The homes and practically all furnishings were made locally because of the difficulty of transporting materials. Their furniture consisted of benches, chairs, tables, and chests. Straight backed chairs and rockers with cane, cow-hide, or deer-hide seats were used extensively.
In the bedroom one usually found a four-poster bed with a tester, a canopy over the bed. Under the large bed, there was usually a trundle bed or “roulette”, which was built low on casters. At night it was pulled out for the small children to sleep, and in the summertime it was put on the porch or “galerie.” There were holes in each of the four posts so that short poles could be inserted to hold the mosquito bars, which had to be suspended over the sleeping child. In the morning the trundle bed was made up and pushed out of sight.
There was a wash stand or “lavabo” in each bedroom. Usually these were made of wood, but those who could afford it used marble tops because water did not stain it. On the wash stand there was a bowl and pitcher, while near it was hung a hand towel of home-made cloth.
“Armoires” were used because a closet could be considered a room and the family would be taxed for it. The more elaborate armoires had a full length mirror on one of the doors. This piece of furniture had two compartments. Folded linens and clothes were stored on shelves on one side, and dresses were hung on the other side.
The Acadians were deeply religious, each home had a shrine of some type. It it was a glass-enclosed case containing a statue or religious figures placed on the mantle over the fireplace.
In the kitchen, as elsewhere in the house, the furniture was home-made. The tables were often made of cypress and the chairs were upholstered with hide. Here, near the open fireplace where cooking was done, were all types of black iron pots. In the corner was a “garde-manger” or old fashioned pie safe with cheesecloth screened doors. These were used by the early settlers to keep insects away from food. In the kitchen there was also coffee grinders and large pottery crocks.
The larger homes had dining rooms. Again home-made tables and chairs were prevalent. Over the table there may have been a punkah fan, which was a swinging fan attached to a rope that went through the wall. A small boy on the outside pulled the rope to drive away flies and fan those who were eating. The dining room often had a china closet called a “vaisselier”, in which better dishes were kept.