What would you call a parlor in a farm house?

Divia · Post by **Divia** » Sun August 31st, 2008, 8:57 pm

So I'm writing a novel (first draft done YAY) and the story takes place in 1900. Now, these are farming folks and I have no idea what they would call the living room. Would they call it a parlor? That just seems upscale for someone who is a farmer.

Suggestions?

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Sun August 31st, 2008, 9:08 pm

[quote=""Divia""]So I'm writing a novel (first draft done YAY) and the story takes place in 1900. Now, these are farming folks and I have no idea what they would call the living room. Would they call it a parlor? That just seems upscale for someone who is a farmer.

Suggestions?[/quote]

I found a website that has floor plans for an 1847 farmhouse and there is a parlor on the first floor: http://architecture.about.com/od/preser ... rdplan.htm

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Sun August 31st, 2008, 9:15 pm

Here's something else that may be helpful...sitting room is another possibility.

City Parlor, Country Sitting Room

diamondlil · Post by **diamondlil** » Sun August 31st, 2008, 9:25 pm

Part of it might depend on what kind of people that your characters are. If they are a bit uppity they may still call that room a parlour even though they are not quite of the class that would normally use that kind of name.

Divia · Post by **Divia** » Sun August 31st, 2008, 10:08 pm

The characters house is based off of mine which was built in 1850. The house with the floor plans that Susan showed is far too large and grand for this family. These characters are not so well off. I like the idea of a sitting room though.

Uppity the characters are but they are rather hickish, although the mother may call it a parlor because she does like proper manners.

Sweet, now I know what to call it.

Thanks!

MLE (Emily Cotton) · Post by **MLE (Emily Cotton)** » Sun August 31st, 2008, 10:21 pm

In the little house books, they call it a parlor, even though they are poor settlers. Pa explains that when they have more than a one-room shanty, they will have a room to sleep in, which is the bed room, and a room to eat in, the dining room, and a room in named from the French 'Parler', to talk, so in the parlor, they will talk.

Divia · Post by **Divia** » Mon September 1st, 2008, 12:40 am

hmm interesting.

Well that throws a monkey wrench into the works.

Evangeline H · Post by **Evangeline H** » Wed September 3rd, 2008, 5:47 am

It would always be called a parlor if the book is set in America, unless the people are upper-class Americans (e.g.;the 400 of NY), which is when it would be called a drawing room.

Alaric · Post by **Alaric** » Wed September 3rd, 2008, 6:14 am

In Europe it would always be called a drawing room. At least, most of the translations of Dostoevsky's The Idiot, which has plenty of scenes in drawing rooms, calls them that.

Vanessa · Post by **Vanessa** » Wed September 3rd, 2008, 9:19 am

Ah, in the UK the drawing room was always the 'posh' room on the first floor, the kitchen being in the basement. I would have thought parlour or sitting room was the right word for a farmhouse.