Great English Interiors

This special edition revives an acclaimed work. Exquisite photographs showcase England’s finest buildings, guiding the reader through five centuries of English architecture and interior design. In this new, special edition of a cult classic work, photographer Derry Moore and interior designer David Mlinaric take readers on a panoramic tour inside some of Britain’s finest buildings, guiding them through five centuries of English interior design. Mlinaric’s informed text and Moore’s perceptive photographs present the best examples of both public and private buildings— from sixteenth-century Haddon Hall, Chastleton and Knole to seventeenth-century Hatfield and Wilton; Houghton Hall and Syon House from the eighteenth century; Apsley House, the Palace of Westminster and Waddesdon Manor from the nineteenth; and twentieth-century examples including Charleston and the Apollo Victoria Theatre. The work of British masters including Inigo Jones, William Kent and Robert Adam, as well as of influential twentieth-century tastemakers such as Nancy Lancaster, Pauline de Rothschild and David Hicks, is revealed in striking photographs and authoritative texts. Anglophiles, armchair tourists, and lovers of grand interiors will relish the photographs of these wonderful buildings, while discovering more about the designers and architects who built them, charting the evolution that has made British style so alluring, enduring, and widely imitated over the centuries.

Filled with hundreds of ideas drawn from tradition, this work is both a confident style statement for the enthusiast of English design, and a reference work for the home decorator.

A highly detailed look at the English country house interior, offering unprecedented access to England’s finest rooms. In this splendid book, renowned historian Jeremy Musson explores the interiors and decoration of the great country houses of England, offering a brilliantly detailed presentation of the epitome of style in each period of the country house, including the great Jacobean manor house, the Georgian mansion, and the Gothic Revival castle. For the first time, houses known worldwide for their exquisite architecture and decoration--including Wilton, Chatsworth, and Castle Howard--are seen in unprecedented detail. With intimate views of fabric, gilding, carving, and furnishings, the book will be a source of inspiration to interior designers, architects, and home owners, and a must-have for anglophiles and historic house enthusiasts. The fifteen houses included represent the key periods in the history of English country house decoration and cover the major interior fashions and styles. Stunning new color photographs by Paul Barker-who was given unparalleled access to the houses-offer readers new insights into the enduring English country house style. Supplementing these are unique black-and-white images from the archive of the esteemed Country Life magazine. Among the aspects of these that the book covers are: paneling, textile hangings (silks to cut velvet), mural painting, plasterwork, stone carving, gilding, curtains, pelmets, heraldic decoration, classical imagery, early upholstered furniture, furniture designed by Thomas Chippendale, carved chimney-pieces, lass, use of sculpture, tapestry, carpets, picture hanging, collecting of art and antiques, impact of Grand Tour taste, silver, use of marble, different woods, the importance of mirror glass, boulle work, English Baroque style, Palladian style, neo-Classical style, rooms designed by Robert Adam, Regency, Gothic Revival taste, Baronial style, French 18th century style, and room types such as staircases, libraries, dining rooms, parlors, bedrooms, picture galleries, entrance halls and sculpture galleries. Houses covered include: Hatfield - early 1600s (Jacobean); Wilton - 1630/40s (Inigo Jones); Boughton - 1680/90s (inspired by Versailles); Chatsworth -1690/early 1700s (Baroque); Castle Howard - early 1700s (Vanbrugh); Houghton - 1720s (Kent); Holkham - 1730s-50s (Palladian); Syon Park - 1760s (Adam); Harewood - 1760s/70s (neo-Classical); Goodwood - 1790s/1800s (neo-Classical/Regency); Regency at Chatsworth/Wilton/C Howard etc - 1820/30s; Waddesdon Manor - 1870/80ss (French Chateau style); Arundel Castle -1880s/90s (Gothic Revival); Berkeley Castle - 1920/30s (period recreations and antique collections); Parham House - 1920s/30s (period restorations and antique collections). The range is from the early 17th century to present day, drawn from the authenticated interiors of fifteen great country houses, almost all still in private hands and occupied as private residences still today. The book shows work by twentieth-century designers who have helped evolve the country house look, including Nancy Lancaster, David Hicks, Colefax & Fowler, and David Mlinaric

A complete history of English interior decoration, beginning with the Normans.

If the traditional thatched-roofed, picturesque English country cottage has piqued your curiosity about their interiors, step inside and see. Their imaginative owners have found many delightful ways to retain old-fashioned charm while not sacrificing modern comfort. A Devon home still has a log-burning stove. The washhouse of an Oakhurst cottage allows a glimpse of another century. The fruits of a countrywide search, these cottages show both those quirky imperfections and beguiling architectural details that reveal poignant reminders of past generations.

Discover the world of decorating in the classic English style as revealed by Roger Banks-Pye, one of Colefax & Fowler's most innovative and talented designers. Roger Banks-Pye was one of the most sought-after interior decorators of his time. Design director at the doyen of interior decoration Colefax and Fowler, his work appears traditional at first glance but is in fact spiced with innovation, originality and irreverence. This classic volume shows the decorator at work in a selection of the private homes he transformed with flair and panache, from a London studio apartment decorated on a shoestring to a Scottish hunting lodge where money was no object. This book is a record of the spaces he created and there are accessible, practical and creative ideas to be picked up on each and every page. Inspirational Interiors allows a privileged glimpse into his unique world of style.

"Chintz in glorious faded colours, curtains meticulously swagged, fringed and tasselled, the most comfortable upholstery and expertly applied paint finishes, all set in timeless interiors and discreetly lit to show off beautiful antiques and paintings. These are the hallmarks of the style developed by Colefax & Fowler in the post-war years and currently more fashionable then ever. This informative and fascinatingly anecdotal book tells the story of the firm's founder, John Fowler, and shows his style evolving through his association with Sybil Colefax and Nancy Lancaster and later through his work restoring National Trust houses. It describes the expert craftmanship and technical skills which produce the ageless Colefax & Fowler look, and shows examples of their current work in different types of rooms in a wide variety of locations, ranging from Badminton and Sudeley Castle, large and small country houses, to flats and mews houses in London and abroad."

The Cotswolds (Gloucestershire, West Oxfordshire, and parts of North Wiltshire) have a rich history, stunning architecture, and glorious countryside. English Country Interiors features 18 specially photographed Cotswold homes, all with classic and singular charm. Each house belongs to a person with a particular trade, from bee-keeping and bookmaking to carpentry and cooking, and reflects the owner's work and interests. Many period-style buildings are showcased, including a mill house where an artist finds her inspiration; a 17th-century hunting lodge; and a terraced cottage where a farmer follows age-old agricultural traditions. Mark Nicholson's stunning photography brings alive this beautiful section of England-a favorite of both British and foreign tourists-capturing the essence and feel of each individual property.