Acclaimed interior designer Jay Jeffers met with Pursuitist in New York during his book tour to discuss Jay Jeffers: Collected Cool. Jeffers’ first book illustrates the sophisticated yet playful spirit of the award-winning interior designer’s exemplary work.
Co-authored by Alisa Carroll with a foreword written by acclaimed interior designer, Jamie Drake, the book was published by Rizzoli New York with principal photography by Matthew Millman. The hardcover book, which was published in March 2014, is 252 pages in length and includes 200 color photographs. It retails for $55 and is available from most major booksellers, including Amazon.
Jeffers is known for his fearless and inventive mix of art and furnishings—including antique, vintage, and modern—and the redefinition of traditional style from his contemporary point of view. Luxurious but livable, his designs always include a fresh and lively kick: a high-gloss, tangerine-hued ceiling or a hallway papered in a cheeky print.
“The trend of high-low design is something we have been doing for a while and I don’t think the trend is going away,” Jeffers explained to Pursuitist. “I always want a home to feel very custom, so we may do some very custom-designed pieces that are unique to the house along with every day pieces such as a Restoration Hardware table. My clients are responding to this. They have kids and busy lifestyles and they don’t want a home to feel too precious.”
In “Collected Cool”, Jeffers presents his most stunning projects divided into four groups: Collected Cool, captivating rooms that are thoughtfully layered, revealing themselves over time through myriad details; Bold Bespoke, interiors viewed through a sartorial lens with custom elements essential to their unique style; Unabashed Glamour, rooms that make an instant impression with luxe finishes, sumptuous materials, and sparkle; and Casual Chic, comfortable but stylish spaces with a sense of ease.
In each section, Jeffers shares his process and gives guidance to readers for re-creating the look at home. Witty and exuberant, and filled with details on process, color, furniture, and accessories, and a look into his own homes, Jay Jeffers: Collected Cool will be an endless source of inspiration.
“Having a home feel like it is a collected home is what helps it be timeless,” Jeffers told Pursuitist. “For example, mid-century modern furniture, which has been popular for a while. For a time, some people were doing these almost reproductions of a mid-century home, like walking on to a Mad Men set. I think that is kind of tiring and people look at it now and are over it. If you take a mid-century piece and put it with a slip covered piece of furniture and an antique piece and mix it together then if you get tired of something, or if something starts to look dated, it might just be a few pieces you need to change out, but not the entire house.”
Jay Jeffers is recognized as one of his generation’s most dynamic talents. Named by Elle Décor to its A-List of the country’s top interior designers in 2011, 2012 and 2013, Jay brings his signature cool, collected style to every project. Since founding his firm in 1999, he has designed homes in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Tahoe, Los Angeles, New York and beyond. In 2013, Ritz-Carlton commissioned Jay to design the signature penthouses for the Ritz-Carlton Residences, Lake Tahoe.
In 2012, Jeffers launched his first retail space, Cavalier by Jay Jeffers to showcase his debut furniture collection. Run by Jeffers’ husband, Michael Purdy, Cavalier also represents a carefully curated selection of furnishings and accessories by local and international artists, many of which have been found during Jeffers’ travels around the world.
Jeffers and his work have been featured in showhouses, books and publications including Elle Décor, Architectural Digest, Luxe, New York Times, Financial Times, In Style and many others. Alisa Carroll is editor-in-chief of the annual design journal 3D, and has contributed to Elle Decor, Interior Design, and many other publications. Acclaimed New York City-based decorator Jamie Drake is known for his glamorous spaces, including the renovation of New York City’s Gracie Mansion.
Book Cover: ©Jay Jeffers: Collected Cool by Jay Jeffers with Alisa Carroll
Rizzoli New York, 2014
Photos Courtesy of Jay Jeffers and Carrie Coolidge
