JAMES ANDREW INTERIOR DESIGNER

Many may think that I live the life of a fabulous flaneur, and while perhaps this is not a complete misconception, the truth is I’m actually quite busy as interior designer and decorator.

Most of my clients are particularly quiet and private people, and therefor it is rare that I have the opportunity to share and document what I have done—I am glad to say, however, that once in a while I’ll have a client that will allow such documents to be made and shared.

Take for instance the work I completed recently for a young family in the posh bedroom community of Mountclair, New Jersey. Located on a street lined with gorgeous properties, this was the family in question’s first house (a 1920’s Tudor style affair), and therefor they were in need of everything and more importantly, they were quite excited to explore the decorating/design process. As should be pretty evident in the photographs taken by my friend Matt Dean here, the couple share a passion for color and bold art which I helped them weave into a glamorous/organic/modernist sort of vibe.

I quickly (almost psychically) developed a look for them that perhaps they never knew they wanted. Scott McBee created some ravishing renderings of my proposed living room and dining room, and happily my clients were sold on all of these ideas.

For the living room, our palette included blues, reds and lavender, keeping the George Smith sofas neutral. Bennison’s “Banyon” pattern became the basis for this palette and we mixed in a modernist geometric patterned David Hicks fabric from Lee Jofa — the furnishings are a Jean Michel Frank meets exoticism sort of mix.

My clients were crazy for Quadrille fabrics, so every room sports several of these fab fabrics. The master bedroom has a Moroccan rug from French Accents, a Tucker Robbins custum cubist chest of drawers , a vintage Parzinger mirror, Porthault “Le Tigre” bed linens, and the wall color is Farrow and Ball’s “Blue Ground.”

In the dining room, Fromental’s “lotus and carp” create the most sublime backdrop for uber glam dinner parties — a custom designed slab dining table with gilt bronze base from Hudson Furniture. Pagano studios created this glorious mica, glass, and alabaster chandelier. The dining chairs are upholstered in Albert Hadley’s beloved pale blue leather.

We had nearly finished decorating when my clients informed me that they had purchased a new home in Florida and were selling their marvelous home in Mountclair. The house sold in less than two days and I’d like to think my interior work had something to do with it! In any case I’m thrilled to give you a bit of a glimpse of what we accopmlished, and I look forward to sharing much more in the future.

I am photographed in the octagonal music room — chocolate brown cashmere covered walls with a nail head detail, a pair of chairs we ourselves designed with an ottoman made of Kuba cloth and made by A. Schneller and Sons. Underfoot is a pinched zebra carpet with purple leather trim from Patterson Flynn and Martin. I’m sporting a Tom Ford brown plaid suit in silk, linen, and cashmere, purple and white striped cotton shirt with contrast white collar and French Cuffs, a brown and purple silk polka dot pocket square, brown leather tasseled loafers, antique shell and coral cuff links, my vintage Rolex, and my fragrance is Creed Windsor.

All photos by Matt Dean.