origins interior design

The 18th century was the first period in which English domestic interiors were represented in both text and image.  The format and writing of interior design magazines were mainly modeled on architecture and art journals, which began publication from the 1890s. These magazines began to lay the origins of domesticity, homemaking and decorating, which would later continue to grow into separate titles. It was Alexander Koch who was responsible for Germany’s first serial publications specifically on interior design. Koch’s Innendekoration started publication in January 1890, while his Deutsche Kunst und Dekoration (1897-1932) also focused primarily on interiors. They were joined by others such as Das Interieur (1900–1915) in Vienna, and House Beautiful (1896–1930) in Chicago. House Beautiful was a consumer driven magazine that aimed to fulfill the aspirations of the reader, rather than presenting an actually achievable or affordable home. These magazines circulated internationally and their impact can be measured by the second generation of magazines, often similar in format, that were formed in their mould in the years to follow.

Graphic layouts became an important feature for interior design magazines, as many began following each other or beginning their own trend. It began allowing more space, focusing on the arrangement and layout of text, image and font. The titling of the drawings, in stylized capitals, was carried out in a specific style associated with the Rudolf von Larisch school of lettering. Often the interior schemes were represented from above and from a diagonal axis, emphasizing the angularity of the composition with a rapidly receding vanishing point. Illustrations ranged from full colour paintings to carefully reproduced lithography prints of interiors and drawings, usually in colour. From the 1920s onwards, design publishing was driven by avant-garde design ideals and commercial publishing practices. The introduction of the digital camera in late 20th century allowed photographers to capture the interiors of celebrities as well as everyday people.