James Swan

James Swan is head of New Wall Enterprises, a Beverly Hills-based design and lifestyle group focused on delivering smart-design daily to consumers across the country and around the world. As a lifestyle leader he has been featured in House & Garden magazine, House Beautiful and the Los Angeles Times. He wrote a "Trends & Shopping" column for House & Garden magazine, and continues the dialogue on his own design blog, The Design Quotient (www.designquotient.com). Adding author (as a contributor to Curbed.com and other sites) and speaker (NeoCon West) to his accomplishments has further broadened his influence. A Facebook page (http://is.gd/aYq5r) features many of the principles discussed in 101 Things I Hate About Your House with inspired interaction from a growing following of Swan’s work.

Swan's career took off back in Northern California at a noted San Francisco architecture firm, where he managed residential interiors. After that, Los Angeles beckoned, specifically the prestigious firm of Frank K. Pennino & Associates, where as senior designer he managed high-profile projects, and earned a reputation for refined classical design that succinctly reflected his clients' lives. In 1999, Swan opened his own firm in Beverly Hills. His talents earned him Vox Vodka/Out Magazine’s Designer of the Year Award. In 2009 Ballard Designs (www.ballarddesigns.com) announced their collaboration with Swan, their first with a nationally known designer. From 2005 to 2009, Swan was a member of the Executive Board of Directors of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund. His other community commitments include PAWS/LA, which assists with the care of pets for people living with disabilities, and KidSmart, an art education foundation for inner-city youth. In his free time, Swan may be found indulging his passion for gardening, skiing and travel. He divides his time between Beverly Hills, Boston and Pemaquid, Maine.