Product Description

A fully illustrated guide to the work of the man who, with his partners, Nancy Lancaster and Sibyl Colefax founded Colefax & Fowler, the legendary British firm that inventined shabby-chic and the English Country House style.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #50321 in Books
• Published on: 2007-11-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 208 pages

Review
A must for devotees of great decoration. -- Veranda Magazine

John Fowler (1901-1997) was by far the most influential designer of the 20th century. With his partners in the firm Colefax and Fowler, he is credited with creating the English country house style. Frances Lincoln has released the ultimate guide to Fowler and his work. "John Fowler-Prince of Decorators" by Martin Wood features 400 lush color photos and watercolors as well as historic black and white photos. This is the very first book devoted to Fowler. It presents lots of material that has never been published before about his projects.

The author explores the influences that shaped Fowler's life and career. Readers will find in-depth details on each of the individual projects. The profiled projects serve to document the evolution of his signature style over his lifetime. Following his retirement from the firm, he focused primarily on his work for the National Trust. He created designs that provided a feeling of comfort of security that have stood the test of time. The appendix has a list of his published projects.

Fresh flowers and floral designs of all sorts, including topiaries, were one of the features that were used throughout Fowler's designs. One look at the cover of this book shows that to be the case. Flowers are a signature feature of the English country style. These are used in every type of room from club rooms to libraries and entertainment areas. --Bellaonline.com

About the Author
Martin Wood is a designer of textiles, interiors and gardens who also has a winning way with words. He is the author of the bestselling Nancy Lancaster and editor of The Unknown Gertrude Jekyll, also published by Frances Lincoln.

Customer Reviews

NOT ONLY DECORATION BUT A WAY OF LIFE

With a remarkable memory for the smallest detail, imagination, and an appreciation of beauty, John Fowler was called "the Prince of Decorators." He may well have deserved that sobriquet, but in this lushly illustrated 240 volume we also learn that he was not a prince of a fellow.

Early in his career Fowler worked as a painter for Thornton Smith, commercial decorators. It was there that he learned to paint "the Chinese wallpapers that were so fashionable at the time", and also how to grime and distress furniture. Later, in 1928 or 1929 he set out to work on his own, often freelancing for other decorators. Following a series of commissions, a 1938 House Garden article placed Fowler among England's leading decorators. Rising from a salaried painter to this position in a decade was quite a feat.

More success followed as he joined Sybil Colefax in 1938. He was 32; she who enjoyed stature as a society hostess was 64. However, their alliance was dramatically affected with the outbreak of war when decorating all but stopped. After Sybil Colefax's death the firm of Colefax & Fowler was acquired by Nancy Lancaster, a Virginian whose work is thought of as "English style." She was to teach Fowler much about comfort and scale, "how large houses could be used and enjoyed in the modern world."

Fowler, who died in 1977, had an enviable client list. He transformed some of the most famous houses in England, and was commissioned by Buckingham Palace. The style created by the team of Colefax & Fowler endures today, English Country House Style represents not only decoration but a way of life. Many try to emulate it but none capture it as did John Fowler.

Those with an interest in twentieth century design will treasure this keepsake volume.

- Gail Cooke

Not just pretty photographs
I'm addicted to "house books", just as I'm addicted to houses. John Fowler has always been someone whose work I admire, and this book does an excellent job of charting his background and development as a designer. It's not necessarily a book you'll buy to get ideas for curtains from - but you'll understand better why his rooms were more comfortable, suitable and attractive than anyone else's before or since.

STUNNING-STUNNING-STUNNING!!!!!
OH, HOW I WISH TODAYS "INTERIOR DESIGN" GRADUATES AND MANY PRACTITIONER'S COULD OWN THIS BOOK AND DEVOUR ALL THE PHOTOS FOR THEIR CLASSIC BEAUTY!! THIS WAY THEY WILL KNOW WHAT GOOD DESIGN IS. THE INTERIORS DO STAND THE TEST OF TIME AND WHAT A WONDERFUL WAY TO LIVE...IN THIS DAY AND AGE IT IS ALMOST UNAFFORDABLE ON A LARGE SCALE TO DUPLICATE WHAT GENIUS JOHN FOWLER DID. IT CAN BE DONE ON A SMALLER SCALE.

RIGHT AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME WE LIVE IN AN ERA OF THAT HORRIBLE 50'S 60'S AND 70'S MODERN, WHICH IS SO COLD AND UNINTERESTING; AND LIKE A JACK DENST WALLCOVERING,THE LOOK IS DATED IN A MATTER OF MINUTES.

EVENTUALLY THE PENDULUM WILL SWING BACK TO GOOD DECORATING; WITH WARMTH. I WISH WE COULD GET BACK TO REALLY BEAUTIFUL DECORATING AND STOP THIS MADNESS OF PROMOTING TARGET AND WALMART CHEAPNESS.

JUST THROWING A BUNCH OF "STUFF" TOGETHER WITHOUT A PLAN AND A COMMON DENOMINATOR DOES NOT MAKE SENSE..THERE ARE TOO MANY SO CALLED "STARS" OF THE TV WORLD THAT PROMOTE BAD DESIGN AND DO NOT REALIZE THEY ARE MISGUIDING THE PUBLIC. THEY ARE JUST IN IT TO MAKE THEMSELVES FAMOUS....RIDICULOUS!!!