This article investigates 1930s home design in Shanghai through magazines and newspapers, highlighting changes in gender roles and domestic tastes. It analyzes how middle-class families balanced luxury and affordability by examining the styles and possessions showcased in Star Families. Using the Shanghai YWCA’s “Special Issue of National Products Exhibition” as a case study, the article explains how the “Model House Exhibition” promoted national products through furniture displays, product trials, and speeches. Elite women played a crucial role in shaping their homes and daily lives, despite bourgeois standards indicating social hierarchies. The article argues that ethnic interests redefined middle-class aesthetics, creating a blend of local and Western influences. By emphasizing home aesthetics, individuals expressed their cultivation and identity, reflecting their aspirations for modern life.
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