Interior Design Subject Guide

Getting Started: Handbooks, Manuals and Reference Works

As you begin your research, refer to books such as these for an overview, background information, and definition of terms. (More specialized references are available, too. Talk to the reference librarian if you'd like suggestions and assistance.)

General

Business and legal forms for interior designers. Tad Crawford and Eva Doman Bruck.
REFERENCE NK2116 .C66 2001
45 ready-to-use forms and negotiation checklists. Also includes forms on a CD-ROM.

The concise dictionary of interior design. Frederic H. Jones.
REFERENCE NK1704 .J6 1991

Encyclopedia of interior design. 2 vols. Joanna Banham.
REFERENCE NK1165 .E48 1997

The Grove encyclopedia of decorative arts. 2 vols.
REFERENCE NK28 .G76 2006

Interior design. 3rd ed. John F. Pile.
OVERSIZE NK2110 .P55 2003

Interior design & decoration. 5th ed. Sherrill Winton and Stanley Abercrombie.
OVERSIZE NK2110 .W55 2002

Interior design reference manual: a guide to the NCIDQ exam. 2nd ed. David K. Ballast.
OVERSIZE NK2116.5 .B35 2002

Kitchen & bath business management: financials, personnel, operations. National Kitchen & Bath Association.
REFERENCE NK2116.2 .D37 2006

Phaedon design classics. 3 vols.
REFERENCE NK1320 .P438 2006
Photos and history of "industrially manufactured objects of aesthetic value and timeless quality."

Planning & managing interior projects. 2nd ed. Carol E. Farre.
OVERSIZE NK2116 .F371 1999

Professional practice for interior designers. 3rd ed. Christine Piotrowski.
OVERSIZE NK2116.2 P57 2002

Time-saver standards for interior design and space planning. 2nd ed.
REFERENCE NK2110 .T48 2001

Videos & DVDs

Color in everyday life
AUDIOVISUAL NK21115.5 .C6 C65 2006

Eye for design
AUDIOVISUAL NK2113 .E94 2006

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Finding Books

Begin your search with MnPALS, our online catalog. MnPALS provides access to books, audiovisual materials, eBooks, and other resources available at DCTC and at other libraries in the MnPALS system. Our books and audiovisual materials are organized according to Library of Congress call numbers. Items not available from the DCTC Library can be requested online through interlibrary loan (ILL).

The best way to begin a search in MnPALS is to enter one or two keywords on your topic. To focus your search, find the most relevant records in your results and look at their subject headings. MnPALS displays subject headings as links and clicking on them will begin a search for that particular topic.

MnPALS includes the titles of our magazine and journal subscriptions but does not provide the articles themselves. To search for articles, see the Finding Articles section below.

Sample subject headings for interior design:

interior decoration
interior architecture
decorative arts

homes and gardens
buildings
kitchens

bathrooms
office layout
draperies

Tip: Most books dealing with Interior Design and its related fields are shelved in call number NK. Browse those shelves for ideas.

We also have books on related subjects such as art history, color, drafting, materials, flooring, etc. Please see the reference librarian if you need help locating these resources.

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Finding Articles

Use periodical indexes and databases to locate articles, reports, and other documents on your topic. Most of these resources provide full-text articles, which you can print, save, or e-mail. We also have print subscriptions to some magazines and journals that aren't available electronically. We keep the current year and three previous years of most magazine and journal issues. If an article you need is not available at the DCTC Library in either print or electronic format, you can request the article from another library through interlibrary loan (ILL).

Periodical Indexes & Databases

EBSCO MegaFILE (1865 - Present)
EBSCO MegaFILE indexes nearly 24,000 publications and provides full text for over 19,100 publications. EBSCO MegaFILE covers virtually all subjects and includes biographies, company profiles, primary source documents, and images. EBSCO MegaFILE combines four EBSCO indexes and databases: Academic Search Premier, Business Source Premier, MasterFILE Premier, and Regional Business News.

Access World News (1977 - Present)
Access World News provides full text articles from more than 2,000 newspapers, wire services, and broadcast transcripts from all over the world.

ProQuest Newspapers (1980 - Present)
ProQuest Newspapers provides full text articles from nearly 700 newspapers and wire services from all over the world.

Journals

Architectural Digest
Indexed from January 1, 1984 to present in EBSCO MegaFILE.

Architectural Record
Indexed from May 1, 1984 to present with full text from January 1, 2001 to present in EBSCO MegaFILE.

Art & Antiques
Indexed with full text from January 1, 2004 to present in EBSCO MegaFILE.

Art in America
Indexed from January 1, 1984 to present with full text from November 1, 2002 to present in EBSCO MegaFILE.

Better Homes & Gardens
Indexed from January 1, 1985 to present in EBSCO MegaFILE.

Elle Décor
Indexed from February 1, 1994 to the present in EBSCO MegaFILE.

Gifts & Decorative Accessories
Indexed from July 1, 1993 to present with full text from July 1, 1999 to present in EBSCO MegaFILE.

Home
Indexed from July 1, 1994 to present in EBSCO MegaFILE.

House Beautiful
Indexed from Feb. 1, 1985 to present with full text from June 1, 1999 to present in EBSCO MegaFILE.

Interior Design
Indexed from July 1, 1993 to present with full text from July 1, 1999 to present in EBSCO MegaFILE.

Magazine Antiques
Indexed from January 1, 1985 to present with full text from November 1, 2002 to present in EBSCO MegaFILE.

Metropolitan Home
Indexed from July 1, 1989 to present in EBSCO MegaFILE.

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Web Sites

American Society of Interior Designers
ASID is a "leading professional organization for interior designers with the largest residential and commercial membership." The site features an overview of interior design, career and design school information, a code of ethics, a list of ASID members, links to state licensing boards, articles about sustainable and universal design, and related material.

Decorating
A compilation of dozens of articles about the interior decoration of contemporary homes. The "Design Styles" section features information about styles such as Art Deco, Asian, French country, rustic, shabby chic, and Shaker. Includes home tours, and design ideas for specific rooms and for items, such as baskets, candles, lamps, and window treatments. Also includes a design style quiz. From Home and Garden Television (HGTV).

Dezignare Interior Design Collective
This "guide for interior design" provides news and information for interior design professionals. It features an international list of selected designers (and a list of related services, such as furniture refinishing and feng shui), a design Library with links to sites about various historical design periods from ancient to modern, links to interior design magazines, a list of design centers for the trade, and more.

The History of Interior Design
An overview of prominent designers of interior spaces mainly from the 20th century. Features brief information and selected thumbnail images for designers such as Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Antoni Gaudi, Gerrit Rietveld, Alvar Aalto, Philip Johnson, and Charles Eames. From Architecture Week magazine.

National Kitchen and Bath Association
The official web site of the National Kitchen & Bath Association, which accredits DCTC's interior design program -- "your source for kitchen and bath information and education."

Rental Decorating Digest
This site provides a "collection of interior design articles, covering topics on the basics of interior design, dorm decorating and college decor, bedroom design for all ages, budget decorating ideas and organizing for small-space living." It provides interior design suggestions for apartments, home studios, and dorm rentals. Includes do-it-yourself ideas, a brief style guide, information about gardening for renters, and more. Includes links to commercial sites.

Annotations from Librarians' Internet Index.

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Reference Librarian

The DCTC Library's Reference Librarian is

Barbara Tuttle
651-423-8345

Please feel free to contact me with questions, comments, concerns, or for additional help with your research.

This page is maintained by Michael Kirby and Barbara Tuttle.
Last updated: November 21, 2007.