Maryline Damour and Fred Drake met when she bought a weekend house in upstate New York. The purchase of a 19th century house, as well as living in an historic area, triggered Maryline’s interest in interior design. Meanwhile, Fred had already built a construction company in the Hudson Valley and had been building all manners of structures for over 15 years. Eventually, Maryline returned to school to study interior design and, much later, the two decided to come together to offer their clients a full-service firm that integrates design and construction.
After many years working in marketing, business development and public relations for firms such as Deloitte, Ernst & Young, PwC and Accenture, Maryline returned to school to study interior design at Parsons The New School for Design. Originally from Haiti, Maryline has been actively involved in interior design projects in Haiti since the earthquake of 2010. She is currently developing a vocational school in Léogâne, Haiti focused on teaching safer building techniques and practices for the construction industry. Maryline is a contributing editor at House Beautiful. Click below to read articles.
From his first erector set, Fred Drake has been building all manners of structures. As a teenager, he built a stone wall for his mother that prompted a neighbor to hire his services. From his apprenticeship in construction over 15 years ago, Fred went on to build his own construction company in the Hudson Valley. Over the years, he has built structures from the ground up—from excavating sites, pouring foundations and framing. He also has extensive experience in carpentry and working with stone.
Following in his father’s footsteps, Mel Jones began his career in interior design as an upholsterer and carpenter working on yachts. His profession has taken him from a position as visual director on Madison Avenue to designing spaces in New York, Florida and Haiti–to name a few. Mel studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology and Maryland Art Institute. In addition to overall interior design, his specialty includes furniture design and fine carpentry. His attention to space planning and storage solutions is informed by his years working on yachts.