The New Formal ─ Interiors by James Aman

Creating settings where great art can live in harmony with the style of the interiors and provide an elegant and inviting living space for the collectors is the hallmark of James Aman’s design. His goal is to integrate contemporary, often provocative works of art into brighter, more open spaces that inspire and delight the collectors and complement the way they live. Working collaboratively with his clients, Aman applies the same artistic principles of light, color, texture, and scale that characterize the world’s best art in the selection of fabrics and furnishings that surround and enhance the collections.

The look that has evolved is more open, streamlined, and tailored, but it is still respectful of classic details. Sumptuous materials and bespoke furniture and decorative objects, often the work of partner John Meeks, complement art collections that include works by Picasso, Dubuffet, Giacometti, Rothko, and Warhol as well as contemporary masters like John Currin, Damien Hirst, Cindy Sherman, and Richard Prince.

The New Formal includes ten magnificent residences—landmark Park Avenue apartments and Upper East Side townhouses in New York as well as stunning properties in Greenwich, the Hamptons, and Palm Beach. Unlike many designers, Aman works exclusively with a small number of loyal clients whose trust he has gained over multiple projects. His portfolio offers an unprecedented glimpse into this rarified world.

James Aman opened his own design firm in 1994. A graduate of Pratt Institute, he began his design career at Ralph Lauren, developing the “visual environment” for shops and department store boutiques worldwide. Now in partnership with John Meeks and Meredith Aman, Aman is recognized internationally as a designer of elegant settings for major collections of modern and contemporary art. The work of Aman & Meeks is widely published, particularly in Elle Décor and Architectural Digest.