English design, craftsmanship and manufacture inspired admiration and imitation throughout the Western world for almost three centuries, beginning in 1700. The designers of the period and their associated manufacturers created a legacy almost unmatched in the history of the decorative arts. Their furniture, interiors and household appliances, made public in pattern books, swatch books and manufacturers' and retailers' catalogues, became a major source of ingenious solutions to practical problems nationwide and wherever English design was known and admired. Drawing upon an impressive array of original sources, English Style and Decoration offers a cornucopia of design riches, much of it never before published. Alongside the work of famous and familiar taste-makers, this sumptuous, profusely illustrated resource also contains hundreds of original designs developed in workshops and factories throughout England. Indeed, many of the most interesting and imaginative examples reproduced here are by anonymous craftsmen whose great artistic flair was sometimes lost on the consumers who bought the goods they created. English Style and Decoration presents page after page of original sketches and printed patterns for furniture, textiles, flooring, wallpaper, glass, ceramics and household utensils, from doorknobs to tableware and light fittings. A celebration of national design achievement, this sourcebook will provide a wealth of ideas and inspiration for designers, restorers, interior decorators and homeowners today.
