Nashville interior designer Jonathan Savage stands apart for his clean, contemporary designs, exquisite use of artwork, and less-is-more sophistication.

His passion is for contemporary design with a fresh approach, but contemporary does not always mean all-neutral, minimal rooms. He uses layers, art, fabrics, furnishings, and decor to banish any thoughts of a cold, sparsely decorated home.

"I realize that creating a home is a major investment, so I want to make sure that each one that I design works for the people who live in it. In my view, rooms only come alive when people use them, so I'm a fan of spaces that draw people in every day."

In his first book, Savage writes personally about his interior design foundation and philosophy. "I believe that the classical principles of design-balance, harmony, form, proportion, scale, repetition, contrast-are foundational, enduring, and immutable. And I follow them always-even when I break what other people consider to be the rules," he says. His ultimate goal is to design homes to be welcoming, comfortable for the people who live in them, and beautiful in every way. The homes showcased here are in Nashville, TN; Rosemary Beach, FL; Palm Beach, FL; Kiawah Island, SC; and London.