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By Chrysa Smith
If you’re in the design business and don’t know Jim Alterman, you ought to. Because his 40,000 square foot designer showroom in Doylestown is a veritable interior designer’s dream. You might say Ashley John Design, named for his 18-year-old twin children, Ashley, and John, is also the offspring of years of collecting—of marrying the past to the present, in a most beautiful way.
From mid-century modern furniture and period frames to renowned art collections and quirky collectibles, every bit of wall and floor space is covered with antiquities and artifacts. With an inventory too numerous to count, Jim can pick up a random vase, look it over and tell you what it is, where it came from and often, the price. There are items equivalent to those found in Christie’s and Sotheby’s Auction Houses and include collections from important female American abstract painter Mercedes Matter, Gershon Benjamin, an American post-impressionist painter, Pennsylvania impressionists, including one I saw from Edward Redfield, and African American painter, Charles Searles from Philadelphia.
In all, the showroom’s nooks and crannies create 48 vignettes, within 1,000 feet of hallways and aisles, “The design center is geographically laid out like New York City, having Fifth Avenue, Madison, Park and 57th Street going horizontally, with 1st through 7th Streets going vertically,” Jim says, “It makes it easy to navigate the sprawling space.” Everything is comingled, always giving you something new to look at, and I suspect, get you to see it all. If you’re an interior designer, or work with one, chances are, if you’re searching for a fine, rare or item of a certain vintage, you’ll likely find what you’re looking for. And if not, chances are, Jim can find it for you.
Jim’s view of interior design is certainly not of the minimalist school, where there is little room for conversation pieces, unique finds and Tang Dynasty vases. That, he implies, leaves him cold. “To me, minimalism is a newly overused word, manifested by smart phones and other tech devices occupying people’s minds and brainpower way too much,” he says, “I personally consider myself a maximalist. I enjoy looking at quality art and objects from all periods and love the look of variety in my living and workspaces.”
Jim says that buying a piece of art makes you an art collector. Simple, but he feels younger people would have an appreciation for the beautiful, for the historical, but need to be exposed to it and learn about it. “There was an uptick in interest from younger people during Covid, when they began focusing more on their homes. “Jim says. Still, he’s taken to QR codes and shooting drone footage of his facility—various ways to get the word out, and that is to visit and visit often.
Jim has been on the 1stDibs website, where extraordinary pieces are showcased, and talk about what’s trending in interior design. He’s also in Incollect Magazine for fine and decorative arts. He knows the value of a catalog—including one he mailed to thousands of top designers throughout the country, as well as a series of drone videos that will be featured in a variety of magazines. But Jim sees his showroom as more—more advantageous for designers and their clients to see and touch things, open up their minds and find items they may have never imagined “My goals are three-fold,” he says, “To feed auctions, create an online store and a design center.” He has seemingly accomplished all three.
“When I was in my 20’s, the successful people in the business were in their 60’s. Now they’re gone.” You might say he has become that generation now, and it’s his job to teach others about the history, beauty, and unique objects that he loves. Set him loose in a fine art and antiques gallery, and he’s on fire. And he comes by it naturally.
Jim has spent the better part of his life finding, collecting, and selling. At age 12, he jumped on his bike, and headed for local garage and estate sales. At the pinnacle of his youth, Jim says you could find great things at great value. He became a runner for dealers—buying antiques at auctions or flea markets and pedaling them to local antiques shops and dealers who he says were too busy or old to go out and do the hunting themselves. “I had learned what certain dealers were looking for,” Jim says, “And what they liked to buy, and would buy accordingly, hoping to sell to them.” And so, he was off.
At age 14, he and his mom, a schoolteacher, accumulated enough inventory to rent a store in Lahaska called Mary Fishers. “The rent was $375 per month, and we split it,” he says.” We were only open on weekends during the school year because she was a teacher, and I was a kid.” But Jim had his sight set on New Hope, where he says all the antique shops were.” Around age 15 or 16, he says The Hunt Brothers, sons of an oil tycoon, cornered the silver market, and metals went crazy. “I was running around buying up things below scrap, as every week gold and silver went higher. I was always trying to figure out how to make money.” So, in 1982, the British pound dropped by half, and he took the $1,900 he had saved up, took his first trip across the pond, and made friends with the London dealers. He would borrow additional funds at extremely high interest rates, pay them back, and manage to parlay that into 40-foot containers full of underpriced treasures shipped back state side every two to three weeks.
He’s lived at Carousel Farm in Mechanicsville, where he says, “I converted the 12,000 square foot riding arena into a 45-car garage and 4,000 square foot showroom to accommodate my collections and wholesale antiques business.” Ashley John Gallery in Lambertville is the backdrop for some of his favorite work. In fact, if you find yourself there, you might drop in and see what’s new.
As a resident of Florida as well, after more than 30 years, he still exhibits at the Miami Beach Antiques Show, where he says he walks around and ‘buys people out.’ Like he did at The Flying Crane, dealers of fine Japanese antiques in NY, and Hartman & Rare Art. “There were 35 truckloads that came back to Bucks.” Another was the acquisition of late-century artwork from the prestigious New York Spanierman Gallery—about 7,500 paintings.”
He’s proud of the fact that every object displayed is owned, not consigned. There is straightforward pricing on it all. He says he wants to be upfront with the designers he serves. Then they can work with their clients per their own arrangement. “A good designer should know what they’re buying,” Jim says. And around each corner might be a piece the client likes, challenging the designer to make it work within their home.
As we parted, I spotted a vintage music box. When I asked about it, he opened it up, told me it was 18th century ,cranked it up, and played a beautiful, delicate tune—the perfect ending to the most lovely, educational, and fascinating afternoon spent with one dynamic guy.The showroom is open to designers and their clients. There, you will likely find Jim, his design consultant, and his four-legged partner, Mikey. To schedule an appointment, call 267-576-7975 or email info@ashleyjohndesign.com. For more information, visit www.ashleyjohndesign.com.
Chrysa Smith is a regular contributor to the magazine who loves piddling with design in her own home.