Review by Library Journal Review
Nancy Lancaster, daughter of one of the famous five Langhorne sisters of Virginia (her aunts included Lady Nancy Astor and Irene Gibson, wife of illustrator Charles Dana Gibson), was a wife and mother who in the mid-20th century, with her husband's purchase of Sibyl Colefax's London decorating business, became an influential interior designer. With John Fowler, Colefax's assistant, she created Colefax & Fowler. Her ability to sum up "the essence of the place" and his attention to detail allowed the partners to create a decor that epitomized the English Country House style. Wood (Gertrude Jekyll at Munstead Wood) details the refurbishing, decorating, and landscaping undertaken by Lancaster all throughout her adult life, including for many of her own homes (e.g., Mirador, the Langhorne estate in Virginia) and illustrates these endeavors with a multitude of photographs. Recommended for academic and large interior design collections. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
