Title: Elements of Interior Design and Decoration
Author: by Sherrill Whiton
Publisher: J.B. Lippincott Date of Publication: 1965

This is my review of Elements of Interior Design and Decoration by Sherrill Whiton, Published by J.B. Lippincott. My review covers the second edition of the book dated 1965, which has more information that the 1951 first edition had; it has updated information on contemporary furniture and the chapter on architecture was re-written and updated to communicate the latest developments at the time. The book is illustrated in black and white, with both photos and diagrams. It is hardcover with dustjacket.

What you have here is an invaluable resource- it is an authoritative guide to the historical development and contemporary status of the decorative arts, starting with antiquity and covering every major development in design up through the modern era of 1965. The book is a whopping 852 pages long, not counting the index which adds another 28 pages.

In this book you will learn about the styles of antiquity, the styles of the middle ages, The Italian renaissance, the Hispanic periods, the French periods, The English periods, the American periods, Arts & Crafts, Art Nouveau, Contemporary architecture and interior design, contemporary furniture, decorative textiles, draperies, slipcovers, upholstery, floor coverings, wallpapers, pictures, paints and paintings, ceramics, glassware, metals, hardware, lighting, light fixtures, wall treatments, interior trim, woodwork, standards of taste and design, wall composition, furniture arrangements, color, color schemes, and decorative art terminology.

The author was obviously extremely knowledgeable, as this book does include all the best of the best...with information on Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies Van Der Rohe, Charles Eames, Le Corbusier, Louis Sullivan, Auguste Perret, Walter Gropius, the Bauhaus, Michael Thonet, William Morris, Henri Van De Velde, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Gerrit Rietveld, Marcel Breuer, Knoll associates, Alvar Aalto, Bruno Mathsson, Hans Wegener, Finn Juhl, Jens Risom, Eero Saarinen, Edward Durrel Stone, and many many others. Artists include Giotto, Boticelli, Michaelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, Raphael, Giorgione, Titian, Caravaggio, Tiepolo, Peter Paul Rubens, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Albrecht Durer, El Greco, Goya, Hogarth, Gainsborough, Watteau, Fragonard, Courbet, Corot, Ingres, Delacroix, Cezanne, Manet, Degas, Renoir, Gauguin, Seurat, Toulouse-Lautrec, Vincent Van Gogh, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Diego Rivera, Winslow Homer, George Inness, James Whistler, John J. Audubon, plus American primitive and folk art and much more.

The bibliography sections alone are tremendously valuable; this book was extremely well-researched. It is really interesting to look through the lists of books the author used as references- most of them long out of print now (but who knows, you could probably find them on ebay or amazon or alibris.)

I recommend this book as a good resource to anyone with an interest in having one book that covers a lot of ground. If you are looking for a design book filled with nothing but glossy color photos, this is not the book for you. If you are looking for the latest book, this is obviously not for you either. If you are interested in learning about the history of design from a mid 1960’s perspective, with lots of historical details, then this book would be a great addition to your library.

Photos:

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