American Decoration

Interior designer and decorative arts and antiques expert Thomas Jayne follows up his essential 2010 compendium The Finest Rooms in America with this new collection of his own work.

Thomas Jayne possesses a unique dual vision—he keeps one eye focused on the aesthetic traditions of the past, and the other looking forward: innovating, creating, and imagining interiors to suit modern sensibilities. His reverence for traditional ideas does not restrict Jayne’s understanding of what makes a beautiful room—rather than seeking to replicate and repeat the exact décor from past, Jayne finds inspiration in the distinctive histories of the spaces in which he works. In every project he undertakes, he draws on his rich academic background in the decorative arts to design interiors that harmonize with their historical settings, yet also connect intimately to the active and modern lives of families who call these remarkable buildings home.

 

Jayne believes that American interior decoration is unique in its combination of elements from European and Asian cultural traditions with indigenous ideas and materials, in its emphasis on comfort and livability, and in its human scale. Presented here for the first time, his projects reflect this sensibility, drawing from established traditions and reinterpreting them for contemporary life. Drawing on the legacies of Albert Hadley and Sister Parish, Jayne insists on authenticity and comfort, incorporating elegant antiques and art with a subtle but warm palette and a welcoming setting.

 

In this richly illustrated collection of both city and country residences, Jayne reveals the inspiration and thought behind each design, identifying elements from the architecture, the clients’ collections of art and antiques, and from the site itself that serves as the basis for the decoration of the rooms.

This is the first monograph on the work of Thomas Jayne Design Studio, a group that approaches interiors from the point of view that an understanding of the history of the decorative arts and architecture can provide insight into current ideals of decoration. Such awareness can also be a springboard for new decoration, in which traditional and classic tenets can be seen and utilized in new ways. Drawing on a rich academic background in the decorative arts, Thomas Jayne brings a unique voice stepped in the history of interiors and objects to his work. His reverence for traditional ideas goes beyond simple replication. Rather he interprets them with a fresh modern hand, providing new meaning and relevance in the process.

In this collection of more than 24 residences, both city and country homes, Jayne reveals the inspiration and thought behind each design, identifying elements from the architecture, from the client's collection, from the site that served as the basis for the decoration of the rooms.

Thomas Jayne is the founder and principal of Jayne Design Studio in New York City. His interiors reflect his passion and wide-ranging knowledge of classical traditions and his quest to foster those traditions within more contemporary design. Jayne holds a Master’s degree in American decorative arts and architecture from Wintethur, and has completed fellowships at the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the J. Paul Getty Museum. He is the author of The Finest Rooms in America: Fifty Influential Interiors from the Eighteenth Century to the Present (The Monacelli Press), and his projects have been featured The New York Times, House Beautiful, Town & Country, House and Garden, and Vogue.