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Interior Design

This subject guide was created to support research in interior design and interior architecture

Best Interior Design, Art, and Architecture Databases

If you want a little background information on your topic or need help identifying possible search keywords, check out the library's reference materials.

Reference materials are the place to go if you need factual information. Think encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri—simple, straight-forward information, presented in an easy-to-navigate format.

Here are a few that may be good for art terms:

Try searching our new Start Your Research tool! It searches multiple databases for articles and the library catalog for books and other materials. This tool can be good if your topic is cross-disciplinary and you are looking for different types of materials like images!

After you do an intial search in the box pictured below, look to the right to see related images. Under the Refine Your Results drop down on the left, click Show More to select Image Quick View Type, at the bottom of the refine search pop-up page. Please ask for help with this new tool if you need it!


 

Interior Design, Architecture, and Art Databases

These resources can be found on the Library Home Page through the Databases link and then under the Art & Design. Most of these are for finding articles. Here is the full list of Architecture Databases. Also refer to the Library's Image Collections resources. If you are not in the library you will be prompted for your Texas State username and password. Use the Images tab on this guide for more about finding images.

Communication Studies Databases

Communication Studies Databases could also be another good source for articles since they can cover visual communication theories.

Disserations & Theses from Proquest

Good for finding literature reviews

Image Databases

Also refer to the Library's full list of Image Databases. Use the Images tab on this guide for more about finding images or see the Finding Images Research Guide.

Newspaper Databases

You could also check out our newspaper databases, especially the historical ones, for good resources on art. and design.  Newspaper articles from the time period of the work of art or furniture/design/architeture can be considered a primary source material. Exhibition catalogs from the time period of the art are primary sources too!