This article forms part of the Decorative and Applied Arts Encyclopedia, a master reference hub providing a structured overview of design history, materials, movements, and practitioners.
Traditional interior design is a style that began in Europe between the 18th and 19th centuries. Classic, elegant, timeless, and formal are words that describe it. It takes ideas from this time in history and reinterprets them in a modern way, making a polished and well-curated home that feels timeless and has no expiration date. It can be similar to transitional interiors, but traditional interiors use a more classic design. The art and culture of ancient Greece and Rome inspired people in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries. This is where the traditional style of interior design came from.
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Recommended Reading
Designing Your Forever Home: A Blueprint for Aging with Style. (n.d.). Hearthside Homes. Retrieved December 6, 2023, from https://www.hearthsidehomessa.com/new-home-education/articles/aging-with-style
Kristal, M., Schafer III, G., Williams, B. (2012). The Great American House: Tradition for the Way We Live Now. United States: Rizzoli. https://amzn.to/3FhcIVv
Ramstedt, F. (2020). The Interior Design Handbook. United Kingdom: Penguin Books Limited. https://amzn.to/3JaONIE
Shaping the American Interior: Structures, Contexts and Practices. (2018). United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis. https://amzn.to/3T9p9bH
Tanner, T. (2013). Early American Country Interiors. United States: Gibbs Smith, Publisher. https://amzn.to/3FeN5oy
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