Classical Principles for Modern Design: Lessons from Edith Wharton and Ogden Codman's The Decoration of Houses

An investigation of the principles of classic design, as expounded in The Decoration of Houses, and their relevance to interior design today. Interior designer and decorative arts historian Thomas Jayne takes on the redoubtable Edith Wharton, whose 1897 book The Decoration of Houses is acknowledged as the Bible of American interior design. How much of Wharton's advice and how many of her principles are still applicable today? Jayne argues that Wharton's fundamental ideas about the proportion and planning of space create the most harmonious and livable interiors, whether traditional or contemporary. Drawing on his own work at Jayne Design Studio, Jayne has selected elegant interiors that demonstrate these principles.

About the Author :
AD100 designer Thomas Jayne is founder and principal of Jayne Design Studio. His interiors reflect his passion and wide-ranging knowledge of classical traditions and his quest to further those traditions within contemporary design. Jayne holds a master's degree in American decorative arts from Winterthur and completed fellowships at the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the J. Paul Getty Museum. He is the author of the highly successful The Finest Rooms in America- Fifty Influential Interiors from the Eighteenth Century to the Present.

Review :
‘Jayne makes what could be a very dry and stiff topic lively, understandable and inherently accessible to a broad audience with a conversational tone, lush illustrations and an easily followed organization. Younger readers, or those new to interior decorating, will find Classical Principles for Modern Design an easy and informative read.’ - Antiques and the Arts Weekly ‘In 1897, five years before the publication of her first novel, [Edith] Wharton co-wrote 'The Decoration of Houses' with architect Ogden Codman, Jr. This treatise on residential design remains of lasting interest to contemporary designers, including Thomas Jayne, known for interiors that artfully embrace and refresh historical tradition.... [Jayne] has revisited the book's maxims in a new guide of his own, 'Classical Principles for Modern Design.' In it, as here, he illustrates Wharton and Codman, Jr.'s dictums through the lens of his own designs - taking the odd liberty in modernizing their spirit.’ - The Wall Street Journal ‘Every religion has its sacred text.... 'Like all sacred texts,' [Thomas Jayne] explains, 'it bears regular reading and rereading to find its meaning.' Sometimes, those revisits inspire a new translation that makes a holy work more accessible to contemporary worshippers. Thus Jayne’s freshly published Classical Principles for Modern Design, an insightful and amusing 21st-century reinterpretation of The Decoration of Houses. Call it the King Jayne Version.’ - Architectural Digest ‘Designer Thomas Jayne's Classical Principles for Modern Design takes on Edith Wharton and Ogden Codman's 1897 classic The Decoration of Houses, updating its tenets for contemporary homes and finding that most of its advice - including ideas on proportion and the planning of spaces - remains startlingly relevant today.’ - Veranda ‘Edith Wharton and Ogden Codman's 1897 manual, The Decoration of Houses, is 'the most important decorating book ever written,' asserts New York designer and decorative arts historian Thomas Jayne. In his book... Jayne evaluates the guide's relevance to current design and establishes the difference between contemporary elements and those Wharton and Codman held in the 19th century.’ - Luxe Interior + Design ‘Jayne explains that [Wharton and Codman] originally wrote The Decoration of Houses as a reaction to the decline of architectural importance in the designing of houses and the rising fad for interiors being overwhelmed with decorative objects and schemes.... Over 100 years later, Classical Principles for Modern Design asks which of the rules they set forth still apply and how can others be tweaked for modern living. Following the chapter organization of the original book, Jayne takes the reader through topics such as walls, doors, windows and curtains, and ceilings and floors, stressing how these fundamental rules are still important today.’ - Galerie ‘Thomas Jayne is known for his hip, historic interiors that weave elements from the past with modern design.... In his new book, Classical Principles for Modern Design: Lessons From Edith Wharton and Ogden Codman’s The Decoration of Houses he writes about the classical principles advocated by Wharton and Codman, and shows examples of how he has applied them to interiors by Jayne Design Studio. As to the rules, and breaking them, he shows that too, with stunning results.’ - Incollect ‘Wharton and Codman would be proud.’ - Array