Ep. 451: The Expressive Home with Ray Booth

How to Decorate

Caroline McDonald

Arts, Business, Design

4.4 • 838 Ratings

🗓️ 3 February 2026

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to How to Decorate from Ballard Designs, a weekly podcast all about the trials and triumphs of decorating and redecorating your home.
0:09.1	I'm Caroline. I'm on the marketing team. And I'm Taryn and I'm a product designer. I'm Liz. I head of the creative team.
0:14.8	We're your host. Join the expert team at Ballard Designs for tips, tricks, and tales from interior designers, stylists, and other talents in the design world. Plus, we'll answer your decorating dilemmas at the end of each episode. We love answering your questions, so don't forget to email us at podcast at balderdesigns.net. Now on with the show. Today, we are thrilled to welcome back to the show, Ray Booth, an acclaimed interior designer and partner at award-winning architecture and interiors firm McAlpin.
0:41.5	With a degree in architecture, Ray designed spaces that are won with the architecture of the home.
0:46.4	Blending classic elegance with modern comfort.
0:48.9	Today we'll be talking about his new book, The Expressive Home.
0:52.0	Ray, welcome back to the show.
0:54.1	Thank you. So happy to be here with you guys.
0:57.1	Well, I recall about what must have been five years ago when you were on the first time, just loving your book and loving our chat. So I'm excited to talk about your latest book, your second book of published work. And it's,
1:15.3	of course, a beauty, just like your first one. So, um, you're kind to say. Thank you. I hope,
1:22.3	I hope people think so. We're getting it out there as much as we can in the hopes that we'll get some eyeballs across it.
1:29.8	And it's always fun to get out and meet people and see their reaction to the work.
1:36.0	And, you know, you do all of this kind of in a little bubble of your office.
1:40.6	And it's fun to actually put it out into the world and and see people's response to it.
1:45.3	I have always admired your work because you are an architect first. You went to school for
1:50.6	architecture at Auburn University. School for architecture. Not licensed, but I have partners
1:56.6	who are licensed. God bless you. You know, it seems like your interior design choices and style just blend
2:04.7	so seamlessly with the architecture. And that has to be because you went to school for architecture
2:09.1	before pivoting to interiors. I mean, is that the genesis of, of you would say, your style?
2:16.6	You know, I do think we in my offices, we have a unique perspective because everything
2:24.7	that I look at, I look at through an architectural lens.
2:28.6	And, you know, there are people who decorate and who are such strong decorators.
	...

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