In this book the author explores the sociological foundations of domestic design in eighteenth-century France, the acknowledged leader of domestic architecture in this period. Focusing on the Place Vendôme, which was developed by the financiers of Paris, she examines the representational strategies and dilemmas of French elites, which were crucial to the formation of a French mode of design. Through analyses of social distinctions and ambitions, Ziskin explores the manner in which the dwellings of the Place Vendôme embodied beliefs about the nature of society and the appropriate relations among social groups.