The Parlour @museum.de

F: The "Gute Stube" or "Midkamer" – that is, the parlour – was the most attractive room in the house... and also the darkest.

M: The "Midkamer" – the middle chamber – was in between the seniors' room and the Upkamer – the upper chamber – exactly opposite the great door at the other end of the house. Since the great door was supposed to stand open throughout the summer to let in the light, it faced south. So the middle chamber and the rooms next to it faced north. No sunlight ever reached this room.

F: But that didn't matter, because the parlour was rarely used. It was where the family stored the best linen in its nicest pieces of furniture and put the good tableware in display cabinets. As in this case, the room might even have wooden floorboards. A real luxury!

M: But all this luxury could only be admired on high holidays, at Christmas, Easter, on birthdays or anniversaries. Otherwise this was a haven of peace and quiet, which sometimes gave uninvited guests ideas. For example, to prevent small rodents from feeling too much at home, the cupboards were fitted with chunky, round feet. They didn't just look nice; they were also harder for the mice to scale. Because having Mousie or Ratty in the linen cupboard is nobody's idea of a joke!