Comfort, the acceptable face of luxury - an eighteenth-century cultural etymology

2014

The introduction of modern amenities into European homes has been extensively studied by sociologists and historians, who have stressed the rise in consumption during the Georgian period.1 Some objects, such as mirrors, stoves, or umbrellas, were made available by technical innovations; others, such as tea, sugar, or mahogany furniture, became accessible thanks to the expansion of global trade. Other amenities, such as carpets, curtains, or marble chimney-pieces, were no longer restricted to the aristocracy, as living standards rose.2 As the British nation became richer, the number of affluent households grew as did their capacity to spend more on material objects. This signaled a change in…