A Cozy Corner

I'd love to have a room like this to sit in, or better yet, write in! It's more than cozy, and so adorable. I love the color of the blue walls and the darker blue draperies, mixed with the warm brown furniture.

I could be wrong, but this appears to me to be very Victorian. From the look of the heavy drapes, it appears to be. The table looks Victorian. It appears to be a fine sitting room. Oh, if only I could sit in it!

If I could, I'd love to have a Victorian house--similar to this. Imagine sitting by the window, and watching the snow fall or standing by the warm fire as nightfall comes on, with candles and gaslights lit up. The maid might be bringing in tea, which would be lovely, and I'm sure there are more couches and chairs in this room--but we can't see them.

In the 1800's--let's say---1850---what did they do for entertainment on a cold night? They'd most likely read a book by the fire or the ladies would do their embroidery....the men might play a game of chess, and if there were company---there might be charades-- and I see a harp in there. Someone in the household might know how to play. It would be quiet unless someone was singing, or playing the piano--there was no music on the radio or a victrola then. There was only conversation, the crackle of the fire, the sound of the ladies dresses as they swooshed across the room--and the scratching of a quill pen, if someone was writing.

As a matter of fact, Jane Austen did most of her writing in a room sort of like this. It wasn't as plush and ornate, but it had a table in it, and probably looked something like this. Back then, after the day was done, there was much time for conversation, reading and writing. Also, thinking!! No wonder Jane was able to write with such a rich flow of thought and articulation! There were no cell phones--TV's---maybe just the sound of horse's hooves padding up the drive pulling a carriage.

Did you know that Jane Austen saw Queen Victoria? She saw her from afar, and thought she was very small, and not that beautiful. Hmmm... I wonder what people thought of Jane Austen. What was it really like back then? Did Jane imagine her characters in a room like this when she was writing Pride and Prejudice? Did Queen Victoria, and her children and ladies in waiting sit in a room like this, after dinner--or in the afternoon-- and read, talk and do embroidery? You betcha! Did someone in Balmoral Castle or Windsor Castle read Jane Austen? Probably at some point. (The rooms at Balmoral were probably not this crisp--and formal--at least in Victoria's lifetime.)

Queen Victoria had a preference for a certain type of wood in the fire. Do you know what kind it was?

Oh, and the answer from the last post---what was the very important task that Beatrice had undertaken and promised her mother? She promised to go through every diary---every volume, and there were many--and take out everything and anything that might be embarrassing to anyone or improper. And Beatrice did that. And re-wrote every word in longhand! What a great daughter. Oh, the new King had a fit about it...but, that was the Queen's wishes, and so what can you do??

Stay cozy in a nice room of your own...