James Perkins is a restorer of historic houses, a music-industry veteran, a collector and an aesthete.
In the beginning, Aynhoe Park was supposed to be just one of his restoration projects – a chance to return a classic Georgian country house to its full glory before moving on to the next challenge, but he did more than restore Aynhoe Park.
In the 1990s, James was well known as the founder and driving force behind dance-party powerhouse Fantazia.
James brings his love of spectacle and talent for entertaining to the ethos of everything he does. That’s why events at Aynhoe Park and Parnham Park are among the most memorable in the country.
Over the last decade, James has been responsible for large-scale restorations at prestigious historic buildings across the country. A number of his projects – including Aynhoe Park, Gosfield Hall, The Round Tower and Dowdeswell Court, – have been recognised with awards for their sensitivity, accuracy and architectural ambition.
He is now working on his most ambitious project to date, Parnham Park. The restoration of a 1600 house in Dorset that suffered an extensive fire 6 years ago.
An avid collector of the historic, the unusual and the beautiful since he was very young, James' style is a lesson in a repository of stories told in objects and artworks.
Parnham Park is now the passion project and family home of James and his wife, Sophie – and they are only too happy to share it with discerning guests and those with something to celebrate.