In a Day's Work

It has been a busy week since last Tuesday night's premiere of Million Dollar Decorators. Myself and the rest of the cast watched the first episode together with a group of friends in the screening room at the Soho House in Beverly Hills. It was great getting to see everybody enjoy the show so much. There was so much laughter and cheering, it felt more like a Lakers game. Our guests all had the same thing to say at the end of the episode -- "Can't wait for Episode 2!" And a week later it did not disappoint. Oh, and I might add that Martyn did not eat any chocolate.

This week's episode explores the installation week of a project of mine in La Jolla. The house is really a good example of the kind of projects I normally work on. My company focuses primarily on large family homes that I start designing years in advance of completion. I am involved in every decision from the very beginning of the planning phase with the architect. Together we work on every detail so that no stone is left unturned in creating my clients a real dream home. There is no detail to small to be overlooked. This particular project took three years, and we picked every tile, plaster finish, cabinet, window, door, handle, knob, light switch, toilet, bath, tap, towel holder. . .the list is endless, but all in a days work at JAM Inc.

Installations are normally very stressful because all the painstaking planning finally comes together with a bang -- and if something can go wrong it normally does. As installations go, this one worked out really well, with a few notable exceptions, but nothing that we didn't sort out pretty quickly. The bed in one of the third floor bedrooms was not completed, and no amount of asking nicely could get it to us. So Ross finally threw a tantrum, which he does from time to time, the result being the bed showed up in time for the clients final walk through -- and they loved it!

Speaking of clients, I was really pleased that they loved the end result. The arrival midway through the install was not ideal, but in the end it worked out fine. The house is truly spectacular, if I say so myself ("I don't want to call myself a genius but..."). It's really gratifying when three years worth of work come together, and the end result is something beautiful and comfortable, and feels like home.

You the viewers only got to see a small portion of the house. There is so much more I would love for you to see! The bathrooms are all so beautiful. We used an amazing selection of handmade tiles from Spain and Morocco. I adore antiques, and the house has some really special ones in my opinion. Did you notice the blue, glass globes in the walkway that leads onto the courtyard? They are from an old bank in Pennsylvania -- funny that they ended up working so well in a Spanish house in La Jolla. I love all the antique textiles I turned into pillows in the living room and family room. The 300-year-old Spanish wooden carved panel Ross is seen carrying into the house is gorgeous. If you follow me on Twitter @jeffreymarksinc you will get to see some snapshots of the house that I plan to post, and, if all goes according to plan, you will see the house on newsstands soon in a certain magazine.

As I write this I'm in New York for Elle Décor magazine's "A-List" luncheon. The "A-list" is the magazine's 25 top decorators. I'm honored and delighted to be included on the list, and in such great company. My good friend and castmate Kathryn Ireland is with me, and so we are off to a few of our favorite antiques stores to do a little shopping now. I firmly believe there is always room for one more chair in a room so I'm going to go find a few!

-JAM