A highly detailed look at the most accomplished English country house
interiors, exemplifying English decorating at its best. The English
drawing room, a formal place within a house of status where family and
honored guests could retire from the more public arena, is one of the
most important rooms in an English country house, and thus great
attention has been paid to preserving the decoration of this most
elegant of spaces: the center of life in the English countryside and the
epitome of English country house decoration. This book offers privileged
access to fifty of the finest drawing rooms of country houses and
historic townhouses--many still in private hands--including Althorp,
Attingham, and Knepp Castle. Through these sumptuous rooms, readers
experience a history of English decorating from the sixteenth century to
the present day, including the work of design legends such as David
Hicks, Nancy Lancaster, John Fowler, and David Mlinaric. Specially
commissioned photographs capture the entirety of each room, as well as
details of furniture, architectural elements, artwork, collections, and
textiles, creating a visually seductive book that will inspire interior
designers and homeowners interested in the widely popular classic
English look.
