The Egyptian homes of the wealthy and noble classes were large. Town houses were typically two to three stories high which were spacious and more comfortable than the worker’s houses. The first floor was for the servants whereas the second and third floors were more adorned and were the living areas of the house.

As preparation of food in enclosed areas was considered dangerous, the food was prepared on the roof and it was brought down to the rooms by the servants. Egyptian Homes were kept cool by spreading mats and constructing windows.

The ancient Egyptians, even the wealthy ones, had a very limited assortment of furniture. A low, square stool, the corners of which flared upwards and on top was placed a leather seat or cushion, was the most common type of furnishing. Chairs were rare and they only belonged to the very wealthy. Small tables were wooden and had three to four legs. Beds were made of a woven mat. Domestic possessions such as linens, clothing, jewelry, and makeup were stored in chests. There was a garden, to which was located a well and cattle yard. Foundations didn’t exist.

Spacious estates with comfortable houses were the monopoly of wealthy Egyptians. The houses had high ceilings with pillars, barred windows, tiled floors, painted walls, and stair cases leading up to the flat roofs where one could overlook the estate.There would be pools and gardens, servant’s quarters, wells, granaries, stables, and a small shrine for worship. The wealthy lived in the countryside or on the outskirts of a town.

There are two examples of excavated villages, one at El-Amarna, and the other at Deir el-Medinah. The worker’s village at El-Amarna was laid out along straight narrow streets, within a boundary wall. There was no well in the village and the water had to be brought from some distance away.

Life must have been far more pleasant in the village of Deir el-Medina, home to the workers of the Theban royal tombs. There was a single street with ten houses on either side. The houses in this village had three large rooms, a yard and a kitchen, underground cellars for storage, and niches in the walls for statues of household gods.