In her book, Mary McDonald: Interiors: The Allure of Style, the oh-so-glam L.A. designer takes readers on a guided tour of her jaw-dropping interiors.
Get a sneak peek at these luscious spaces and pick up a few design tricks along the way.
COLOR HAPPY
She's famous for her fearless use of color, so it's no surprise that McDonald loves the vibrancy of various tones of green. "My absolute favorite is jade green, which always makes me swoon." In this dining room, hand-painted Chinese wallpaper creates a show-stopping moment, while butter-yellow curtains infuse the room with a sunny elegance.
Photo by Dominique Vorillon
BECKONING BOUDOIR
"To be truly romantic, a bedroom must be playful," says McDonald. "It can be chic as can be, but it must have a bit of 'come hither' to it." Here, she flanked the bed with whimsical chinoiserie wallpaper panels and washed the room with soft blues and creams for a flirty, feminine look.
Photo by Miguel Flores-Vianna
MASTERFUL BATH
"I approach decorating a bathroom as I do any other room," says McDonald. Here she employed an upholstered settee and luxe throw to make the space as inviting as its adjacent bedroom, adding ladylike decorative accessories to create a look she describes as "pure global glamour."
Photo by Miguel Flores-Vianna
LAYERS OF TEXTURE
"This bookcase is a good example of how you can make a plain piece of furniture look stylish and chic by layering on objects such as shells, gessoed animal horns, and a collection of antique blanc de Chine," says McDonald. "I like to hang a big mirror or a painting on a bookshelf as long as it's not blocking something you need often."
Photo by Robert Trachtenberg
LIVING WITH PATTERN
McDonald loves layering pattern on pattern, but when melding exuberant motifs she follows a few guidelines. In addition to connecting various motifs through color, McDonald believes that "a multitude of patterns makes a more cohesive statement when fabrics also relate in texture and character." Here crewelwork, ikats and antique suzanis come together to create the feeling of a souk.
Photo by Miguel Flores-Vianna
INSIDE OUT
"Everyone talks about bringing the outdoors in, but I like to bring the indoors out," McDonald says. This gazebo became an outdoor dining and living room, with all-weather drapes to protect the Swedish chairs and Chinese Chippendale mirror during inclement weather. "Why shouldn't your garden be just as glamorous as your house?"
Photo by Victoria Pearson
Interiors: Courtesy of Mary McDonald: Interiors
