Customer Reviews

Nancy Lancaster: English Country House Style

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Seldom has a volume contained such a plethora of beauty as does "Nancy Lancaster: English Country House Style." Author Martin Wood, a textile and garden designer and interior decorator, has paid a tribute to Lancaster that is as handsome as the subject herself. With 208 pages and over 200 illustrations he charts the course which resulted in her creation of the style known as English country house as well as her purchase of the prestigious British design firm Colefax and Fowler.

Born into an influential Virginia family in a cottage on her grandfather's estate in 1897, Lancaster never forgot that estate, Mirador, nor her southern roots. Her first marriage was to Henry Field, grandson of Marshall Field. What should have been an idyllic pairing ended far too soon when he died of blood poisoning at the age of 22. His death affected Lancaster greatly, and she suffered from periods of depression throughout her life.

Her original dream was to transform Mirador, which she did magnificently by turning a narrow hallway into a breathtaking rotunda and transforming what had once been a first floor guest room into an expansive drawing room. She searched for old chintzes to use throughout, which gave the mansion a stately lived in look. As she was to say, "Understatement is extremely important and crossing too many t's and dotting too many i's make a room look overdone and tiresome." This was to be her stylistic credo throughout her life.

Lancaster's future, including the acquisition of Colefax and Fowler, would find her creating designs for her homes and gardens in England - Kelmarsh Hall, Ditchley Park and Haseley Court.

Martin Wood more than ably presents the life and style of this remarkably creative woman, while the archival photographs by such artists as Cecil Beaton and Horst P. Horst are sheer delight.

- Gail Cooke

Martin Wood is an excellent biographer and chronicler of style and in this richly illustrated monograph on Nancy Lancaster he makes use of his own credentials as a garden designer and interior designer to praise the virtues of a lady few of us know.

Nancy Lancaster gained her reputation as a gardener and designer of gardens whose only clear rival has been Gertrude Jekyll. But Martin Wood increases her stature by naming her the creator of the English country house style. His writing style is fluid, humorous, tender and informative, giving all the biographical data about Lancaster's heritage, youth, and life in a manner that makes what seems to be a picture essay become a page-turner novel!

Lancaster devoted herself to recreating the English Country atmosphere, though she was a born and bred American. Her own various homes as well as those of people who engaged her expertise demonstrate how even the most modest dwelling can breed the charm of the English Country house. Her gardens are like dream sequences out of Arthur Rackham and her taste in balancing room space with the gracious furniture and window treatments and light is impeccable. The Book is filled with some very lush photography that takes the time to scrutinize her concepts as well as pleasure the eye over her accomplishments. This is far more than a design book. This is a book about a life and how it extended into creating a personal world of quiet dignity and beauty. Grady Harp, April 06

I liked the combination of biography and interior design strategies/methods as developed by Nancy Lancaster. I felt the book was well researched and logically developed. I like the English country house look of softend and aged elegance so was somewhat prejudiced in favor of the book even before I read it. I had not realized before I read this book that Nancy Lancaster was originally an American from Virgina. I liked the premise that what she was doing was simply relying on an English heritage as passed on during the colonial and Federal/Regency eras in Virginia and England. I would highly recommend this book to any one who likes interior design or southern American style.

This book takes the reader from the style of America in the early years of the 20th century to the life she created in Britain. Many aspects of style were shared in the two countries, but many are unique to each. It is interesting how Nancy Lancaster blended the two worlds into a grand country style that was appreciated by both. Her childhood home in Virginia was her inspiration throughout her life and helped set the style she was so well known for.

One of the most beautifull and funny books I've read in recent years. A must have for any interior decoration fan.

This book is sumptuous and entertaining. Martin Wood weaves a fascinating story of the founder of English County House Style. If you love biography, decorating, and history along with beautiful photographs, renderings, and paintings of exquisitely decorated rooms, this book will fit the bill! A lavish feast for sight and soul.

I truly enjoyed this book. The pictures were excellent quality and representative of the text. For the professional decorator or a person interested in house decoration it is funny and informative. I highly recommend this book.

It was everything that the review said and more.
I am very pleased with it.

A beautiful book on the subject, Nancy Lancaster, who was a major influence in bridging American and English country styles. Her interiors are quirky (a plate on the wall doesn't quite fit, her gloves and photo boxes sit on a chair haphazardly). Grand, charming, inspiring.

I began reading this book while standing in a bookstore and could not wait to purchase for myself. As a lover of English Country House style, it was not only entertaining, but informative. I have learned a great deal about design both instead and outside the house. There are pictures on all the pages and it made me want to look up every house on the internet. This was a wonderful purchase.