Influential Styles

Book excerpt: Tracing the main influences on interior design from medieval times to the modern day, this book gives a simple explanation of each style and its history while also looking at the style in a modern context. It provides a visual guide as to how to create that style. Each chapter starts with an accessible and clear introduction to each style, placing it in its historical context and outlining the factors that influenced the development of the style. An artwork from the period showing the decoration of a room gives an authentic view of how these elements would have been incorporated in interiors at the time. This is then followed by an overview of the smaller details that also define a look - the furnishing and decorative elements that are representative of that style, from a range of different furniture shapes to silverware and glass, from textiles such as quilts to porcelain and china. Taken together, these spreads give the reader a "sample board" of each style that forms a fascinating guide.