Customer Reviews

An Illustrated History of Interior Decoration: From Pompeii to Art Nouveau

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you want to get an excellent idea about the history of the domestic interior, this is the book for you. Every type of dwelling is to be found, with exquisite detail. From the very simple, to the palatial, one finds great delight in these wonderful watercolors. Culled from the domestic interiors of Europe, the Continent, Russia and America, these historic records give the reader an extrodinary glimpse into the past. It is an accurate record of the most minute details, from the floors to the paintings on the walls. Scholarly enough for students of Interior Design? Yes; but why should they have all the fun?

Of the 400 illustrations in this excellent book, only 64 are in color, & most of those are less than a page in size. At least that's true of my 1981 Thames & Hudson used hardback . I was quite disappointed by that when the book arrived, so want to warn other enthusiasts in advance. I've been looking but so far haven't found a possible later edition with more color. Still, I'm glad I own this mostly black and white copy!

This book covered everything I was curious about relating to design as a lay person. Through redecorating my own home, I became very curious about furniture, molding, fabric and other details and kept wondering what the differences were really about between all the styles and their history. Most of us laypeople just get a sense when a room "works" or "does not work" but lack the historical perspective. Beautifully illustrated, the book itself is visibly the work of a master and passionate soul - I read on Wikipedia that Mario Praz started collecting chairs when he was 13 years old or so!