A question for my Brit friends:

[xiphias]

Lis is reading a book about the history of various rooms in the house, written by a British author. And she keeps saying things about modern living that sound so completely alien.

First: do British houses lack closets? Are closets basically an American thing?

Second, and more weirdly: this author appears to claim that everybody stopped using top sheets after the introduction of the duvet. If we're interpreting it correctly, she seems to claim that a bed goes, from bottom to top, mattress, fitted sheet, duvet, and that's it. No blankets, no top sheet.

Now, our beds in this house go mattress, mattress pad, fitted sheet, top sheet, from zero to two blankets depending on season, then a top layer which could be a bedspread, a comforter, or a duvet. In cases where the nighttime temperature is likely to be unpredictable, an extra blanket, afghan, or something like that may be folded up on the foot of the bed. You can kick it off, or leave it as an extra layer (well, two layers since it's folded) over your feet, or pull it up as an extra blanket.

The "just a duvet" thing seems unsanitary. Am I reading it wrong?

Comments

[lietya.livejournal.com]

Another American who apparently inadvertently follows this pattern : we have a mattress pad (waterproof b/c of barfy cats), then fitted sheet, then comforter, then blanket(s) and top sheet to taste depending on season. The final sheet on top is also down to the cats, a couple of whom shed like crazy and it's easier to wash and replace that as frequently as necessary. We live just outside of Springfield, MA, so our weather is similar to yours; in summer, we generally go down to sleeping under just a sheet.

Sheets get changed every two weeks, comforter washed wholesale once a month (unless a cat nailed it), and so far it seems to stay reasonably hygienic.