Jamie Drake on the Joys and Challenges of Renovating a London Townhouse

Renowned designer Jamie Drake discusses the top-to-bottom renovation of a historic townhouse in London, including the custom paint colors, the choices of materials and fabrics, and the carefully curated works of art.
In this second episode of "Great Rooms," Jamie Drake of Drake/Anderson reveals the complex design considerations behind a total renovation of a historic London townhouse, a Grade II listed building dubbed "London Calling" in the firm's new book BOLD: The Interiors of Drake/Anderson. From historic murals - reputed to be by Sir James Thornhill - to oddly shaped rooms that presented unique renovation challenges, and decorated with eclectic collections of contemporary artworks and fine furniture, this is a project with a dazzling array of colors and materials sure to entice fans of Drake/Anderson's work.
About the Series:
The video series Great Rooms, produced by the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art, invites interior designers to speak about their favorite rooms and to explain what makes these spaces such exceptional examples of design.
The Institute of Classical Architecture & Art is a national nonprofit promoting the practice, understanding, and appreciation of classical design. To watch more online programs like this one, or to become a member and support our educational mission, visit www.classicist.org/ .
About the Speaker:
Jamie Drake is the co-principal with Caleb Anderson of Drake/Anderson, the New York-based firm well-known for their dynamic eclecticism whose work forges a perfect balance between timelessness and today.
Drake and Anderson bring their respective takes on glamour, curation, and elegance to bear in a range of luxurious residential and commercial projects. Drake is widely regarded as one of the first designers to popularize Modernism in interior design, beginning in the 1980s. He is known for his fearless approach to color as well as his fashion-conscious sensibility. Anderson is lauded for his layered approach to interiors and the confidence with which he juxtaposes a variety of historic periods from the design continuum.
Drake and Anderson have completed elegant, polished interiors in many of Manhattan’s “it” buildings-including One57, 70 Vestry, 520 Park, and Herzog & de Meuron’s 56 Leonard-as well as in sprawling Hamptons estates, luxurious Malibu beach houses, stately London townhouses, and lush retreats from Bermuda to the Middle East and around the world.
Individually and as a team, Drake and Anderson have achieved the highest awards and accolades in the industry, including the prestigious Elle Decor A-List, the Architectural Digest AD100 list, Interior Design magazine’s Hall of Fame, House Beautiful’s Master Class and Next Wave, and many more.
Sponsor:
The ICAA would like to thank the sponsor of the Great Rooms series: Féau Boiseries.

[@ImaneBou30]

I can’t believe this is a London townhouse!!!!

[@andreaandrea6716]

The dark Prussian blue is one of the best features of this video. That is a stunning, rich colour choice.

[@carloslx]

Not all choices would've been mine, but they do create a cohesive fun look.

[@gerryurich4979]

Wow excellent

[@jacq9527]

I love the bold contemporary & traditional furniture, beautiful colours 💕 beautiful townhouse

[@inglishhomeandgarden8386]

I find myself loving the house itself, all the lovely boiserie, and the stairwell wall paintings. - But the modern stuff is not for me.

[@andreaandrea6716]

There's a lack of cohesion.

[@keithss67]

Was it actually delicious? 🤤

[@paullewis2413]

No problem with the banquettes, relieve the look of too much wood and not overtly contemporary. Have a problem with the weak modern sconces, out of place in that room for sure. 😊

[@andreaandrea6716]

Agreed! (Lack of cohesion mixing old and new. Strange choices).

[@rorkgoose6114]

The large dining room is awful. Those white walls ruin it, and the tiny splashes of color can't rescue the room. Please stop using whites as a primary color.

[@andreaandrea6716]

(2:56) I do not understand what would possess someone to choose those cushions. They're awful.

[@andreaandrea6716]

The pale, pale mint green with brown (1:46) ... "NOooooooooooo!!!!!!!" ... makes me feel ill. Seriously. That is a dreadful colour combination. I'm afraid that the mixtures chosen for this house (old/new, dark/light, etc.) are NOT successful. They look amateurish. I don't walk into these rooms and think "Oh! What a lovely, imaginative but also restful room!" I think "Dear God, WHO was given this project?" Sorry, but I am not impressed.

[@andreaandrea6716]

I find the idea of leaving ones entire life, all the things one has collected, behind... and having SOMEONE ELSE choose ones home furnishings FOR ONE (!!) absolutely abhorrent. It rather signifies that one doesn't HAVE any sort of taste or preferences or creativity or ideas of ones own... quel horreur!

[@andreaandrea6716]

Velvet on the walls? For people with more money than sense. Who is going to clean that... and HOW?

[@Sunshine-zm1fx]

They are vacuumed clean regularly. I have a timber home and vacuuming is how timber walls are meant to be cleaned. Quilts displayed on walls are also vacuumed to keep them clean. Heavy curtains and lampshades should also be regularly vacuumed.

[@andreaandrea6716]

@@Sunshine-zm1fx That is so intelligent! (It's also a huge amount of work! Some places are far more dirty than others. When I lived in Paris (in the 80s and 90s) I would dust... 15 mins later, the area I had just dusted would be dusty again. It was a never ending struggle. Now, in a suburb of Seattle, WA, USA, the air is so much cleaner. I actually wash my walls once a year... which means taking all the pictures down, as the walls are covered, and cleaning those too).