In Ancient Rome, furniture in itself was a status symbol. The poorer classes owned very little furniture, and that they did was of the most common materials in the most basic shapes and forms, such as a simple wooden stool. However, for the aristocracy classes, their home furnishing were handcrafted from the most durable materials such as marble and finished with fine decorative details created from the most luxurious materials such as gold and bronze. In fact, an aristocratic Roman Villa would not appear that distant from our modern homes. Wealthy Roman residential architecture featured hot and cold running water, a sewage drain in the kitchen, and, in the fanciest homes, hot tubs modeled after the opulent public baths. Comparably, their furnishings achieved a level of sophistication and artistry that would rival (if not surpass) the finest pieces created today. We are impressed how advanced civilization was so long ago, and yet realize that the very foundations of convenience in our modern lives are rooted in the past. Wicker chairs, wooden couches with stuffed cushions, beds supported on frames, tables for eating and drinking, storage cupboards, decorative mosaic tiles, painted walls: all of these elements could be found in a Roman house.

Antiquities
Ancient Roman