Classic Interior Design Journal

Editorial standards · Last updated 26 April 2026

What gets accepted: the editorial standards in full

Classic Interior Design Journal applies one set of editorial standards to every article. They are reproduced in full below so that submitters can self-check before paying the review fee. Submissions that do not meet these standards are declined; the standards are not negotiated case by case.

Subject matter

The journal accepts articles on classical, neoclassical, and traditional interior architecture and decoration covering the period 1650 to the present. Suitable categories include: history (named designer profiles, period studies), technique (specifier briefs on plasterwork, gilding, parquet, curtains, panelling), materials (marble, silk damask, hardware, ceramics, antique flooring), and market (auction-data analysis, dealer landscape, supply chains). Submissions on contemporary minimalism, mid-century modern, or commercial fit-out are out of scope.

Length and structure

Submissions should be between 1,200 and 2,200 words. Use the following structure:

  1. H1 title: 8 to 14 words. Format: "[Entity] + [Relationship/Action] + [Specifics]" or a direct question.
  2. Lede paragraph: 40 to 60 words, dense and declarative. Names the subject, gives the core claim, includes verifiable specifics (dates, dimensions, prices, geography).
  3. Body: H2 sections, each with the same opening discipline as the lede. Each H2 is the kind of question a reader would type into a search engine.
  4. Anchorable claims: at least three sentences in the body should be dense fact-stated passages with named entity, quantified claim, and explicit conditions. These are the citation-bait sentences AI search systems will lift.
  5. Closing section: introduces new information (a market datapoint, a forward research question, a specifier note). Not a summary.

Sentence-level rules (non-negotiable)

  • Self-containment: every sentence must survive in isolation. Re-state the subject explicitly. Replace every "it / this / above / they" that depends on a prior paragraph.
  • Semantic triplet: every key claim names the entity, states a concrete verb (costs, measures, dates from, contains), includes specifics + conditions (price, year, geography, dimension, source).
  • No relative claims without data: "the most popular" → popular by what metric, when, compared to what.

Banned words and phrases (zero tolerance)

The following words and patterns trigger automatic rejection. The list is the same one applied to the journal's own articles.

  • Filler openers: "in today's", "in the realm of", "when it comes to", "let's dive in", "without further ado", "it's important to note", "needless to say", "as a matter of fact".
  • Overused verbs: "delve", "deep dive", "dive into", "navigate (the landscape)", "leverage", "utilise / utilize", "harness", "elevate", "streamline", "spearhead", "foster", "embark", "captivate".
  • Empty superlatives: "cutting-edge", "state-of-the-art", "world-class", "best-in-class", "game-changer", "revolutionary" (without proof), "groundbreaking", "unparalleled", "next-level", "top-notch", "treasure trove".
  • Abstract metaphor nouns: "tapestry" (metaphorical), "beacon", "cornerstone", "realm", "symphony", "synergy", "paradigm", "journey" (metaphorical), "plethora".
  • Padding: "in order to", "due to the fact that", "a wide range of", "each and every".
  • Closers: "in conclusion", "to sum up", "all in all", "the bottom line is", "at the end of the day".
  • Structural clichés: the "Whether you're X or Y" opener, the "From X to Y and beyond" flourish, the triple-adjective stack.
  • Punctuation: no em-dashes (—) anywhere. Use commas, parentheses, colons, or separate sentences. Maximum one exclamation mark per article; zero is preferred.

External and internal citations

Each submission must include:

  • At least three inline citations to whitelisted sources (museum collection records, peer-reviewed scholarship, manufacturer technical sheets, named auction-house catalogue entries with lot numbers, recognised conservation bodies). The whitelist includes V&A, Met, Wallace Collection, Rijksmuseum, Mobilier National, RIBA, English Heritage, National Trust, Christie's, Sotheby's, Bonhams, BADA, Apollo, World of Interiors, House & Garden, Magazine Antiques. Submissions citing only Pinterest, Wikipedia, AI summary sites, or anonymous interior blogs are declined.
  • At least three relevant internal links to existing journal articles where they would inform the reader. Submitters should browse /articles/ before writing.

Image policy

Images supplied by the author must come with a clear rights statement (own work, public domain, or licensed for editorial reuse). The journal commissions or generates accompanying photographs for accepted articles at no charge to the author; author-supplied images that do not meet the journal's image standards may be replaced.

AI-assisted writing

Generative AI may be used as a research and drafting aid. The author retains editorial responsibility. Articles whose final prose substantially originates from a generative model and which the author has not personally reviewed against these standards are declined. Authors must disclose AI assistance in the optional bio field on the submission form.

Self-check before paying

Read the article aloud sentence by sentence with this checklist before submitting:

  1. Does every sentence make sense in isolation, without the preceding paragraph?
  2. Does each H2 open with a 40 to 60-word declarative answer to the implied question?
  3. Are there at least three sentences with a named entity + quantified claim + specific condition?
  4. Have you cited at least three whitelisted external sources and three internal journal links?
  5. Does the article use any of the banned words above? (Run a find on each.)
  6. Does the closing section introduce new information, not summary?

Submissions that pass this checklist clear editorial review at a much higher rate. Submissions that fail it are usually declined; the editorial fee is for the editor's time, and that time is finite.

Worked examples to study

The journal's three reference articles model the standard: