Luminous Interiors

This designer is not stuck in any one style of decorating and the book is a great example of Mr McCarthy's diversity. There are many wonderful, high quality photos showing various houses and apartments ranging from modern to very traditional. Also, there are smaller dwellings to very grand homes. The only thing I would have liked was more text explaining the designers choices with furnishings and colour palette and the like. Over all I would highly recommend this book.

What becomes a legend most? Who is Brian McCarthy? Having just read the wonderful forward by Bunny Williams - I now know he's a force - a tour de force. I received my copy today from Amazon. Mr. McCarthy has produced a stunning book of his work. Each project carefully photographed and his commentary included along the way. Decorators always use too much of the same looks and objets. McCarthy truly adapts to the clients' wishes. You can tell. The pages are beautifully produced and the settings are beyond stunning. The best part of all of this is that nobody knows who his clients are. A true artist who carries on the legacy of Albert Hadley. Now - back to my Luminous Interiors and dreaming big.

I buy books like this as eye candy to please my eye

I have just read through Luminous Interiors for the second time.First and foremost to be admired is the grandeur of these truly breath-taking interiors which are presented in sparkling clarity through crisp and perfectly lit photography.The subtlety of this presentation, however, lies in the briskness and enthusiasm of the writing which so clearly reveals the love Mr. McCarthy has for his work.The reader can only wonder how one man can encompass so many disciplines and periods with such effortlessness and grace.One thing is abundantly clear;the luminosity in this book comes from within the author.

Why buy a book when you can hire Brian J. McCarthy to give you a taste of the eighteenth century, a segue into Modernism, a look at Neo-Gothic, or a bronze crocodile by Claude LaLanne? This book is to whet the appetites of those that can, and leave the rest of the planet to dream about fabrics, pillows, and the occasional small fluffy white dog, all of which support a vision of living that is grander than most of us, and a good thing for those fed up with minimal chic.McCarthy rightly rejects pseudo-simple, and faux-Soho shabbiness, even if peppered with the occasional Khmer sculpture and Chinese milking stool. Instead, he luxuriates in zebra stripes, gilt mirrors, very expensive paintings, and the best art and craft that money can buy.He's a king when most nobles hesitate to state their rank.Long live Brian J. McCarthy and his merry clan.

In the introduction to this stunning book, Bunny Williams recalls how Brian McCarthy became her assistant in 1983: "In the early 1980's, a very tall handsome twenty-three-year-old young man, a recent graduate of design school, applied for a position at Parish Hadley, where I was one of the senior designers. Needing help desperately on my projects, he was given the job of my assistant. His name was Brian McCarthy....within weeks the most beautiful fabrics and trims began to appear in the office after his shopping expeditions."Albert Hadley quickly recognized McCarthy's talent, Bunny relates: "Albert Hadley soon saw his amazing potential and took him under his wing to assist him on his projects. This was the beginning, but it was Brian's passion for design and all the decorative arts, his passion for architecture and art that has made him the great designer he is today."Although McCarthy initially enrolled at Pratt Institute of Design to study industrial design, he says, "...once I saw what the interior design classes were all about, the prospect of reinventing the electric toothbrush quickly lost its appeal. I became fascinated instead with developing ways of life - of creating original worlds people could inhabit gracefully, in sync with their personalities and needs and, not least, with style."Nine "original worlds" or homes are featured in this book of McCarthy's most recent projects which he has decorated over the past six years. As you peruse the pages, you will see that "luminous" is an apt description as the rooms sparkle and shimmer in the reflected light. In one of McCarthy's most well-known rooms - a turquoise, ivory and ash brown palette with zebra rug squares in a library - McCarthy put 40 coats of Chinese lacquer on the walls. McCarthy confesses freely to being a perfectionist. One of his distinctive attributes as a designer is that he ensures the envelope of the room - the walls, ceiling and architecture - is perfect. Wall treatments are as important as the furnishings which furnish the rooms.Each chapter highlights a home including:* Urban graphic - a 6000 square foot apartment on Manhattan's Upper East Side which Albert Hadley had decorated before.* Classic glamour - white painted brick residence designed by Robert Stern - library has the 90 Chinese turquoise lacquered panels.* The Grand Tour - Atlanta home to resemble a "hotel particuliere" and embrace the Bourbon Kings - McCarthy and owners took 35 trips to Europe to furnish this home.* Seaside Echoes - shingle style home on south shore of Long Island in soft blues - walls echo Monet's water lily paintings in muted blue and lilac in dining room and white plaster waves in living space.* Harmonious complexity - McCarthy's own 2000-square-foot apartment across from Carnegie Hall in midtown Manhattan ~ one of my favorite rooms is his blue guest room with leopard carpet with a nod to Mme. Castaing.* American splendor - 30,000 sq. foot Louis 16th chateau on Long Island's north shore - check out the Feau & Cie crafted mahogany library panels made in Paris with luminous blue ceiling with sunburst in library. McCarthy's favorite room in the home is Wedgwood-blue and ivory dining room also by Feau & Cie in Louis XVI style with copy of carpet of one at Versailles now at Waddesdon Manor - exquisite!* Tradition Redefined - home on North Shore of Long Island built in 1980's - clients wanted more relaxed style.* Artful Living - cedar home completed in 1938 - furnished in prewar French classics and art that is sexy-glamourous.* Alfalfa House - McCarthy and his partner Danny's own charming home in Ulster County, two hours north of NYC - exterior is humble mid-western Greek Revival style. Lively, personable and comfortable within.The quality of this volume - given McCarthy's perfectionism - is perfect; the pages are thick, the color vibrant and true, and the narration articulate and engaging. You will feel luminous after touring McCarthy's designs with him.

Wonderful book with great pictures. What an eye for detail. Great antique/vintage furniture often paired with great contemporary art.

Luminous interiors captures the beauty, sophistication and talent of Brian's work. I have had the honor to work with Brian and find him to be extremely talented. He is a pleasure to work with.

like Ms Williams--enough books on over the top copies of Louis Le quelquechose. Ms Williams books show innovation and restraint

ブライアンマッカーシーのインテリアに興味があってKindle版を購入。横でしか見られない仕様になっていて常に見開き表示。従って、インテリアの写真が小さい。せめてピンチアウトで大きくなればいいのですが、それもできない。正直、お金を捨てた気分です。この本に興味がある方、高いですが紙の方をおすすめします。素敵なインテリア本だけにとても残念です。