Period Book: Interiors Beautiful (1922)

This week's installment showing excerpts from period books brings you Interiors Beautiful by M.L. Keith, dated 1922, available from Internet Archive here. As was typical for the time period, the photos are done in black and white, but there are some very lovely interiors.

My one criticism of the book is almost all the houses seemed to run on the side of "great" houses, i.e. those with numerous huge rooms that most people couldn't afford. However, the decor ideas would work for inspiration. I do wish the scan was a higher resolution.

The book went over a series of rules for papering or coloring walls, depending on the exposure of the room, season of use, and the height and size of the room. Probably still sound advice, but too many variations to include here.

Then it went over many furnishings one might want to purchase for their home, discussing the quality of some of the current brands available at the time.


There isn't actually a lot of text in this book. Each chapter has a fairly short—a page or so—of decorating ideas and then the rest of the chapter is pictures.

Here are some of the photographs and drawings I liked best.

A Living Room finished in Pine, stained a soft brown

An attractive design in Roman brick with an added touch of inlaid English lustre tiles

Facings of green tile in living room mantel

Wide fireplace, faced with morovian tile in dull reds, hearth the same, raised 6" from floor.

The heavy craftsman furniture is lightened by a few good wicker pieces

I always like to make a point of including images for period kitchens.

A place for everything and no waste space

A real tile floor is a luxury

An ideal kitchen in cream and brown

And finally, wouldn't it be wonderful to have such a huge library?

A spacious and comfortably furnished library