“We are not makers of history. We are made by history.” Martin Luther King Jr.

The quote above by Martin Luther King Jr. explains why it is important for one to learn about the past as the present is an accumulation of the past. Studying ancient styles increases one’s design knowledge palette and enhances awareness of where present day designs have arisen from.

There is no denying that the spaces we live in, work in and use for every day life are heavily influenced by societal beliefs, norms, customs, religion, the state of the economy, the people in power, climate, culture among other factors. Therefore, this section on Antiquity explores some predominant past civilizations and how the aforementioned factors influenced the spaces they lived, worked and spent their everyday lives in.

Information courtesy of New York School of Interior Design “Historical Styles 1” class