author
Ogden Codman
1863–1951
A leading voice in American interior design at the turn of the 20th century, this architect and decorator helped push taste away from clutter and toward symmetry, proportion, and classical restraint. He is best remembered as the co-author, with Edith Wharton, of The Decoration of Houses, a book that shaped how elegant homes were designed and furnished.
1 Audiobook
The Decoration of Houses
by Edith Wharton, Ogden Codman
About the author
Born in Boston in 1863 and raised largely in France, Ogden Codman Jr. became an American architect and interior decorator known for refined Beaux-Arts interiors and a strong dislike of overstuffed Victorian fashion. After early architectural training in Boston, he built a career designing houses and interiors for wealthy clients in places like Newport, New York, and elsewhere in the Gilded Age world.
Codman’s name is closely tied to Edith Wharton, with whom he co-wrote The Decoration of Houses in 1897. The book argued for simpler, more orderly rooms inspired by classical design, and it became highly influential in American interior decoration. His own work reflected those ideas, combining architecture, furniture, and room layout into a unified whole.
He continued working for decades as both a designer and tastemaker, with projects that included grand private homes in the United States and France. Today he is remembered not just for individual commissions, but for helping redefine what a stylish American interior could be.