Revised 09/2026

IDS 109 - Styles of Furniture and Interiors (3 CR.)

Course Description

Teaches history of furnishings and interiors from the ancient world to the present. Lecture 3 hours per week.

General Course Purpose

 This course introduces students to the styles of furniture from the ancient world to the present and gives them insight into how the past can help shape interiors today.

Course Prerequisites/Corequisites

Prerequisite: none required. ART 101 is suggested to become familiar with common architectural vocabulary.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Identify various period styles.
• List various motifs, materials, and techniques associated with a variety of period styles.
• Describe examples of architecture, furnishings, and interior elements that represent each period style.
• Recall key designers and historical figures and their important contributions to furniture history.
• Identify key construction terms and methods in furniture making.

Major Topics to Be Included

• The Ancient World; Egypt, classical Greece and Rome
• The Middle Ages: Romanesque and Gothic
• Renaissance: Fifteenth & Sixteenth Centuries
• Baroque: Seventeenth Century
• Rococo: Eighteenth Century
• Neoclassical: Late Eighteenth Century & Early Nineteenth Century
• Victorian: Nineteenth Century
• Arts and Crafts
• Art Nouveau
• Early Modern: De Stijl, Secession, Art Deco, Bauhaus
• Mid-Century Modern
• Post Modernism
• Studio Craft Furniture