Book review of AD at Home by Architectural Digest

Think of AD at Home: Architectural Digest as an almanac for aspirational living. Spanning the industries of fashion, music, film, art and design, this luxe volume hints at the domestic lives of some of the world’s most glamorous celebrities, from the lush Copenhagen houseboat of Danish “starchitect” Bjarke Ingles to the California cliffside mansion of Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz, to basically every inch of Julianne Moore’s home, down to the Nan Goldin photograph above her bathtub. AD at Home offers endless design inspiration and more than a few tidbits you can pull out to impress guests at your next dinner party. For example, Marc Jacobs has a killer collection of John Currin’s lush, satirical paintings in his Manhattan home, and pop star Troye Sivan’s Melbourne abode is sumptuous but surprisingly down-to-earth. And because of AD at Home’s emphasis of celebrities, there are several examples of fun, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous-style excess: You can gawk at RuPaul’s carnivalesque ballroom (“a genuine coup de théâtre crowned with an array of monumental disco balls and covered in photographs of superstar divas”), or decide whether John Legend and Chrissy Teigen’s monochromatic children’s ball pit is for you. There are fun, quirky details, like legendary Vogue creative director Grace Coddington’s collection of vintage kitten figurines lining the headboard of her bed, or designer Aurora James’ living room wall, painted the perfect shade of olive green and adorned with a massive mixed-media artwork by Mickalene Thomas. This book is a showcase for Amy Astley, who has served as Architectural Digest‘s editor-in-chief since 2017 and ushered in a new era of candid, lived-in interiors. In her editor’s letter that opens the book, she distills the magazine’s century-long legacy—AD celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2020—into a clear, compelling vision: “Fascinating people at home.” This book delivers exactly that.