Household, Afumaţi, Ilfov, early 20th century
Situated in a plain area, 15 km far from Bucharest, the locality of Afumați is included in the category of aggregate villages, with houses placed on either side of the main road, and also on many streets from the locality. The main occupations of the inhabitants from this commune were the agriculture and animal husbandry, and near the capital city, the intensification of the urbanisation process of limitrophe areas created also the opportunity of a developed trading activity.
The household of the Dobrițoiu family in Afumați, build in the 20s (and renovated in 1939 according to the inscription executed in embossed plaster, on the left side of the main entry in the house) was donated to the Village Museum in 2011.
The assembly is composed of the house, stable for buffalos, corn barnyard, and a summer kitchen. The construction technique is specific for the plain and plateau areas, with walls in wattle on poles made of acacia and oak, with earth binder. All the roofs initially had a tile covering, only the house being subsequently modernised with a sheet covering. The floors from the rooms are bind with clay, the ceilings are made of polished slats (except from the kitchen), and the interior walls are bind with clay and whitewashed.
The house plan complies with the specific of Câmpia Dunării, being horizontally executed, and including the porch – through which the access in the building is made –, the “clean” room (oriented towards the road), the living room and the kitchen. The heating system is represented by the brick stoves present in the living room and in the kitchen. Inside, there can be noticed the furniture with city influence, and the towels on the walls, giving a special note to the living space.
