Evolution of Urban Residential Space and Family Daily Life Design in Beijing since the Reform and Opening-up

Cheng, Ming (2024) Evolution of Urban Residential Space and Family Daily Life Design in Beijing since the Reform and Opening-up. In: P/References of Design. Cumulus conference proceedings series, 1 . Cumulus Association, Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design Budapest, Budapest, pp. 275-294. ISBN 978-952-7549-03-5

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Abstract

This study is an interdisciplinary qualitative research on the history of interior design and the history of everyday life. It examines the evolution of living spaces, interior design, and family daily life in Beijing since the reform and opening-up. The research adopts anthropological ethnography as its method, exploring materials related to design and daily life from a micro-historical perspective. Through in-depth interviews with four different types of Beijing families, it investigates their living changes and daily experiences before and after the reform and opening-up. The study finds that there has been a spatial transformation in Beijing residences from sleep-oriented to multi-functional spaces after the reform and opening-up. This transformation was due to the increase in living space and the division of spatial functions. In terms of family daily life, there emerged a visual-audio lifestyle centered around the living room, along with the convenience brought by the popularization and smartening of appliances. In terms of home decoration, the pursuit of personalized and holistic spatial aesthetics gradually became the mainstream.

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