Yep, and the scheme remained more or less the same in Italy where traditional homes (for the wealthy) have been till the 1900's organized as follows: At ground

Yep, and the scheme remained more or less the same in Italy where traditional homes (for the wealthy) have been till the 1900's organized as follows: At ground floor (usually with higher celings than the rest of the house) dining room, sitting room, library, study, most of the "luxury" (marble, columns, paneling, paintings, etc.) was there, as they were the only parts of the house that visitors would see. In the basement the kitchen and cellar (where cook and other servants worked). On first floor (what probably our US friends will call second) the bedrooms for the owners. On second (last) floor, right under the roof, usually with a reduced height AND extremey cold in winter and extremely hot in summer, the servant quarters.