Sophie Leighton is a curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum, based in the Sculpture, Metalwork, Ceramics and Glass department.

The 1950s home presented an exciting new way of living for the generation that moved out of the suburbs. Young couples who had previously rented accommodation in urban centres found themselves able to afford new build homes with hot running water, an indoor bathroom and aerials for the wireless already installed. Some four million houses were erected, mostly in cosy semi-detached styles that harked back to traditional cottage architecture. The design elite rejected this 'Stockbroker Tudor' look and opted instead for brave, flat-roofed modernist villas. This book introduces the homes that people fell in love with in the 1950s, and the fixtures and fittings that went in them. Packed with illustrations and informative chapters on architectural styles, gardens, furnishings and technology in the home, this book is an ideal introductory guide to the houses of the period.