Howard defines each of the seven elements of great design (style, scale & proportion, rhythm, light, color, texture, and sound) and how all the elements can work together to create an exciting as well as calming atmosphere.

Jim Howard creates luxe yet comfortable homes for sophisticated clients around the country. His design work is known for the sort of evocative atmosphere that characterizes the world's great spaces. "Atmosphere" is the magic of a place, the embodiment of all its power to capture your attention and embrace you-some might call it the "wow factor." But even as it excites, atmosphere also soothes, offering an overall feeling of well-being and calm. Howard wrote this book to convey all he has learned about crafting atmosphere at home, wherever that home may be, whatever aesthetic it might have. Doing so isn't just a matter of rules or formulas; it is a science as much as an art, which Jim shares in a dozen captivating chapters.