I had the pleasure recently of attending the Ohio Design Center Market Day in Cleveland.
And, while it was enjoyable seeing fellow alumni and staff members from Virgina Marti College of Art and Design (where I earned my degree in interior design), the true highlight was visiting with Jamie Drake and hearing his presentation.
Have you had the good fortune to attend a Jamie Drake presentation? He is an incredibly inpsirational designer. I heard Jamie speak last year at the Davis & Warshow showroom in New York. I knew I would find myself laughing, learning and once again falling in love with design through his presentation at the Design Center.
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Jamie Drake's philosophy and his use of texture and color is sensational. I enjoyed all of the "Before & After" photographs from his celebrated interior projects—including a showplace for Madonna and the renovation of the Gracie Mansion in New York. The use of different textures (taffeta, crystals, beading) and the use of circles and curves with endless variations results in beautiful and polished projects.
Drake explained his use of bold color and "pattern-on-pattern" draws from his childhood when he first began drawing and coloring designed spaces. (See one of his many drawings that he features in his new book, at right.)
After the presentation, attendees enjoyed Drake's work on display in showrooms—his fabulous furniture collection for Lewis Mittman as well as his luxurious fabric line for F. Schumacher & Co. Those who attended the event received a copy of Drake's newest book, "Jamie Drake's New American Glamour." I love the new book and I think no coffee table should be without a copy!
Mary Malloy
Publisher
mmalloy@questex.com