Home comforts: the style of the new suburban interiors and the changing role of the housewife in the 1920s and 1930s

This talk focuses on the wives and mothers who found themselves in charge of their new homes, in Metroland - far removed from the hustle and bustle of the city centre. The talk explored how homes changed dramatically after the First World War, through the boom in technology and labour saving devices, and in their decorative schemes. It compared the sleek ideal 'moderne' interiors that featured in magazines and promotional material, with the ubiquitous reality of mock Jacobean sideboards and floral wallpapers. Drawing on women's magazines of the time it also discussed the woman's role in the house, where she shopped and what she bought.