Researching the motives behind the acquisition, possession and application of heritage collectibles in home interiors

Abstract

Previous research considered the significance of the home environment representing the owner’s social identity in general but there is no clear research that identifies the motive behind acquisition, possession and application of heritage collectibles in home interiors. The aim of this research was to discover the reason why people possess heritage collectibles in their home interiors. In addition, this research considered the occupied space of the possessions, location within the home, and the type of heritage collectibles.

The sample of this study consisted of 330 female adults residing in the centre of Saudi Arabia. The method of investigation was a self-report questionnaire, which was classified into four main themes: the reason behind having heritage collectibles in home interiors, occupied space, location within the home, and the type of heritage collectibles. The results indicated that there are a diverse number of reasons behind people’s possession of heritage collectibles. The main reason was social identity then gifts, trends, and matching with other furniture within the home. In addition, there was a significant relationship between identity and occupied space (p=0.001) and social identity with the type of heritage collectibles (p=0.001).

The contribution to new knowledge in this study should help designers to develop their concepts in their interior design projects and discover the relationship between heritage, interior design, and social identity, which will provide designers with the direct and indirect needs of their clients.

Keywords: interior design, home environment, individual’s social identity, heritage collectibles, Saudi Arabia.