This book is part of a series of "National Trust" books that deal with room settings in which the objects are placed. The individual elements of an interior rather than its general layout - the fireplaces, chimney pieces, floors, ceilings, cornices, doors and panelling - are examined. It is in these areas, argues the author, that the achievements of England's craftsmen can be most clearly seen, for example, in the intricate wood-carving of the 17th century and the magnificent Stucco work of the 18th century, as well as in the more modest plasterwork of the Victorian family house. As with the other books in this series, the more modest houses will be dealt with as well as the grand.