Turning Houses into Homes: A History of the Retailing and Consumption of Domestic Furnishings

Although it may be said that cave paintings were among the first conscious efforts to make the place a little more homey, it appears that it was not until the 18th century that people understood themselves as consumers. Edwards (art and design, Loughborough U.) shows how retailers became increasingly powerful in issues of taste, how they found specific products to meet general consumer demands for comfort and convenience, how the concepts of "home" and "decoration" became important and complex parts of modern culture, and how, in a sophisticated mass market, the retailer could maintain the illusion of individual attention that persists to the present. Annotation c2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Clive Edwards is a Senior Lecturer and Research Co-ordinator in the School of Art and Design at Loughborough University, UK.