An English Vision: Traditional Architecture and Interior Decoration for the Modern World

This is the first of Pentreath's books to present his own output in its entirety-from his
personal residences in Dorset, London, and Scotland that brought him international fame
to many old and new houses that he has designed and some of the larger, town-scaled
projects that make his practice unique in the world of traditional design. Although the
results range from his colorful and romantic versions of the English country cottage to
traditional splendor, there are underlying ideas that inform the breadth of his output-a
sense of scale, proportion, craft, detail, sustainability, and appropriateness-that have a
universal relevance today.
Pentreath has authored as well as taken all photographs in this book, which looks at some
thirty case studies, large and small, including many previously unpublished works. The
designs encompass an understanding of materials, texture, classical and vernacular
detail, color, richness, and simplicity by turn-as exemplified in both sumptuous and
honest interiors, grand country houses, and pragmatically organized town plans. While
being steeped in a learned classicism, Pentreath's work is celebrated by young and old
around the world, as exemplified by his coverage in major media outlets.