Architect William Smalley is no stranger to the art of creating refined living spaces with just the right dose of decadence. Over the years, we’ve charted his projects from the Disco House in London, to a lavish Alpine attic and a meticulously restored and extended Mid-Century Modern courtyard house.
Master bedroom, Surrey house, from Quiet Spaces by William Smalley
Quiet Spaces: a book by William Smalley
Now Smalley has parlayed his approach into a monograph, choosing not just to focus on his own projects but consider a wide range of architect-designed spaces that align with his own values of simplicity and calm. Featuring photographs throughout by Harry Crowder and Hélène Binet, the book comes with an introduction by potter/philosopher Edmund de Waal, a master at focusing the mind of the delights to be found in details and craft.
New York Apartment, from Quiet Spaces by William Smalley
Smalley’s own house is one of the projects, as are recent works in London, New York, Oxfordshire and France. Amongst the projects he cites as inspiration for such ‘interiors for introverts’ are Jim Ede’s Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge, the Barbara Hepworth garden and studio in St Ives, and Peter Zumthor’s Secular Retreat, as well as the work of one of its inspirations, a 16th century villa by Andrea Palladio.
Villa Saraceno by Andrea Palladio, Vicenza, Italy, from Quiet Spaces by William Smalley
At the heart of the book is an emphasis on peace and sanctuary, rather than precision, perfection or clinical minimalism. Smalley recalls rebelling against his generation’s disdain for domesticity – ‘as architecture students, we weren’t supposed to like old limewashed rooms, or read World of Interiors, or, I think, be interested in comfort, in what it feels like to be in a space, to feel its pressures and presence,’ he writes.
St James's Apartment, from Quiet Spaces by William Smalley
Crowder’s photography mirrors this focus on feeling over form, eschewing the conventions of architectural photography in favour of atmospheric imagery that is both seductive and serene.
Lewes Rectory, from Quiet Spaces by William Smalley
Lunuganga by Geoffrey Bawa, Bentota, Sri Lanka, from Quiet Spaces by William Smalley
Secular Retreat by Peter Zumthor, Devon, UK, from Quiet Spaces by William Smalley
Quiet Spaces, William Smalley, Thames & Hudson, £50
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