The Decoration of Houses

Here are some interesting books about interior design, plus some about unusual buildings:

The Elements of Style: an Encyclopedia of Domestic Architectural Detail (edited by Stephen Calloway)
For anyone who wants to restore their historic house, or for anyone interested in the history of house styles, this beautiful book is a goldmine of information and illustration. Each chapter covers one architectural style or period in the U.S. or Britain, ranging from Tudor in the Fifteenth Century to the present, providing a guide to the features of every part of a building: doors, windows, walls, ceilings, floors, fireplaces and staircases, even lighting fixtures. The book is illustrated with line drawings, old engravings, and fine black and white photographs, so you can see what a Victorian staircase or an Art Nouveau fireplace looked like. A system of color-coded tabs on each page allows you to trace the history of a specific feature over time. Highly recommended

The Decoration of Houses by Edith Wharton and Ogden Codman, Jr.
Hints on Household Taste: the Classic Handbook of Victorian Interior Decoration by Charles Locke Eastlake.

Two classic statements of the principles of good interior design, both holding great interest for us to day. Eastlake’s pleasantly written book, first published in 1868, could be called the Bible of Victorian decoration, exercising a huge influence on many areas of Victorian life. The Decoration of Houses, published in 1897, was the great American novelist’s first book, written in collaboration with an important architect.  As opposed to the typical clutter of Victorian rooms, they emphasized simple, classical design principles, such as symmetry and proportion

It is not strictly about interior design, but I could not resist including, because it is so much fun to read:

Clean and Decent: the Fascinating History of the Bathroom & the Water Closet and of Sundry Habits, Fashions & Accessories of the Toilet, Principally in Great Britain, France & America by Lawrence Wright.

This very amusing book is a history of the strange ways people have washed and relieved themselves over the ages. Among the fascinating bits of useful information you can learn: that Louis XIV had cushions in his bath; that baths have been concealed in sofas, and washbasins in pianos; that whisky may be added to the bathwater, but mutton-chops should not be eaten in the bath. The book is illustrated with wonderful old engravings

The Well-Built Elephant and Other Roadside Attractions: a Tribute to American Eccentricity by J. J. C. Andrews.

In Hazzard, Kentucky, there is a house shaped like a goose; In Hallam, Pennsylvania, there is one shaped like a shoe; a 22-foot-high coffee pot rises near the James River in Lexington, Virginia. There is also a building in the shape of a giant fish, which houses the National Fishing Hall of Fame in Haywood, Wisconsin and a giant milk bottle in Spokane. And, of course, there are our two Seattle pieces of eccentricity: The Hat and Boots, and the Twin Teepees. These are some of the wild and wonderful roadside buildings, many of them still extant, described and illustrated in this entertaining book

Down at the Depot: American Railroad Stations from 1831 to 1920 by Edwin P. Alexander.
Waiting for the 5:05: Terminal, Station, and Depot in America compiled by Lawrence Grow.

Both of these books are collections of historic photographs of American railroad stations in their heyday, from the great metropolitan stations, like Grand Central, to the most obscure country station. One of the strengths of these books lies in the many pictures of the people using the stations. For anyone who loves trains, as I do, this book will provide a lovely, nostalgic, look back at the railroad era.

~ Stan S.