With our Book Club series, we hand over the proverbial mic to our Experts—letting them share their work, thought process, and best tips, all in their own words. The following is an excerpt from Ashe Leandro’s new book, published last month with Rizzoli.

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Ariel and I always feel uncomfortable when we are asked what our style is.

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Worse, when someone says, “Describe your style in a couple of words.” This has always been difficult for us. Why was it so hard? We have been described as “comfortable luxury,” and sure, that works, but the designation encompasses little of who we are. We also cringe at the word eclectic. We are decidedly not that, even though we like mixing periods or highbrow with low. Everything we do has a clear vision to be executed. Naturally, these visions or styles change because not all projects are the same—after all, clients have varying lifestyles. When we talk about our style, we prefer to talk about our ethos, which, over time and practice, we have narrowed down to three pillars:

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Instinct

We are both very quick. We know instantly what we like. Our approach is much more about reaction. First, consider the client’s desires and needs. Second, respond to the site, bearing in mind its historical or nonhistorical precedents. Third, understand the space or site’s constraints and its surrounding environment. At the end of the day, let go and create an environment that looks and feels good. As designers, trusting our guts and creative instincts is of upmost importance.

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Honesty

We are drawn to the tactile and earthy qualities of materials, letting them show wear and age. This is what makes a project ageless—the honest wear of its surfaces. We feel the same way about fabrics in terms of their tactile and earthy qualities—velvets, wools, linens. We rarely use wallpaper or patterns. Honesty is always present when it comes to a space if it has details from a historical period or is in a building or neighborhood that calls for a certain acknowledgment of its setting. We want to let those qualities show, enhance them, or bring them back. Decidedly modern spaces should also adhere to the stylistic precepts of the period to which they belong. Honesty also shapes the designer-client relationship. High-end residential design can be both physically and mentally challenging. Not only are we responsible for delivering flawless homes but also spaces that are true to each client’s lifestyle. We must know how to listen to and understand clients, giving the Ashe Leandro vision but staying true to who they are as individuals or as families.

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Humor

This is not humor as in being funny, or whimsical, or creating tongue-in-cheek spaces. In fact, I would not consider Ariel or me necessarily funny or light. We can both be temperamental and neurotic—and our humor is dark. Humor for us has more to do with setting up a mood. We do this through materials, color, lighting, and even art. Humor provides each space with a clear voice.

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It’s also crucial to bring humor to the field and into the office environment. We know that what we do is a luxury; this is a serious business where mistakes can be costly, but at the end of the day the most important thing is to keep the work challenging and exciting since that makes it fun. It’s not as easy as it sounds—there are deadlines and expectations and financial prospects to be met. Still, we need to enjoy what we do.

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Order Ashe Leandro’s new book for more tips, or book a consultation with Ariel and Reinaldo to get personalized advice for your space.