Story: Home décor and furnishings

The arrival of television in New Zealand in 1960 altered the way most people arranged the furniture in their living rooms. Once the fireplace or a window with a pleasant view might have been the focal point of the room, with chairs and sofas clustered around it. Now the seating was arranged so that everyone could have a good view of the television, which was a substantial item of furniture – the more substantial, the higher the status attached to it. This photograph of a 1970s lounge shows the effect.