Letter 13, Post 5

Wednesday 17 October 2012
To Cassandra, from Steventon, "We live entirely in the dressing-room now, which I like very much; I always feel so much more elegant in it than in the parlour." - Jane Austen, Saturday 1-Sunday 2 December 1798

This picture is of the library/dressing room in a Georgian townhouse. What a great room. There are more pictures of this townhouse at the link below.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/9440568/Inside-a-Georgian-London-townhouse.html?frame=2294068

This is a fun interior decorating page, all about decorating in the Georgian style.
http://www.interior-design-it-yourself.com/georgian-interior-design.html

This was Jane and Cassandra's bedroom at Chawton. The wash basin and potty are in the closet to the left of the fireplace. The link below has some great information about Georgian dressing customs. It seems the Georgians entertained while dressing, but it sounds more like the family were all using the dressing room. She wrote, "We live entirely in the dressing room now." So maybe it was just that the dressing room was a nicer room than the parlor like the dressing room in the first picture. I could see the Austen's using their dressing room like a library.
http://janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/2011/09/30/an-18th-century-ladys-toilette-hours-of-leisurely-dressing-and-private-affairs/

I hope you enjoyed your day today!
Terrie