The Elements of a Home
Curious Histories behind Everyday Household Objects, from Pillows to Forks (Home Design and Decorative Arts Book, History Buff Gift)
Amy Azzarito | 4.25 | 25 ratings and reviews
The Elements of a Home reveals the fascinating stories behind more than 60 everyday household objects and furnishings.
Brimming with amusing anecdotes and absorbing trivia, this captivating collection is a treasure trove of curiosities.
With tales from the kitchen, the bedroom, and every room in between, these pages expose how napkins got their start as lumps of dough in ancient Greece, why forks were once seen as immoral tools of the devil, and how Plato devised one of the earliest alarm clocks using rocks and water—plus so much more.
more
Brimming with amusing anecdotes and absorbing trivia, this captivating collection is a treasure trove of curiosities.
With tales from the kitchen, the bedroom, and every room in between, these pages expose how napkins got their start as lumps of dough in ancient Greece, why forks were once seen as immoral tools of the devil, and how Plato devised one of the earliest alarm clocks using rocks and water—plus so much more.
more
The Elements of a Home reveals the fascinating stories behind more than 60 everyday household objects and furnishings.
Brimming with amusing anecdotes and absorbing trivia, this captivating collection is a treasure trove of curiosities.
With tales from the kitchen, the bedroom, and every room in between, these pages expose how napkins got their start as lumps of dough in ancient Greece, why forks were once seen as immoral tools of the devil, and how Plato devised one of the earliest alarm clocks using rocks and water—plus so much more.
• A charming gift for anyone who loves history, design, or décor
• Readers discover tales from every nook and cranny of a home.
• Entries feature historical details from locations all over the world, including Europe, Asia, North America, and Africa.
As a design historian and former managing editor of Design*Sponge, author Amy Azzarito has crafted an engaging, whimsical history of the household objects you've never thought twice about.
The result is a fascinating book filled with tidbits from a wide range of cultures and places about the history of domestic luxury.
• Filled with lovely illustrations by Alice Pattullo
• Perfect as a housewarming or wedding gift, or for anyone who adores interior design, trivia, history, and unique facts
• Great for those who enjoyed The Greatest Stories Never Told: 100 Tales from History to Astonish, Bewilder, and Stupefy by Rick Beyer, An Uncommon History of Common Things by Bethanne Patrick and John Thompson, Encyclopedia of the Exquisite: An Anecdotal History of Elegant Delights by Jessica Kerwin Jenkins
Some of the books included in The Elements of a Home Bibliography
Bathtub
Dalby, Andrew. Empire of Pleasure: Luxury and Indulgence in the Roman World. London: Routledge, 2000.
de Bonneville, Francoise. The Book of the Bath. New York: Rizzoli, 1998.
Billiard Table
Baird, Sarah. “The Life and Death of the American Pool Hall.” Punch, January 23, 2015. Accessed July 11, 2017. http://punchdrink.com/articles/the-life- and-death-of-the-american-pool-hall.
Levron, Jacques. Daily Life in Versailles in the Seven-teenth and Eighteenth Centuries. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1968.
Bookshelf
Mari, Francesca. “Shelf Conscious.” Paris Review, December 27, 2012. https://www.theparis review.org/blog/2012/12/27/shelf-cons....
Petroski, Henry. The Book on the Bookshelf. New York: Vintage Books, 2000.
Candle
Bremer-David, Charissa, ed. Paris: Life and Luxury in the Eighteenth Century.Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Trust, 2011.
Dillon, Maureen. Artificial Sunshine: A Social History of Domestic Lighting. London: The National Trust, 2002.
Canopy Bed
Bard Graduate Center. History of Design: Decorative Arts and Material Culture, 1400–2000. New York: Bard Graduate Center, 2013.
Carlano, Anne, and Bobbie Sumberg. Sleeping Around: The Bed from Antiquity to Now. Seattle, WA: University of Wash-ington Press, 2006.
Chaise Longue
de Dampierre, Florence. Chairs: A History. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2006.
DeJean, Joan. The Age of Comfort: When Paris Discovered Casual and the Modern Home Began. New York: Bloomsbury Press, 2013.
Chess Set
Brown, Nancy Marie. Ivory Vikings: The Mystery of the Most Famous Chess-men in the World and the Woman Who Made Them.Prince Frederick, MD: Recorded Books, 2015.
Dean, George, with Maxine Brady. Chess Master-pieces: One Thousand Years of Extraordinary Chess Sets. New York: Abrams Books, 2010.
Chiavari Chair
de Dampierre, Florence. Chairs: A History.New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2006.
Chopsticks
Visser, Margaret. The Rituals of Dinner: The Origins, Evolution, Eccentricities, and Meaning of Table Manners. New York: Pen-guin Books, 1992.
Wang, Edward Q. Chopsticks: A Culture and Culinary History. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2015.
Clock
Bremer-David, Charissa, ed. Paris: Life and Luxury in the Eighteenth Century. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2011.
Chevallier, Bernard, and Marc Walter. Empire Splendor: French Taste in the Age of Napoleon. New York: The Vendome Press, 2008.
Cocktail Shaker
Grimes, William. Straight Up or on the Rocks: The Story of the American Cocktail. New York: North Point Press, 2001.
Lanza, Joseph. The Cocktail: The Influence of Spirits on the American Psyche. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1995.
Crystal Chandelier
Cooke, Lawrence S. Lighting in America: From Colonial Rushlights to Victorian Chandeliers. Pittstown, NJ: Main Street Press, 1984.
Fioratti, Helen Costantino. Illuminating Their World: Three Hundred Years of Light. New York: L’Antiqu- aire and the Connoisseur, Inc., 2007.
Curule Chair
de Dampierre, Florence. Chairs: A History. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2006.
Miller, Judith. Furniture: World Styles from Classical to Contemporary. London: DK, 2011.
Deck Chair
Rybczynski, Witold. Now I Sit Me Down: From Klismos to Plastic Chair: A Natural History. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2016.
Desk
Goodman, Dena, and Kathryn Norberg. Furnishing the Eighteenth Century: What Furniture Can Tell Us about the European and American Past. New York: Routledge, 2011.
Dollhouse
Broomhall, Susan, Jennifer Spinks, and Allyson M. Poska. Early Modern Women in the Low Coun- tries: Feminizing Sources and Interpretations of the Past. Farnham, UK: Taylor and Francis, 2016.
Eaton, Faith. Classic Dolls’ Houses. London: Phoenix Illustrated, 1997.
Door, Knocker, and Knob
Berry, Nancy E. Architec- tural Hardware: Ideas, Inspiration and PracticalAdviceforAddingHandles,Hinges, Knobs and Pulls to YourHome.Gloucester,MA: Quarry Books, 2006.
Jütte, Daniel. The Strait Gate: Thresholds and Power in Western History.New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2015.
Duvet
Worsley,Lucy.IfWallsCould Talk:AnIntimateHistoryof the Home.New York:WalkerandCo.,2012.
Wright, Lawrence. Warm & Snug: The History of the Bed.Stroud, UK: Sutton,2004.
Fireplace
Gowlett,J.A.J.“TheDiscov-eryofFirebyHumans:A Long and Convoluted Process.” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sci- ences371, no. 1696 (May 2016): 1697-1700.
Lind, Carla. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fireplaces.San Francisco: Pomegranate, 1995.
Flokati Rug
Sebastian, Don. The CompleteHandbook of Flokati and Carpet Making.Athens: Nick Kokkinos, 1978.
Floral Centerpiece
Belden,LouiseConway.TheFestive Tradition: TableDecoration and Dessertsin America, 1650–1900.NewYork:W.W.Norton, 1983.
Berrall, Julia. A History ofFlower Arrangement.Lon-don:ThamesandHudson,1953.
Fork
Heugel, Inès. Laying the Elegant Table: China, Faience, Porcelain, Majol- ica, Glassware, Flatware, Tureens, Platters, Trays, Centerpieces, Tea Sets.New York: Rizzoli, 2006.
Lupton, Ellen, et al. Feed- ing Desire: Designandthe Toolsof the Table,1500–2005.NewYork:Assouline, 2006.
Front Porch
Donlon, Jocelyn Hazelwood. Swinging in Place: Porch Life in Southern Culture.Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2001.
Goldstein,B.Colleen.TheEvo-lution and Significance of the FrontPorch in Amer- ican Culture.Master’s dissertation, University of Georgia,1998.
Glass Window
Jütte, Daniel. The Strait Gate:Thresholds and Power in WesternHistory.New Haven, CT: YaleUniversity Press, 2015.
Melchoir-Bonnet, Sabine.The Mirror: A History.London:Routledge,2002.
Globe
Goodman, Dena, and Kathryn Norberg. Furnishing the Eighteenth Century: What Furniture Can Tell Us about the European and American Past.New York: Routledge, 2011.
Jaffee, David. A New Nation of Goods: The Material Culture of Early America.Philadelphia, PA: Univer-sity of Pennsylvania Press,2012.
Ice Bucket
Dunne, Patrick. The Epicu-rean Collector: Exploringthe World of Culinary Antiques.Boston: Little, Brown, 2002.
Glanville,Philippa,andHilary Young.Elegant Eating: Four Hundred Yearsof DininginStyle.London:V &APublications,2002.
Incense
Aftel, Mandy. Fragrant: The SecretLifeofaScent.NewYork:Riverhead Books, 2014.
Classen, Constance, David Howes,andAnthonySyn- nott. Aroma: The Cultural HistoryofSmell.NewYork:Routledge,1994.
Jewelry Box
Currie, Elizabeth. Inside theRenaissance House.Lon- don: V & A Publications, 2006.
Linley, David. Extraordinary Furniture.London: Mitchell Beazley, 1996.
Jib Door
Boyer, Marie-France, and François Halard. The Private Realm of Marie Antoinette.London: Thames & Hudson, 2008.
Donato, Giuseppe, and Monique Seefried. The FragrantPast:PerfumesofCleopatraandJulius Caesar.Atlanta,GA:EmoryUniversity Museum of Art andArchaeology,1989.
Lock and Key
Buehr,Walter. The Story ofLocks.New York: Scribner, 1953.
Delalex, Hélène. A Day with Marie Antoinette.New York: Rizzoli, 2015.
Louis XVI Chair
Condon, Dianne Russell. Jackie’s Treasures: The Fabled Objects from the Auction of the Century.New York: Clarkson Potter,1996.
Delalex, Hélène. A Day with Marie Antoinette.New York: Rizzoli, 2015.
Mattress
Beldegreen, Alecia. The Bed.New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1995.
Carlano, Anne, and BobbieSumberg. Sleeping Around:The Bed from Antiquity to Now.Seattle, WA: Univer- sity of Washington Press, 2006.
Mirror
DeJean, Joan. Essence of Style:How the French Invented High Fashion.New York:Free Press, 2014.
Johnson, Steven. How We Gotto Now: Six Innovations That Made the Modern World.London: Penguin, 2016. less
Brimming with amusing anecdotes and absorbing trivia, this captivating collection is a treasure trove of curiosities.
With tales from the kitchen, the bedroom, and every room in between, these pages expose how napkins got their start as lumps of dough in ancient Greece, why forks were once seen as immoral tools of the devil, and how Plato devised one of the earliest alarm clocks using rocks and water—plus so much more.
• A charming gift for anyone who loves history, design, or décor
• Readers discover tales from every nook and cranny of a home.
• Entries feature historical details from locations all over the world, including Europe, Asia, North America, and Africa.
As a design historian and former managing editor of Design*Sponge, author Amy Azzarito has crafted an engaging, whimsical history of the household objects you've never thought twice about.
The result is a fascinating book filled with tidbits from a wide range of cultures and places about the history of domestic luxury.
• Filled with lovely illustrations by Alice Pattullo
• Perfect as a housewarming or wedding gift, or for anyone who adores interior design, trivia, history, and unique facts
• Great for those who enjoyed The Greatest Stories Never Told: 100 Tales from History to Astonish, Bewilder, and Stupefy by Rick Beyer, An Uncommon History of Common Things by Bethanne Patrick and John Thompson, Encyclopedia of the Exquisite: An Anecdotal History of Elegant Delights by Jessica Kerwin Jenkins
Some of the books included in The Elements of a Home Bibliography
Bathtub
Dalby, Andrew. Empire of Pleasure: Luxury and Indulgence in the Roman World. London: Routledge, 2000.
de Bonneville, Francoise. The Book of the Bath. New York: Rizzoli, 1998.
Billiard Table
Baird, Sarah. “The Life and Death of the American Pool Hall.” Punch, January 23, 2015. Accessed July 11, 2017. http://punchdrink.com/articles/the-life- and-death-of-the-american-pool-hall.
Levron, Jacques. Daily Life in Versailles in the Seven-teenth and Eighteenth Centuries. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1968.
Bookshelf
Mari, Francesca. “Shelf Conscious.” Paris Review, December 27, 2012. https://www.theparis review.org/blog/2012/12/27/shelf-cons....
Petroski, Henry. The Book on the Bookshelf. New York: Vintage Books, 2000.
Candle
Bremer-David, Charissa, ed. Paris: Life and Luxury in the Eighteenth Century.Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Trust, 2011.
Dillon, Maureen. Artificial Sunshine: A Social History of Domestic Lighting. London: The National Trust, 2002.
Canopy Bed
Bard Graduate Center. History of Design: Decorative Arts and Material Culture, 1400–2000. New York: Bard Graduate Center, 2013.
Carlano, Anne, and Bobbie Sumberg. Sleeping Around: The Bed from Antiquity to Now. Seattle, WA: University of Wash-ington Press, 2006.
Chaise Longue
de Dampierre, Florence. Chairs: A History. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2006.
DeJean, Joan. The Age of Comfort: When Paris Discovered Casual and the Modern Home Began. New York: Bloomsbury Press, 2013.
Chess Set
Brown, Nancy Marie. Ivory Vikings: The Mystery of the Most Famous Chess-men in the World and the Woman Who Made Them.Prince Frederick, MD: Recorded Books, 2015.
Dean, George, with Maxine Brady. Chess Master-pieces: One Thousand Years of Extraordinary Chess Sets. New York: Abrams Books, 2010.
Chiavari Chair
de Dampierre, Florence. Chairs: A History.New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2006.
Chopsticks
Visser, Margaret. The Rituals of Dinner: The Origins, Evolution, Eccentricities, and Meaning of Table Manners. New York: Pen-guin Books, 1992.
Wang, Edward Q. Chopsticks: A Culture and Culinary History. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2015.
Clock
Bremer-David, Charissa, ed. Paris: Life and Luxury in the Eighteenth Century. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2011.
Chevallier, Bernard, and Marc Walter. Empire Splendor: French Taste in the Age of Napoleon. New York: The Vendome Press, 2008.
Cocktail Shaker
Grimes, William. Straight Up or on the Rocks: The Story of the American Cocktail. New York: North Point Press, 2001.
Lanza, Joseph. The Cocktail: The Influence of Spirits on the American Psyche. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1995.
Crystal Chandelier
Cooke, Lawrence S. Lighting in America: From Colonial Rushlights to Victorian Chandeliers. Pittstown, NJ: Main Street Press, 1984.
Fioratti, Helen Costantino. Illuminating Their World: Three Hundred Years of Light. New York: L’Antiqu- aire and the Connoisseur, Inc., 2007.
Curule Chair
de Dampierre, Florence. Chairs: A History. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2006.
Miller, Judith. Furniture: World Styles from Classical to Contemporary. London: DK, 2011.
Deck Chair
Rybczynski, Witold. Now I Sit Me Down: From Klismos to Plastic Chair: A Natural History. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2016.
Desk
Goodman, Dena, and Kathryn Norberg. Furnishing the Eighteenth Century: What Furniture Can Tell Us about the European and American Past. New York: Routledge, 2011.
Dollhouse
Broomhall, Susan, Jennifer Spinks, and Allyson M. Poska. Early Modern Women in the Low Coun- tries: Feminizing Sources and Interpretations of the Past. Farnham, UK: Taylor and Francis, 2016.
Eaton, Faith. Classic Dolls’ Houses. London: Phoenix Illustrated, 1997.
Door, Knocker, and Knob
Berry, Nancy E. Architec- tural Hardware: Ideas, Inspiration and PracticalAdviceforAddingHandles,Hinges, Knobs and Pulls to YourHome.Gloucester,MA: Quarry Books, 2006.
Jütte, Daniel. The Strait Gate: Thresholds and Power in Western History.New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2015.
Duvet
Worsley,Lucy.IfWallsCould Talk:AnIntimateHistoryof the Home.New York:WalkerandCo.,2012.
Wright, Lawrence. Warm & Snug: The History of the Bed.Stroud, UK: Sutton,2004.
Fireplace
Gowlett,J.A.J.“TheDiscov-eryofFirebyHumans:A Long and Convoluted Process.” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sci- ences371, no. 1696 (May 2016): 1697-1700.
Lind, Carla. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fireplaces.San Francisco: Pomegranate, 1995.
Flokati Rug
Sebastian, Don. The CompleteHandbook of Flokati and Carpet Making.Athens: Nick Kokkinos, 1978.
Floral Centerpiece
Belden,LouiseConway.TheFestive Tradition: TableDecoration and Dessertsin America, 1650–1900.NewYork:W.W.Norton, 1983.
Berrall, Julia. A History ofFlower Arrangement.Lon-don:ThamesandHudson,1953.
Fork
Heugel, Inès. Laying the Elegant Table: China, Faience, Porcelain, Majol- ica, Glassware, Flatware, Tureens, Platters, Trays, Centerpieces, Tea Sets.New York: Rizzoli, 2006.
Lupton, Ellen, et al. Feed- ing Desire: Designandthe Toolsof the Table,1500–2005.NewYork:Assouline, 2006.
Front Porch
Donlon, Jocelyn Hazelwood. Swinging in Place: Porch Life in Southern Culture.Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2001.
Goldstein,B.Colleen.TheEvo-lution and Significance of the FrontPorch in Amer- ican Culture.Master’s dissertation, University of Georgia,1998.
Glass Window
Jütte, Daniel. The Strait Gate:Thresholds and Power in WesternHistory.New Haven, CT: YaleUniversity Press, 2015.
Melchoir-Bonnet, Sabine.The Mirror: A History.London:Routledge,2002.
Globe
Goodman, Dena, and Kathryn Norberg. Furnishing the Eighteenth Century: What Furniture Can Tell Us about the European and American Past.New York: Routledge, 2011.
Jaffee, David. A New Nation of Goods: The Material Culture of Early America.Philadelphia, PA: Univer-sity of Pennsylvania Press,2012.
Ice Bucket
Dunne, Patrick. The Epicu-rean Collector: Exploringthe World of Culinary Antiques.Boston: Little, Brown, 2002.
Glanville,Philippa,andHilary Young.Elegant Eating: Four Hundred Yearsof DininginStyle.London:V &APublications,2002.
Incense
Aftel, Mandy. Fragrant: The SecretLifeofaScent.NewYork:Riverhead Books, 2014.
Classen, Constance, David Howes,andAnthonySyn- nott. Aroma: The Cultural HistoryofSmell.NewYork:Routledge,1994.
Jewelry Box
Currie, Elizabeth. Inside theRenaissance House.Lon- don: V & A Publications, 2006.
Linley, David. Extraordinary Furniture.London: Mitchell Beazley, 1996.
Jib Door
Boyer, Marie-France, and François Halard. The Private Realm of Marie Antoinette.London: Thames & Hudson, 2008.
Donato, Giuseppe, and Monique Seefried. The FragrantPast:PerfumesofCleopatraandJulius Caesar.Atlanta,GA:EmoryUniversity Museum of Art andArchaeology,1989.
Lock and Key
Buehr,Walter. The Story ofLocks.New York: Scribner, 1953.
Delalex, Hélène. A Day with Marie Antoinette.New York: Rizzoli, 2015.
Louis XVI Chair
Condon, Dianne Russell. Jackie’s Treasures: The Fabled Objects from the Auction of the Century.New York: Clarkson Potter,1996.
Delalex, Hélène. A Day with Marie Antoinette.New York: Rizzoli, 2015.
Mattress
Beldegreen, Alecia. The Bed.New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1995.
Carlano, Anne, and BobbieSumberg. Sleeping Around:The Bed from Antiquity to Now.Seattle, WA: Univer- sity of Washington Press, 2006.
Mirror
DeJean, Joan. Essence of Style:How the French Invented High Fashion.New York:Free Press, 2014.
Johnson, Steven. How We Gotto Now: Six Innovations That Made the Modern World.London: Penguin, 2016. less