British Interior Design Since 1925: A Critical History - Hardcover

Peter, Bruce; Plunkett, Drew

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1848225628 ISBN 13: 9781848225626

Publisher: Lund Humphries Publishers Ltd, 2025

Synopsis

After the First World War, Interior Design emerged in Britain as a distinctive profession, one that used fresh eyes and imagination to transform edifices old and new into environments that satisfied aesthetic appetites and enhanced the experiences of those who used them. This is the first critical account of the history of Interior Design in Britain, one that is distinct from that of Architecture, and which gives the profession a sense of its own identity. Set within the social, cultural, economic and political contexts which exercised and shaped creative imaginations across the 20th century, the book examines both interior design (principally commercial projects) and interior decoration (principally domestic projects).

In contrast to 20th-century architecture, which often imposed its philosophy onto its clients, interior design and decoration were more responsive to the nuances and rapid changes of popular taste. Interiors therefore moved at a much faster pace, from the elegant Art Deco of the Savoy and Claridge's hotels, to the modernist interiors of the 1950s such as the Royal Festival Hall, to retail work in the 1980s for the likes of Joseph and Next, to clubs and restaurants in the 1990s such as the Atlantic Bar and Grill, and concluding with 21st-century offices and domestic interiors.

About this title

About the Author

Drew Plunkett is a former academic who was head of interior design at Glasgow School of Art. He now writes on the subject for both students and practitioners and his most recent work, 'Revolution: Interior Design from 1950' examined the emergence of a distinct interior design profession.

Edition details

• Publisher: Lund Humphries Publishers Ltd
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1848225628
• ISBN 13: 9781848225626
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 192