designnewjersey.com 6968 June/July 2017

culturedliving | GOOD READS

The New FormalInterior designer James Aman, a native New

Jerseyan now based in New York City, works withcollectors who respect classic design while savoring

the beauty and drama of cutting-edge art

REVIEWED BY REN MILLER

ALL IMAGES COPYRIGHT KAREN FUCHS

ecorating tastes are always in transition, and the pastdecade has witnessed a trend away from traditional and

formal toward contemporary and casual. It’s almost a badge of honor forhomeowners to say they prefer contemporary or, at the very least, a middle-ground style that has become known as transitional.

But what about those who still love traditional, formal style? What doesit mean to be formal in the 21st century? Interior designer James Aman

D answers that question in The New Formal, a new book published by TheMonacelli Press.

While growing up in Short Hills, Aman was drawn to the “gleaminglight in the distance,” New York City, and always looked forward to goingthere with his parents to see Broadway shows, particularly the way furni-ture and scenery transformed the stage. “For me, those stage sets, thoseworlds in which the characters lived, were every bit as interesting as their

BILLIARD ROOM | The large sofa in the barrel-vaulted billiard room was custom madeto balance the mass of the pool table. In a nod to more traditional interiors, a leatherwing chair and a Chippendale armchair flank the fireplace. A monochromatic horseby Joe Andoe is displayed above.

CLOCK | A brass clock, in the form of a conveyor system, is a family piece. Thecontemporary drawing is by Cy Twombly.

designnewjersey.com 7170 June/July 2017

stories and dialogue,” Aman says in the preface to hisbook. “I would put my new-found theatrical knowl-edge to good use at home, rearranging the livingroom furniture and moving artwork and mirrorsfrom one wall to another.”

Aman went on to study advertising and graphic de-sign at Pratt Institute in New York City, worked part-time in store design and window display at suchmajor-hitters as Bonwit Teller and eventually landeda job as part of the Creative Services Team at PoloRalph Lauren. It was there, Aman says, that helearned “trends come and go, but quality endures …I refined my own aesthetic to incorporate respect fortradition and timeless elegance with an eye for the un-usual or quirky, combining traditional and contem-porary elements.”

Now a partner with John Meeks and MeredithAman in Aman & Meeks in New York City, he sayshis client base represents a new generation of collec-tors. “They respected classic traditions but savoredthe beauty and drama of cutting-edge art.

“Their vision of ‘formal’ living replaced the OldMasters, heavy tapestries, and ornate furnishings ofprevious generations with contemporary, oftenprovocative works of art that inspire and delight inbrighter, more open spaces.”

His goal today is to integrate contemporary worksof art into spaces that inspire and delight his collectorclients and complement the way they live — “notbare-bones, minimalist boxes with large empty spacesand scarcely a place to sit, but luxuriously personaland welcoming homes.”

The New Formal, Interiors by James Aman, writtenwith Mark Stephen Archer with photos by KarenFuchs, showcases 10 residences and has 240 pagesand 200 color illustrations. All photos in this revieware from a Greenwich, Connecticut, Georgian resi-dence. The book is $60 at monacellipress.com. DNJ

LIBRARY | In the library, a Chesterfield sofa,traditional in shape but covered inshimmering gold leather, contrasts witheclectic seating choices that include aBiedermeier armchair and Gothic sidechair created in aluminum. The painting isby Neil Jenney; the large photograph is byYinka Shonibare.

MASTER BEDROOM | John Meeks designedthe bed and side tables in the masterbedroom. A quartet of Line Vautrin mirrorsabove the curving headboard captureslight from the round ceiling window.

ENTRANCE HALL | The moldings and banister in the entrancehall of a Georgian residence may suggest a traditionalinterior, but there are bold statements with cutting-edge artaround every corner. An untitled work by RobertRauschenberg’s Salvage series hangs at the top of the stairs.The glass ball finial adds a “touch of magic” to the space.Generous double doors open into the living room.

LIVING ROOM | Contemporary art is juxtaposed with 19thcentury English and Asian furniture in the living room. Behindthe sofa, etched-glass panels by Anne Peabody bring lightand drama. Dry Waterfall by Georgia O’Keefe hangs betweenthe windows, while a Gothic Revival center table anchors theroom and rosewood nesting tables sit in front of the sofa.