Jeffrey Marks: Traditional with a Comfortable Edge
Interior designer Jeffrey Alan Marks — one of the stars of Bravo's Million Dollar Decorators and named among the Top 25 decorators in the world by Elle Décor — spoke with Premier Guide Miami about his California-meets-English design philosophy, summer decorating tips, what he'd do to Rachel Zoe's house, and the realities of filming a reality show.
From the Vault · 2011
This is an archival piece from the Premier Guide Miami collection. The coverage, context, and details reflect the time it was originally published.
Jeffrey Marks said it plainly: "Traditional with a comfortable edge. Personalized comfort is very important to me — to give clients the sophisticated lo…" — and Premier Guide Miami was in the room when it happened.
Jeffrey Alan Marks believes the design process should be fun and creative — much like his designs and personal style, which blends California ease with English formality. Having lived in Paris and Milan for many years where he worked as a model and then in design, his work also draws cues from Italian and French methods. Marks studied design at the prestigious Inchbald School of Design in England. His colorful, laid-back design style translates to the atmosphere at his firm, JAM Inc., which he started 15 years ago. Based in Santa Monica, the firm designs and develops luxury homes in America and the United Kingdom and develops commercial projects including restaurants and retail stores such as Tavern restaurant in Brentwood and The Hungry Cat in Santa Monica.
PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: Which Bravo celebrity home would you like to redecorate?
JEFFREY MARKS: I'd like to get my hands on Rachel Zoe's house.
PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: What do you think you'd do in there?
JEFFREY MARKS: I think I'd just clean it up, make it maybe a little bit more in line with her fashion taste. A little cleaner, a little bit more hip, not so sparse — more decoration, more life to it.
PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: Are there any homes from the show that stood out to you?
JEFFREY MARKS: I liked Kelsey Grammer's wife's ranch house in Malibu. Not sure if she still has it after the divorce, but I loved that space.
PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: Any summer decorating tips?
JEFFREY MARKS: Because we have such great light out in California and great weather — why not do outdoor rooms for the summer? Just temporary three-month structures that have a great life for the summer. I love doing that. I do that all the time with furniture I'm not using — I just throw it outside on the lawn and use it for the summer. I love Kathryn's outdoor fabrics. I think Kathryn's fabrics are almost better outside. Love it.
PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: What will the show do for the viewers?
JEFFREY MARKS: I think it's going to make them feel better again. It's something not necessarily to aspire to, but something light — not so dark and not blowing people up. Kathryn had such a lovely party. It didn't necessarily cost a lot, but it was just a labor of love. Her children did it for her and they cooked, and it was such a lovely party. And I think that's what the million-dollar lifestyle has a lot to do with — family and friends and just enjoying yourself, relaxing. It really defined my style as well over the last two years.
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PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: How did you get involved in the show?
JEFFREY MARKS: We're all friends, and I think they saw us interacting in the beginning. They loved the fact that we were all friends, got along, and were inspired by each other. And I think that was really important to them. We're not the kind throwing things at each other when we see each other. And I think the press has applauded us as well — the three of us just got Top 25 decorators in the world from Elle Décor. I mean, that's a huge honor.
PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: What's your decorating style?
JEFFREY MARKS: Traditional with a comfortable edge. Personalized comfort is very important to me — to give clients the sophisticated look they want but take it down a notch and have great personalized comfort.
PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: What have you learned over the years in decorating?
JEFFREY MARKS: I've been doing this for 20 years now, and I think you learn pretty quickly in the first couple of meetings that it's bad news if the client's not reacting correctly.
PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: Was it stressful filming and working on these projects in a limited time frame?
JEFFREY MARKS: We all travel a great deal and we're all running very high-end businesses. We're business people in the end. We're up very early and we work very hard — and we play very hard as well. So I think that shows in the show.
PREMIER GUIDE MIAMI: It sounds like this job is a bit stressful on your relationships also.
JEFFREY MARKS: Oh my God, yes. We are together 24/7, so you see us turn off and turn on for work or home — and that's not an easy task. And you do see on the show the stresses. Sometimes it's good, sometimes we drink. A lot.
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The PGM Edit
Jeffrey Marks is one of the voices that makes Miami worth paying attention to. Premier Guide Miami will keep listening.
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