have far grander period properties on this forum, but its our humble slice of history!

Defo! Mine snot grand, just has ideas above its station. I'd love to see yours!

 

[robgil]

there are some pics here as well of the cottages in the downland museum, although not very detailed the cottages would have been very simple anyway.

38 secs into the video labelled whittakers cottages.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzQLNESnS9I

 

[Penners]

i would love to post picys when we finally get this property, ( positive thinking!), is that acceptable on such a forum
are people likely to be interested?

Interested? We demand it!!

Here's another museum of ancient buildings that might interest you: http://www.avoncroft.org.uk/

 

[Penners]

Mine's not grand... I'd love to see yours

Oh no, she's at it again. :roll:

 

[FamilyWiggs]

rogbil - thanks. Those doors are lovely. One thing puzzling me - the hearth in the second fireplace seems to be floorboard? I presume the heathstone owuld have sat on top of these? Here, our hearths are laid onto the joists (upstairs anyway) with slate on top of joists for ?protection.

nik - we love pics here - PPUK porn. They are always interesting. If we don't have pics, we have to listening to Penners droning on instead.... :wink:

 

[Penners]

I'll have you know, FW, that I am blessed with a rich, dulcet and cultured speaking voice. Women have swooned at the sound of my resonant tones.

It was the only way they could shut me up.

 

[robgil]

the hearth is brick FW , i think its just the poor photo quality making it look like boards.

 

[JoceAndChris]

I'll have you know, FW, that I am blessed with a rich, dulcet and cultured speaking voice. Women have swooned at the sound of my resonant tones.

I'm sure that's correct, dear Mr P. I imagined it just so. My own honeyed contralto tones make Joanna Lumley sound like a cheese grater, of course. I wish I could hear posters' voices. If anyone is blessed with a regional accent it changes their use of language completely- it makes the English so much richer, if you can imagine it in the true accent and timbre of the speaker. I've given loads of you accents and voices- I'm not saying what though!

 

[Hatster]

I had to video myself yesterday and was utterly revolted by the smarmy sincerity of my voice. I clearly have a great future as a politician.

Anyway, what I was going to say is that my dining room has sort of fat quarry tiles cut in half as a skirting board. I'm busy knocking down a mysterious boxed in bit in a fireplace, so will be able to see more of them soon...