Decoration of Houses

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By Listen TheBook Posted on May 31, 2023

In Category - Reference, Education

Authors: Edith Wharton, Ogden Codman, Jr. In Year : 1897

Book Language: English

Audiobook: Decoration of Houses

Introduction
Chapter I: The Historical Tradition
Chapter II: Rooms in General
Chapter III: Walls
Chapter IV: Doors
Chapter V: Windows
Chapter VI: Fireplaces
Chapter VII: Ceilings and Floors
Chapter VIII: Entrance and Vestibule
Chapter IX: Hall and Stairs
Chapter X: The Drawing-Room, Boudoir, and Morning-Room
Chapter XI: Gala Rooms: Ball-Room, Saloon, Music-Room, and Gallery
Chapter XII: The Library, Smoking-Room, and "Den"
Chapter XIII: The Dining-Room
Chapter XIV: Bedrooms
Chapter XV: The School-Room and Nurseries
Chapter XVI: Bric-a-Brac
Conclusion

The Decoration of Houses, a manual of interior design written by Edith Wharton with architect Ogden Codman, was first published in 1897. In the book, the authors denounced Victorian-style interior decoration and interior design, especially those rooms that were decorated with heavy window curtains, Victorian bric-a-brac and overstuffed furniture. They argued that such rooms emphasized upholstery at the expense of proper space planning and architectural design and were, therefore, uncomfortable and rarely used. Wharton and Codman advocated the creation of houses with rooms decorated with strong architectural wall and ceiling treatments, accentuated by well-suited furniture, rooms based on simple, classical design principles such as symmetry and proportion and a sense of architectural balance. The Decoration of Houses is considered a seminal work and its success led to the emergence of professional decorators working in the manner advocated by its authors. (Summary by Wikipedia)