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.