More than ever before, the home features in books, magazines, Sunday newspapers and on television. Whether as a concept or a physical place, it represents a key site of personal development. In line with this there has recently been a move towards the domestic as the new "avant-garde" in contemporary art and design practice. In stark contrast, however, the maintenance of home remains a daily struggle in many parts of the globe. But wherever we are, one thing is clear: "home" is profoundly symbolic. The domestic sphere is a highly fluid and contested site of human existence that reflects and reifies identity and values. Regrettably, much of the dialogue around the home has taken place as separate conversations within disparate disciplines. This new, lavishly illustrated interdisciplinary journal is the first forum wholly dedicated to the critical understanding of the domestic sphere across timeframes and cultures.