Home // Closet // Tool: JAMES ABERCROMBIE

James Abercrombie is a designer and illustrator in Atlanta, Georgia who draws inspiration from packaging, record jackets, architecture, and home furnishings of yesteryear. He lives in Stone Mountain, Georgia with his wife Karla (see her Home//Closet//Tool here) and daughter Olive in a cozy mid-century ranch.



Home // Family Antiques
This is a corner of my living room that houses two antiques that are very dear to me: a set of brass seagulls from my Maw-Maw's house and a mother of pearl shell lamp from my Grandma Betty's house. The seagulls used to fly on the rock fireplace above my Paw-Paw's favorite chair where he'd sit and tell me about the golden days of the record industry (he was president of distribution for ABC records). The lamp used to be in the sunroom of my Grandma's house. She used to travel the world and buy antiques from all over. This was handmade in Singapore, if I recall correctly. I used to sit under it and play with my dad's old toys that she'd kept in the attic.



Closet // Tie Rack
My favorite tie rack! Karla bought it for me a few years ago. It spins and holds the best of my tie collection. I gravitate toward ties that look like '60s and '70s bathroom wallpaper that you can't wait to paint over or rip out.



Tool // Briefcase
I recently had to replace an old American Express bag that my friend Troy gave me. It was basically disintegrating, and I was really bummed out about it. So I found this awesome Samsonite briefcase from the '70s. I love the idea of a briefcase, it's very masculine in a way: coming home and setting the briefcase down by your favorite chair and smoking a pipe, et cetera. But I could never go completely masculine, which is why I love the great psychedelic flowers inside. I have a few ties that have similar hidden fabric underneath. I'm just now realizing that's another example of something overtly masculine with a hidden feminine side. You could probably say the same applies to me, but just don't say it to my face. I'd beat you up and then cry about it later.



portfolio


photos by jason travis