One childhood Christmas, Mary Randolph Carter and her eight younger siblings picked out a welcome mat that, she says, “expressed what we felt was our family motto.” The motto became the title of one of Carter’s most beloved books, A Perfectly Kept House Is the Sign of a Misspent Life (Rizzoli), which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Inspired by her childhood home—a 17th-century house in Virginia—which she shared with her parents and eight younger siblings, the book is an ode to the comfortable and lived-in, a home filled with meaning, memories, and warmth. Below, a Q&A with the author, who currently oversees Ralph Lauren publishing, on her signature artfully cluttered aesthetic, love of antiques and vintage, and design philosophy.
What kinds of spaces inspired the book?
I thought about my own childhood home in Virginia, which was an old 17th-century house filled with personal things. I was always drawn to the beautifully, artistically cluttered studios of Picasso or Alexander Calder. But it was a philosophy about living, which was just about making people feel at home in your home. I’m inspired whenever I walk into a home that shows its heart, whether it’s a refrigerator filled with children’s artwork or a wall of photographs or books.