Victorian Underwear in my Laundry Room - Part I

Underwear: The Fashion History by Alison Carter (New York: Drama, 1992)

Few things capture people's attention like a corset... even if it's empty.

I certainly wouldn't have captured anyone's attention with this bare wall, but what follows is a plan to make it a little more exciting.

I intend to draw a clothes line were victorian undergarments are pinned along it - my reference books and inspiration for this project.

Support and Seduction: A History of Corsets and Bras

by Beatrice Fontanel (New York: Abrams, 1997)

You may remember this photograph from a past Valentine's post. There's nothing like an actual photograph for accuracy.

Support and Seduction: A History of Corsets and Bras

by Beatrice Fontanel (New York: Abrams, 1997)

On my clothes line will hang a Victorian bra. The ad above shows what is probably the first sports bra. Described as perfect for the ladies who practice tennis and horseback riding, ideal to wear under light clothing and bathing suits.

Underwear: The Fashion History by Alison Carter (New York: Drama, 1992)

Also hanging, a frilly knickerbocker and chemisette.

Underwear: The Fashion History by Alison Carter (New York: Drama, 1992)

No room on the line for crinolettes and crinolines...

Underwear: The Fashion History by Alison Carter (New York: Drama, 1992)

...but black hosiery, certainly. Do click on the images to enlarge and read the descriptions - priceless.

Underwear: The Fashion History by Alison Carter (New York: Drama, 1992)

Sorry, but long-johns just did not make the cut.

Above is a rough sketch of my Victorian clothes line. I added white gloves even if they're not undies, but I bet they were always being laundered.

I cut out the pieces of garments.

I drew a scaled version of my laundry wall.

Used my cut-outs to move them around along the clothes line, to find the right positioning.

And drew the Victorian undergarments directly on to the sheet. This will be my reference guide for when I'm ready to paint them on the wall.

Painting the Servant's Quarter - Completed

Another ad from the century old magazine, this time featuring a nicely illustrated maid with breakfast tray.

Remember this old wall paper found in the closet? Well it was my starting point to find my paint colours for this room. Like the green on my house found from stripping old doors, I like to use colours from the DV's past.

Here are the paint chips pulled out from that old wall paper. The orange is a good match to the floors, the stone grey is for the walls, the antique white is for the trims and the pure white represents the storage furniture, the washing machine, the ceiling, the the lights and the handles. I added black for the hardware.

Floors were properly protected...

...as were the machines, cupboards....

...and lights.

The old laundry tubs were removed.

Two coats of white on the ceiling.

Then the walls in stone grey.

Antique white trims, carried from the bathroom and hallway into the laundry room.

When everything was completely dry, the new laundry tubs were connected, the two doors were hung and all the hardware was screwed back into place.

I have to admit that I was 90% sure I was going to paint my cupboards, but once I removed the protective papers, I thought "I like my knotty pine cupboards now". I just need to add some finishing moulding at the top as JC from My 1923 Foursquare suggested.

They make a nice connection with the floors and add warmth and colour to a neutral room. The only thing missing is a table to fold the laundry, which will be placed opposite the dryer on the free wall.

Okay, I need to pamper my poor hands and nails now. I wouldn't mind if that maid brought me some cocoa, either.

Painting the Servant's Quarters - Part II

If you've been watching Downton Abbey, you have a pretty good idea of what a maid's bedroom looks like. Above is a shot of a maid's quarter recreated at Trail End in Wyoming, a beautiful mansion, now a museum. Although the DV is very far from being like Downtown Abbey and Trail End, I think that the maid's quarters would have been very similar. To know more about the servants' duties go to this historical site on Weddington Castle here.

One of my pet peeves: people who do not remove the hardware before they paint a room or a house. And it's probably the worst pet peeve to have when you own a century old house.

Before

After

If painting a room was actually just painting a room, I would be finished by now. But for the owner of an old home, all that prep work before the actual painting is like a track and field obstacle course. I also prefer painting my doors flat, so I'm also one of the reasons why it takes longer. Thank goodness I don't have to deal with structural problems.

The following shots will show you how the maid(s) quarters were and still are separate from the rest of the house with its own door, hallway and staircase leading down to the kitchen.

Up the main staircase, on the landing of the second level there's a door.

This door leeds to a small hallway and two other rooms. On the left the bathroom, on the right the laundry room.

Work in progress in the laundry room.

The small hallway leads to a staircase...

..which leeds down to the kitchen. When we first moved to the DV, we were not used to the narrowness and steepness of these stairs and we all, at one point or another, took a tumble, dogs included.

When the two doors are closed, they really help in cutting down on the kitchen noises, convenient for when we have guests and we have to get up early to prepare breakfast.