The Aristocratic House and Its Furnishings
Upper-class houses generally consisted of a number of separate buildings within a large compound. Domestic buildings, traditionally built of teak, were raised off the ground on stilts. This provided greater ventilation in the hot, humid climate, helped keep out animals, and protected the inhabitants and their belongings during floods. Large windows in every wall also promoted cooling ventilation.
The living quarters consisted of bedrooms, a large sitting room, and a dining room. The head of the family and his main wife lived in the central building, which was surrounded by smaller structures for parents, minor wives, children, and service people. The kitchen was also often in a separate building.
Before the mid-nineteenth century, furnishing tended to be sparse and limited to low benches, low tables, cabinets and canopy beds. People mainly sat on the floor during meals and at other times.
Food was served in small bowls, which were placed on a wooden tray with a tall pedestal. Such trays functioned as a little table for each individual. Because several bowls and cups were needed for each diner, households required large numbers of ceramic dishes. The most popular ceramics among the elite were imported Chinese wares such as five-colored (bencharong)) and blue-and-white wares. Many of these were produced in China specifically for the Siamese market, and followed Siamese designs.
Luxurious textiles played a number of roles in well-to-do households. They were used both for wearing and for interior decoration, functioning as curtains, canopies, and floor coverings. High-quality Indian silks and decorated cottons made for the Siamese market, again following Siamese designs, were favored by those who could afford them.
By the latter part of the nineteenth century, Western-style furniture—chairs,
dining tables, beds—became fashionable and accessible. Everyday life changed,
as people began to sit in chairs and to eat at large tables. Imported European
glassware, dishes, chandeliers, and other decorative items were the rage,
so that by the 1920s an aristocratic home would have been filled with a
mixture of Siamese and imported Chinese and European luxury objects.
