The parlor was the room in your house primarily used for conversation and hosting guests. It would be the living room in Today’s language, although many of us use our living rooms for much more than their original purpose. Having a parlor as the front room of your house during the Victorian era meant you were middle or high class, and the room was used exclusively for hosting guests. The parlor was always decorated with the highest quality furnishings to impress your guests. The parlor allowed the “lady of the house” to express her creativity and style. Up until World War I, during the influenza outbreaks, the parlor hosted bodies of the deceased and often was referred to as the ‘death-room.’ Today’s living room has replaced the parlor in most homes.