Quiet Spaces

This book by British architect Smalley and photographers Crowder and Binet offers four distinctive chapters with specific expert-designed spaces for curling up and tuning out the noise of the world. The “Space” section features a sprawling Mexico City home created over a 40-year period that deftly incorporates the natural world. An airy mountain chateau in the French Alps built using local materials is highlighted in “Silence.” A stunning Sri Lankan townhome sprinkled with courtyards and water features is included in “Shadows.” The “Life” section displays a Cambridge home cobbled together from four workers’ cottages and painstakingly designed by a former curator of the Tate. A pleasure to page through, the readers is filled with beautiful reflections, architectural and design history about the spaces, and picturesque and stunning photos. While thoughtfully written and curated, this volume seems most suitable for those in the interior design or architectural fields looking for new ideas and influences; there are even building plans included.