S TA R T I N G S O O N

HISTORY OF INTERIOR DESIGN & FURNITURE

PA R T 1
 I N S T I T U D E
HISTORY OF INTERIOR
DESIGN AND
FURNITURE

D E S I G N
PA RT 1

H O M E
INTRODUCTION

INTERIOR DESIGN

It may seem a bit elementary, but let’s start with the basics of
interior design services. Interior design is defined as
the art and science of enhancing the interior of a space in
order to create a polished and more aesthetically pleasing
environment. An interior designer is someone trained to
execute plans, research, coordinate, and manage decorative
projects with authority. The profession of interior design is
varied and includes space planning, conceptual development,
site inspections, programming, research, communicating with
the clients, project and construction management, and of
course the execution of the desired design.
INTRODUCTION

The profession of interior design came with the rise of

middle-class society and the complicated
architecture that rose to popularity during the
industrial revolution.
The quest to make the best use of space, along with the
attention to user well-being and functional design
continues to push the development and life-enhancing
possibilities of today’s iteration on the interior design
profession. architects used to double as interior
designers to fully develop their complete vision.
Architects would also turn to craftsmen and artisans to
create interior design for their buildings.
HISTORY OF INTERIOR DESIGN
A N C I E N T M E S O P O TA M I A N
HOUSES

Sumerian Homes were usually windowless and made of sun

dried mud bricks because there was little wood or stone
available. Roofs were flat. Roofs provided a fourth living space.
People cooked and slept on their roofs, when weather
permitted. Some of the fancier roofs were designed with four
walls for privacy. Some had grape arbors that provided food,
privacy, and shelter from the sun.
ANCIENT CHINESE HOUSES
ANCIENT AZTEC HOUSE
ANCIENT AZTEC HOUSE
ANCIENT WORLD
ANCIENT EGYPT
ANCIENT EGYPT
ANCIENT EGYPT
ANCIENT EGYPT
ANCIENT EGYPT
ANCIENT GREEK
ANCIENT GREEK
 ANCIENT GREEK

Structure of two rooms, with an open porch or pronaos above which rose a low
pitched gable or pediment.
ANCIENT GREEK
ANCIENT GREEK
ANCIENT GREEK
ANCIENT GREEK KLISMOS
ANCIENT GREEK KLINES
A N C I E N T G R E E K P AT T E R N S
ANCIENT ROME
 ANCIENT ROME
The Roman domus was much
more than a place of dwelling
for a Roman familia. It also
served as a place of business
and a religious center for
worship. The size of a domus
could range from a very small
house to a luxurious house. In
some cases, one domus took
up an entire city-block, while
more commonly, there were
up to 8 domus per insula (city-
block). All domus were free-
standing structures. The
domus included multiple
rooms, indoor courtyards,
gardens, and beautifully
painted walls.
ANCIENT ROME
Atrium: The atrium was the central hall, almost like a modern-
day foyer, and it was the most conspicuous room in a Roman
domus. It was open at the roof, which let in light and air for
circulation, and also allowed rainwater for drinking and washing
to collect in the impluvium, a small draining pool in the middle
of the atrium. Cisterns were also located throughout the domus
to collect rainwater, which acted as the primary water supply in
the absence of running water.
The atrium was one of the most richly decorated rooms in the
domus. For one, symbols of the family's wealth and hereditary
power were present, in addition to imagines, wax
representations of the family's ancestors. Paintings and mosaics
were also commonplace, and many examples of these have
been preserved in houses from Pompeii.
Finally, before a funeral, the body of the deceased was displayed
in the atrium with his/her feet always pointed toward the door.
The body was then viewed by family and friends.
BREAK –HISTORY OF INTERIOR DESIGN & FURNITURE
PA R T 1
 ANCIENT ROME
Lararium (household shrine): Honoring the household gods was an important part of daily life for Romans. Each domus
contained a lararium, or shrine, in the atrium, which was where offerings were left for the household gods (the Lares), spirits of
the ancestors, and spirits of the underworld.
Tablinum (office): Roman men often conducted business out of their domus from a home office known as the tablinum. It was
also the room where clients would go to meet their patron for the salutatio, a formal renewal of their patron-client relationship.
Triclinium (dining room): Dinner parties were very popular in ancient Rome. These were held in the triclinium, which translates
to “three couch room” because it had three couches arranged in a U-shape. While eating, Romans reclined on these couches
and they always dined barefoot. There were no fixed tables in the Roman triclinium; food was served on portable tables,
sometimes by a high-ranking slave.
Communal dinner parties and public banquets were very common in the Roman world, and helped to strengthen social ties
within the city.
Hortus (garden): Unlike most modern gardens, the Roman hortus was located at the back of the domus. Peristyle gardens with
walkways to access other rooms in the house were also very common. When the weather was nice, the garden may have been
used for dining and socializing or as a place for Roman children to play.
ANCIENT ROME
ANCIENT ROME
ANCIENT ROME
The re-creation of dining couches in the
famous Villa of the Mysteries Pompeii,
shows how guest and host beds permitted a
view out the main doorway (through which
the viewer is entering), and in this case also
into a peristyle at right, while the less
important diners could only see the opulent
wall paintings that decorated Roman
triclinia—still not a bad view, however!
ANCIENT ROME
ANCIENT ROME
ANCIENT ROME
M I D D L E / M E D I E VA L A G E S
M I D D L E / M E D I E VA L A G E S
M I D D L E / M E D I E VA L A G E S
E A R LY C H R I S T I A N & B Y Z A N T I N E
E A R LY C H R I S T I A N & B Y Z A N T I N E
E A R LY C H R I S T I A N & B Y Z A N T I N E
E A R LY C H R I S T I A N & B Y Z A N T I N E
E A R LY C H R I S T I A N & B Y Z A N T I N E
ROMANESQUE PERIOD
ROMANESQUE PERIOD
ROMANESQUE PERIOD
ROMANESQUE PERIOD
ROMANESQUE PERIOD
ROMANESQUE PERIOD
ROMANESQUE PERIOD
GOTHIC PERIOD
GOTHIC PERIOD
GOTHIC PERIOD
GOTHIC PERIOD
GOTHIC PERIOD
CLASSICAL STYLE
RENAISSANCE 12 -18 century
E A R LY R E I N A S S A N C E P E R I O D
E A R LY R E I N A S S A N C E P E R I O D
E A R LY R E I N A S A N C E P E R I O D
E A R LY R E I N A S S A N C E P E R I O D
E A R LY R E I N A S S A N C E P E R I O D
E A R LY R E I N A S S A N C E P E R I O D