Simon Upton Offers the Ultimate Masterclass in Design with New Monograph
The latest from Rizzoli is colorful, alphabetical, and comprehensive
For more than three decades, photographer Simon Upton has been welcomed through the doors of extraordinarily beautiful private homes. His new book, Simon Upton: A to Z Interiors, turns that enviable access into a hefty 608-page survey of contemporary decorating, bringing together rooms and houses photographed across the globe. The volume arrives from Rizzoli on September 15.
Rather than arranging the book chronologically, geographically, or by abstracted theme, Upton takes the refreshing approach of organizing it alphabetically, according to a mix of project and ownership. The result moves between different decorative personalities, from Alidad’s layered classicism and Gil Schafer’s architectural approach to the quieter rooms of Rose Uniacke. Carolina Irving, Remy Renzullo, Bobby McAlpine, and the late Robert Kime are among the other names represented.
What makes the book particularly interesting is that Upton is not simply assembling a directory: his photographs are the connecting thread. In his time photographing remarkable interiors, he has developed longstanding relationships that have given him unusual access to spaces that are ordinarily private. Rizzoli describes the book as global in scope, with Upton using that familiarity to capture not just a room’s furniture and architecture but something of the way it is actually inhabited.
The book also brings in voices from within that world. A formidable group contributed to the hardcover, including Veere Grenney, Beata Heuman, David Netto, Ben Pentreath, Darryl Carter, Hubert Zandberg, and Orlando Atty.