Interior designer Jeffrey Alan Marks' collaborates with King Living

He’s one of the most sought-after interior designers in US high-end coastal retreats but Jeffrey Alan Marks is also seriously impressed by Australian residential style.

“Your sense of colour and light is so much better than the US. You’re more experimental in colour from the houses I’ve seen,” Marks says.

The founder of leading US design firm JAM, which specialises in residential and commercial architecture is well known in America for his television appearances, mainly the program Million Dollar Decorators, which ran from 2011 to 2013.

Now he has collaborated with King Living on the Australian furniture makers’ first international collaboration.

The project came about when Marks was last in Sydney and the brand discovered the designer’s recent foray into fabrics.

“My first fabric collection was in the US. It was a river rock-inspired collection featuring what I call my take on a floral,” Marks says.

His overall aesthetic is inspired by the beach houses he designs in California and the Hamptons, along with his personal love of the water.

Marks’ new collection plays with relaxed patterns that offer a modern twist on this inherent style. Pops of blue on chalk-white linens feature throughout the line, which complements King Living’s distinctly Australian furniture.

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He describes the collaboration as being less beachy in look than his previous collections, incorporating more neutral colours such as greys, creams and beiges with blue and green undertones.

“This one is more transitional in feeling – more modern, cleaner and cool. It was definitely inspired by my time in [Sydney’s] Palm Beach.

“This fabric is more daring, but it’s a happy collection.”

Marks appreciates Australian design, noting the adventurous approach to residential design and depth of indigenous art.

His King Living fabrics are intended to be used liberally on furniture and decor items such as armchairs, cushions, curtains and lounges. He hopes Australians will feel confident mixing and matching different prints and applying them across expansive surfaces.

“Some of the most interesting households I’ve seen worldwide are in England and Australia, where they keep mixing [prints and colours],” Marks says.

“Add more colour and it balances out the other colour. More is more.”

When teaming up with King Living, Marks was taken by their visionary yet accessible approach.

“They have a modern approach to classics with contemporary edge. They’re not creating disposable pieces,” he says.

King Living textile development manager Sebastian Nash says his company’s philosophy is about combining comfort and functionality with style, which Marks’ fabric collection achieves.

“His work naturally aligns with our values on merging engineered quality pieces with a beautiful aesthetic,” he says. “King Living embraces the Australian lifestyle at every turn, and Jeffrey’s coastal charm unifies with this effortlessly.”

The founder of leading US design firm JAM, which specialises in residential and commercial architecture is well known in America for his television appearances, mainly the program Million Dollar DecoratorsMarks’ fabric collection is on display and available exclusively at King Living showrooms.