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This article explores the historiography of the related fields of study that generate the body of knowledge from which the history of interiors is drawn. By comparing the development of methods used to articulate a history of art, architecture, and material culture, an evolution that parallels the critical process is revealed and new pedagogical possibilities are suggested for teaching history. The methods associated with historical research and teaching throughout the 20th century parallel the critical process of description, analysis, and interpretation. Early attempts to identify that which is of value within these histories focused on description and the development of stylistic classifications for artistic and architectural expression. The 2nd and 3rd phases of methodological development in related disciplines complete the critical process by creating an understanding of the place of an object within a broader context to ascertain its significance. The linear construction of history often promoted by interior design texts potentially limits students’ abilities to understand the connection between the creative processes used in design activity and those used to study the past. Accepting the theories of meaning found in current methodologies of scholarship used in related fields of history and cultural studies requires an expansion of the perceived boundaries for history. In the end, this could advance the role of the history of interiors as a major contributor to students’ creative processes.

ISSUE GOAL APPLICATION DESCRIPTION CONCLUSION Recent literature on effective history teaching encourages reconsidering linear cause-andeffect pre sentations of course content. The importance of linking historical information with theoretical and critical perspectives can take several forms beyond chronology. Present alternative options for organizing history of interiors courses around theoretical issues History content should be presented in an accessible, applicable, and analytical manner. Focusing the history of interiors on theoretical approaches to defining interior space helps connect history with design activity. Emphasizing the relationship between stylistic development and cultural influences encourages students to appreciate the expressiveness of details and materials and their relationship to the creative process. JOURNAL OF INTERIOR DESIGN 37 0

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OBJECTIVE: This article presents a critical evaluation of images of the popular American modern environment of the 1940s. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: Using content analysis and a close semiological reading of representative images and phrases, the spaces of the modern interior environment in the context of the philosophical writings of Burke (1756), Kant (1790), Ruskin (1849), Downing (1865) and Turner (1991) are examined. Works by these philosophers collectively establish a connection between the concepts of beauty, nature, and the feminine that results in the construction of a language of beauty used to market modern design in popular women's periodicals. ANALYSIS: The Better Homes and Gardens‘ series entitled “Tomorrow You Can Live Like This” (1944–45) is used to represent modern design for this analysis. Eleven well‐known architects and designers submitted designs for this series to promote modern design in American popular culture. The spaces published as part of this series share common characteristics including multi‐functionalism, a lack of extraneous ornamentation, and non‐traditional spatial definition. These characteristics are translated metaphorically into the concepts of freshness, simplicity, and flexibility. KEY FINDINGS: The connection formed between cultural understanding of the concept of beauty and modern design was used to strengthen the appeal of modernism to the American public. In place of the emphasis on functionalism promoted by high‐style designers, the use of language connected the qualities of freshness, simplicity, and flexibility found in modern design to culturally‐based notions regarding aesthetics. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding perceptions of the modern interior from a female user/consumer vantage point is significant in providing an inclusive approach to assessing the meaning of interior environments from outside of the designer's point of view and for demonstrating the importance of women as consumers of design in the post‐war period.