Jacques Grange: Interiors

This work offers an all-access pass inside the luxurious homes created by this master interior designer. Combining good taste and audacity is a subtle art - tantamount to French style - that interior designer Jacques Grange has perfected for over four decades. As a young man working for design legends Henri Samuel and then Didier Aaron, his talent was soon recognized by the likes of the Vicomtesse de Noailles, Madeleine Castaing, and the Rothschilds. Since then, the prestigious commissions he has received in Paris, London, Venice, Marrakesh, and New York - most recently the Mark Hotel on Madison Avenue - have firmly placed him on the map of the decorative arts world on both sides of the Atlantic. Yet, paradoxically, Grange is known for being able to disappear behind his designs. This is because he believes an interior decor should serve as a self-portrait of the occupant and not the designer. In this impressive catalog of Grange's creations, Oriental and North African influences blend with Western styles, from rococo opulence to modern chic, to create a broad spectrum of visual effects. Contemporary works of art by, for example, the Lalannes or Yue Minjun are given pride of place according to Grange's undeniable flair and collectors eye. But, remarkably, Grange is not afraid to strip everything away, and to make space itself the main focus of a room. Always balancing virtuoso flourishes with tasteful understatement, Grange's touch is unique.