Our c. 1860 House -

Downstairs Renovations

Introduction

Entering the house through the main front door leads to a small lobby, that is in poor condition.  This leads into the main lobby area and a small "nook", both of which have been restored.  This large area has wide, arched openings into the living room on the right, and, through very large double doors, to the drawing room on the left.  Moving down the lobby, to the left there is a guest bedroom that has been restored and an en suite shower room that is partly complete.  The main triple-return stair-case is to the right.  Going through an archway, the lobby narrows and leads, via the servants passage, to a guest powder room to the right, then into the dining room and kitchen.  The dining room is also accessed from the living room through a wide archway. 

The dining room leads, through the butler's pantry, that we use as the laundry room at present, into the kitchen.  Off the kitchen there is a mud room, and two pantries.  A small lobby leads to the rear servant's staircase to the upstairs rooms.  There is also a door leading to the stairs down to the cellar. 

On two sides of the house we have a wrap-porch that is partly glazed, and partly screened in.  The screened windows have removable windows of questionable design and manufacture.  Many are just a sheet of thin polythene!