Book Description
In this latest of Mary Gilliatt's must-have home decor and interior design books, readers are given an essential, one-stop shopping and reference book defining and explaining all terms necessary to work-either as a professional or a home owner-in the world of residential design and decorating. All of the terms are grouped into one of 12 subject areas, making the guide easy to use for the average reader. Every relevant subject is covered, including architects and interior designers; architectural and building terms; color, paint, and paint effects; fabric and wallpaper; floors; furniture and upholstery; glass and ceramics; lighting; Oriental and other rugs and carpets; styles and movements; window treatments; and wood. Whether working with a professional architect or designer on a major renovation, buying a house or other property, or simply decorating a corner of a room or purchasing furniture, readers will gain a wealth of knowledge and an understanding of the language necessary to navigate in the world of home decor and design.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Whether you are a home owner, an amateur restorer or decorator, a realtor, a student, or a professional seeking an indispensable reference book to recommend to clients and/or to use with them, you have probably, at one time or another, wished for an easy-to-use one-stop reference guide for architectural and interior design questions. Part dictionary, part reference book, and part Who's Who all rolled into one, Mary Gilliatt's Dictionary of Architecture and Interior Design is exactly that-a single comprehensive source of information that will help you navigate all decisions related to home decor, from familiarizing yourself with construction techniques and materials to buying furniture, from choosing flooring and wall treatments to collecting decorative glass or ceramic pieces, and from making decisions about the overall style of your home to individual window treatments, room by room. In this dictionary, Mary Gilliatt-a seasoned interior designer and author of over thirty-five books on design-introduces you to the terms, jargon, and famous figures specific to the industry, not only aiding your comprehension of all its varied facets, but also giving you the crucial communication tools necessary to clearly express your needs to professionals and retail specialists. Whether you are a do-it-yourselfer, or hire an architect, interior designer, or contractor, "speaking the same language" will always make every job go smoother and may even help you to avoid costly mistakes.