Posts by Tammy Dalton
VOCs :: Smell That Chemical Cocktail
5September 15, 2010
Little did I know I was having my first major run-in with volatile organic compounds: VOC's. I wouldn't hear that term for many years to come, but though I had no name for it, it was obvious to me what it was. All that newly minted furniture was off-gassing. All the chemicals and solvents used in their manufacturing were evaporating into the air around me. I was breathing them in and smelling them, and it was making me sick. [ . . . ]
Embrace your Eclectic :: 3 Steps to Make it Work
1August 31, 2010
Eclecticism can make a room bold and invigorating if it's done right, but more often than not, I find the term used as an excuse for liking everything and yet nothing. The danger is in spreading yourself too thin, weakening and diluting your passion, your decorative statement and style-sense. Do you accommodate too many others' styles, furnishings, and expectations to the point that your house and all the things in it don't reflect you anymore?
There are three steps to make eclectic décor live together happily, and keep your home-sweet-home from becoming a repository of unrelated junk: [ . . . ]
Tammy Dalton :: DIY Gone Wrong (A List)
6August 9, 2010
. . . While I love starting from scratch with new construction projects, much of interior design work involves renovations and remodeling, and uncovering or correcting mistakes that well-meaning homeowners have made. I made a list so that I could share with you exactly what I mean. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but these are all things that I have come across in my interior design practice that have been done by previous owners that decided to take matters into their own hands. [ . . . ]
Tammy J Dalton :: HGTV Has Got Nothin On Me
10July 27, 2010
by Tammy Dalton
in homeownership
That was my husband's motto when we purchased our 40-year old house. We had become adept at ripping up old carpets, painting walls and doors, and had even replaced our wood deck all by ourselves, so we were feeling pretty confident about our abilities to care for and maintain our home.
We did respect our limits however. Truth be told, we're not really do-it-yourselfers, and since I'm an interior designer, I have a healthy understanding of what DIY-gone-wrong looks like, so I know when to stop and say let me call so-and-so. [ . . . ]
Tammy J Dalton :: The Man Room
10July 21, 2010
by Tammy Dalton
in At Home
. . . The Man Room. You know, the Man Room. It's that running joke between you and all your girlfriends. It's that room in your house where you put the not-quite-ready-for-prime time accessories, the leftover wall décor from your college dorm room that you just can't part with, your partner's collection of...(Fill in the blank with all that ugly kitschy stuff that you thought was so cute when you first met but now that you're respectable won't dare show in public). It's that room in your house where your husband's personality resides, along with his balls. [ . . . ]
