明太祖朱元璋甫有天下，命儒臣稽古講禮，定官民服舍器用制度，法密且嚴，用以表彰威嚴與區別等差。明中葉以後，衣食無虞，生活富足，士商階層的引領，在居室上逐漸打破明初的規範，開始建造高樓華廈，構築園林亭榭，禮制法規幾乎蕩然無存。有識之士有感於侈靡危國，不斷疾呼「儉德」，並將土木繁興者，喻為「木妖」。晚明時期，實為崇尚奢華與提倡質樸兩股力量的抗衡與激盪，形成特有的晚明居室生活文化。

Upon his accession to the throne, Chu Yuan-chang, or Emperor Taitsu of the
Ming Dynasty, instructed his Confucian officials to refer to the ancient orthodoxies and re-establish rites when the officials dictated comprehensive and stringent systems and regulations governing the respective clothing, housing and utensils, they made distinction between the prestige of the monarchy and different social classes. Starting from the middle Ming Dynasty, however, the residence of the gentry and merchant classes gradually breached the regulations stipulated in the
early Ming laws due to they lived in growing prosperity. Magnificent, splendid buildings with a beautiful garden, forest and pavilions began to emerge in negligence of the rites and regulations. Some insightful intellectuals were concerned about the danger that the extravagant trend might pose to the nation. They constantly called for modesty and mocked those impressive and complicated constructions as “wooden monster”. This circumstance resulted in struggles and conflicts between two streams –
one pursued luxury whereas the other advocated simplicity –inlate Ming.
Consequently, a unigue style of living culture of the Ming took shape.