Surrounded by lush flora and fauna, a Palm Beach pool

cabana features a bold interweaving of colors and

materials, providing the perfect perch for a fabulous fête.

Travel the country in high style in

Marshall Watson: Defining Elegance,

the designer’s latest tome, which takes

readers on a decorating journey from one

sophisticated scheme to the next. The

wide range of spaces prove just how adept

Watson is at crafting refined, pared-down

interiors that remain layered and full of

life. For a Palm Beach project (pictured),

Watson and his team transformed a

once-sad spec home into an inspired and

beautiful Mediterranean Revival abode.

Below, the designer shares his distinct

take on this one-of-a-kind residence.

As for our approach: My partner, Kate

Reid, and I agreed that the success of

the interiors relied on certain inviolate

principles. First and foremost, the house

had to be authentically, unmistakably,

“Palm Beach.” From tropical Jazz Age

panache to 1950s swank, from Moroccan

romance to Persian exoticism, our

design would precisely reflect the

locale’s worldly sensibility. We wanted

the home to be inviting, witty, and

stylish, but free of anything trivial.

The idea was to preserve a measure of the

formality typical of the local style in its

heyday. marshallwatsoninteriors.com,

rizzoliusa.com