I’m stumped on a proper high school graduation gift. I have a few ideas, but I’d like to think further about a more significant way to help her start the next phase of her life. Of course, because I am me, I’m wondering about her living situation next year when she moves away from home for college.
Read MoreStrong geometric lines cutting through all materials and forming other materials. Custom architectural grills, screens, and lampshades. Intersecting sharp lines meeting at irregular angles to form or support furniture or fixtures. Even soft organic forms, such as reclaimed wood beams, sliced sharply to add a contrast of angles. Why this prevalence of precision? Perhaps it’s the result of designers playing with new “toys” – laser cutters, improved CAD tools. Perhaps it’s indicative of some larger social phenomena. Perhaps it’s just coincidence. Regardless of the reason – it’s fun to explore what’s new.
Read MoreIf you are lucky enough for a sliver or a large plot of outdoor space, it’s time to get serious about outdoor living. A few months back – in the midst of a pending Nor’easter – I wrote about colorful and fun outdoor pieces as a reminder of warmer days to come. Today I share with you a few necessities I'm seeking in the final stages of our North Fork Renovation.
Read MoreUsing vintage pieces – either inherited or sourced from vintage and antique dealers – is one way to transform a generic space to a personal reflection of you.
Read MoreSpring is here on the calendar and even in some gardens. Each time I run (or stroll) through Manhattan, I see more and more springtime hints and flourishes. Starting with wisps of forsythia a few weeks back and now, the bright green tips of flowering bulbs pushing up from the earth and sprouting from tree branches. It’s time to lighten up our days and our homes.
Read MoreDo you ever have one of those weeks when the same item, theme, or person keeps popping up in different forms and places? This week I’m overwhelmed with seashells.
Read MoreIt’s no secret that accessories finish a space, just like they finish an outfit. For the home, accessories may mean books, mirrors, art, soft items, interesting lights, objects – the list is endless. Sometimes less is more, sometimes more is more.
Read MoreI started working on this project a few months in advance of construction. The clients wanted the work to occur during the summer months. The advance notice allowed for a decent amount of time to develop the design, identify contractors, source materials, and leave room for things to go wrong.
Read MoreRecently I was hired to design and manage a Master Bath renovation in downtown Manhattan. In this post, I’d like to share with you a bit about the front end of the design process – the before. In another post, I’ll review the end stages of the project – the after.
Read MoreTamara H Design has again been awarded “Best Of Houzz” for Design AND Customer Satisfaction by Houzz, the leading platform for home remodeling and design. Our small and highly personal firm was chosen from among more than 500,000 design industry professionals by members of the 25 million-strong Houzz community.
Read MoreAs I draft this post it’s Monday, January 26, Blizzard Juno time here in New York City. The streets outside my windows are fairly empty except for a few quiet dog walkers and a few loud snow plows. The news keeps saying the worst is yet to come. The kids will be home from school tomorrow.
Read MorePeople often ask me about rules for area rugs – size, layout, patterns. There are a number of guidelines that exist. However, each space, each home owner, each project is different and these rules don’t always apply. When working with clients I DO consider general guidelines. But I also like to create unique spaces, personalized for a place and person, and sometimes this means ignoring the rules and allowing for inspiration.
Read MoreSoul Satisfying...How’s that for a title? I’ve been using a lot of blues in my recent designs. Mostly that slice of the color wheel from yellow-green, green, blue-green, and blue – with a heavy concentration on blue-green. I started writing this blog post with the intent of exploring the concept of this color in the bathroom.
Read MoreMy family and I are ending our year with a visit to Sydney, Australia. Whether in the city or its suburbs, Sydney is one of those places that screams its history through its buildings. Grand colonial structures built with the local sandstone. English arts and crafts–style dwellings reinterpreted with verandas to protect from the local sun. Federation style homes also with the requisite verandas framed with local iron. Modern office and apartment buildings turned to capture the views and strong breezes. Roofs tilted for solar panels and to capture rain water.
Read MoreSince I am on vacation, I get to treat myself to the pleasure of flipping through magazines — on the beach, deck, alone or hanging with friends and family. Many of these will loosely fall into the “shelter” magazine category — lifestyles, interiors, and architecture.
Read MoreI’ve had many successes this year — projects large and small — of which I am very proud. But almost every single job has had something go askew.
Read MoreI’m a bit of a material junkie - I love a mix of different colors, textures, surfaces and fabrics. For me, an interior design project starts to come to life when I begin to source materials – stone, tile, paint, floor covering and more. For our North Fork weekend home renovation project, this is when I got really excited.
Read MoreIt’s no news that brass is a hot material and finish in residential interior design, and has been trending for the past year or so. Last week I sourced some accessories and decorative objects for a client’s Master Suite and stumbled on a few very swoon worthy items.
Read MoreFor the past year I’ve been collecting some of my favorite examples and uses of mirrors. It started when I was searching for – and found – a fun and elegant option for a client’s entryway. Along the way, I came across others I loved, so I started cataloging the mirrors, saving them for a rainy day, for the perfect project. Looking through my collection the other day, I was struck by the many positive ways a mirror adds to a space. Here are a few...
Read MoreTween boys and girls are independent, sometimes sassy, hold many interests, and have well-formed personalities and strong opinions on many subjects. They value creativity and if possible, many tweens would like to reinvent their personal space as often as they reinvent themselves....
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