FVRNITVRE

1-Atrium The Atrium served as the major axis of the Roman home. In the middle of the Atrium was the 2-Impluvium which was a shallow pool used for collecting rainwater. Directly above the Impluvium was the Compluvium. The Compluvium was a hole in the roof through which the water came into the Impluvium. Also in the atrium was the Lararium, which was a shrine to the household gods. The Atrium was often sparsely furnished but finely decorated with frescoes or marble on the walls and fine marble or mosaics for flooring.

In the Sims, the atrium can be created easily. The bigger problem is in creating a Compluvium in the roof. Please see my HOMES page to see how I accomplished this. The atrium can be decorated with the marble flooring and wall covering available for download at this site. As for furniture, The Sims limits the way the house can be furnished because of a lack of appropriate looking pieces. The Atrium should have few furnishings. A small couch with a stand at one end of the Impluvium was common and is possible in The Sims.

3-Cubiculum (Bedroom) The cubiculum was either plain or decorated with frescoes. There was very little furniture, just a bed and perhaps a table and closet.

The bedroom should be kept simple. Remember, good Roman houses were not cluttered and usually had a few pieces of well placed furniture. I like to use the Imperial Sleigh Bed in my bedrooms, since it is actually made in a neo-classical style. I sometimes convert extra bedrooms into dressing rooms, especially if a woman lives in the house. These I furnish with a dressing table and chair and an armoire.

4-Triclinium (Dinning Room) The roman dinning room was often fairly small. The walls were decorated with elaborate frescoes and the floors were covered in beautiful mosaics. Dinners reclined on long couches which surrounded a smaller central table used for serving food, a course at a time.

When furnishing the Triclinium you will run into one of those instances when being historically accurate causes inconvenience to your Sims. If you choose to use couches, your Sims will not actually be able to eat in the dinning room. However, alternate arrangements may be made for feeding your Sims. (Mine eat standing up.) The floors can be covered with either mosaics or marble and the walls with frescos, available on this site. I like to use long, low couches for seating, such as the designer green couch. I arrange three of these around a small stand to simulate the food surface.

5-Tablinium (Study) This room was were the Romans stored their scrolls. There was also usually a desk and a chest for valuable documents and wealth. The walls were usually frescoed and the floors covered in mosaics.

I like to use the large black-edged table as the desk in the room and I line the walls with the low, black-rimmed book shelves. New : The scroll racks available for download on the Furniture page make an authentic tablinium closer to reality. I have found this creates a reasonable re-creation of a Roman Tablinium.

6-Peristylium (Garden, Patio) The Peristylium provided an enclosed area, open to the sun where the Romans could relax and enjoy a garden and fresh air. The Peristylium was often a private part of the house open only to the family and close friends. Romans kept fruit trees, flowers, and other plants in the Peristylium. It also might contain a reflecting pool or a fountain. Private areas of the house, such as the bathroom and the kitchen opened off the Peristylium.

This is quite possibly my favorite area to furnish in The Sims. You can pretty much go wild creating gardens with trees, flowers and walkways. This is another good area to place a pool. For Sims on a tighter budget or living in a smaller house, a fountain also makes a nice focus for the Peristylium. Check out my house designs to see how I have handled building the Peristylium into the house.

7-Latrina (Bathroom) Not all Roman homes had bathrooms. Many Romans simply went to public baths. This was a popular activity even for Romans with Bathrooms, because it gave them a chance to socialize. The rich, who could afford bathrooms, could have sinks with both hot and cold running water and toilets to carry away their waste, though the toilet was usually located in the kitchen where other waste could be dumped in it. The bathroom might also have a pool or basin for bathing in.

Since the Sims don't have the option to go to public bath houses, you must make some allowances when creating the bathroom. I usually cover both the walls and floors in marble. In larger bathrooms add a swimming pool with a ladder. The bathrooms always contain a sink and a toilet. I like to use a hot tub for bathing because its communal nature makes it fit well with a public bathing theme. Though keep in mind that if you have young Sims you will have to provide a tub, since they can't use this item.

8-Culina (Kitchen) The Roman kitchen was a busy place full of activity and food. It contained both large fire places for roasting and ovens for baking. In addition, The Romans used primitive stoves, built over fires. The kitchen did contain both tables and counter for the preparation of food. The walls and floors were sometimes elaborately decorated with frescoes and floored with tile, but they could also be made of brick with concrete floors.

Thanks to some items on this site, you can now create a fairly accurate kitchen. The furniture page provides a stove, pantry, and countertops for the kitchen. In the House of the Dolphin story, you can download some amphorae for decoration as well.

9-Summer Triclinium (Summer Dining Room) This room provided a private place for the roman family to dine. It was open to the Peristylium, offering a place to eat in the shade during the heat of the summer. It was furnished much like the formal Triclinium with couches and elaborate wall decoration.

This room is basically like the regular dinning room, just substitute new wall and floor tiles and different couches.

Use of Other Rooms: Other rooms can be used for either storage or slave's quarters, especially the ones in the back of the house. Those in the front can be use as living rooms with couches and tables. Or, they can open onto the street and contain counters to simulate a store front. Romans often used their front rooms for stores. Some Roman houses also had second floors. I use these either for storage or occasionally as a master bedroom in one of my alternate floor plans.