Christopher Dresser (1834-1904) was arguably the first British industrial designer, and this 1862 work was his most influential book. He worked in a variety of media, from wallpaper and textile design to metalwork and ceramics, but was also a botanist, and his two professorial roles in fine and ornamental arts, at the South Kensington Museum and the Crystal Palace, included the teaching of botany. Unlike William Morris, Dresser believed that good design could and should be mass-produced by industrial methods, so that it became affordable to all classes. He describes here how decorative ornament should be used in design, the importance of taking inspiration from natural (usually plant) models, and issues of proportion, balance and gradation. The book, which encouraged the rising middle classes to decorate their homes themselves, is highly illustrated: the colour plates can be viewed online at www.cambridge.org/9781108080408, by clicking on the 'Resources' button.

The award-winning designer offers practical suggestions on how to brighten and define any room inexpensively and with unique flair, by selecting fine decorative details to complete that special look and make every room more inviting, more friendly, and more beautiful.

Tells the story of the design and the decorative arts in Britain from the end of the Middle Ages through the reigns of Henry VIII and the great Elizabethan era to the beginning of the 18th century.

A comprehensive guide to the history and development of style and design from 1700 to the present day, from No.1 antiques and collectables expert Judith Miller. From priceless Oriental porcelain and Huguenot silver to exquisite Art Deco glass and minimalist contemporary chairs, explore the entire spectrum of decorative pieces including furniture, ceramics, silverware, glass, textiles, sculpture, clocks, and posters through the centuries. Discover how to identify the key features and motifs, materials and techniques that influenced design and their significance. Uncover the stories behind the key designers and craftsmen, and the movements they represent. Over 3,000 beautiful items reveal the style and beauty of furnishings and objects used to decorate interiors through the centuries.

Interior designer and decorative arts historian Thomas Jayne takes on the redoubtable Edith Wharton and her co-author Ogden Codman, whose 1897 book The Decoration of Houses is acknowledged as the Bible of American interior design. Wharton and Codman advocated for classical simplicity and balance, replacing the excesses of the Gilded Age. In Jayne’s view, “The Decoration of Houses is the level-headed, indispensable book on the subject. It is not an overstatement to say that it is the most important decorating book ever written.” How much of Wharton and Codman’s advice and how many of their principles are still applicable today? In Classical Principles for Modern Design, Jayne argues that Wharton and Codman’s fundamental ideas about the proportion and planning of space create the most harmonious and livable interiors, whether traditional or contemporary. His authoritative and engaging text traces contemporary ideas about design elements and furnishing rooms back to Wharton and Codman and shows where his design approach coincides and where it diverges from their views. The book follows the chapter organization of The Decoration of Houses—chapters on walls, doors, windows and curtains, ceilings and floors, etc.—and adds important new perspectives on the design of kitchens and the use of color, both major subjects that Wharton and Codman did not address. Drawing on his own work at Jayne Design Studio, Jayne has selected elegant, traditional interiors that demonstrate these principles. Projects range from a restoration of historic eighteenth-century public rooms in Crichel House in Dorset, England, to a mountain retreat in the wilds of Montana to an array of luxurious New York City apartments and country houses in the Hudson Valley. Captured in lush photographs by Don Freeman and others, all speak to Thomas Jayne’s commitment to the primacy of function, quality, and simplicity, derived from the ancient tradition of classical design. As he says, “Tradition is not about what was. Tradition is now.”