Home visions : representations of interior space in Wallpaper, Elle Decoration and Ideal Home magazines

• Main Author: Trigoni, Mirsini
• Published: University of East London 2008
• Subjects: 747
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.532898

This study explores how creative practitioners work and how interior spaces can be differently represented across magazines of different backgrounds and target readerships. This study produces an analysis of the style and character of the published representations of interior spaces. It explores the modes carefully selected by practitioners in order to construct visual texts - to successfully address their distinctive target readerships. As part of this analysis, and as a central element of the work, the thesis develops a way of looking at images. This study develops and demonstrates a method based on content analysis and presents a detailed coding form and protocol, for the detailed analysis of visual texts. This research produces an analytical tool to capture the atmosphere and dynamic of the image and the variations of interior space, rather than just the content of the image as content analysis normally does. This study draws on material from comparative analysis of three contemporary magazines (Wallpaper, Elle Decoration and Ideal Home) during the years 1997-2006. In order to explore the visual texts of these magazines I chose to combine quantitative and qualitative methods. From quantitative methods I selected content analysis and developed it in so far as to explore in depth the texts of the magazines. From qualitative methods I selected fieldwork observations collected in four London-based home magazines' editorial offices, and selective elements from diverse fields such as semiotics and visual theories, sociology, anthropology, advertising and media studies. This research suggests that magazines promote different representations of interior spaces depending on their background and target readership. Features aiming at an elite, very upmarket readership adopt an aesthetic approach and produce minimal, unrealistic and design-focused spaces, often with an entertaining or surreal twist; however, frequently these depictions look lifeless and self-centred. As we move towards more downmarket readerships, the representations of interior spaces become more realistic, practical and informative and less experimental; these spaces are lively, warm and human and often appeal to their readers' senses, memories and emotions; these are spaces that are designed to promote, cultivate and celebrate human relationships. 2