Multi-award-winning designer Jamie Drake, famous for developing a new luxurious modernism, as well as for designing Mayor Bloomberg’s and Madonna’s homes, recently partnered with Caleb Anderson, a much-watched young talent, to form a new firm Drake/Anderson.
Haute Residence: You have an exciting new partnership. Describe how your design sensibilities complement and contrast with each other’s work.
Jamie Drake: Combining my modernity and fearless approach to color with Caleb’s polished sensibility and skillful juxtaposition of historical periods. It’s invigorating to have another editor by my side.
HR: You’ve been described as the go-to designer for the billionaire set. What’s trending now for ultimate one-percenters?
JD: They request things that are unique and intriguing but insist upon comfort and function. The interest in commissioned pieces by great contemporary artisans has grown and grown.
HR: Is there an uptown versus downtown style?
JD/Caleb Anderson: No, not really. Stylistically, both parts of town demand a relaxed sense of luxe, with spaces that really function.
HR: Jamie, you are known for a vibrant use of color. What color palettes are you working with now?
JD: Muted, cooler, steelier grays: charcoal, silver, gypsum, platinum, and zinc, accented with ethereal aquas, blues, and lavenders.
HR: What are design rules you like to break?
JD/CA: I believe there are no color combinations that won’t work; it all depends on fine-tuning the shade, tone, and quantity.
HR: What is your favorite room to design?
JD/CA: Living rooms are our favorite, as we always envision them filled with people, ready for a party!
HR: What is the room in your home that you are happiest with?
JD: My bedroom. I find sleeping in a dark room to be sexy.
Portrait courtesy of Jamie Drake and Caleb Anderson / interior images by Macro Ricca
