The Laws of Harmony and Proportion

A lovely Pat Stewart illustration in “Living a Beautiful Life.”

Love of beauty is taste… the creation of beauty is art. -Emerson

I’ve been a fan of Alexandra Stoddard since I came across the designer’s book Living a Beautiful Life in the mid-1980s. She has since become a prolific author with an insightful list of releases but Living a Beautiful Life remains the book I return to when I need a reminder that comforting rituals have a nurturing impact on our worlds.

“Creating daily rituals—making dail...