author
Kathleen Clinch Calkins
1891–1936
A little-known early 20th-century writer remembered today for a practical, style-conscious book on creating beautiful homes. Her surviving work links everyday decorating advice with the broader design ideas of her era.
1 Audiobook
The art of home furnishing and decoration
by Frank Alvah Parsons, Kathleen Clinch Calkins, Armstrong Cork Company
About the author
Very little biographical information about Kathleen Clinch Calkins has been confirmed online, but available records indicate that she was born in 1891 and died in 1936. She is chiefly associated with The Art of Home Furnishing and Decoration, a book published by Armstrong Cork Company in 1921 and later preserved by Project Gutenberg.
That book is credited to Frank Alvah Parsons and Kathleen Clinch Calkins, with Armstrong Cork Company also named in the record. It reflects the early 20th-century belief that good design could improve daily life, offering readers accessible guidance on furnishing and decorating the home.
Because reliable sources on her life are scarce, much of her personal background remains unclear. What does stand out is her connection to a period when interior decoration was being presented to a wide public as both practical and uplifting, and her name endures through that enduring design guide.