The art of the interior. Timeless designs by the master decorators

Who were the leading designers in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and what elements of their legacy remain relevant in interior design today? Barbara and René Stoeltie, former gallery owners and respected interiors specialists, chart the evolution of interior design from the seventeenth century to the present day. Arranged chronologically, the volume provides a broad and visually evocative overview of the most significant designers of the last 400 years. Barbara Stoeltie introduces each designer, putting them in their historical context and detailing the primary elements that characterized their style or revolutionized taste in their day. Her text is accompanied by René's photographs, featuring the key works by each designer, illustrating both the overall impact of the room as well as focusing on the details that make each space memorable. Her text is accompanied by René's photographs, featuring the key works by each designer, illustrating both the overall impact of the room as well as focusing on the details that make each space memorable. These portraits of the designers and their chef d'oeuvres illustrate the aesthetic principles and creativity that have made each designer important and relevant in the history of interior design. From Bill Willis's interpretation of Orientalism in Marrakesh, or the clean and graphic lines of Andrée Putman's sleek interiors, to the incredible boiseries and ornate fantastical outdoor pavilion of Daniel Marot's seventeenth-century Folie de Roozendaal in Belgium, inspiration is abound in this volume.