Chippy Irvine

Photograph by Christopher Simon Sykes

“Irvine serves up a large portion of our decorative history for readers to take away knowledge of everyone from William Kent to John Fowler...”
- THE WORLD OF INTERIORS

'...British-born Chippy Irvine, a contributing editor for Art & Antiques, offers an in-depth study of a range of influences that have contributed to this unique style...with some of the history behind the English character. Chapters cover every space inside a home, including entrance halls, landings, lofts, and even outdoor “rooms” such as patios and terraces. And readers will discover that while rooms share certain similarities, each one also possesses an individuality that is the result of its inhabitant, whether a designer, a writer, an artist, or a historian'.
- Julie Goodwin - BOOKMARKS

'...The book quotes John Fowler for its definition of an "English" interior: 'comfort and suitability" and an edge of "pleasing decay" - characteristics amply conveyed in Christopher Simon Sykes's photographs, which are the real reason to return to THE ENGLISH ROOM over and over again.'
- HOUSE & GARDEN

'The English taste in interior decoration is "slightly, but not dangerously, eccentric", according to U.S. design journalist Chippy Irvine. Summing up what makes a quintessentially English home, she explains: "Rooms incorporate quirky touches...plenty of books, pictures, odd personal collections that have taken a lifetime or several to acquire, plus a wealth of forgiveness for worn patinas and threadbare fabric"...The text is full of facts about the history of English homes, as well as a helpful amount of detail about the properties pictured...’

'...Through centuries of practice and honing our skills, the country house style has been arrived at...English eccentricity shines through here and with Christopher Simon Sykes’ photographs, you could not wish for more...The book not only confines itself to grand manors but also covers more modest homes, such as a warehouse conversion and an Eighteenth Century mews."
- thegoodwebguide.co.uk

'This is a wonderful book that doesn’t necessarily follow the norm. There is great flair here, not only from Chippy Irvine, but also from the designers that she has collaborated with...in all cases, The English Room represents a leading edge in interior design.' - - - Amazon.co.uk

‘If you are aiming to bring a touch of English style to your home then this sumptuous volume is full of ideas. From hallways to conservatories and studies to kitchens, the reader is taken on a room-by-room tour of a variety of houses in both town and country. Some epitomise modern high-tech living, whilst others hark back to the days of open fires and chintz curtains. To whatever era the rooms owe their origins, they all display that unmistakable English look... Readers are able to feast their eyes upon the Art Deco opulence of Eltham Palace in London; farmhouse kitchens furnished with scrubbed pine; and the carved craftsmanship of a 16th-century oak tester bed at Hever Castle in Kent. For a flavour of the 21st century, author and photographer turn their attention to the steel-edged starkness of an executive exercise room complete with television to tune in to the all-important business news. In terms of beautiful simplicity and “getting away from it all”. It is difficult to beat the Edwardian cricket pavilion on the South Downs which has been converted into a weekend retreat. The combination of excellent images and a well-researched text, full of fascinating architectural and historical detail, makes this delightfully-presented book informative as well as inspirational.’
- THIS ENGLAND

'...From drawing rooms and studies to kitchens and bathrooms, from conservatories to bedrooms, in town and country, the subtle charms and idiosyncrasies of English rooms have been captured evocatively by Christopher Simon Sykes’s stylish photography which enhances this attractive work. It would certainly sit very comfortably and prettily on any English coffee table, though that is not to denigrate at all the seriously interesting aspects of Irvine’s text. But essentially this is a graceful book, and one which evokes in roughly equal quantities inspiration and envy...’
- BLACKMORE VALE MAGAZINE

‘...Interesting from both historical and interior design perspectives.’
- HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

Photograph by Christopher Simon Sykes

There is a certain distinctive look in home decoration that says “English,” an instantly recognizable style that is the result of diverse influences that have been adopted and adapted into English homes. In this book, Chippy Irvine considers important English interiors which epitomize all that is creative and inspiring in that unique aesthetic.

The town and country have long been the complementary aspects of life in England, and houses in both urban and rural settings are featured in this survey. THE ENGLISH ROOM takes you on a room-by-room exploration of the English home, contrasting town with country life, rooms designed for pleasure with those for more practical needs, and rooms meant to receive visitors with those that are private retreats. The interiors, influenced by the history of each house, are quirky yet sophisticated, inventive and dynamic. Terraces and verandas, patios and conservatories reflect a love of the outdoors that is an essential part of English living in both town and country. Chippy and Keith Irvine bring to life the history and changes in customs that have contributed to the creation of the English house.

Specially commissioned photographs by Christopher Simon Sykes illustrate this visual survey, from terraced town houses to a country rectory, from an imaginative warehouse conversion to a Regency villa. Country cottages and London flats, high-ceilinged sitting rooms and stone-flagged farmhouse kitchens, all conjure up that quintessential Englishness. Embracing work varying from the eighteenth-century ornamentation of William Kent, the first “interior decorator,” to the modern gravitas of John Fowler or the cosmopolitan freshness of David Hicks, THE ENGLISH ROOM shows how distinguished and delightful personal spaces can be created.