Figure 1.--Here we see one of the upgraded dorm rooms complete with study desks. They were not very common. This one was in a newly built dormitory for the older boys. A rare purpose-built dorm. |
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The furniture in prep school dormitories during the 1980s tended to be very basic. The principal item of furniture in the dorms was of course the beds or bunks. The standard bed was a basic medal head stand bed, Usually this was a single-level bed. Some schools used bunk beds. This of course enablr the schools to fit more beds in a given space. This was a major consideration because creating more dorm space essentially mean construction--a very expensive proposition. Normally the boys had a chair by their bunk to help dress and lay out clean clothes for the next day. These were commonly the only furniture. This was the situation at most schools through the 1970s and into the 80s. We noticed very few exceptions in our school visits, at least for the boys. Girls tended to have more elaborate dorm rooms and several schools were in the process of upgrading the boys' furnitur and facilities.
The principal item of furniture in the dorms was of course the beds or bunks. The standard bed was a basic medal head stand bed, Usually this was a single-level bed. Many schools used to have rows of these beds in a large room. By thr 1980s we did not see this. The schools mostly had small rooms with 4-7 beds, depending on the size of the rooms. This varied considerably. The doorms were geneally not purpose built. Thus the schools had to arrange the available rooms as best they could. Some schools used bunk beds. This of course enabled the schools to fit more beds in a given space. This was a major consideration because creating more dorm space essentially mean construction--a very expensive proposition. The beds did provode an element of individualism. They were often covered with bright;y covered blankets or duvets in the winter. And commonly present were cherished teddies or other stuffed animals.
Normally the boys had only a basic chair by their bunk to help them dress. Matron would often lay out the next day's clean clothes on the chair for them. These chairs of various desription were commonly the only furniture. This was the situation at most schools through the 1970s and into the 80s.
Some schools had begun to upgrade these dorms adding furniture allowing the boys drawer space for clothes and personal items. Here more commonly the boys had trunks and tuck boxes, but these were almost never kept in the dormitories. This was much more common in the senior schools. But we did see a few prep schools begin to provide such ammenities.
A few schools had study sesks for the children. You would think a study desk would be common. But they wre not very common at all. The children for the most part did not study in their dorm rooms. They did read there at various times during the day, but studying in the dorms were rare. Only a very few schools in the 1980s provide study spaves for the children in the corms.
