"An impressive reference work."
- Library Journal (on the 1997 edition)
A richly detailed and easy-to-use reference to 500 years of architectural details and styles.
Owners and potential buyers of period houses, restorers, architects, interior designers and historical preservationists will find this reference invaluable.
The Elements of Style is the most comprehensive visual survey, period-by-period, feature-by-feature, of the styles that have had the greatest impact on interiors of American and British domestic architecture. Compiled by a team of experts, this is the first book on architectural styles that is comprehensive, incredibly thorough, and accessible in its presentation of individual details.
This magnificent volume covers more than 500 years of architectural styles from Tudor to Post-Modern and includes American and British vernacular styles. First published in 1991 (with 150,000 copies sold), this new edition is expanded to include the most contemporary styles.
Detailed illustrations include 3,000 analytical drawings and historic engravings, 400 photographs in color and 1,000 in black and white.
The heart of The Elements of Style is a chronological survey of the primary styles and periods of architectural design. Each chapter begins with an illustrated essay, then covers in detail features such as:
- Doors
- Windows
- Walls, floors and ceilings
- Staircases
- Ironwork and hardware
- Woodwork and built-in furniture
- Kitchen stoves and fireplaces
- Essential period architectural details, and more.
The book also includes:
- A useful system of quick reference, employing color-coded tabs showing how particular features evolved over time, and
- A fully updated resource list with contact information for locating suppliers of those design elements illustrated throughout the book.
The Elements of Style is the essential reference for preservationists, architects, interior designers, owners of period homes, and historians.
About the Author :
Stephen Calloway, the General Editor, is Curator of prints and books at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. He writes, lectures, and consults on architecture and interior design. His books include Twentieth-century Decoration and Baroque Baroque. He writes regularly for UK and US magazines including The World of Interiors and Nest.
Review :
[Recommended title by the staff of Fine Homebuilding, Special Anniversary edition]--Fine Homebuilding (02/01/2006)
A perfect gift for the architecture junkie in your life... color-coded tabs for quick reference to 500 years of architectural details and styles with illustrations and photographs.-- (01/01/2006)
A welcome addition to the coffee tables or libraries of professional designers, architecture buffs and, for that matter, anyone who has even a passing interest in how homes have evolved over the centuries.--Globe and Mail (12/10/2005)
An indispensable tool for architects, designers, historians, or indeed anyone interested in residential design and the history of domestic architecture... Domestic architectural detail can inspire with beauty and grace.-- (01/01/2006)
An outstanding and economical single-volume resource... Summing Up Highly recommended.-- (05/01/2006)
Essentially a reference volume, but a pleasurable one to read... every page is peppered with color photographs, line drawings and black-and-white archival images that bring the architectural elements to life.-- (12/03/2005)
Great for someone restoring a period home because it tells what fits a certain style and what doesn't... would give someone planning a home a lot of looks and styles to consider.-- (12/04/2005)
No detail is overlooked... A necessary reference work for those interested in residential architectural history. It's pleasurable eye candy for everyone else.-- (12/01/2005)
One of the most borrowed books in our library... Not sure which light fixtures complement a Craftsman? You'll find out here.-- (04/01/2006)
Teeming with illustrations of representative doors, windows, fireplaces and other structural/decorative elements... capturing each period in lively and penetrating detail... an excellent reference.-- (12/01/2005)
Visual feast of domestic architectural styles... It is truly a scholarly work, but also an accessible one that can be enjoyed by anyone who appreciates beautiful design or is intrigued by the domestic lives of past generations... extraordinary detail.-- (01/27/2006)
