The SAM was run by government agencies and served an educational purpose, introducing consumers to new types of appliance and new materials.

The exhibition introduced modern concepts of home layout, with the kitchen moved from the back of the apartment to a central position near the entrance and near the dining and living room(s).

The Salon was created by Jules-Louis Breton, who had been Undersecretary of State for Inventions during World War I (1914–18) and then Minister of Health and Social Welfare.

[2] The show gave prizes and medals to the inventors of the best domestic appliances, judged by ORNI and the Ministry of Public Education.

Gas and electricity companies demonstrated how their products could replace wood and then coal, providing comfort and efficiency while saving time, effort and money.

Major brands at the show included Aspiron, Auer, Berger, Calor, De Dietrich, Electrolux, Frigidaire, Hoover, Jex, Johnson and Spontex.

Reconstruction and redevelopment of old buildings were important post-war themes, as were the search for a hygienic and comfortable lifestyle and exploration of new materials such as metal or plastic.

The wide availability of gas and electricity inspired new appliances including vacuum cleaners, pressure cookers, irons, washing machines, heaters, refrigerators and hairdryers.

Traditionally the Parisian apartment had a kitchen at the back overlooking a service yard, with food carried through a corridor to the room where the family ate.

Experiment in the inter-war period led to new post-war designs in which the kitchen was moved near to the apartment's entrance, close to the living and dining room.

In Marcel Gascoin's 8-piece "Logis 1949" display the kitchen played a central role and followed the ergonomic principles spelled out by Paulette Bernège[b] in the inter-war period.

[1] A cinema news item filmed at the 1949 Salon showed the Minister of Education Yvon Delbos during his inaugural visit and gave close-ups of washing machines, dishwashers and a refrigerator.

During the 1950 exhibition there were twenty-eight conferences, including "If Women Designed Home Appliances" by Paulette Bernège and "Joy and Comfort through Color and Light.

[2][c] Although the SAM supported commerce, by arranging products by type rather than by brand it helped visitors compare features and prices.

[1] Appliance designs in the early 1950s were often austere and functional, but from 1955 they became more colorful and diverse, so the housewife could demonstrate her good taste in selecting items that would make the kitchen more welcoming and that would showcase the family's prosperity.

[2] The Salon continued to be the key annual marketing event for consumer appliance manufacturers, dictating the rhythm of new product introduction and advertising.

[1] In 1961 the SAM moved into larger and more modern premises in the Centre des nouvelles industries et technologies (CNIT) in La Défense.

[4] In March 1965 Le Figaro noted that dishwashers seemed to have finally become accepted after fifteen years of false starts, with about thirty brands shown at the SAM.

They were still expensive items, but according to the newspaper they were much more hygienic than hand washing, more economical of water and soap and produced brighter results.

It was replaced by the PROMODO domestic appliance show, organized by and for professionals at the Parc des Expositions de Villepinte.