James Andrew at Stephen Score's Metro Show booth

During my time as a designer for Parish Hadley, the emphasis was on marrying pieces that shared a “sympathetic spirit,” rather than matching periods and styles. Needless to say, this approach allowed for some wonderfully playful and unexpected juxtapositions, and was very much at the heart of Parish Hadley’s most innovative and dynamic interiors.

Happily you’ll find a similar approach at the inaugural Metro Show where dealers and designers have brought together an exciting and eclectic mix of fine collectibles from a wide degree of time periods and styles, both new and old. In fact, it may surprise many to know that this is not a particularly new design trend! As Leigh Keno notes, “… the term ‘modern’ apparently originated in the late 16th century. Even in the early 17th century, a room filled with ‘modern’ furniture and accoutrements very often had ‘antiquities’ mixed in, whether collected or inherited.”

Wherever your specific interests may lie, I’m certain you’ll find some tantalizing object to admire at the marvelous NYC Metro Show. But hurry, it’s only open until Sunday January 22 (the Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18th Street, NYC). I had the great pleasure of exploring the show’s special preview, and I was so thrilled with the selection that I’ll be returning this weekend with some of my clients in tow.

I’m pictured (top) at the booth of Boston dealer Stephen Score, sporting a Tom Ford “Buckingham” jacket in black and ink wool wide twill damier, pale blue mini herringbone cotton shirt with French cuffs and a black silk pocket square, Gucci black flannel pant, black and gray micro stripe tie and black leather tasseled loafers, black alligator belt with sterling buckle by Ralph Lauren, pearl and pale blue sapphire cuff links, vintage Rolex oyster perpetual watch , amethyst sun glasses Tom Ford era Gucci, Hildestahl Medium III bag in purple leather and my fragrance is Lorenzo Villoresi’s Garofano.

James Andrew Design - Illustration by Scott McBee

I’m quite thrilled and honored to be a part of this year’s Rooms With A View Design Show.

Founded by my mentor, the legendary Albert Hadley, as a venue to support the Southport Congregational Church, it has become one of the most important social events of the season in Connecticut.

There you’ll find a series of vignettes, or mini room settings, designed by some of the most celebrated interior designers from the Northeast. This year’s theme is being called “The Next Generation,” with, as you might have guessed, a focus on rising stars. Of course there’ll be a special tribute to the iconic Albert Hadley, and in this spirit I’ve been taking great pleasure in designing my room with a nod to Hadley, the man who’s been called the “Dean of American Design.” Scott McBee’s able hand has imagined my vignette (above) I think quite perfectly.

I’m being most graciously sponsored by the superlative Scalamandre fabric house and I’ll be using all of their luxurious fabrics and trims in my vignette. I’ll also be featuring a spectacular selection of old and new pieces from some of my favorite dealers and artisans, including Frederick P. Victoria, H M Luther, Topher Carnes, Tucker Robbins, Yale R Burge, French Accents, and the brilliant work of our very own Scott McBee to name a few.

Do mark your calenders! The opening gala preview party is Thursday November 3rd , 2011 6 PM, and the show will be open to the public Friday November 4th 2011 to Sunday November 6th.

I hope to see many of you there!

James Andrew at home. Photo by Jory Clay Sutton.

My appreciation for the design work of Billy Baldwin began many years ago quite by chance when I happened upon his impossibly fresh and utterly chic designs in the book, “Billy Baldwin Decorates.” I can remember quite clearly being riveted by the Villa Fiorentina, a magnificent French Riviera home Baldwin decorated for Mr. and Mrs, Harding Lawrence—if you haven’t seen pictures of Baldwin’s interiors there, you must! The book is truly a master class in interior decoration, and has definitively shaped and informed so much of what I do. Albert Hadley, my own mentor, was in fact a student of Baldwin’s and they subsequently became lifelong friends. I feel that much of my friendship with Albert Hadley now was formed through our deep mutual admiration and respect for Baldwin’s vision.

Naturally I’m hugely excited about the new Rizzoli publication, “Billy Baldwin The Great American Decorator;” and doubly gratified by Hadley’s forward. “This is the first fully illustrated account of the career of Billy Baldwin..,” Hadley writes, whose “…style was a revelation-simultaneously classical and modernist, tailored and clean, yet dramatically colored and above all else, American.” It does seem that there is a need for exactly this today, and it should not surprise you that I aspire to the self same goals in the work I do for my own clients!

It might interest you to know that the book contains never before published transcripts of four 1974 lectures Baldwin gave at the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum—a must read for every decorator and/or design enthusiast!

For today’s post, I’m channeling a Horst portrait of Baldwin, with a painting that actually once hung over Baldwin’s own sofa!

The fantastic photograph was taken by the bright young photographer, Jory Clay Sutton.

I’m sporting a smashing Tom Ford “Country Jacket” in a dark brown wide wool check and pale blue cotton shirt with contrast white collar, brown silk satin tie Ralph Lauren, brown and pale blue retro print silk pocket square by Charvet, silver pearl and pale blue sapphire Seaman Schepps cuff links, black wool flannel pants by Gucci, sunglasses by Lanvin, Tom Ford brown suede tasseled loafers (not shown), and brown leather belt with faux tortoise buckle, and my fragrance is Creed Vintage Tabarome.

I was intoxicated by those extraordinary images in the pages of Vogue, and fantasized constantly about creating rooms like them for discerning clients. Often imagination becomes reality, and in my case this has been proven many times over – I did indeed get to create similar rooms and work for the legendary firm of Parish Hadley!

Here I am whimsically depicted by the accomplished illustrator and artist Scott McBee in a dining room with 18th century style hand painted wallpaper and mirrored treillage borders based on an interior by Albert Hadley. I look forward to designing an updated version of this room for my own future town house!

I am illustrated wearing a cognac corduroy suit, an over sized silk paisley scarf, a silk cotton Russian floral print shirt, and brown leather “Chelsea” boots all by Gucci, glasses are Tom Ford.

Here I am seated in my own living room with several treasured pieces once belonging to Albert Hadley – a Louis XVI oval back chair, ivory lacquer pedestal, and a plaster cast of a bust of Antoine Pierre Barnave by Houdon. I am wearing a Gucci black wool dinner jacket with black velvet buttons and trim, plum feather weight cashmere turtleneck sweater, Turnbull and Asser gray silk pocket square, black skinny jeans by Diesel and silver leather sneakers by Dior – this is my version of dressed down/dressed up for this recent New Year’s Eve celebration.