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Canadians are learning that the business of living is immeasurably brightened and enriched by surroundings of true beauty. And this influence is due to the simple fact that 'she knows her job,' knows it as does any other great craftsman, whether the medium in which they work be canvas, marble or the 'concourse of sweet sounds.' We need more Minerva Elliots among us." 2 In the first half of the twentieth century, Minerva Elliot (1887-1964) was recognized as a prominent Canadian interior decorator (Figure Intro 1). She gained experience as a decorator working at the T. Eaton Company in Toronto and John Wanamaker Department Store in Philadelphia before launching her own decorating business in 1925. In addition to decorating homes for Toronto's elite, Elliot travelled extensively to acquire the furnishings and antiques she used in her decorating schemes (Figure Intro 2). Her travels were reported in newspapers across the world. She gave lectures to women's associations and contributed essays to the popular decorating magazine Canadian Homes and Gardens (1925-1960). 3 The magazine served as a public forum for discussing and advertising the role of the decorator, the importance of the home, and the challenges in expressing various modern identities within the space(s) of the modern interior. In their quest for professionalism, interior decorators, such as Elliot, utilized Canadian Homes and Gardens to demonstrate their knowledge, showcase taste, and establish themselves as 1