House of Charred Furniture, Roman domus in Herculaneum, Italy

The House of Charred Furniture is a Roman domus of 215 square metres facing Cardo IV in Herculaneum. Beyond the entrance passage is an atrium without impluvium, with traces of third-style painting and plaster decoration, and columns along its upper perimeter. Rooms open around the atrium except on the south side: cubicula, an oecus with fourth-style red panels and a white frieze, and a tablinum lit by a window onto the garden.

The structure originates from the Samnite period and underwent major renovations during Emperor Claudius's reign, incorporating architectural elements of the third and fourth styles. This modernization reflects growing wealth and changing architectural preferences during the early Imperial era.

The house takes its name from the charred wooden furniture found in the triclinium, including a dining couch and a table. In the garden stands a lararium shaped like a small temple, with a shell-shaped niche for statuettes and a pediment on two columns, decorated with frescoes and stucco.

The entrance on Cardo IV opens into the fauces and then the atrium, which has no impluvium. A staircase near the entrance leads to the upper floor, while a corridor from the atrium runs past a kitchen opening to the triclinium and garden. The garden at the rear holds an impluvium and a lararium.

Excavations revealed preserved charred remains of a wooden dining couch, demonstrating how Romans reclined while eating. This find offers rare insight into everyday furnishings and habits of wealthy Roman households.