Room
In a building or
History
Historically, the use of rooms dates at least to early Minoan cultures about 2200 BC, where excavations at Akrotiri on Santorini reveal clearly defined rooms within certain structures.[1][2]
In early structures, the different room types could be identified to include
Types of rooms
Work rooms
Some rooms were specially designed to support the work of the household, such as kitchens,
Other rooms are meant to promote comfort and cleanliness, such as the toilet and bathroom, which may be combined or which may be in separate rooms. The public equivalent is the restroom, which usually features a toilet and handwashing facilities, but not usually a shower or a bathtub. Showers are only available in athletic or aquatic facilities which feature a changing room.
In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, among those who could afford it, these facilities were kept in separate areas. The kitchen was detached from the main part of the house, or later put in the basement, to reduce the risk of fire and keep the heat and smell of cooking away from the main house during the warm months.[3] The toilet, often a simple pit latrine, was put in an outhouse or privy, to keep the smell and insects away from the main house.
Social rooms
A variety of room types have been distinguished over time, the main purpose of which was socializing with other people.
In previous centuries, very large homes often featured a great hall. This room was so named because it was very large, regardless of any excellence in it. It was originally a public room and most likely seen in the main home of a noble estate. In this room, people who had business with the local landowner or his household could meet. As the largest room, it could also be used as a dining room for large banquets, or cleared of tables, provided with music, and turned into a ballroom. Off the side, or in a different part of the house, might be a drawing room, used as a room with greater privacy, for the owner's family and their friends to talk.
A
Sleeping room
A
Bedrooms may be used for other purposes. A large house might have separate rooms for these other functions, such as a
In the United Kingdom, many houses are built to contain a box-room (box room or boxroom) that is easily identifiable, being smaller than the others. The small size of these rooms limits their use, and they tend to be used as a small single bedroom, small child's bedroom, or as a storage room. Other box rooms may house a live-in domestic worker. Traditionally, and often seen in country houses and larger suburban houses up until the 1930s in Britain, the box room was for the storage of boxes, trunks, portmanteaux, and the like, rather than for bedroom use.[4] In Ireland, a return room is a box room added between floors at the turn ("return") of a staircase.[5][6] Return rooms may be added as extensions, and are sometimes used or converted for other functions such as a kitchen or bathroom.[7][8]
A sick room is a specialized room, sometimes just large enough to contain a bed, where a family member could be conveniently tended and kept separate from the rest of the household while recuperating from an illness.
Multi-purpose rooms
In smaller homes, most rooms were multi-purpose. In a bedsit, communal apartment, or studio apartment, a single main room may serve most functions, except usually the toilet and bath. Types of multi-purpose rooms include the great room, which removes most walls and doors between the kitchen, dining and living rooms, to create one larger, open area.
In some places, a lady's
En-suite room
An en-suite room is a type of room which includes a private room, private washroom and access to a communal kitchen.[9] The washroom generally includes an en-suite shower, a sink and a toilet. "En-suite" usually indicates a private space, especially if it is student accommodation. En-suite rooms for students are intended to provide study space and a peaceful environment.[10]
See also
Notes
- ^ a b "Archaeological Site of Akrotiri". Travel to Santorini: Santorini Island Guide. Marinet Ltd. Retrieved 23 November 2009.
- ^ Oxford Dictionaries (2013)
- ^ a b Lane, Megan (2011-04-12). "The story of our rooms". BBC News. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
- ^ Oxford English Dictionary 3rd Ed. (2003)
- ISBN 978-1-108-91781-0. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
- ^ "Full Glossary for Dubliners". www.cliffsnotes.com. CliffsNotes. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
- ^ "Housing (Gaeltacht) (Amendment) Bill, 1953—Second Stage. – Dáil Éireann (14th Dáil) – Wednesday, 25 Feb 1953 – Houses of the Oireachtas". www.oireachtas.ie. Houses of the Oireachtas. 25 February 1953. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
- ^ "Building description | Dublin City Council". www.dublincity.ie. 16 March 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
- ISSN 1470-6431.
- S2CID 146790480.
External links
- Media related to Rooms at Wikimedia Commons