INNOVATIVE INTERIORS. (V.Lee), HB

Lee's latest covers the wildly varying interiors of new homes, 12th-century churches, converted warehouses and rooftop apartments. She's infiltrated the dwelling places of celebrities such as Brazilian fashion designer Carlos Miele, New York fashion designer Betsey Johnson and Italian textile exec Anna Zegna, showing how these design tycoons have matched basics like space, access to daylight and priority of function to customized aspects like character and color. Lee, an editor at London's The Times Magazine, splits her book into four chapters: classic, contemporary, colourful and converted. Each section walks readers through 10 homes. Most are sumptuous places, with accent pieces like a shoulder-high sculptural pillar candlestick and showers that have wind traveling through them so the surfaces dry naturally. Still, everyday folk will benefit from some of the ideas, like using blinds that close down to the sill in the evening, giving privacy, but remain open in the upper section to keep the night sky visible.