The series of rooms on the ground floor of the west front were built as lodging rooms for the Elizabethan house. In the eighteenth century the Blue Drawing Room was a breakfast room and it was at this time that the French window was inserted, allowing access to the lawns.
The present scheme of decoration dates from the 1830s when a new marble chimneypiece was inserted (probably the work of George Earle Junior (c.1810-35) of Hull), a new ‘umbrella’ plasterwork domed ceiling added to the bay and the room completely refurnished. The wallpaper (originally gold on a white background) and the printed Brussels carpet (which once covered the whole of the floor) date from this time. The heavy Utrecht velvet curtains with panels of tapestry work and elaborate tassels were made to match the suite of parcel-gilt seat furniture with blue silk and velvet upholstery supplied by G. & J. Carlill (fl.1822-63) of Hull. The elaborate side cabinets were supplied by Richardson & Sons in 1869 and 1870.