At Home: The Fascinating History of Plumbing
• July 28, 2025

 Although we use running water every day, it’s easy to take it for granted.    Indoor plumbing for drinking water was a rarity in Colonial America. Some colonists regarded water as […]

At Home: From Fireplaces to Heating Systems
• March 11, 2025

Despite the charming images of the 18th-century family gathered around the fireplace, all warm and cozy, staying warm in winter was a daily challenge for settlers in colonial America.     […]

At Home: The Art of Ironmongery  
• October 9, 2024

The doorknob is the ultimate object of design that encapsulates the architecture of an entire building; it is where someone first physically touches a building. Although doorknobs were not yet […]

At Home: The Door 
• March 13, 2024

The door, as an architectural element, has saturated our psyches and language so fully that we barely notice it. Yet opening a door to reveal the space beyond it is […]

At Home: The Bathtub 
• July 20, 2023

In 1917, the renown newspaperman, H.L. Mencken, published an article titled “A Neglected Anniversary,” in which he described the curious history of bathtubs in America. The “facts” in his piece […]

At Home: Windows, Transition Between Inside, Outside  
• October 11, 2022

Over the last several years, many of us retreated to our spaces and existed largely within the four walls of our homes. The sudden change in our daily routines affected our […]