Hi Lucy,

Thank you for your time and the lovely reply.

I think this is the line we’ll go down, until we manage to research further. If I find anything else more concrete I’ll send it back to the list for info.

Thanks again,

Lisa

Lisa Harris

Collections Manager

Museum of East Anglian Life

Stowmarket

Suffolk

IP14 1DL

01449 612229

www.eastanglianlife.org.uk

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Hi Lisa,

I used to volunteer at the National Trust property – Tyntesfield.  When I read your email, I was convinced Tyntesfield had a similar décor in the servants quarters so I emailed some of the lovely people I used to work with and here are their responses…they might be of help!

Response 1 -

“I have always told people that the two-tone walls were to make it absolutely clear that you were entering a servants area so that people on both sides of the social divide (family, guests vs. servants) were sure how to behave in a given space.”

Response 2 -

“I would agree with Katie's suggestion that the colouring was a distinction marker. In our case we don't follow the Downton Abbey line...the wall's have a dark brown lower and cream/yellow upper livery with a thin black line dividing the two colours. They blend well with the brown linoleum, which is thought to be 19th century.

I'm afraid I don't have an official line for the decor. As ours is different to yours and Downton Abbey it could be argued that the colouring was house specific according to taste and other interior influences like the linoleum in our case. Most definitely the colour differences signify the mark between back of house/staff areas and family.”

I hope this is of help.

All the best

Lucie

Hi All,

Can anyone tell me why the walls of servants staircases in big houses were painted green at the bottom, cream above and with a brown stripe at waist height – as seen in Downton Abbey.

We have the same colour scheme in Abbots Hall – our Grade 2* listed Queen Anne House which doesn’t open to the public until next year, but can’t find out why it looks like this. It’s bound to be one of the first questions we get asked too!

Any thoughts gratefully received.

Many thanks,

Lisa

Lisa Harris

Collections Manager

Museum of East Anglian Life

Stowmarket

Suffolk

IP14 1DL

01449 612229

www.eastanglianlife.org.uk

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