Outside In

Designer Brian Paquette argues that a connection to nature is central to making a home that feels meaningful and supportive. This is his second book, and it records the latest stage in his development as an interior designer.

The book opens with an honest, reflective essay. The projects that follow vary widely: some are homes he worked on from the start, some are remodels of existing spaces at different scales, and some are furnishings for homes that already existed. Short chapter introductions lead into gallery-style spreads of images, which readers can take in and interpret in their own way.

There are twelve chapters, and they include Paquette's own photographs of natural scenes that inspired the work in some way, or were inspired by it. A morning walk on the beach might give him the palette for a room, drawn from the textures and patterns of the earth. At other times a design was so much on his mind that a sunset reminded him of a finished room. He enjoys this back-and-forth, and it prompts reflection. He recognizes that the value of nature lies in the exact moment and the impression it leaves, which may return later as a color palette or a contrast of textures.

The book encourages readers to look more closely at the natural world around them and to find ways to bring those memorable moments into their own homes.