Peace in the West
The Rustic Luxury Interiors of William Peace
Stunning photography and thoughtful commentary highlight this tribute to interior designer William Peace, whose “rustic luxury” style reflects the history and landscapes of the West.
This beautiful book features ten of Peace’s interior design projects, with a focus on vacation homes and hunting lodges for wealthy clients. An iconic Montana steakhouse is also included. These luxurious spaces, often situated on remote acreage with spectacular mountain, forest, and water views, are honored with natural materials including reclaimed wood, moss rock, limestone, iron, and slate. Vaulted ceilings and expansive views are complemented by spots of comfortable warmth and intimacy. Carved antiques, bronze casts, Native American art, mounted animal trophies, and leather upholstery lend some a rugged, timeless quality.
Eras and styles are often juxtaposed: A porch on a secluded log home in Montana’s Gallatin Canyon, for instance, incorporates beamed walls, an elk antler rack, nineteenth-century Southern pottery, a vintage leather-and-wicker rocking chair, and a Navajo floor runner. Similarly, a ranch in the Texas hill country combines rustic and modern industrial styles; in the foyer, a brutalist console contrasts with an early twentieth-century giltwood chandelier, an abstract midcentury painting, and an ornate sixteenth-century Italian Renaissance table.
The integration of natural beauty with artistic interiors is consistent throughout. For each venture, the book explains, Peace studies the light and sight lines and considers the seasons, storms, and the animals that “might transit a property.” While the book focuses on a handful of exceptional homes, the designer’s creative principles—such as balancing shapes and textures, eclectic mixes of old and new, and mirroring the outdoors inside a home—are appealing for any home decorating project.
Peace in the West is a lush, fascinating designer’s retrospective featuring ten extraordinary properties and their rugged interior designs.
Reviewed by
Kristen Rabe
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
