Ep. 451: The Expressive Home with Ray Booth

We are thrilled to welcome Ray Booth back to the podcast! Ray is an acclaimed interior designer, a partner at the award-winning firm McALPINE, and the author of the beautiful new book, The Expressive Home.

Ray sits down with Caroline, Taryn, and Liz to discuss how his background in architecture shapes every interior decision he makes. He shares why he views drapery as "punctuation," the optical illusion of black window mullions, and why he believes "editing is the key to happiness."

Quick Decorating Takeaways:

• Drapery is Punctuation: Ray uses drapery not just for windows, but as "commas" in a room—creating pauses, dividing large spaces, and softening the acoustics to create intimacy in an otherwise "hard" architectural box.

• The "Eyeliner" Effect: When painting window mullions (the strips between glass panes), Ray prefers dark colors (black or bronze) over white. Dark mullions act like eyeliner—they frame the view and disappear to let the eye focus on the landscape, whereas white mullions stop the eye right at the glass.

• Hang Lighting for Humans, Not Ceilings: In rooms with double-height ceilings, resist the urge to hang chandeliers too high. Ray suggests hanging them lower—within the "human scale"—so they feel touchable and help ground people in a cavernous space.

What You’ll Hear on This Episode:

• 00:00 Welcome & Introduction

• 01:30 Ray’s architectural background and his "biased" approach to interiors

• 04:00 How to choose materials based on your personal story

• 10:00 Why Ray uses drapery as "punctuation" and acoustic softening

• 16:00 Building a neutral palette: Using contrast to create harmony

• 21:00 Window Mullions: Why dark paint makes the view clearer

• 25:00 The Art of Editing: "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should"

• 28:00 Ray’s take on AI in design (featuring a nod to Steve & Brooke Giannetti)

• 34:00 Human Scale: How to make grand rooms feel intimate

• 40:00 Lighting tips for high ceilings

• 44:00 The "Deconstructed Sectional": How to improve flow around large furniture

• 48:00 Closing notes & where to find Ray

Also Mentioned:

• The Expressive Home by Ray Booth (New Book)

• Evocative Interiors by Ray Booth (Previous Book)

• McALPINE | Website

• Ray Booth Design | Instagram

• Steve & Brooke Giannetti

• Shop Ballard Designs

Please send in your questions so we can answer them on our next episode! And of course, subscribe to the podcast in Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. You can always check back here to see new episodes, but if you subscribe, it’ll automatically download to your phone.

Happy Decorating!

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