Recently, I was doing an open house at an historical home and one of the attendees asked me, what is the difference between a parlor and a sitting room. I said the parlor is kind of like a living room, and the sitting room is the equivalent of a family room. I did a little more research, and discovered the history of parlors, along with living rooms and family rooms, is actually very fascinating.

Parlor

Usually located just off the foyer, the parlor was a room to display a families wealth and social status. In the Victorian era, clutter equaled class. Women were often responsible for filling the room with exotic and expensive nick-knacks such as vases, lamps teapots, statues and dried flower. It was also the room people gathered to play games, socialize and generally relax.

Family Room

From Wikipedia: The term family room was introduced in the 1945 book Tomorrow’s House by George Nelson and Henry Wright.[4] Chapter 7, entitled “The Room Without a Name” spoke of the need in modern life for a new “biggest room in the house” that would serve the social and recreational needs of the entire family, allowing activities that would not be permitted in the living room.

Living Room

The term “living room” did not enter into common vernacular until 1918. Just previous to 1918 it was know as the “death room”. The great flu epidemic of 1918 killed millions of people worldwide, and bodies were kept in the front room of the house for mourning, before removing the body for funeral purposes. Thus the term “death room” was coined. The amount of people dying from the flu did taper off, and a new term was proposed.

From the web site Reflections…: The Ladies Home Journal suggested that this room was no more a death room. As it was used for various activities of the house and was more a lively place than a mourning room, it should be called ‘the Living Room’. Thus, the use of the term spread in common people.

If looking to buy or sell a home, that has a “lively” living room and family room, contact me.