When it comes to interior design, I am a devoted believer in the power of risks. The balance tips from good to great once you start doing things differently, and this room encapsulates that breaking point with spectacular panache.

From continuing the black wall paint* onto the mantel, picture rails, and wainscoting to leaving the door trim its natural wood, from the unusual mix-match of furniture styles to the traditional choice and placement of the chandelier, I am utterly awestruck by this room.

Good design is easy. Great design is exceedingly difficult; it takes a total retraining of your impulses to do things how they should be. This is the goal I bring to every project and in my design life in general.

For more on the genius behind this room and to see the others they’ve done, visit their website.

*Farrow & Ball’s Off Black.