Very few people I know talk about ‘luxury homes’ these days. And it’s not because the notion has gone out of style. Instead, most of them prefer to discuss details that signify, for lack of a better term, luxury. The commissioned artwork, the salvaged Louis XIV boiserie, the incredible find from the souk in Taroudant, the massive Tom Heatherwick lamp — the list goes on. What I infer from this shift in expression is that finally people are waking up to the idea that many roads lead to the state of luxury. There’s no one captain at the crossroads telling you how to proceed from there.
More and more homeowners are getting involved in putting together different rooms in their houses, working more closely with interior architects and designers than ever before, and receiving art and antique dealers in their country homes to examine what they have brought in the back of their vans. And they’re more confident in expressing their taste, patiently waiting for the right credenza for the landing corner rather than placing any substitute because out-of-town guests are about to come in the weekend.
When we put together this supplement, we reconnected with people we knew in the industry — architects, designers, and furniture dealers — who in turn contacted their clients to have their lovely homes photographed and published in a magazine. It was a rewarding if arduous task. And this is perhaps why: Your car or watch or shoes go through constant public scrutiny, and it is possible that your choices were made with an ear to what people might say. This is not the case in your home, where you can choose to live honestly and intimately with the choices you have made.
We hope you enjoy reading this supplement as much as we did putting it together.
