Invention of Rooms

Did you know that the existence of lounge rooms (also known as living rooms, drawing rooms, the salon) depends on the invention of chimneys? In mediaeval times, people typically spent their time in buildings with large halls with an open fire in the centre for heating and lighting. In northern Europe, houses as we know them today with separate rooms couldn't exist because you needed a large enough space for a fire. But the revolution occurred when chimneys became more common in the 1300s. This superior ventilation allowed small rooms to exist.