Audio Guide: The Collection - Room 13
A world full of things – the more the better! Domestic furnishings illustrate the aspirations of the day for comfort and cosiness. Furniture, textiles and trinkets are all arranged to conjure up atmosphere.
The happy family is upheld as an ideal and as the bedrock of a harmonious society. The home is the woman’s domain. Interior decoration is a reflection of her tastes and of the family’s cultural and social status.
The designs of earlier periods are important sources of inspiration. In both interiors and domestic objects, older European styles are sometimes mixed with elements that seem exotic and fanciful. Industrialisation leads to greater prosperity and more products for the home. The fashion is for abundance and diversity.