Attainable Luxury

When it comes to creating a sense of opulence in your home, it’s all about tasteful details.

REVIEWED BY BARBARA BALLINGER

Rooms: Creating Luxurious, Livable Spaces
By Mariette Himes Gomez (Regan Books, 2003)

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Good decorating is about finding your own personal style. If that style falls into the category of luxury, it’s not always the amount of space you have but how it’s detailed and furnished, according to Mariette Himes Gomez, the well-known New York interior designer who authored this book. Any space can be made luxurious through the right architectural framework—molding, doors, hardware, floors—and the right furnishings, arrangements, window treatments, lighting, palette, and accessories, she says. Himes Gomez illustrates her points with examples from her own simple house in the country and comfortable Manhattan apartment, which are both low-key but tasteful and luxurious.