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Chronicle Books

The Elements of a Home: Curious Histories behind Everyday Household Objects, from Pillows to Forks (Home Design and Decorative Arts Book, History Buff Gift)

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Description

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 DesignSponge, 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 Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Chronicle Books


Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 17, 2020


Edition ‏ : ‎ Illustrated


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Print length ‏ : ‎ 224 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1452178720


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 21


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 0.75 x 8.25 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #194,027 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #534 in Home Decorating (Books) #670 in Design & Decorative Arts #1,156 in How-to & Home Improvements


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • What a delightful surprise this little book is!
Format: Kindle
The Elements of a Home was such a fun book to read. I sat down to read the first couple chapters...and found myself over half way through the book in no time. It was so entertaining and such easy reading that I just couldn't put it down. I especially loved Amy's humorous comments sprinkled throughout the chapters. Who knew that gymnasium actually mean "naked place" ....or that we have technically been pronouncing Chaise Lounge wrong all this time!! (it is actually, as I learned from Amy ~ a Chaise Longue. I wonder how they will look at me when I walk into my local Lowe's and as where their Chaise Longues are?!!) I loved this little book and plan to give it as a housewarming gift to each friend who moves into a new home....as well as probably many Christmas and birthday gifts. Well written, very informative and entertaining. It is so interesting to read the origins of all the things we use on a daily basis in our homes. Great job Amy.I highly recommend this book ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2020 by Scott
    • A book as useful and informative as it is delightful and beautiful!
Format: Hardcover
I was expecting a book with some interesting facts about household objects, what I wasn't expecting was such a well researched and intriguing history book that both myself AND my kids would enjoy! I could see it being a great text to use while homeschooling. While reading about before electricity candles held your net worth and status or a women who didn't shower for the first 28yrs of her life...it gave me such a profound sense of gratitude and perspective for these objects we so often take for granted. Knowing the history in a weird way has increased my connection and love for my home and space. And can we talk about how beautiful the cover design and cover color are?! I love having it laying around were I or my guests can see it. I can see it being used by interior designers as well as historians worldwide. It would be fascinating to hear Amy give a presentation or talk at a historical home. As design historian her wealth of knowledge and research would add so much life to so many beautiful and important spaces. What a labor of love! This book is awesome. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2020 by Rachel T.
    • An easy, enjoyable read
Format: Kindle
The elements of a home tells true, sometimes surprising stories about things you own, and things you know about. I love history, and this book fills in many little pieces of history and connects them to my home and my life.
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2021 by Scott
    • Great idea, not well executed
Format: Hardcover
Great book. Informative & fun. BUT... The green pages are absolutely awful. As is the main font. And there should be photos of the wonderful items mentioned at the end of many chapters. I'm reading the book with phone in hand to Google images: Lockheed Lounge, Morris Wilkins & Cove Haven, Nakashima's Straight Chair, the 1966 tented room in Vogue, etc. This book is a great idea, just not well executed. Hope to see a new edition in the future with white pages, lots of photos and a nicer font. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2021 by GLT
    • Great for adults, kids and the coffee table!
Format: Hardcover
This book is so fun! It is filled with the histories of little things you would never even question. At first, I was worried that it might be too information-heavy and dense, but it is light and fun and so interesting! We read sections of it to our little kids and they love guessing the answers to our trivia questions that we get from there. It's fun for the whole family and such a great conversion starter. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2020 by Matthew S More
    • Wonderful bits of knowledge!
Format: Hardcover
Love this book! Everyone should read it and learn about the fascinating origins of our everyday household objects. History can be very entertaining.
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2025 by Lucy's Mom
    • Lovely book to dip into
Format: Hardcover
This book is written by a design historian. She has selected about 60 household items, including a bathtub, teapot and billiards table and gives a short history of the item. It is not the sort of book you sit and read cover to cover but leave it sitting on the coffee table and dip into it when you have a little spare time to fill. It is actually really entertaining and will tell you things you never knew. For example, the word fork comes from the Latin for pitchfork and a fork was long thought immoral, unhygienic and the work of the devil. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2021 by cyberval
    • The Elements of a Home
Format: Kindle
*This book was received as an ARC from NetGalley. We use a lot of things every day without ever really thinking where they came from. From what you sit on, to the things that make your home smell nice, there's a lot of history and development that went into the process. This book gives short summaries of the histories of those things. Napkins, potpourri, chairs (oh, the amount of chairs, the author must have especially loved those objects), pillows, and more; most standard items you use frequently have their place in this book. And most have a nice illustration to accompany. The short histories are fun. This is a book that you can read at your own pace, or just flip to what item you're looking for (they're in alphabetical order, although this copy reviewed was an ARC so that could change). I thought it was funny just how influential the French were when it came to many items, and having the history behind everything was interesting. The product mix was good too, and there were several items that while we maybe don't use it much in recent times (potpourri or fancier chairs) we can remember from our childhood or relatives house. For those that want something more in-depth I would say this is probably not the right book; this is more of a coffee-table style book and lighter in nature, but there's a reference section at the end that would provide those heavier tomes. In reference to the order, I can appreciate why it's alphabetical, but think a "type" order would be nice as well, I would have liked to have all the chairs in one section (but again, this was an ARC copy, so this could change). Interesting book that covers all the history you never knew you needed to know. Books that bring this unusual kind of history are some of my favorites and make learning about the past a lot more fun. This one can definitely give you some unusual topics of interest for a conversation. Review by M. Reynard 2020 ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2020 by M. Reynard

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