The Decoration of Houses

By Edith Wharton and Ogden Codman

The Decoration of Houses, a manual of interior design written by Edith Wharton with architect Ogden Codman, was first published in 1897. In the book, the authors denounced Victorian-style interior decoration and interior design, especially those rooms that were decorated with heavy window curtains, Victorian bric-a-brac and overstuffed furniture. They argued that such rooms emphasized upholstery at the expense of proper space planning and architectural design and were, therefore, uncomfortable and rarely used. Wharton and Codman advocated the creation of houses with rooms decorated with strong architectural wall and ceiling treatments, accentuated by well-suited furniture, rooms based on simple, classical design principles such as symmetry and proportion and a sense of architectural balance. The Decoration of Houses is considered a seminal work and its success led to the emergence of professional decorators working in the manner advocated by its authors.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Feb 9, 2014
• ISBN: 9781291739633

Edith Wharton

Edith Wharton (1862–1937) was an American novelist—the first woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for her novel The Age of Innocence in 1921—as well as a short story writer, playwright, designer, reporter, and poet. Her other works include Ethan Frome, The House of Mirth, and Roman Fever and Other Stories. Born into one of New York’s elite families, she drew upon her knowledge of upper-class aristocracy to realistically portray the lives and morals of the Gilded Age.

Reviews for The Decoration of Houses

[carterchristian1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Delightful to look at, but who lives this way except the very rich ?

[abbess_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

long out of print classic, lovely pix. Wharton's writing is fun, interesting to see the stylistic differences compared with her novels. Sumptuous package in this new edition, with very good extra notes and other information.