interior

"How To;" Stage Your Flat Surfaces

Hey again! Welcome to my first installment of my own little "How To" series. Every so often I'll be giving you tips and tricks you can use in your own spaces to achieve a true designer-like look and feel. First up; how to make your flat surfaces like tables, counters, desks, etc. pop and come alive.

Blank table = no good.

Unless everything in your home is white and chrome and sterile like a hospital, the worst thing you could probably do is have blank surfaces. I don't trust anyone with an empty cocktail table (what are you trying to hide, huh!?), plus having knickknacks on these surfaces helps your space feel warm, inviting, and most of all, lived in. So rule number one, put something on that table!

Uh, OK. It's a start, I suppose...

Rule number two? We want... stuff on that table, just not too much stuff. There's a finer line than you think between just enough and too much, so walk it carefully. Typically, the smaller the surface and space, the smaller and fewer your items should be. The larger the surface, the more pieces you can have and the larger they can be. Scale is VERY important when it comes to this stuff.

Alright, getting closer. Three items, different sizes and shapes...

Whoa! Juuust a bit overboard, huh?

Rule number three; keep it odd. Clusters of an odd number of items is going to be key in creating the visual interest you need on the surface. Even numbers are too symmetrical and can be paired up too easily by your mind. Odd numbers will force your eye to dance through the space and spend time at a particular point, rather than immediately moving on. Next time you open up a home design magazine, take a look at tables in the ads and pictures in the articles, I bet you'll notice the odd numbers. You'll probably also notice rule three a) and b)...

Three a) is to have items of varying height, and b) is varying size/shape. If we have odd numbers to create visual tension and force our eyes to linger, we incorporate items of varying size and height to create visual balance in the composition at the same time. If we can successfully create tension and 'solve' that same tension in the same breath, we've created something truly dynamic and worth looking at.

And we're there! Odd number of items, short and tall, different shapes and sizes. Three would have made the table top seem too large and empty, seven would probably have crossed that line into clutter. We're well balanced with what we have here.

So crack open that old box of books, candle holders, and other little tchotchkes, and get to work!


Is Interior Design 'Art?'

Hey again! So I just got back from a trip to Paris, France over the weekend. If there's a better city to take in art, you'll have to clue me in. I mean, the Louvre is there, people! Three days spent walking through a city where there's more art history than your country has, well, history, puts things in perspective.

The Venus de Milo. They say she's a size 12-14 today. #realmarblehascurves

After two days of stained glass and relief carvings at Notre Dame and headless/armless marble statues at the Louvre, I was (dare I say) almost full of the art scene. Then on the third day we crossed the Seine river to the Musee d' Orsay. For the most part it was very similar to the Louvre; old paintings, old marble statues missing random body parts, etc. Now don't get me wrong, the Louvre is absolutely amazing; I could get lost in there (quite literally). But the Orsay wasn't an old castle liberated from an old king by the people. Nothing quite as 'regal' but still born out of a history of blood and just as interesting for its own reasons.

The Orsay Museum. Only 4 floors of art, but probably room for at least 4 more. I'm glad they kept the space open to the natural light and exposed the feel that the train station used to have.

The Orsay Museum was Paris' main train station, bombed to almost nothingness in WWII. It was slated for tear down after some renovations, but was instead turned into a museum to bridge the gap between the Louvre and the Museum of Modern Art. I for one am very glad they saved it.

Because of the different surroundings I think it opened my eyes to not only the art on the walls, but also to the walls that the art was hanging on. It made me pay attention to how the rooms were separated, how your eye danced across the entire atrium, how you could look at details so small, then step back and see the bigger picture. It was the first museum that forced me to see this new aspect. 

Then I found it. The room I didn't know I had been waiting for. Not a room of wood-framed paintings, but a room full of wood none the less. I'm talking furniture! Furniture as art! Furniture just as fine and curvaceous as Venus de Milo herself! It was very exciting to see (what most people would call) humble desks and chairs and bed frames sharing space with Van Gogh and Degas and Gauguin. The French (with the help of an Italian Architect) had quite successfully turned interior design into art simply by housing it AND creating an eye opening space to show it to the masses.

Special appearance by m'lady.

I may not be opening any eyes with this post, but I can say unequivocally that yes, interior design is indeed a fine art. It's not just about the pretty things on the wall. Sometimes it's about the walls themselves.

Thanks for visiting!

Welcome to TJD!

Hey everyone, Taylor here. Welcome to my website! Sometimes this whole business thing of mine feels pretty 'spur-of-the-moment' after years of turning in hours at a 9-5, but this endeavor has been a long time coming for me, actually. I've spent years working in the design industry, and I've always had the itch to set out and start creating on my own. I'm still (relatively) young, ready to work, and I've had a lot of experience under my belt, so what better time than now to get started!

I want design to be as approachable as possible to anyone who's open to it, so I'll be doing my best to keep this blog as casual and as laid back as possible (kinda like me). Too often I feel like designers create an air about themselves to keep the uninitiated at arms length; to make sure that their reputation as a 'popular designer' stays untarnished by avoiding having to explain things to people. That is NOT what this is going to be about. Daily, weekly, monthly, or whenever inspiration strikes, I'll be posting about design from all angles. From what to look for if you're thinking about hiring a designer to period furniture. Anything as broad and diverse as picking a paint color down to the minute differences in the production of ceramic and porcelain tile. And it will be all as un-stuffy as possible!

I feel that my diverse background in different niches of design gives me unique perspectives into a community that often feels closed off or unreachable to most people. I'll be doing my best to bring you that insight whenever I get the chance. Feel free to comment here or use the "Hire Us" tab to contact me directly if you ever have any questions regarding anything. I promise I'm an open book and infinitely reachable. If you feel like staying tuned, I promise I'll make it worth your while!

Thanks for visiting, and I hope to hear from you soon!

Your new space awaits.