A LA MODE

Where better to look for fashionable interiors inspiration than Elle Decor’s style bible…
Whatever its style – restrained and monochromatic, vivid and exuberant, or eclectic and surprising – a successful interior is cohesive. It demands discipline, editing, and a clear and consistent point of view. A home is no more a conglomeration of disparate rooms than a novel is a compendium of random words. There is always an overarching vision.

house-590-2Traditional panelling is enlivened with a vivid colour inspired by the hue of a Hermès box

This book, The Height Of Style, has been organised into four categories: Classical, Fanciful, Practical and Personal. These are broad terms, and some of the rooms in one chapter could easily fit in another – all rooms are practical, after all, in that they serve a purpose; even if it’s only to show off.

house-590-3From left: A Récamier takes centre stage in this neoclassical room. Right: Grey, black and white tiles give this kitchen an op-art look.

But I believe that the categories can be useful in thinking about design. The photographs in the book have been supplemented with insights from professionals, and pointers and principles on what makes certain rooms so successful.

house-590-4Left: A grand double-height central staircase in a home in New Delhi. Right: A floor-to-ceiling window overlooks Central Park in Ralph Lauren’s Manhattan apartment

So no matter the style of your own house or apartment, or in what category you might place it, we hope that you will find something useful and pertinent within these pages, something that will not only dazzle your eye but also help you achieve a home that is the height of style.

Elle Decor: The Height Of Style: Inspiring Ideas From The World’s Chicest Rooms, by Michael Boodro and the editors of Elle Decor; text by Ingrid Abramovitch, is published by Abrams, priced £27.99.