Nancy Lancaster

by Martin Wood

Overview

Nancy Lancaster, who was born in 1897 into a wealthy Virginian family, became one of the greatest influences on interior decoration and garden design in Great Britain and America in the second half of the 20th century. She created what is known today as the 'English Country House Style' - a mixture of faded colours, chintzes and painted and antique furniture. In the garden, she worked in a formal yet romantic neo-Georgian style, which is still a strong spirit in British garden design.

This book examines Nancy's contribution to the arts of interior decoration and garden design by chronicling her own homes and gardens -and her extraordinary life. Mirador, her family's Virginian country house, was to remain her key inspiration throughout her life. Nancy herself, her houses, her gardens and her friends are shown in an intriguing collection of photographs by distinguished photographers of the era, including Horst and Cecil Beaton.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780711224292
Publisher:	Lincoln, Frances Limited
Publication date:	07/28/2006
Pages:	200
Product dimensions:	9.50(w) x 11.75(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Martin Wood is an established textile and interior designer. His books on influential figures in the history of design include Nancy Lancaster, John Fowler, Laura Ashley and Sister Parish, all published by Frances Lincoln.

Editorial Reviews

"Martin Wood has studied far and wide for his excellent new book on this remarkable person and the result is the best title on taste and design published this year." - Financial Times

"This book is a rare treat, fluently written and superbly illustrated, with a strong emphasis on gardens." - Daily Telegraph

"Knocks the hundreds of books on interiors and gardens for six. Her vivid personality - charming, stylish, wilful, rich and funny - comes through the pages via her achievements in decoration and gardening." - Spectator

From the Publisher

Nancy Lancaster, daughter of one of the famous five Langhorne sisters of Virginia (her aunts included Lady Nancy Astor and Irene Gibson, wife of illustrator Charles Dana Gibson), was a wife and mother who in the mid-20th century, with her husband's purchase of Sibyl Colefax's London decorating business, became an influential interior designer. With John Fowler, Colefax's assistant, she created Colefax & Fowler. Her ability to sum up "the essence of the place" and his attention to detail allowed the partners to create a decor that epitomized the English Country House style. Wood (Gertrude Jekyll at Munstead Wood) details the refurbishing, decorating, and landscaping undertaken by Lancaster all throughout her adult life, including for many of her own homes (e.g., Mirador, the Langhorne estate in Virginia) and illustrates these endeavors with a multitude of photographs. Recommended for academic and large interior design collections. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

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