The majority of Virginians lived in one- or two-room dwellings ranging in size from 200 to 1,200 square feet; the majority of these houses could have fit inside the 24x31 foot New Room. The mansion's ceilings vary in height; on the first story, the average height is 10' 9", while on the third floor, it is 7' 3". The structure is primarily made up of wood, with some brick and stone used for important features such as fireplaces. When Thomas Jefferson built his home in 1810, he wanted a house that was affordable to young men like himself who were entering into the married life. Therefore, he chose to use the most common materials available at the time and relied on their natural colors to decorate the house. For example, the black paint used on the walls was mixed with white from the plaster to make it more visible. The yellow color in the door and window trim came from sauerkraut which was popular at the time, while the blue color comes from a marine shell called "conch" which was also used for furniture. The typical house in Virginia at the time had 8 foot ceilings, which means that most rooms were not very large. However, many homes had extra storage space by using the wall space above the doors and windows to create small bedrooms or bathrooms. In addition, most kitchens were only about 6 feet wide, but they often had an open fireplace, which allowed for more space inside the house.