Authentic Decor: The Domestic Interior 1620-1920 [Hardcover]

Peter Thornton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 29, 1993

A sumptuously illustrated interior design book covers six fifty-year periods, portraying all manner of houses around the world--ranging from the homes of aristocrats and artists to those of the bourgeoisie--and including 299 black-and-white illustrations.

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Crescent (August 29, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517103281
• ISBN-13: 978-0517103289
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 10.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,662,046 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engrossing Study Of The Domestic Interior., August 13, 2000

By 

sherri j. thorne (brooklyn, new york United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Authentic Decor: The Domestic Interior 1620-1920 (Hardcover)

Authentic Decor: The Domestic Interior 1620-1920, is far more than a history of the evolution of the domestic interior. Written by Peter Thorton, of the Victoria and Albert Museum, it shows first and foremost that an interior is a reflection of its owner. Everyone is well represented in its 408 richly illustrated pages, from the poor, to the middle classes, to the rich & the grand. Much valuable insight is to be gained from reading this book. I have kept it on my coffee table for years and have guarded it with my life, because people are so engrossed by it. I hope that somebody will use all of their powers of persuasion to convince Viking Penguin, Inc. to re- issue this stunning & informative book!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Authentic Decor, March 1, 2005

By 

P. C. Kidd (Victoria, B.C. Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Authentic Decor: The Domestic Interior 1620 - 1920 (Paperback)

This is an essential tool for anyone interested in historic European (incl. England) interiors. From a discussion of spatial relationships, to room arrangement, to the minutiae of room decor - ceiling to floor- Thornton describes interiors from 1620 to 1900 with fluidity and wit. The book reads like a good novel, but the information is rock-solid.