Noted designer William Peace showcases his western work in a new book.
Since the 1990s, interior designer William Peace has had his workspace at ADAC West adjacent to the main center on Peachtree Hills Avenue. But his headspace is usually way out west.
“I’ve had a home in Bozeman, Montana, for more than 20 years. That’s my satellite office and maybe my favorite place to be,” Peace says.
In the 1990s, a family he had worked with for years was the impetus for his first visit. “They had bought a ranch there then took a trip for a year and a half and wanted us to build while they were gone,” Peace says. “I had never been there before and wound up spending a lot of time there. I ended up getting referred to similar projects, and it soon became a huge part of my life.”
The Kentucky native had already established a reputation for building classic homes in the mountains, alongside lakes and in coastal areas.
But Bozeman had a more significant impact.
“It changed my life,” Peace says. “I started bringing my three kids out to fish, ski and hike. It was largely undiscovered, and I thought it was spectacular. There’s a magnetism about it that draws you back once you’ve been there.”
The natural beauty also changed his design approach, Peace says, making it a bit more dramatic as he strives to meld living spaces with dynamic landscapes. “Montana has a vastness from the mountains to the open valleys that’s different from anywhere in the U.S. A lot of the western projects I’ve done have big views, and I want to complement that.”
Early this year, Peace published his first book that showcases 10 of his top western projects. Peace in the West: The Rustic Luxury Interiors of William Peace includes nine residences and one restaurant he designed in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and Texas with a common theme of less is more: “It’s not about ‘everything in the room has to be the star of the show,’” Peace says.
The book also presents a look at how Peace’s work in the West has evolved. “It wasn’t easy to pick the projects for the book; I wanted variety from my career in the West.
It starts with that first one I did and then homes in different styles—rustic, cabin-y—in different locations. I wanted them all to be based on authenticity of materials such as reclaimed wood, local stone, some steel and metal. Variety is what it is all about.”
While Peace continues his love affair with the West, he’s not ready to give up his Atlanta connection.
“I love being at ADAC West; it’s one of the best design centers in the country,” Peace says. “We pretty much source everything out of Atlanta. And I appreciate the balance of being in a city like Atlanta and then going to the openness of the Rockies. But Atlanta is my home and always will be. It’s great to be able to work around the country with the support of the design community here.”
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