There appears to be a of recent or...

There appears to be a of recent origin marketing phenomenon affecting the inside of the average American home: middle-market consumer are increasingly willing to pay significantly more for ultra quality, especially with appliances. In the kitchen area alone, consider the succes of appliance companies like Sub-Zero and Viking, or the ubiquity of granite countertops, uniform in modest homes.

According to the work Trading Up: The New American sensuality by Michael J. Silverstein and Nell Fiske, with John Butman (to be published in October), a redefinition of delight taking place in the fireside is one that is happening fast in the