This work provides a history of interior decoration and design, from ancient times to the present day. It includes more than 500 illustrated entries covering subjects ranging from the work of the foremost designers, to the origins and function of principal rooms and furnishing types, as well as surveys of interior design by period and nationality. Entries on individuals include a biography, a chronological list of principal works or career summary, a primary and secondary bibliography and a signed critical essay on the individual's work.