Kitchens are like a friend of the family and are all tangled up with my emotions. So much so, that when I meet a woman who isn't interested in her kitchen I am just a little suspicious of her. Mary Davis Gillies

{HISTORY}

Mary Davis Gillies was an associate editor at McCall's Magazine for several decades specializing in architecture and interior design. She was also a published author of several interior design books, a syndicated newspaper columnist on home design trends and a coordinator of the House of 40 Dreams in Coral Gables, Florida. A beloved expert in her field, she wrote this book Popular Home Decoration in 1940 as a teaching tool for women interested in improving the visual style of their homes. Whether undergoing a total makeover or simply sprucing up a room or two, Mary taught readers the basic rules of color, pattern, shape, style, and texture that all good design exemplifies.  Through detailed diagrams, photographs and engaging text she straightforwardly laid down basic principles that would yield confident decorators and visually appealing spaces. 

This book is fascinating for a few different reasons. Not only is it interesting to see how people were decorating their homes in 1940 but also how they were not. Mary spends a significant amount of time on each room showing readers how to update old pieces of furniture or minimize outdated colors or patterns or fabrics without ever being elitist or wasteful when it came to recycling or repurposing furniture that no longer seemed as trendy as it once it did. She was a forever advocate of the power of paint and often suggested that a gallon could go a long way in painting walls, furniture or floors so her advice on how to work with items readers already owned is just as useful and creative as imagining a brand new house worked over the ground up with all new decor. 

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

- Contains 309 pages

- Detailed photographs throughout in both color and black and white

- Contains line drawings and diagrams of the various aspects of interior design from furniture to room layouts, decorative placements to blueprint suggestions.

{CONDITION}

In well-loved condition, this vintage book is a touch on the shabby side with partially loose pages in the front, various foxing, very light occasional stain marks and a few wrinkly pages. None of these flaws affect the ability to read the book in any way and it is not in danger of falling apart. It has simply just been enjoyed and consulted (perhaps by a fellow interiors lover) for many years. 

{SIZE}

Measures 8.5" inches (width) x 11.25" inches (length) x .75" inches (depth).

{GIFT IDEA}

A fun gift for anyone who lives in their own 1940's era home or is an interior designer themselves, this book makes for not only a handy reference tool to the styles of the day but also an interesting coffee table book full of vintage home design inspiration.