Until the late the late 1800s, the main room in the house used for formal social events was called the parlor. Parlor in french means ‘to speak’. And it really was mainly a place for sitting and talking to people. The "Living room" was named in the 1890s, my books written on decorating. The living room was coined as a word to describe where general social activities took place. This makes sense because there is a name for each room based on the activities in the room (bedroom, the dining room, the kitchen). The parlor was the first room without a clear porous except for entertainment. A parlor was used for displaying the homeowner’s finest artworks, and decor. One of the major differences in the parlor room from the living room, is that the parlor was their to impress guests, while the living room would be representative of a homeowner’s style. From then it was seen as a reflection of the owner, not a formal Victorian room.
Certain pieces in the living room became normal, like a sofa, tables, lamps, chairs, and shelves. Traditionally, fireplaces were in living rooms, because they acted as a source of heat.
In larger homes, like Beckett’s, the living room would be used for formal occasions, so there was a separate family room used for entertainment, and relaxing.
Here's a fun fact- Up until World War I in 1918 the living room was also called ‘The Death Room’. This is because when a person died in the house the body would be displayed in the living room during the morning. Many people died during this time (from the war, influenza, ext.). So their where lots of bodies kept in the living room for mourning before it was taken for the funeral. Then people got their lives under control as conditions improved, and the number of deaths decreased. The room quickly switched from a place to keep dead bodies to one used fir various activities.
Here are some examples of a living room before 1910-
Here are some more modern pictures I will use for inspiration-
The house-
There will be repetition with this room, the wall paper remove, floor repair, and brown wood painting will all repetition from the dining room post. The removal of the book cases would be easily redone. I think there are panels behind them, they are already coming off the walls. So just genitally unscrew them, so you don't damage the walls.
Fire place- The wood detailing will stay the same, just repaint the brown wood. I was thinking about this fire place, and modern fireplaces, and how practical it would be to use it as a 1910 fireplace. The fire place, if you look at it is literally an intended hole in the wall. There is no pit, or safe guard around it. This is very dangerous for an old house to have, a house that has already had one fire; and is largely made up of wood. To prevent any more fire I think I would just clean it up, and put a cast iron grate over the entrance.
In the bedroom plan I described how to remove soot from floors, that can be done here. The tiles on the floor would be removed, and replaced with tiles that match what is used for the fire place. Use while ceramic tiles on the floor, that can be installed in the same way the kitchen tiles were. The tiles surrounding the fireplace will be cream glazed ceramic 6'x6' tile with floral accents.
After removing the green tiles, start with creating a template for the fireplace. Start with the center tile and work outward. Screw a piece of wood to the bricks, if there is not already a piece of wood; this will provide support. Create a base for your tiles. Use a latex additive to create a smooth surface, just follow the directions on the packaging. Smooth the surface with a trowel, and let dry overnight. Make some thinset and additive, and use a trowel, to create lines of adhesive. The thinset should be scored to make it easier to sick on to. You should line lines where you want the tiles to lay, and start with the center tile. Tip the bottom on first, and follow with the rest, then wiggle into place. Move out from their, from the left and right side of the center piece.
Continuously check to make sure the pieces are even, and level.Let the tiles set over night, then using a putty knife to scrape out any showing thinset.
Mix some grout according to the instructions. Pull the grout across the face of the tiles with some pressure. Then pull it diagonally across the grout lines, this will remove excess grout. Let this set for up to an hour, then use a damp grout song to wipe the tiles, and clean off excess. After letting this sit overnight, use a cloth to buff the tiles. Use a caulk gun to caulk between the tiles and cracks. From here I just use a decorative grate to cover the place where the fire would be. You could actually use the fire place, but I would have an expert come and check it out. The chimney would also have to be cleaned.
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/how-to/step/0,,20243084_last,00.html
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