Number 57
When I first saw the programme ‘Number 57: The History of a House’, my first thought was, “Oh noânot another interior design programme!”. However, it’s turned out to be a very interesting series, covering not just the history of interior design, but also social history, technology, and the rise of mass production and marketing.
The premise of the series is that it takes a Georgian middle-class house in Bristol (57 Kingsdown Parade), strips back the decoration carefully to reveal each era of design, and then renovates it again in each successive style. Incredibly, there are fairly detailed records of each of the inhabitants of the house for more than 200 years, which gives a fascinating insight into the lives of ordinary people.
