2022 BEST DESIGN BOOKS: THE ELEGANT LIFE BY ALEX PAPACHRISTIDIS

Image courtesy of Rizzoli

Designer Alex Papachristidis crafts spaces made for gracious living. He designs beautiful interiors filled with exquisite moments, from working with unbelievable blue chip art to using divine custom finishes, his rooms are bespoke jewel boxes where every last decorative detail is considered. His new book with Rizzoli, The Elegant Life - Rooms That Welcome and Inspire, by Alex Papachristidis written with Mitchell Owens, takes us along on a visual journey through swank New York city apartments and luxurious, livable houses by the sea. His masterful touch can be seen in his deft use of print and pattern, and his love of decorative arts and a well-placed accessory can be felt throughout the show-stopping rooms he creates. But that’s not all he can do. His beautifully set tables also grace the pages of his book, and from the flower arrangements to the place settings, he creates some of the most gorgeous tables I’ve seen. And when it comes to working with the best vendors and museum quality pieces, Papachristidis has a rolodex of custom sources that are the best in the business. Sourcing is for most, the best part of the job, and I often see him dashing from showroom to shop, and he always stops to say hello, often with Cooper, his Norwich terrier puppy in tow. Ahead, a few of my favorite spaces from the glamour-filled abodes he has transformed.

Image courtesy of Rizzoli

A study done in shades of blue in a New York apartment. I love the vintage Louis XVI–style bureau plat designed by John Vesey paired with a whimsical palm tree lamp.

Image courtesy of Rizzoli

Grisaille, silver and gold in a cocoon-like setting he designed in the 2016 Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse. Being in this room swathed in a hand-painted Gracie wallpaper was magical. It shimmered and oozed glamour.