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

by Stephen Calloway (Author) "Chastleton House in Oxfordshire, c. 1602-10, is a perfect example of a large stone gentry house from the end of the period..." (more)
Key Phrases: hob grate, panelled dado, register grates, United States, New York, Art Nouveau (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
This book offers comprehensive visual evidence of most of the styles of architecture and interior design that have influenced America and Britain since the Renaissance. It is arranged by period style and indexed by specific design features (staircases, windows, and stoves, for example) through the use of color tabs on right-hand pages. Each period is handled by a separate expert. The glossaries of suppliers and the restoration/maintenance information will appeal to historic preservationists. Altogether, this is an impressive reference work for architects, interior designers, and historians who need a quick fix on a specific style, feature, or detail.
- Peter Kaufman, Boston Coll.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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

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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: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #192,707 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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

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

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.

18 of 18 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 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.