Never has been a book like Decorating Defined , encompassing so wide a range of furniture and furnishings from antiques to the newest contemporary desings.

It is at once a lavishly illustrated dictionary - endlessly informative and fascinating to browse through - for the general reader, the student and the collector, and a useful reference book for the professional, embracing as it does the major elements and developments of design and decoration.

1400 Definitions in clear untechnical language take the mystery out of terms that are often puzzling. What is a bulto, a vitrine , a vargueno, tete de negre, boiserie - and  how are these words pronounced ? Why is American colonial the most popular style reproduced today, and what are its distinguishing features ? How does Chinese Chippendale differ from English and Irish Chi[[endale? These fine points and hundreds more, are defined simply and clearly.