Tuesday, April 24, 2012

New Things to Come!

Hello to all, after quite an absence.  When I am busy with clients the blogging goes on hiatus.  This is good and bad- good that business is taking up my time, but bad that I don’t have the time for blogging! 

Last week and this week look to be “breather weeks” where business duties are concerned, but that good/bad scenario rears its head again….I will take my seat on the rollercoaster of being self-employed and gladly accept the good that comes with the bad!

There is some exciting news coming down the pipe for my business and I am so excited to share it!  I am moving to a new location!  The great part is the location is new but not far, to say the least.  In fact, I am going to literally be right around the corner from my current location. 

The “new” location is on the front of the building where I currently reside.  I emphasize the word “new” since the building was constructed in the early 1900’s.  As you can see in the “before photos” I have posted below, the space needs some “elbow grease” but I feel confident that things will come together beautifully. I feel so humbled to have the opportunity to move and look forward to both the challenges and successes that the move will surely bring. 

New Space BEFORE 2

 

New Space BEFORE 1

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Space BEFORE 3

With all of the needed work, opening day may be a little more delayed than first thought.  That is okay, as I have lots to do and want everything thing to be in tip-top shape when the doors open for the first time! Please stay tuned for details and more pictures.  Looking forward to a new chapter for tammy taylor interiors! 

High Point PictureWith a new space comes new things.  I just attended the High Point Spring Furniture Market yesterday and saw goodies galore!  I picked up a couple new vendors and look forward to having new things for you to see!  Showplace at High Point

 

Thank you for spending a little time here.  I am excited about what is ahead and eager to share it with my wonderful customers!  Thank you for your past patronage and I hope to receive your continued support as things move forward. You make my business what it is and I appreciate each and every customer that darkens my doors!  You are appreciated!!Thank you in different languages

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Your Holiday Table

Merry Christmas!!  We are only a week or so from the BIG DAY!!  Are you ready?  I have the added “To Do” of packing for a trip this season, as we are traveling to St. Louis to spend Christmas with my husband’s family.  My husband's grandmother turns 90 on Christmas day so in addition to celebrating Christmas we will also celebrate her!  I am looking forward to family, fun and memories!

I am sure you are preparing for family gatherings and thus want a table that is warm and inviting for your guests.   I have some ideas for you!  I attended “Illumination,”  the annual women’s Christmas event at my church this past Tuesday night.  There were over 70 decorated tables to savor and wow, the creativity was abundant.  I have several to share with you and hope that you can get some ideas to share with your family as you gather together to celebrate the Season.  Enjoy!

Silver and White Tablescape 12-15-11       Place setting-silver and white tablescape 12-15-11

This is the table I decorated for the event.  This “Winter Wonderland” included silver, glass, mirror, white and blue.  As you can see, instead of the typical place card, I gifted each guest with an ornament bearing the letter of their first name.  This personalized each guest’s place at the table and gave them something that will hopefully bring back happy memories of the event as they hang it on their tree for seasons to come.

 

Magnolia leaf centerpiece 12-15-11          Magnolia leaf and candle centerpiece 12-15-11

I don’t know about you, but I love using Magnolia to decorate with at the holidays.  I thought this centerpiece was elegant and natural and the best part is, many of us can go right outside our own back door and clip away!  What a nice touch!

Rocky Horse Plate 12.15.11          Red and gold tablescape 12.11.15        Turquoise tablescape 12.15.11     Purple feathers tablescape 12.15.11       Red poinsettia centerpiece 12.15.11

These are a few of the more elegant tablescapes. Each very different and unique it its own way.  Which is your favorite?

 

 

Happy birthday Jesus centerpiece 12.15.11           Nativity centerpiece on turntable 12-5-11

You can’t forget the Reason for the Season!

 

Coke tablescape 12-15-11         Star Wars tablescape 12.15.11

Last, but not least….A more unusual take on things….Yes, that’s right- Coke and Star Wars!  Tables I am sure the kids would enjoy!

 

So, I hope you have found a couple of ideas to use in your home. May your table be beautiful and your memories be sweet as you celebrate with your family!

 

Wishing God’s richest blessings to you during the Season and in the coming year!

All my best,

Tammy

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Instant Room, Edition 3

Sorry for delay in getting out Edition 3 of my Instant Room Series. 

Things have been busy at the shop and I have been out of town

for the past week and a half.  My husband’s brother was married

out in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  We had a wonderful time!  It was

a nice change of pace;  The landscape, the company we kept and

the weather brought an enjoyable escape from our daily lives in

North Carolina!

 

This edition of “Instant Room” will explore one of my favorite

rooms- the Powder Room.  I love assisting clients with powder

bath spaces.  Typically Powder Rooms are smaller spaces that

can offer that “wow factor” that clients may not be willing to pull

the trigger on in other spaces in their homes.  Because Powder

Baths are often spaces that you don’t spend a lot of time in,

you can jazz things up and not tire of the selections you have

made.

When I think of “jazzing up” a space, I typically think of selections

that may be a little more outrageous or over the top.  You may

think that because most modern spaces tow the subtle and

understated line, that so called “over the top” or a little more

unusual selections may not be the right choice.  But, you can

give any space some extra pizzazz.  You just have to make

careful selections that maintain the style you are conveying

throughout your home.  Let’s get started…

 

Let’s begin with the walls.  To change things up a little, I

decided to combine several types of wall coverings to

make the space more visually interesting.

SW7727-Koi Pond

For the wall color, I chose Sherwin William’s “Koi Pond.”  This

color would cover all walls except the sink wall.

piet-scrap-wood-wallpaper-

I LOVE this wallpaper!   It is actually made from scrap pieces of

wood.  The artist who designed the paper is Piet Hein Eek.   You can view

this and other of his designs at: http://pietheineek.com.  The paper

would be placed only on the sink wall, but not the entire wall.  I can explain

the placement once all the components are introduced.

GO88_1x1_S

This glass tile is by Crossville, in color Champagne.  Although it is

shown in a 1x1 piece, it also comes in a 2x6 subway tile, which is what

I would select.  The wallpaper would be installed floor to ceiling on

the sink wall.  In the middle of that wall, the glass subway tile

would be installed, then the wall-mounted faucet would be installed

into the tile.

Kohler Falling Water Wall Mount Lavatory Faucet vibrant brushed bronze

This faucet, Kohler’s “Falling Water” wall mount lavatory faucet (vibrant brushed

bronze finish), will look great with the subway tiles, wallpaper and wall color and

will also accentuate the sconces and light fixture.

Minka Compositions High Wall Sconce Aged Patina Iron

These sconces, by Minka Lavery Lighting (from the Compositions Collection, in Aged

Patina Iron Finish) will be mounted on the mirror over the sink- one on either side.  They

will provide soft lighting and will be a favorable accent to the wallpaper.

Currey and company  Goddess chandelier

Now for that extra touch of excitement!  I could not resist this BEAUTIFUL piece by Currey &

Company.  It is so adequately called the “Goddess Chandelier”.  It will hang over-head and

provide those who enter a pleasant surprise.  I think this chandelier gives us that

touch of unexpected that every Powder Bath needs!

Marbled Cork Flooring

I decided to carry the Marbled Cork flooring into the Powder Bath that is also present in

the Kitchen.  This will provide a nice consistency between spaces.

 

What an impressive space!  We have “wow” with tasteful, interesting touches! 

 

I hope you have enjoyed reading this edition as much as I have enjoyed putting it together! 

As mentioned previously, I love Powder Rooms and as with the our other Instant Rooms, I would

love to see it come together in a real home! 

 

I look forward to continuing our journey!    Our next space to delve into will be the Master

Bedroom.  Hope you will join me!  Best Wishes to you!

Friday, September 2, 2011

Instant Room, Edition 2

So far, we explored a Modern Living Room.  I hope you enjoyed that post.  This week we move on to the Kitchen….

 

The Modern Kitchen

  I wanted to carry the color palette of the living room into the kitchen, so I continued with the

  browns, blacks, grays and soft golds.   Bon Appetit!

 

Cabinetry Selections

Cabinets, Countertop Material, Backsplash tile, Cabinetry Hardware

For the Kitchen cabinetry I wanted to choose a cabinet style that was stream-lined and clean. 

Armstrong Cabinetry provides a great option.  Their  “Moderno” Collection offers just what I had in mindArmstorng moderno toffee finish

The Toffee finish is not too light and not too dark and coordinates well with the other

pieces of our Kitchen puzzle.  Now for the counter top material.  After having Staron quartz

by Samsung (yes, the TV people!) installed in my own kitchen a couple years ago, choosing

counter tops was a no brainer!  I LOVE my quartz!  Ease of maintenance is what makes me love it most. 

Quartz does not have all of the color and pattern, or “movement” that granite and some

other surfaces express. Our virtual modern kitchen needs the “quietness” the lack of pattern in the

quartz provides also stays within the parameters a modern space calls for.Staron Sanded Papyrus quartzBecause most of the other elements

of the Kitchen are understated I thought it would be fun and interesting to implement

a backsplash material with some pizazz!  The “Squareweave” pattern from the

Ann Sacks Mosaics collection gives us just enough color and pattern to both coordinate

and accentuate the overall feel of the space.                                                                              

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lastly, we need our hardware, which I often refer to as the “jewelry” of kitchen cabinetry.  The hardware adds the finishing touch. 

I wanted to make careful selection, as I wanted the hardware to compliment and not take away from all the other choices.  Rocky

Mountain Hardware, as always, gave me much to choose from.  I selected the Olympus Pull for the drawers and the Shift Knob for

the cabinets in the Silicon Bronze Light Finish.  Too bad this isn’t a real world kitchen- I would LOVE to see all of this come together.                      

                                                 Olympus Pull RMH           Shift Cabinet Know RMH

Plumbing Selections

Sink and Faucet

Sink selection often comes down to personal preference.  I happen to prefer a cast iron sink. The Kohler Smart Divide

I chose for our virtual space is great.  I also like the Almond color the sink comes in.  The faucet, also by Kohler, has

nice lines and also a heftiness to it that exudes a look of quality and performance.  Again, another nice fit into the

puzzle that is becoming our beautiful virtual Kitchen!     

        Kohler Woodfield Smart Divide Cast Iron Sink                      Kohler Articulatin deck-mount faucet-bronze

      

Flooring Selections

Flooring and Area Rug

In an effort to include items that are environmentally friendly I chose cork flooring for the kitchen. Marbled Cork Flooring (Please visit corkflooring.com to

read about the many advantages of using cork for flooring applications).  On an aesthetic level, I love the color of the cork and the

pattern it adds.  To break up the pattern a bit, I chose the Stark Area Rug.  I love the strie pattern (tight stripes) of the rug!                                 Stark Aubusson Stripe Collection Area Rug

 

 

 

 

 

 

Furniture Selections

Dining Room Table, Dining Chairs, Bar Stools

You may notice a sort of similarity to the furniture items I have selected. I wanted keep the pieces clean and sleek.

 

                     West Elm Dover Dining Table                                                     

            Dover Dining Table West Elm      

              West Elm Modern Windsor Dining Chair

          Modern Windsor Dining Chair West Elm    

    

                 West Elm Rustic Bar Stool

    Rustic Bar Stool West Elm

 

 

Lighting Selections

Mini Pendant (Island), Large Pendant (Dining Room Table)

I chose fixtures that would continue that look of sleek, trim and clean. 

 

     Murray Feiss Parker Place Mini Pendant                

    Murray Feiss Parker Place mini pendant LL                

          Troy Lighting Redmond 6 Light Pendant

     Troy Lighting Redmond 6 Lt. pendant lee lighting                       

Wall Color

Imagining  that our floor plan is open and spacious, I wanted to carry the Living Room wall color into the Kitchen.

Adding a new color could introduce an element of fussiness that could take away from the space, rather than

accentuate what is there.  I never want to add anything to space that can “jar” the eye or the senses!

         Sherwin Williams- Buckram Binding

                      SW0036 Buckram Binding 

    

Fabrics

Okay, now to my favorite part….the FABRICS!!  The fabrics add the icing on the cake to a space. 

The Duralee floral that I selected is what I may call an updated floral, due to the scale of the pattern

and also the color combination.  I really like this fabric.  It also does a great job of coordinating all the

hues of the space.  I would use this fabric on the window treatments.  The Duralee stripe would be used

as seat cushions on our West Elm Bar Stools.  I especially like the stitching of the fabric.  It adds a needed

texture to the space.                                                                                                  

                       Window Treatment Fabric                                                                               

             Duralee 42116-718                                        

                            Bar Stool Cushion Fabric                       

              Duralee 32248-103

So, how do you like it?  I hope this shows that you can do modern but still have a warm, inviting environment. 

I like to refer to these spaces as “Elegant Modern.”   I also hope that as you read this blog and blogs to come that

you realize that every decision that is made in a space is one that matters and relates to something else.

The selections your designer makes are ones that have been thought through and all of those little details are what make all the difference!

 

Stay tuned for the next room!  What will we tackle next?  You will have to wait and see!!! 

Monday, July 25, 2011

Instant Room

Hope you are having a great summer!  After taking a little “blog break” I have decided to change the format of things a little. 

If you have read recent blogs I was doing a series called “Have You Seen This?”  I would share items that I would  find in magazines, on the internet, at market, etc.  I thought it would be a fun change to begin not just sharing the items, but pairing them together, since this is what I do for my clients.  Thus, “Instant Room” was born.  In this series, I will choose items for what we will call “virtual rooms”.   Not real rooms, with real clientsJust spaces that I use to “virtually” show how to put a room together from items that I find using the internet only.  This quick process does not, by any means, mirror that of a real design project.  There are so many important little details that go into designing just one space.  This is meant to hopefully give you a little insight and maybe even some good ideas that you can use in your home!

So many times I hear both clients and those who visit my shop say “I know what I like, I just can’t put it all together to make it look good!”  Do you ever feel that way?  If so, I think you will enjoy this new series of blogs where I decide on a decorating style, then go room by room, coordinating furniture, fabrics, flooring, lighting, etc.  Hope you enjoy….

 

So, what style will be first in this “Instant Room” series?  Because I do not get the opportunity to complete very many projects that fall into the “Modern” category, I thought that would be a great place to start!  Here we go…

 

the modern living room

Let’s begin with a sofa.  I found this great piece, the “Bantam Sofa” on the Design Within Reach website (www.designwithinreach.com).   I like the neutrality of the color.  I like that is not gray, which is what I see in many modern spaces.  Gray can be very dull, so I decided to go with this linen-like color to avoid the drabness of gray.  (To all the “gray lovers” out there….I am not opposed to grays, in fact, I wear gray a lot!  It just seems that it has been used so much in modern design, I just wanted to go in a little different direction!)  Bantam Sofa-DRW-6-7-11

 

What about some throw pillows for the sofa?  You will need one to rest your head for that Sunday afternoon nap, right?  We need a fabric for the pillows.  I chose this Duralee fabric, which incorporates the sofa color, but will also coordinate other pieces and fabrics to come.

 

SW0036 Buckram BindingBefore we go much farther, I should introduce the wall color, which is such an important piece of the puzzle.  To stay in the “modern” category I wanted to keep the colors rather monotone, so I decided to choose a wall color that would do just that.  “Buckram Binding” from Sherwin-Williams provides a soothing, neutral backdrop for the room.

We need some additional seating.  Again, from the Design Within Reach website, I found this great chair.  It’s straight lines keep us in line with the modern feel of the space.  The “Krefold Lounge Chair” is the perfect fit.

Krefold Lounge Chair-DWR 6-7-11

Although the cream leather shown on the Krefold Lounge Chair is gorgeous, how about something a little more striking and glam?

 This faux croc fabric fits the bill, no questions asked!!

Durale 31736-16

End tables, where are you???  I need a resting place for my beverage, my eye glasses and my favorite new novel!AmericanModern Side Table 6-7-11  The straight lines and slim look of this end table really caught my eye.  I like that there is open and closed storage as well.  The “American Modern Side Table” is a perfect addition to our space!  (Can you guess where I found it??)

 

Skagen coffee table 6-7-11

                                                            

The “Skagen Cocktail Table”  compliments our other pieces quite well.  In keeping with the modern feel of the space, this table adds just the right amount of curve in the legs, but just enough straight line to accompany it’s side table accomplice.  (Design Within Reach).

 

Now that we have established our furniture pieces, we need an area rug.  Again, thank you Grace Rug-DWR-6-7-11Design Within Reach.  Here comes the gray!!  The “Grace Rug” does a great job of grounding our sofa and lounge chairs and also coordinates with the gray in the sofa pillows. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now for the finishing touches!  Lighting, art work and window treatments!Baton Table Lamp-DWR-6-7-11  (Accessories- Design Within Reach)

Baton Table Lamp

 

 

 

The Sunflower ClockSunflower Clock DWR 6-7-11

“Rubio, Sky, Moon & Hawk” by Bonnie Edelman

Rubio, Sky, Moon and Hawk by Bonnie Edelman-DWR 6-7-11

 

For the window treatments, simple, stationary drapery panelsDuralee 180894H-152 (fabric by Duralee) will provide simplicity and softness.  The drapery hardware by Helser Brothers will add a touch of bold that is appropriate for a Modern space and adds something that we do not see in other parts of the room.

Helser Bros. Bracket and Base

 

And, just like that, we are done! 

Now, I would like to mention, that unlike the shows you see on TV, this process is not one that can be done in a weekend.  Lots of questions have to be asked, a budget has to be established, details have to be attended to and a time line has to be created to make it all come together to produce the envisioned result.  Also, I do not usually suggest that you hit one website or store and make every needed selection.  But, what this does show, is that with a little thought and some good help, you can choose those items you like and put them together in a way that makes you savor your space. 

 

Thank you for spending a snippet of your time here today.  Be looking for our next space- the modern Kitchen!