The Decoration of Houses

by Edith Wharton, Ogden Codman Jr.

Edith Wharton's The Decoration of Houses is an invaluable reference, one of the classic works on interior decoration, and a testament to the enduring style of one of America's greatest writers. Written in collaboration with celebrated American architect Ogden Codman, Jr., Wharton's first book is a comprehensive look at the history and character of turn-of-the-century interior design, moving from historical traditions to the distinctive styles of contemporary taste. Published in association with the Mount Press, this beautiful hardcover facsimile is carefully reproduced from the first edition published in 1897 and includes all 56 original plates-illustrating furniture, moldings, and interior styles of the 19th-century-and features décollage edges as well as a new introduction from renowned scholar Richard Guy Wilson. The Mount is a magnificent estate Edith Wharton designed and built in 1902 as a writer's retreat in the beautiful Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts.

Genres: Interior Design, Nonfiction, Design, Classics, Architecture, History, Art

204 pages, Hardcover

Published May 1, 1978

About the author

Edith Wharton emerged as one of America’s most insightful novelists, deftly exposing the tensions between societal expectation and personal desire through her vivid portrayals of upper-class life. Drawing from her deep familiarity with New York’s privileged “aristocracy,” she offered readers a keenly observed and piercingly honest vision of Gilded Age society.

Her work reached a milestone when she became the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, awarded for The Age of Innocence. This novel highlights the constraining rituals of 1870s New York society and remains a defining portrait of elegance laced with regret.

Wharton’s literary achievements span a wide canvas. The House of Mirth presents a tragic, vividly drawn character study of Lily Bart, navigating social expectations and the perils of genteel poverty in 1890s New York. In Ethan Frome, she explores rural hardship and emotional repression, contrasting sharply with her urban social dramas.

Her novella collection Old New York revisits the moral terrain of upper-class society, spanning decades and combining character studies with social commentary. Through these stories, she inevitably points back to themes and settings familiar from The Age of Innocence. Continuing her exploration of class and desire, The Glimpses of the Moon addresses marriage and social mobility in early 20th-century America. And in Summer, Wharton challenges societal norms with its rural setting and themes of sexual awakening and social inequality.

Beyond fiction, Wharton contributed compelling nonfiction and travel writing. The Decoration of Houses reflects her eye for design and architecture; Fighting France: From Dunkerque to Belfort presents a compelling account of her wartime observations. As editor of The Book of the Homeless, she curated a moving, international collaboration in support of war refugees.

Wharton’s influence extended beyond writing. She designed her own country estate, The Mount, a testament to her architectural sensibility and aesthetic vision. The Mount now stands as an educational museum celebrating her legacy.

Throughout her career, Wharton maintained friendships and artistic exchanges with luminaries such as Henry James, Sinclair Lewis, Jean Cocteau, André Gide, and Theodore Roosevelt—reflecting her status as a respected and connected cultural figure.
Her literary legacy also includes multiple Nobel Prize nominations, underscoring her international recognition. She was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature more than once.

In sum, Edith Wharton remains celebrated for her unflinching, elegant prose, her psychological acuity, and her capacity to illuminate the unspoken constraints of society—from the glittering ballrooms of New York to quieter, more remote settings. Her wide-ranging work—novels, novellas, short stories, poetry, travel writing, essays—offers cultural insight, enduring emotional depth, and a piercing critique of the customs she both inhabited and dissected.

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is worth reading just for the scathing chapter on bric-a-brac.

[Savasandir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Squisito nella sua vetustà

La Bibbia americana dell’interior design di fine Ottocento, pensata per educare all'estetica del bello l'alta borghesia americana (che a quanto pare già allora era dotata di pessimo gusto), scritta da Edith Wharton, sapientemente coadiuvata dall'architetto Ogden Codman Jr., non è solo un vecchio catalogo di regole e consigli pratici per decorare la propria magione, ma è soprattutto una vera e propria storia dell'abitare, che illustra con molta precisione l'evolversi degli usi delle varie stanze di cui è composta una casa, partendo dagli antichi manieri medievali in avanti.
Nel fare ciò, gli autori ripercorrono inevitabilmente di pari passo anche l'evoluzione del costume, da sempre legato strettamente al modo di vivere e di abitare un edificio.

Da europeo, leggendo questo libro non ho potuto fare a meno di constatare come l'architettura americana fin de siècle fosse ancora completamente asservita al gusto del vecchio continente; da italiano, ho provato un sottile piacere nel leggere le infinite lodi rivolte alla nostra arte: pur ammettendo che la palma di dominatrice del gusto all'epoca spettasse alla Francia, l'Autrice ripete ogni due pagine quanto gli italiani siano da sempre maestri incontrastati di armonia e proporzione, citando e nominando numerosissimi esempi dell'arte nostrana da cui trarre spunto, con riferimenti sempre puntuali e spesso particolari e non scontati, cosa che denota una conoscenza dell'architettura italiana assai vasta e profonda -però, Mrs. Wharton, criticare così gli affreschi a grottesche di Villa Madama, definendoli "oltremodo sproporzionati", non me lo doveva fare! Raffaello si sarà rivoltato nella tomba-.

A parte ciò, devo dire che il libro va oltre la mera conoscenza storico-stilistica dell’architettura italiana e, più in generale, europea: qui si mettono a confronto il gusto italiano per il bello con quello inglese, francese ed americano, con considerazioni così particolareggiate da risultare ancor oggi condivisibili, a distanza di cento vent’anni; il tutto impreziosito da una scrittura a cui non siamo più abituati, tanto precisa quanto ironica, con il ricorso ad espressioni colorite, piccole staffilate alla società americana, come la salace critica ai "moderni" impianti di riscaldamento, responsabili della "temperatura tropicale delle case americane", o il riferimento alla "massaia americana maniaca della pulizia" quando si tratta d’elogiare i vantaggi in fatto d'igiene derivanti dalla scelta di un bel pavimento in marmo.

Pur essendo pensato per l'alta società -basti pensare che c’è un intero capitolo appositamente dedicato alla progettazione ed alla decorazione della sala da ballo e della sala da musica- molti dei principî qui enunciati sono ancor oggi in larga misura validi, come la proporzione che dovrebbero avere le varie stanze, la collocazione di porte e finestre, la disposizione del mobilio, l'armonizzazione della parte con il tutto, il senso della misura; tutte regole di buon senso desunte principalmente dall'architettura italiana d'un tempo che, se applicate ancor oggi, migliorerebbero grandemente la fruibilità e la comodità delle nostre abitazioni.

Nonostante la magnifica invettiva finale contro il bric-à-brac e l'arte dell'accumulo, mi ha moderatamente stupito l'assenza di un capitolo dedicato alla stanza da bagno, di cui si fa solo qualche brevissimo cenno nel capitolo delle stanze da letto, in un'epoca storica un cui i sanitari iniziavano a ricoprire fondamentale importanza. Così come manca del tutto l’altra grande protagonista di ogni casa che si rispetti: la cucina.
Quest'ultima assenza credo sia dovuta al fatto che la preparazione dei cibi all'epoca non riguardasse i padroni di casa, ma la servitù, per cui non c'era bisogno di chissà qual decoro in un ambiente non frequentato né dalla famiglia né dagli ospiti; discorso diverso per quanto riguarda il bagno, dove invece la decorazione allora come oggi rivestiva un ruolo importante: probabilmente il puritano pubblico americano avrebbe trovato troppo scabroso indugiare su tale argomento e si è preferito soprassedere.

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love reading out of date manuals on how to do things Properly and this is definitely one of those. It's such an interesting window into how a particular part of society thought about things at a particular time, both in terms of the positive advice and also what the author ends up deploring as common practice. (This book has lots of delicious and sometimes ridiculous deploring.)

CN: Unsurprisingly for the author's time, place, and subject matter, there is a lot of classism in this book, fairly significant amounts of Orientalism, and a basically complete lack of acknowledging the existence of anyone who isn't white (except in Orientalist context).

[Diem · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am only somewhat interested in the decoration of houses and I am slightly less interested in reading about the decoration of houses. That said, I'm more interested in both after reading this book. It was not always an easy read and it doesn't feel like it was written for the average homeowner in 2024. The advice regarding how to appoint my ballroom being less useful than one might immediately assume.

I read it because I'm very interested in Edith Wharton and the Gilded Age and New York City and the historical and cultural impacts of all three, separately and together.

It wasn't strictly necessary to read this in order to pursue those interests but I'm not sorry I did. You could also be not sorry you read this. I feel like that's not the glowing review I intend.

Definitely find this specific edition. The large format plates and additional photos and essays are extremely elucidating.

[Manik Sukoco · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't realize that Edith Wharton was well-versed in architecture and decoration until visiting her home, The Mount, and learning that it was mostly all her own design. I was prompted out of curiosity to read her book. I was prepared for it to be dull, but found it to be anything but. She brings up many key decorating points that really make you think; right down to her definition of decorating, which is somewhat different than what we know it to be today. You do have to sort of translate her writing as you read along since the text comes across as highfalutin but hey, it's educated 19th-century-speak and it is Edith Wharton. Most of her references are at a level that is mostly unknown to us today: drawing rooms, boudoirs, and such. However, her observations and comments continue to be spot-on, and every now and then she plants a zinger that truly makes you chuckle. Once you realize that Edith Wharton's decorous references are from another time and social level, you just have to pare them down a bit and you'll find that the precepts make complete sense and are still relevant to any period.

[Jean Bowen · Rating 4 out of 5]

“What is originality in art? Perhaps it is easier to define what it is not and this may be done by saying that it is never a willful rejection of what has been accepted as the necessary laws of various forms of art. Thus in reasoning originality relies not in discarding the necessary laws of thought, but in using them to express new intellectual conceptions. In poetry originality consists not in discarding the necessary laws of rhythm but in finding new rhythms within the limits of those laws.”

[lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

"There is no absolute perfection, there is no communicable ideal; but much that is empiric, much that is confused and extravagant, will give way before the application of principles based on common sense and regulated by the laws of harmony and proportion."

What fun this was! I've been interested in reading it ever since I learned of its Edith Wharton authorship, but I have to say that I think this book stands well in its own historical right. If you have any interest at all in the history of interior decoration, this book is an absolute must-read. And even if you don't, it's so witty and well-written that honestly I think you'd enjoy it anyways.

Wharton and Codman do a wonderfully precise job of breaking the house down piece by piece and exploring elements key to each's ideal design. This edition also contained some great preliminary material which helped to establish a lot of the context of the authors' involvement in this project which I in particular was interested in.

While Gilded Age privilege and Eurocentrism do ooze out of this book in many of its respects, I was actually quite surprised by how modern much of its advice was. Aesthetic appeal of course is always evolving in terms of trends and technology, but it is rooted in the brain's basic for appreciation for proportion and order, which here, as elsewhere in the history of art and design, hold up quite well. Of course, there were also still plenty of outdated quips and quirks to be had here — I particularly loved the bit lambasting the replacement of good solid fireplaces with central heating — but I think they in fact added to the overall reading experience and made it that much more fun.

Overall, I feel so lucky to have found such a random copy of this on an antiquing outing, and if you ever share in the same luck, I'd highly recommend picking it up, as every chapter is worth a read.

[Sean Farmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mrs. Wharton along with Mr. Codman changed the way we look at our homes and espoused a philosphy that is as current today, as it was at the turn of the century. Out the door flew faux "old French" (Machine made furniture in the "French" style), Velvet poiteres, lurid colours, as oppressive as the Victorian period itself, and potted palms in garish cache pots. In the door came a revival of the 18th century taste. Colours became lighter, Louis XVI fauteuils replaced overstuffed club chairs covered in mohair, and natural light illuminated Georgian mirrors. The purpose of the book was not to recreate period interiors from France and England, but rather to encourage a lighter, more harmonious and ultimately more livable home with inspiration from the 18th century.
In my opinion the most valuable advice from Mrs. Wharton is when working on a conservative budget keep things as simple as possible. In my opinion, this should be required reading in any design school.

[quoms · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superb manifesto on rationality in interior architecture, that tends to be misrepresented (it certainly is in this edition) as being a manifesto on traditional interior architecture.


The authors do take tradition for granted, and reasonably so: through the end of the 19th century, even progressive homes tended to be built along (very approximately) the same lines as a Renaissance Italian palazzo. Continuity with historical tradition was architectural fact, not abstract principle - visible in plan as the composition of interior space from discrete, rectangular components, and in elevation as vertical rhythms of columniation and tall windows. The Japanese-influenced open floorplan, Californian "indoor-outdoor living", the horizontal orientation of the Prairie and International Styles, the car-dominated society that would make all these things not only possible but sensible: only the barest stirring of any of these was felt in New England in 1895, and it certainly was of no concern to Edith Wharton and the junior Ogden Codman.


So The Decoration of Houses is ill-used as a broadside against an architectural modernity of which Wharton and Codman had no real concept. Yes, the dramatic irony is inescapable - they were wrong, full stop, when they wrote that an architect "cannot originate a whole new architectural alphabet" (though it may be fairly observed that the "new alphabet" of the modern style was not the creation of a single architect). But if we get over our prejudices and place ourselves in the mind of someone who has literally never heard of an eight-foot-tall ceiling or a ten-foot-wide picture window, we can have some idea of what they were getting at. 


And what they were getting at is a strictly rational approach to interior architecture. It is the conviction that houses are for living in, and should do nothing more or less than accommodate the actual day-to-day activities of their inhabitants. Wharton and Codman deplore rooms that are used for nothing, that are unfit for purpose, that call themselves one thing but then do something entirely different. Wooden panels and silk trims aside, this philosophy is far more modern than anti-modern. There are some differing underlying assumptions regarding what constitutes the good life, and certainly how many servants one might reasonably be expected to have - but you don't have to abstract out too far to find the generally applicable principles.


As it happens, the act of placing yourself in the mindset of the past is exactly what Wharton and Codman themselves are up to. What was done in the past was done for a reason, they say, and only through understanding the reasons can the techniques maintain their relevance. For them, the blind, irrational following of tradition-for-tradition's-sake is a path that leads directly into the Middle Victorian wilderness, to an "eclectic" soup of mismatched nostalgic signifiers.


Eclectic, here, is a confusing word. The Decoration of Houses represents one facet of an architectural movement that was ascendant in the last decades of the 19th century, whose adherents disdained the mish-mash "eclecticism" of the Middle Victorians, but would themselves come to be known as Eclectics for their facility in a variety of historical styles and their belief that each one was equally valid as long as it was faithfully and coherently followed. The most prominent names are familiar, including Charles McKim and Stanford White, whom Edith Wharton knew and especially respected. Her book with Codman takes this big-E Eclectic philosophy of informed, rational respect for tradition and the integrity of historical styles, and turns it toward residential interior architecture and renovations instead of grand new public buildings.


Anyway, the book is best understood as a manifesto, not a handbook. Its assumptions mean that it only strictly applies to traditionally styled architecture, and more to the point it's just not a very good practical guide to home improvement. Though it overflows with pithy injunctions, many of them memorable and insightful, those rules are both unsystematically presented and (after more than 100 years of automotive modernism) largely irrelevant, at least if you happen to live in a "low-studded" 1960s dingbat apartment. It's the kind of book that makes sweeping proclamations about the necessity of obeying "the laws of proportion" and then doesn't even attempt to state what those laws actually are - sort of obviating the main advantage of a "law", which is its explicitness.


But it can't be beat for being thought-provoking. I really think everyone interested in interior design in any kind of professional capacity ought to read this book. There are ideas in here that are so simple they almost sound silly, but I swear to you that "the paintings are part of the wall decoration" (this makes more sense in context) is as good as an iron law to me; I'm going to be turning that over in my head every time I think about hanging up a poster for the rest of my life. And even the parts you don't agree with are clever enough to make you really think about why you disagree.


This particular edition of the book comes with some supplementary material written by "classical architecture" reactionaries, and as I alluded to at the beginning of this review, they're not particularly good. The one useful essay is the biographical one on the genesis of the book and the proper attribution of credit for the text; the others are hot air. The first essayist literally comes off as not even having read the book - the only reason to say The Decoration of Houses is about "Franco-American" style is if you're personally infatuated with the Beaux-Arts, particularly considering that Wharton and Codman specifically and repeatedly denigrate France in comparison to their Italian ideal of comfortable aristocratic living.


But as insipid as the commentary can be, it does little to detract from the vigor and immediacy of the original text. Read this in whatever edition you can get.

[Vivencio · Rating 3 out of 5]

the house is a mess but what the heck .... we have this to read :D

[Ryan Vera · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not much of an aesthete, so oftentimes the dialogue and "theory" - as it were - of furnishing homes was often lost on me. Reading this was more of out historical interest in Wharton's oeuvre. It was intriguing to try and decipher who was responsible for the passages I was reading - Wharton or Codman? This is a co-authored text, so it makes its material value all the more interesting. However, this text isn't as widely available as Wharton's other texts and most editions often solely credit Wharton as the sole author. Interesting. Codman was clearly more versed in architecture, but Wharton herself was clearly a worldy, astute, and witty writer; even if I was lost on the theory, the humorous observations present in the text greatly helped and increased my enjoyment. I am not sure if I myself would have fit the target and contemporary audience they would have liked to have reached in this text's original publication. Oftentimes, the tone was authoritative but highly snobbish. Taste is highly subjective and ultimately a semiotics of class and it oftentimes was apparent - unintentionally or otherwise - that Wharton and Codman were solely trying to reach a bourgeoisie / nouveau-riche class of people in giving practical advice on giving homes a pleasing, symmetrical, and aesthetically pleasing appearance. The effect of this is: "Ok, so where would I fit into this?" This, however, should not make my review into a biased one. Both writers also noted they wished their advice and the taste of the upwardly mobile class would have a "trickle down effect" that would influence the larger public sphere. Naive? Maybe. Above all, they reinforce simplicity and symmetry, so that also helps with those who have little means and there are great nuggets of practical advice. Their advice still rings true in things you might see on HGTV today. An amusing read and a great insight in Wharton's bibliography.

[Irene Lázaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

A no ser que vivas en una mansión con comedor de gala y salón de baile, es difícil que puedas aplicar algunos de los consejos de este libro. Aún así, me ha resultado interesante. Por una parte, me ha ayudado a entender mejor la función de las diferentes habitaciones de las que leo en las novelas victorianas. En ese sentido, ha despejado muchas de las dudas que tenía. Por otra parte, la autora es crítica con la decoración de las casas de los nuevos ricos y es interesante ver qué se consideraba de buen gusto y qué no. Me ha sorprendido que las líneas puras y la tendencia a la simplicidad es lo que predomina en el libro, cuando la época de principios del siglo XIX se caracteriza justo por lo contrario. Aún así, si no te interesan la arquitectura, la decoración y los libros clásicos, seguramente este te libro te resulte aburrido.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a true delight.

Famous mainly for her fiction, Edith Wharton--an aristocratic author of the Gilded Age--was also keen on architecture and design. This book sets out her vision for "good" residential design.

The book is born of a different time and class than most of us can imagine. And yet, behind Wharton's wit, and her at-times scathing critiques of the residential design of her era, are principles that would be fruitfully applied in many design scenarios.

I wish I had known about this book years ago. When I was in architecture school reading Vitruvius, Alberti, Palladio, Ruskin, and Le Corbusier--I should have also been reading Wharton! In my estimation, it could easily count among these architectural classics.

[Emma Dita · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I found some chapters tedious and irrelevant because they apply mainly to big houses, the type which unfortunaly we don't all own anymore, each chapter included very insightful recommendations for any space and all details of a house.

What I found brilliant was the chapter on nurseries and school rooms, which can simply be translated to a child's bedroom in present times. The attention to their furniture and decoration, the intentional cultivation of their aesthetic taste, love of beauty and art, is a train of thought I haven't really come accross before but have been doing unconsciously. So many brilliant arguments for exposing our children to beautiful art and culture, I think every parent should read at least this chapter.

[RebL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did you know Edith Wharton co-authored a book on home décor? I learned that recently and went to see if the library had a copy and THEY DID!

This book was originally published in 1897 and it is a TREAT, let me tell you. Each chapter takes a different room of the house in turn, so it's easy to pick up and put down, and contains as much shade as it does advice. To Wharton, people don't decorate as properly as they did in the old days, and could use some instruction. The English lack the taste that the French and Italians have innately, and the Americans...oh, well, just bless the American's hearts.

This book had me laughing out loud on a regular basis due to sheer sass alone. If 125-year-old decorating tips and critiques are your cup of tea, I highly recommend you pick it up.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was studying to become an interior designer in the mid 60's and this book was a required purchase. I had long ago forgotten about it and boxed it away. Recently, I went on a quest to read all-things Edith Wharton and was surprised to learn the novelist wrote this book prior to her long and successful career as a creator of commentary on the nouveau rich society of which she was a part. The book is actually rather pretension and too formal for today's designer - thus the reason it was put aside all those years ago - but as an Edith Wharton book, it must be studied.

[Loomsye · Rating 5 out of 5]

he Decoration of Houses" est un classique intemporel pour comprendre l'harmonie entre l'espace, les meubles et les textiles. J'ai particulièrement aimé la manière dont Edith Wharton explique l'importance du sol dans une pièce. Cela m'a personnellement inspiré à mieux choisir mes tapis pour structurer mes espaces. Pour ceux qui cherchent des tapis élégants et pratiques, je recommande de jeter un œil à Loomsye (https://loomsye.com), une boutique spécialisée dans les tapis design adaptés à chaque pièce.

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[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars (liked it)

I enjoyed this surprisingly advanced instruction about, and critical assessment of, the then-current 19th-century interpretation of the ultimate in interior design in America. The book is structured with several chapters detailing design recommendations for various aspects of a room (doors, walls, etc.) followed by some chapters on how to design entire rooms (libraries, ballrooms, etc.) The book includes brief and interesting historical points of reference on how interior design elements evolved from the Middle Ages to more modern times in England, France, and Italy before making their way to the United States. The in-depth discussion of design reveals the lifestyle and preferences of the time which adds another layer of depth and interest to this book. Someone only mildly interested in historic interior design may find parts of this book exceedingly detailed and a bit dry, but someone (such as myself) who is genuinely interested in that area will likely find this book informative and interesting.

[Nigel Ewan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I read this book, I thought it was mostly about Wharton criticizing late-Victorian interior design practices and proposing reforms. It's definitely got some of that, but it also has a lot of history on the development of modern rooms and their functions. A little heavy on French interior design for my preference, but still very instructive.

[Dan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a non-fiction book on interior architecture and home decoration. It used a lot of architectural jargon that I was unfamiliar with. If it were a modern book with pictures and infographics, I'm sure I would have understood it better. As an audiobook, not surprisingly, it fails.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edith Wharton was a woman of many interests and talents, including home design. She was a skilled writer and although the presentation here is more than a bit stilted, it offers a fascinating history of interior design and many still relevant ideas.

[De · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to see old ways of decor. Many of those still stand the test of time.

[Chase · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practicing too

[Bailee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing how on point this book on interior design is 125 years later. Edith Wharton would HATE Live Laugh Love signs and that’s why we love her 😂

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

Serves as an interesting survey of stylistic advances in design and decorative art from Renaissance Italy to late 19th century America.

[Kate]

DNF

[Amanda mcguire · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sensational. Wharton’s authoritative voice and painstaking reference are exemplary.

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be mandatory reading for all architects and home designers. Edith Wharton is the epitome of elegance!