The Elements of Style: A Practical Encyclopedia of Interior Architectural Details from 1485 to the Present [Hardcover]

Stephen Calloway (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 4, 1997

More than 3,000 analytical drawings and historic engravings are included in this updated edition as well as 400 photographs in color and over 1,000 in black and white. These extraordinary images provide a systematic guide to the features appropriate for every part of a building, from the major components such as doors, windows, walls, floors, ceilings, and staircases to the small but important embellishments such as moldings and door hardware. At the heart of the book is a chronological treatment of the primary styles and periods of architectural design during the past 500 years. Each chapter begins with an illustrated essay, then looks in turn at individual features, from doors and windows to ironwork and woodwork. The usefulness of this book is further enriched by the inclusion of permanent or semipermanent fixtures such as lighting, kitchen stoves, and floor and wall coverings, as well as strictly architectural details. A useful system of quick reference, employing color-coded tabs keyed to each feature, enables the reader to trace how particular features evolved over time. And at the back of the book, separate chapters dealing with vernacular architecture are followed by a glossary and a fully updated directory of suppliers of authentic materials as well as period and reproduction features. For this new edition, a biographical directory of architects and architectural practices has been added.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Colonial Homes Magazine A brilliantly rendered compendium that has no peer in the field of traditional design. -- Review

About the Author

Stephen Calloway, general editor and contributor of the Early Georgian and Regency period chapters, is a former curator of paintings at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. He is a full-time writer, lecturer, and consultant on architecture, interior design, and the history of taste. His books include Twentieth Century Decoration and Baroque Baroque, and he writes regularly for a number of periodicals including The World of Interiors, House and Garden, and Elle Decoration.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 568 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; Rev Sub edition (March 4, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684835215
• ISBN-13: 978-0684835211
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #102,705 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #4 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Interior Design > Style
  • #34 in Books > Education & Reference > Encyclopedias > History

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic archive of interior and exterior architecture!, July 16, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Elements of Style: A Practical Encyclopedia of Interior Architectural Details from 1485 to the Present (Hardcover)

Any architecture aficionado will be amazed by this book! Want to know what a front door would have looked like in England in 1750? A stairway in Italy in 1530? Windows in Boston in 1910? This book has it! The b/w and color diagrams are outstanding, the text is interesting, and I consider this to be the best overall book on architecture that I've ever seen.

35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive...but better for Britain, December 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Elements of Style: A Practical Encyclopedia of Interior Architectural Details from 1485 to the Present (Hardcover)

I am restoring an 1840s Greek Revival farmhouse in upstate New York, so I was eager to read this book, hoping for useful info on Greek Revival interiors. Disappointingly, the book lumps all American Adamesque, Federal-style, and Greek Revival architecture together into one meager 27-page chapter. These three styles of architecture once dominated this country for over half a century! It seems like British architecture is given more comprehensive treatment in this book. It'll look nice on the coffee table, but real early-American architecture buffs should look elsewhere.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars should be required for the scenic designer, February 15, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Elements of Style: A Practical Encyclopedia of Interior Architectural Details from 1485 to the Present (Hardcover)

This book will save the theatrical designer a lot of time. It provides just the right amount of detail to get you going on the right track. This book is the first thing you should open when designing a period piece. My research time has been cut drastically. This is perfect for the junior high or high school teacher who doesn't have the time to spend hours and hours at the library. The drawings are wonderful. This book is worth its weight in gold.