English Country House Interiors

Exquisite.Simply exquisite.On lovely, thick pages fourteen iconic English Country Houses are featured celebrating diverse styles beginning with the Jacobean, traveling through the Baroque, Palladian, Regency, Gothic Revival to the Victorian. In the foreword of this book, the English country house is described by Sir Roy Strong:"They are never showy on the outside. Exteriors are always concerned with sobriety and silhouette, which only heightens the revelation when the door is thrown open and the visitor enters to be astonished by the dazzling opulence within."The rooms in this book ARE a revelation--there are about 15 full-page and half-page photos of each home featuring rooms, details of rooms, chapels and noteworthy paintings, carvings, and sculpture in the homes. There is also an exterior view of each home.The book explains that the English country house had a purpose beyond meaning to impress. They were, in the words of Strong, "cultural oases where it was possible to see Old Master paintings, antique sculpture, assemblies of rarities and substantial libraries, as well as collections of drawings, engravings and manuscripts." As England was ruled by a King/Queen subject to Parliament, the country house was more than a refuge for the owner, it was his power base. The King came to the owner's home, and stayed in the house's state rooms, not vice-versa.There is a detailed history of each home from their inception to the present day by author/historian Jeremy Musson. You may want a timeline of English Royalty and a map of England to mentally place the homes as you read. A veritable dynasty of architects and designers worked on the homes from Inigo Jones, to William Kent, Robert Adam, Chippendale, John Fowler, David Hicks and David Mlinaric.The photography is sublime by Paul Barker and from COUNTRY LIFE magazine files. It's a gorgeous volume which exceeded my expectations. The homes are museums of the finest furniture, tapestries, art and architecture throughout the history of England. The chapters may leave you feeling wistful, wishing to see more of each home. I wanted to see every room from the bedrooms to baths, to the kitchens and servants quarters.You may want to learn more about the English Country House interiors after studying this book. I did. The cover is a beguiling view into what is inside.

A perfect book for researching period rooms and architecture.

The houses covered are all famous, fabulous and anyone with an interest in historic English homes will certainly be familiar with all. That being said, I would probably not give this book a 5; however, as with all Rizzoli publications, the photography is stunning and shows details of each house that normally would not be shown in a book of this genre. The text is engaging and covers the interior décor as it occurred through the ages. Beautiful addition to my collection.

I enjoyed this book and am happy to have in my design library. If you really want to track the history of English Country House architecture and design, it helps to have other reference books to refer to as you read this volume, or to use the internet. The text could have more depth. The photos are very nice.

Amazing book! I am an architect and interior designer and this book is a perfect source of case studies for projects, that have to designed and built in luxury style. Highly recommended!

If you enjoy a non compromising look on period finishes on interior decorating, architecture and style then this book is for you - for the antique and art collector to the architecture and just for everyone who appreciates and adore period finishes - a book well put together - well done Rizolli (publisher) you have done it again!

Wonderfully done, and well researched. An amazing look into the stately homes of England. A great gift for anyone who is interested in historic decoration and design.

For lovers of Palladio and Adam, English Country House Interiors is a real feast.It is a must-have reference for those of us who can only dream of living in suchrich interiors. It is wonderful for fireside reflections. I have stacks of bookon the English Country House, and this is by far the best.

A wonderful introduction to some of the Great Estates in England.Beautiful plates showcase the estates featured.Easy to read for even the novice exploring architecture.

Excelente libro, gran tamaño, buen lomo, y excelentes fotos! muy contento con el

インテリアの本だと思って買ったら歴史的なお城の内装の本でした。しかしとても美しいので気に入っています。

A wonderful reinterpretation of country house decoration showing how country houses and the manner in which they are lived in has shifted to a younger generation but at the same time respecting and adapting the past.

Consigliato a tutti coloro che pur avendo visitato , così come il National Trust permette, alcune tra i più bei castelli della Granbretagna, non hanno potuto gustare scorci e vedute di sale che si scorrono passando rapidamente dato che la sosta è limitatissima belli i testi , evocative le foto.