Research Guides: Resources for Interior Design Students: Conducting Research

Information on Periods, Styles, Schools & Movements

The Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History offers a chronological, geographical and thematic exploration of the history of visual arts and design.

Listed below are a few books on styles, movements, various cultures and periods in the history of art and design. More titles can be located by searching online catalog using subject terms such as: "Interior decoration--History", "Art movements--History", " Decoration and ornament--Art Nouveau", " Decoration and ornament--Art Deco", "Firniture designers" ,"Furniture--styles", etc.

Abrams Guide to Period Styles for Interiors by Gura,J.
This guide features over thirty period styles of design common around the world, from Colonial to Art Deco to Modern.
Styles, Schools and Movements by Dempsey,A
This is a guide to the major developments in Western painting, sculpture, architecture, and design from 19th through the beginning of the 21st century. They are presented in broadly chronological order, from Impressionism in the nineteenth century to Earth Art, Sound Art, and Internet Art in the current times
Designer's Guide to Furniture Styles by Crochet,T.
This publication explores the evolution of style in the context of the architectural setting, interior design, and decorative arts of each period.
Decorative arts by Miller, J.
ISBN: 9781405312905
This is a guide to the history and development of style and design from 1700 to the present day,

History & Theory

Additional information can be found in our research guide "History of Art and Design."

Finding Images in Books and Print Journals

The majority of architectural images such as site plans, elevations, floor plans, sections, and details can be found not online, but rather in books: encyclopedias, atlases, dictionaries, histories, catalogues, and monographs. To find these books search the library's online catalog.

To locate images in journals search Avery Index. You can check your results against a list of journals or by using our Journal Full-text Finder.

Grove dictionary of art: styles and movements in Western art, 1400-1900 / by ed.by J.Turner
Online version of this 32-volume dictionary is available via the library website
The Phaidon atlas of 21st century world architecture.
Showcases architecture built worldwide between 2000 and 2008.
World architecture 1900-2000: a critical mosaics by ed. by K.Frampton
This 10 volumes set gives a most precise and authoritative description of 1000 famous objects in ten geographical regions.
World architecture index by Teague,E.
This is a reference tool for finding images of approximately 7,000 architectural works reproduced in more than 100 books
Atlas of World Interior Design
This compendium of 500 examples of contemporary interior design, features the work of both world-renowned and emerging designers.

Finding Information on a designer or on a precedent

You can start your research by finding basic information on a designer. To learn more, read our research guide "Finding Information on Designers." Then you can search the library's online catalog to find books about a particular designer or a specific interior. To locate articles, search the Avery Index or other available databases. Learn more about finding images by reading our research guide.

You also might want to consult library research guide "Research in Architecture and Design".

Free Image Resources on the Web

There are numerous collections of digital images available on the web. Below you will find links to those selected and recommended by library staff.

Specialized Search Engines

To learn more about finding images on the web check our research guide on the subject. More images can be found on the Web by using specialized search engines: