Interior Designer Jaime Moore Talks Gray Malin Feature

Tuesday, August 18, 2020 by Gabrielle Martin

When Jaime Moore, of James Studio Interiors, shared an interior design image of her living room featuring an adored print by esteemed fine art photographer Gray Malin, she never expected to end up featured on the 34-year-old Malin's lifestyle website. Malin, an artist and influencer, was impressed by Moore's design, pictured above.

The focus of Moore’s living room refresh is a photograph from Gray Malin’s “À la Plage” series, titled “The Sailboat, Newport Harbor.” Shot from a doorless helicopter, the images in this collection come from around the world, from the U.S. to Brazil, even Australia! The idea is, from above, a simple and somewhat familiar scene of a beach or pool (or boat!) “becomes patterns of repetition, shape, and form.” Malin's website describes “these photographs [as] a visual celebration of color, light, shape, and summer bliss.”

After Jaime Moore’s recent Gray Malin Lifestyle feature, “Design Direction: Start with Art - Refresh Your Living Room With Jaime Moore,” I caught up with the interior designer extraordinaire to chat about her craft.

Although Moore already discussed this briefly with the Gray Malin Team, I wanted to ask her more about what compelled her to choose this particular print! She shares, “I’ve loved this piece since it came out and just knew the perfect place in our home for it.” In addition, the subject is a source of sentimentality for Moore: “Newport is a very special place for my husband and I. We each spent a lot of time in Newport, both growing up and while we were dating.”

Sentimental value is a recurring aspect in Moore’s design choices; as the founder of and lead designer at James Studio Interior, she also incorporates this emotional approach into her work. “I listen and pick items that are personal to the client. Art should be something that a client can look at everyday and get a sentimental, fond feeling every time.”

Moore has absolutely achieved this in her own home with “The Sailboat, Newport Harbor.”

In Moore’s interview for Gray Malin’s lifestyle blog, the Hingham-based designer notes the strength of “The Sailboat, Newport Harbor.” She says, "I was immediately drawn to the sense of speed and power you can feel from the boat and the ocean. I’ve always been fascinated by sailboats, by the feeling of flying when you are on one.”

I wanted to know what effect a strong image has on a room. Moore tells me, “It becomes the focal point, and you can design different elements around the piece.” This type of design is really an intricate art of positioning, of accenting, of complimenting without overcrowding. Moore later mentions how the colors and the aerial positioning of the sailboat evoked strong feelings of nostalgia and inspiration.

“My living room is primarily hunter green, grey, and black but I wanted to add a touch of navy, as I love mixing navy with black,” Moore explains. “This piece tied everything together with the pillows, lamps, and other artwork in the space!”

How does that saying go? “If the shoe fits”? Well, just as well, “if the print fits,” buy it!

Moore describes how she first encountered Malin’s work after moving to the South Shore: she was working at the Corner Stop in Cohasset a few times a week when a friend there made the initial introduction. Since then, Moore has been a self-described “fan and follower” of Malin’s. 

When asked what she admires about Malin, Moore remarks, “His first series was so different from anything I’d ever seen, and watching his work evolve throughout the years has been exciting to follow.” She especially loves Malin’s “I Am Busy” sign “because it is so whimsical and witty,” and Moore mentions currently having Malin’s Cape Cod series in her home.

She was ecstatic when the Gray Malin Team reached out to her after she uploaded a picture of her nursery. “I could not believe it was real! I was incredibly flattered and honored. It was exhilarating to be featured on a platform that notable! It was extremely exciting. The feature entailed an image of Gray Malin’s that was in my living room, a post on Instagram, and a write-up by his blog.” Moore says she received many encouraging and kind messages from her followers afterwards, in addition to welcoming some new followers to her page.

Before the interview was over, I just had to ask: what are some tips and tricks for our readers to help them start centering their homes around their wall art? Moore says, “Decide if you want to have one focal piece, or potentially make a gallery wall of all your favorite pieces together, whether that be framed children’s artwork, family photos, or memorabilia that you’ve collected over your lifetime. Laying it out on the ground or making an inspiration board to organize your thoughts is a great way to start before hanging it on the wall.”

Moore then makes a few more suggestions: first and foremost, she advises our readers to make their art choices personal. “It’s all about bringing your personality into the space and choosing pieces you love,” she laments. Moore later says it’s important to pick something you really love, even if that means waiting to splurge it. “That being said, you can find some great and affordable artwork from local artists and photographers, or you can search Gray Malin for places he shoots that might mean something to you.”