Innovatively combining coverage of early periods and later periods in one comprehensive, well-illustrated, authoritative volume. This fresh exploration of the history of furniture focuses on innovation and change—the key moments and connections in the evolution of style. The first 5 chapters explore the origins of the traditional styles of Western furniture, from ancient times through the Eighteenth Century; the next five survey the Nineteenth Century, with its complex array of historic revivals, reform, and concurrent attempts toward modernism, into the Twentieth Century; and the final five chapters consider many of the innovations and developments of the Twentieth Century, with photographs of modern classics, many of which are still in production. This familiarity with both traditional material and previously “overlooked” modern contributions and contributors will help students make more educated choices today for better design tomorrow.