James M.F. Callahan opened his first showroom in Columbus, Ohio seven years after his graduate work and degree were received from Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, 1963. It was clear from the beginning that the bon vivant designerıs talent could not be confined to the recapitulation of the past nor restricted by the vision of his peers. James Callahan believes that design is not about how things are, but how they should be.
In 1976, James Callahan accepted a clientıs challenge to extend his talents to Palm Springs, California. This challenge was readily accepted and he soon after founded James Callahan Interiors, Incorporated, in 1976.
Over the years, Callahan began to recognize the value of his quest for contemporary expression, total environments that were not only impressive to experience, but profoundly altered his clientıs lifestyle, if not their individual personalities.
The late actor, Academy Award winner, William Holden immediately recognized Callahanıs flair for architectural design and lighting skills. He commissioned Callahan to complete his new Southridge Palm Springs residence. Holden would not be the only celebrity on Callahanıs growing list of clients. Chairmen of major corporations, sports figures, entertainment moguls and production companies, all followed.
Internationally renowned Alberto Bazzani, grandfather of contemporary Italian furniture design, solicited the skill and talent of this innovator. Soon other European manufacturers were added to Callahanıs credit. Editors and publishers took notice. Callahanıs development afforded him numerous magazine covers and features in publications such as Designers West, Design Specifier, Architectural-Lighting, Palm Springs Life, Los Angeles Magazine, Orange County Magazine, Harperıs Bazaar, Western Living, Madame, Billboard, Unique Homes and Interior Design.
In 1983, Sensuous Spaces, published by Whitney Library of Design, author Sivon Reznikoff collaborated with James Callahan regarding his experience with the psychological effect of color in our environment. Several of Callahanıs design projects were published within.
In 1987 the International Association of Lighting Designers, (I.A.L.D.), certified James Callahan as a lighting professional whose experience and credentials afforded him recognition and membership in this prestigious organization of professional lighting experts and engineers.
Soon after, Rizzoli International, published ³Designing With Light,² for the Library of applied Arts, in which the presented James Callahan as the ³authority² he had become. Author Wanda Jankowski devoted several chapters to Callahanıs design and lighting philosophy and consequential success. It is referenced in the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
The experience and recognition received by James Callahan remains unchallenged, yet unfulfilling. So it is no surprise that James Callahan Interiors, Incorporated, could no longer contain the energy or vision of this unique ³Designerıs Designer.² James Callahan will attempt to move current clients, peers and admirers into the new millennium through his latest creation, James Callahan International -- a company dedicated to change in our perceptions of the way we live our lives and the quality of the life we live. This new venture will include lifestyle consulting, video productions and promotions, international marketing, product design, manufacturing, and endorsement opportunities.
World renowned Crystal Cruise Lines will introduce and promote James Callahanıs personal insights into the next millennium, on both their ³Symphony² and ³Harmony² cruises throughout 1999.