This book is described as a second edition, but, with a new publisher, a new layout and updated with sections on Asian interiors and offices in the twenty-first century, it is almost a new book. Coverage begins with the mid to late seventeenth century. Before this, there were interiors and even styles, but the amount and range of furniture and objects were much smaller even in wealthy homes. The book is divided into centuries, and, within each century, several styles are discussed. Each style has an essay on the period, the style and the furniture. There is then a full page view of a room and a selection of furniture. Each section ends with a list of style markers and two fabric samples. The book mainly covers English, American and some European styles, but a wider coverage is found in the most recent periods.
The cover picture is of the entrance hall of Syon House. This is a privately owned house in west London which I have visited on several occasions to view the house for study days and to walk in the grounds (It appears in the book as an example of the Robert Adam style). So, I started at a familiar place. Another familiar place is Chiswick House, which is shown in this book as an example of early Georgian Style. It is an unusual building because it was built as a display suite, doing in a grand scale for its period what this book is doing in print for a wider range of styles. The original house and it later additions were removed years ago leaving this beautiful building with great rooms.
Art Nouveau is illustrated by the Salon in Victor Horta’s house. This is a building I have visited and one which I would happily move into (if I could). This section has a two-page spread on Louis Comfort Tiffany, the glass designer. There are also pictures of some furniture. Frank Lloyd Wright gets a separate section. Although I have only seen a few museum examples of his work, I like it very much.
The modern material is interesting, and I like the functional stuff but find some of the more unusual a bit off-putting. However, a cylindrical slide to go down a level has got to be fun!
In this brief review, I have tended to pick the furniture and rooms I like. The author is much more even-handed treating each period and designer fairly. The book is mainly aimed at students of design and design history, but it will be of interest to those, like me, who visit private and publicly open properties. The problem with the smaller lived in properties is that the style can be mixed. I visited a c.1920 house with much period furniture and also with the owner’s collection of recent Korean ceramics displayed.
