Jayne Design Studio in New York creates dignified, traditionally inspired interiors for modern day living. Thomas Jayne’s designs draw inspiration from established traditional interior design which he translates into timeless, comfortable homes tailored to his client’s lifestyle. His highly cultivated knowledge of classic and historical interiors along with expertise in antiques and the decorative arts render him an acknowledged scholarly authority on American design. He doesn’t just know what looks good; he knows what IS good.

Today we are looking at two New York residences completed by the firm with interiors that harmonize with their historical settings, while also serving the needs and lifestyles of the active families that call them home. Read on to see Traditional interior design at its best, rendered expertly for contemporary living.

Traditional Interior Design on Fifth Avenue

Our first residence is a grand French-style apartment the studio completed with an updated traditional interior design. The home’s location within the first luxury apartment building built on Fifth Avenue demanded a specialist’s expertise.

The opening photos show the elegant drawing room. The designers painted the original French boiserie in shades of green and blue with a strie finish. Specialist marbleized bases create depth. Upholstered comfortable furnishings gather with Louis XVI benches and a suite of fauteuils with old white paint finishes by the French chair maker Jacob. Contemporary works of art and exceptional drawings give the room lively color and movement. It is actively used by the owners instead of just when guests come over. I love it! This is perfection for me.

A round dining table complements the perfect classic square proportions of the dining room. The same suite of Jacob chairs continues into this room as well.

Here we have the seating area of the music room. The boiserie is part of the apartment’s original architecture. A collection of 20th-century engravings surrounds the comfy upholstered furnishings. A large Jasper Johns painting centers the scene positioned over the sofa.

Drumlin Hall Traditional Interior Design

Our next residence is a new build near Millbrook, New York. Thomas Jayne collaborated with the Peter Pennoyer Architects to create a home in the style of the great Hudson River houses while also drawing inspiration from British country houses.

All the public rooms open onto a central vaulted hall (above).

William Henry Reinhart’s sculpture Atalanta stands at the base of the sweeping staircase. A custom settle follows the curve of the stairs flanked by a pair of custom column tables adorned with lion’s masks referencing Atalanta’s mythological fate. Every space is well proportioned.

The American neoclassical-style formal drawing room is furnished with Federal furnishings including settees by Duncan Phyfe. Specially woven silk lampas made by Prelle covers the upholstery. The design is based on a fabric used by Duncan Phyfe. Drapes modeled on a 19th-century design with hand-painted garland-and-tassel detailing dress the windows. Thomas Jayne custom-colored an early 19th-century carpet design with slightly unexpected colors to modernize it a bit.

The furniture gathers around an 1820s Italian mantle carved with Vestal Virgins and Mercury. A statue of Pan by Frederick MacMonnies stands on an ornately carved ebony and giltwood table. Paintings by notable American artists adorn the walls. The room, and house, display the owner’s ever-growing collection of world-class American furniture and paintings spanning the 18th century through 1930.

The handsome library serves for more relaxed occasions. Comfortable custom upholstered pieces furnish this room. A painting over the fireplace conceals a television. The room also features sculptures by Hiram Powers and paintings from the Hudson River School.

The second-floor landing serves as a lovely informal sitting area. An Empire sofa groups with a pair of club chairs beneath the skylight crowning the vaulted ceiling. Various paintings and sculptures give the space a gallery-like feel. This would be one of my favorite spots to hang out.

This master bedroom is fabulous. The walls feature hand-painted wall-coverings by De Gournay based on 19th-century aquatints customized with local landmarks. The four-poster canopy bed is dreamy while the other antique furnishings complete this room with a traditional interior design perfectly in step with contemporary living at its best.

That concludes our design inspiration for today, my friend. 

To see other homes featuring traditional interior design, be sure to check out:

Relaxed Traditional Style: Pacific Heights

Georgian Modern Traditional Elegance

TRADITIONAL INTERIOR DESIGN FOR TODAY

A little more about this designer/decorator: Thomas Jayne creates traditionally inspired designs for today’s lifestyles. He honors the past by making it relevant today, and thus timeless. The decorator’s work is scholarly in its correctness yet quirky in its personalization for each client. He is brilliant and considered one of the master’s of the “American look.”

Be sure to check out Thomas Jayne’s multiple remarkable Interior Design Books for more on his projects that reflect his passion and wide-ranging knowledge of classical traditions and his quest to foster those traditions within contemporary design

Interior Design: Jayne Design Studio

Photography:  Pieter Estersohn

Thank you so much for reading along with me today. I look forward to hearing from you in the comments. 

Have a great day!