History of Interior Design and Furniture: From Ancient Egypt to Nineteenth-Century Europe [Hardcover]

Robbie G. Blakemore (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 25, 2005 | ISBN-10: 0471464333 | ISBN-13: 978-0471464334 | Edition: 2

A comprehensive survey of the major historical periods of interior architecture and decorative styles, History of Interior Design & Furniture, Second Edition features more than 175 new illustrations, including over 150 full colour photographs. From Ancient Egypt to Nineteenth-Century Revival Styles that characterise the Victorian age, furniture and design are placed within the broader context of social, political, economic, and technological perspectives of each period.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The book is thoroughly researched, well-reasoned, and well-written volume..." (The American Reference Books Annual, March 2007)

From the Inside Flap

History of Interior Design and Furniture, Second Edition presents a comprehensive survey of the major historical periods of interior architecture and decorative styles. Now full color throughout, this monumental overview is a breathtaking journey through five millennia of interior space, architectural details, and furniture.

The updated Second Edition masterfully distinguishes between such styles as Queen Anne, Rococo, and Elizabethan, while emphasizing the critical aesthetic elements of the societies that produced these recognizable styles. Starting in ancient Egypt, this authoritative survey chronicles the ever-changing panorama of Greek, Roman, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, and nineteenth-century design. From wall paintings in Pompeii to the luxurious parlors of Victorian England, special attention is paid to the relationships between interior architecture and the objects that define its spaces.

This impressive work offers more than just a history of style—it examines furniture and design from the broader social, political, economic, and technological perspectives exclusive to each historical period. By examining design as a historical continuum, this insightful book traces the thread of cultural influence across centuries, from the ancient Roman's retrospective look at their Greek forerunners to the revival styles that characterize the Victorian age. Thoroughly researched and clearly presented, this book integrates enlightening facts against a backdrop of the evolution of space and the interior aesthetic over time.

More than 450 elegant photographs and over 175 new illustrations—many covering furniture types such as beds and storage—support the authoritative text inside. Stunning three-dimensional plans convey the spatial relationships that are essential to understanding the history of interior architecture, and a historical timeline chronicles the important events that shaped interior design. Explicit, cogent captions not only identify each figure but also provide insightful commentary that supplements the primary text. This edition is also complete with a new, comprehensive glossary of terms as well as companion Web site.

History of Interior Design and Furniture, Second Edition is a unique and welcome addition to the canon of interior design literature. Stimulating to the practitioner as well as the layman, this grand Second Edition is required reading for the serious student and educator of architecture and design alike.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 2 edition (November 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471464333
• ISBN-13: 978-0471464334
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #375,363 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Underwhelming and overpriced, February 1, 2002

By 

Mark Pirolo (Winston-Salem, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: History of Interior Design and Furniture: From Ancient Egypt to Nineteenth-Century Europe (Hardcover)

The text of this volume is decent and well organized but in the area that most designers are interested in, visual examples, it is sorely lacking. A very minimal section of color photographs (which jump from Roman to the Renaissance. No sign of the Gothic)and a series of low contrast black and white ones are augmented with a series of uninspired drawings. All of this might still be helpful and useful were it not for the price. There are many volumes on furniture and decor that have come on the market recently which are superior in their content and priced more reasonably.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Better for furniture/antiques dealers than designers, March 26, 2001

By 

Michael S. Cole (Kansas City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: History of Interior Design and Furniture: From Ancient Egypt to Nineteenth-Century Europe (Hardcover)

This book is a good encyclopedia of the history of interior design going back to ancient era- it catalogues the general overview for each period chronologically, explaining the function and materiality of a space or piece of furniture. The book is particularly nice for classifying particular styles of furniture and may be more suited to an antiques dealer or furniture dealer than a professional interior designer. The major problem i have with the book is that most if not all of the photographs are black and white, and it completely skips the modern era of design, pretty much ending with the turn of the 19th century. No mention of my favorites like Mies van der Rohe or Mr. Wright. This absence somehow makes this book seem incomplete.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A definitive must for ID Students studying the History, January 26, 2007

By 

waterlilly (Skopje, Macedonia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: History of Interior Design and Furniture: From Ancient Egypt to Nineteenth-Century Europe (Hardcover)

Well, I youre thinking between this and Piles' History of ID then this is a much better book. Each style is explained with great details, and black and white photos and sketches are really helpful, and in the middle of the book is about a dozen of color photos of interiors.

I used this book a lot for my studies of the history of id.

If you're looking for a book full of photos of interiors and fancy words then just don't bother buying it since you wont find them in this book