May I Come In?

Book excerpt: New York magazine’s interiors editor shares some of her most memorable house profiles in this stunning and inspiring visual tour. For May I Come In?, design editor extraordinaire Wendy Goodman visits seventy homes that express their owners’ spirit and passions. In this pantheon, imagination and originality hold sway: Artists and eccentrics are the equals of aristocrats and the mandarins of design. Alba Clemente’s closet is a Renaissance theater; Amy Sedaris built a playroom (but not for children); Andrew Solomon houses his guests in an igloo; Richard Avedon’s private walls were bulletin boards; Kathy Ruttenberg’s house is an animal kingdom; Jay Maisel called a former bank with seventy-two rooms home. Every room has a story to tell and a purpose for being. A self-described design hunter, Goodman spent thirty years seeking extraordinary living spaces. In her long career, she has found three things to be true. The first is that curiosity and never giving up will get you everywhere. The second is what Diana Vreeland stated best when she wrote, “Few things are more fascinating than the opportunity to see how other people live during private hours.” The third is that houses never lie. These principles underscore her search for individuality, human interest, and authenticity in design. May I Come In? is profusely illustrated with superb images by leading interior photographers, as well as Goodman’s own snapshots and memorabilia related to her quests. It is an irresistible visual record of the art of living by one of its most astute observers. “Page after page reveals interiors that practically vibrate with charisma, while others wax a poetic minimalism that, despite a lack of things, overwhelm with grace.” —Vogue “When it comes to the New York design scene, Wendy Goodman is positively an institution.” —Town & Country