Art of the House : Reflections on Design

In this latest book, the renowned Southern-based designers discuss the principles that guide their extraordinary work.

Five stylish houses are presented that resonate with the McAlpine aesthetic of elegant restraint and hospitality: a colour palette of heathery pastels and warm white, and grace in every piece that wears its age with dignity.

Throughout this design primer, we are shown the steps that these masters have honed to produce striking interiors. Presented are five sections that cover such useful topics as the transformative powers of light through reflective materials like silver and glass; and bringing the natural world indoors with accents of shells, stones, and horn.

Evocative still life compositions are devised, representative of the hues and textures that express a harmonious mood.

In one of the featured residences, the prevalence of white creates a modern ambience.

In another, shades of gray combined with highlights of silver, glass, and gilt establish a restful atmosphere. Colours and textures drawn from the outside world - the reflective blue of water, the soft lustre of eggshells, and the velvety brown underside of a magnolia leaf - bring natural beauty inside casual and traditional houses.

All these spaces are filled with sensuous pleasure, and quiet messages of welcome and comfort; combining slipcovered furniture with Paris Flea Market finds, they appeal to a wide range of tastes.