Renowned designer John Wheatman shares his decades of expertise working with apartment dwellers, country homesteaders, and city sophisticates. His design principles are based on the philosophy that a living space should be functional, comfortable, and life-enriching. From displaying personal collections to incorporating light and nature, the author shows readers how to make their homes reflect who they are. Color photographs are included throughout.

Interior decorating is meant to be a personal business, but often designers have such a specific vision that they ignore beloved collections or mementos. In Meditations on Design, John Wheatman insists that it's those extremely personal items that make your home a work of art, and goes on to show a myriad of possibilities for display. Wheatman's vision is of a home that is never "done"--as he says in the first chapter, "Who you are and what you want to say about yourself is continually changing." With pages of lovely photos combined with thoughtful text, he does a great job of showing possibilities for both your home and your inspirations. Couches are low and comfortable, obviously meant for dogs and children as much as for swanky adult gatherings. Colors tend to be bold on the walls while neutral on the furnishings--after all, it's certainly cheaper to repaint than it is to reupholster. Living-room shelves are full of books, window treatments are minimal, and walls are consistently covered with the personal art collections of his clients. Whether your tastes run to chairs (his favorite), African masks, or Japanese pottery, Wheatman has a practical and low-maintenance way to show off treasures while integrating them naturally into the room. The close-up photos of statuary, gardens, and textured pottery will inspire readers to combine their own decorating schemes with day-to-day practical needs. --Jill Lightner --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

With some of the most beautiful tropical islands on earth as a backdrop, dazzling photographs reveal the homes of the sugar barons who made their fortunes there. Tables and beds from St. Thomas and Ste. Croix, armoires and chairs from Martinique, cupboards and chests from the Spanish Antilles, settees and cabinets from the English islands; all are works that combine the grace and opulence of European and North American styles with the vernacular island forms and decorative motifs. These gorgeous examples give the reader a unique view of the casual refinement of aristocratic Caribbean living.