Born in Indianapolis, Markham Roberts attended Culver Military Academy and Northfield Mount Hermon School before graduating from Brown University, with honors in the history of art and architecture. He then further developed his understanding of art and antiques at Sotheby's.

In 1991, Markham left the auction business to work under the tutelage of legendary decorator Mark Hampton, his mentor. During six years with Mr. Hampton, he gained invaluable experience and training on a wide variety of projects, among them the offices of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, the Cartier Mansion on 96th Street, and the famed Chrysler apartment atop Rosario Candela's 740 Park Avenue. Noted projects outside New York included a Stanford White house in Greenwich and the Regency-style Firestone estate in Palm Beach.

With Mr. Hampton's support, Markham established his own interior design firm in 1997. Markham enjoyed immediate success, taking on such varied projects as a pre-war triplex on Sutton Place, an Italianate villa in Palm Beach, a beachfront glass pavilion in Westhampton, a rustic lodge on Lake Michigan, a sprawling shingle house in Southampton, and a Victorian cottage on Puget Sound. Markham became known for his ability to work in any design vernacular. He has proven to be as adept and comfortable working on an historic renovation as designing and building a modern house from inception.

To compliment his design office, Markham and his partner, James Sansum, opened a gallery specializing in eighteenth and nineteenth century European furniture and objects, as well as Old Master drawings and Asian works of art. The gallery also features Modern decorative arts, Contemporary paintings and photographs, and furniture designed by Markham himself.

Markham and his work have appeared in Architectural Digest, Domino, Elle Décor, House Beautiful, House & Garden, Southern Accents and The New York Times. He has consistently been named as one of the top designers in America by numerous national magazines. He has lectured on decorating in New York and throughout the country. Markham sits on the board of the Cain Foundation, a philanthropic trust set up by his late grandparents to support the arts, education and medical research, and to assist those in need.