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

by Robbie G. Blakemore (Author) "From pictorial evidence, excavations, and models of houses placed in tombs it is possible to ascertain the evolution of typical space configurations of the dynastic..." (more)
Key Phrases: perimeter stretcher, coved transition, interlaced staves, Bridgeman Art Library, Italian Renaissance, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

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

Product Description
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.

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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: 10.7 x 8.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #437,340 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 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.

20 of 21 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.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Book -Dont miss it, June 10, 2003

By A Customer

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

This is an outstanding book, with plenty of pictures - great insider material on furniture and architecture. And I already have a design MA with my own firm.