Design Styles

Oh My, I haven’t done this in a while…. life gets really hectic and I find it difficult to take some time to write. But today I have a fun topic that I want to share with you!

When I was in college, about 20 years ago, I think we were taught that there were 4 design styles:

Traditional, Transitional, Modern and Contemporary.

Over the years, more styles got added such as eclectic, glam, mid century modern, coastal and more. And today I saw a new partial list, super basic- haha:

Modern farmhouse, Modern eclectic, New traditional (this one I happen to enjoy in the moment), California casual, Industrial, Rustic, Global, Scandinavian, Glam, Coastal, French country,…. and the list goes on.

My feeling is that most of us can’t fit into one box, we tend to mix a few. I for once, often mix in order to get the right “recipe” for each and every client- and I believe this is the magic recipe.

I tend to not follow trends, but I like to add them in the form of accessories, smaller objects, sometime art that is not that expensive, because otherwise it gets boring or you get bored of it very fast.

So this month’s tip for you is:

You don’t have to fit into a design box- mix a few, make your own recipe, and have a space that trully feels authentic to you!

Happy April, and see you soon!

Are you moving to Miami?

What a crazy year… So many changes, the world got upside down!

I’m based in Miami and I see a big trend happening right now! More and more people are moving to Miami, coming from New York, California, and more. I get them! I really do! What makes them want the change?

I think the fact that we are “opened for business” and have been for the past few months is gamechanger. Also the fact that I think there’s common sense and room for individuality here.

I would like to share with you a few tips I have if you are looking for a new place to call home in Miami.

1- Location, location, location.

• Figure out where you fit. Do you want to be walking distance to stores, etc?

• Now that Miami is your place, do you need to be by the beach?

• If you have kids, what schools interest you? I recommend being near the school…

• If you didn’t adhere to home office, can you live closer to work?

• Do you belong to a congregation and want to be part of that group?

• How much do you want to spend? Are you renting or buying?

2- Make the space feel like your own:

• Now, here I can help! Are you renting? Want a quick fix up so that the space is warm and inviting?

• Are you buying? There are many process you have to be familiar as far as permits and renovation that I’m happy to help you with.

• Adapt your style to the coastal/relax vibe. Your house will look diferent and that is ok. Embrace the change! It could be good for you!

• Hire help. It is faster and cheaper to work with professionals that are familiar with burocracies when you decide it’s time to take the leap of faith.

3- Embrace the change. Change is often good and opens up new horizons and new opportunities!

Remember, I’m here to help along the process!

Wishing you a great weekend,

Xoxo,

Tammy Gammerman.

Best of Houzz 2020!

I opened my email today and had a wonderful surprise!

I won best of Houzz 2020! It means a lot to me because it is based on my client’s review’s and experiences, so in the end, it validates that my hard work paid off and that I’m doing something right ! (I know I am, but it is always nice to feel it from my clients and to view it from their perspective.)

I’d like to thank all of you, dear clients, future clients and you that validate my work and follows me! This is what it is all about.

Happy valentine day and happy weakend!!

XoXo…. Tammy

How to maintain you vacation home

So I have many clients that have vacation homes in Miami, and these are the recommendations I normally give them:

• Keep you AC on at all times. Keep temperatures somewhere around 74-75*F- yes, although you won’t be using the apartment, if you keep the temperature too warm, you will start feeling the effects of our humidity. The wood can expand, enclosed spaces with poor circulation might start having mold and the list goes on!

• Close your blinds and draperies- this will help reduce the heat inside the apartment and will optimize the use of the AC.

• Close your water valves. Kitchen and Bathrooms.

• Remove the Ice from the freezer bin and turn the ice maker to off. This will help if you were to loose power, so you don’t get a leak from your freezer since all the ice would have melted.

• If you have the option, have someone come up to the apartment (or house) once a month at least to flush toilets and turn faucets on. It helps preserving the intergity of the pipes.

• If you own a house, cover the srains and sink drains so you don’t get unexpected “guests” (aka- bugs) coming up the drain pipes.

Its easy when you know what to do!!

Until next time….

Tammy Gammeman

The power of a good pillow...

Happy Friday everyone!!

And happy womans day !

I got inspired today to write about the power of stagging a completed project.

Stagging is a huge game changer. I have worked on projects where the focus was mainly walls, ceiling, floors, fixtures and good quality furniture but guess what? When I look at my pictures, theres not really much to say “wow” about. Not because it didn’t look nice. It did. But because no one knows where we started and how much had to change, to get to the final result. But stagging takes it to a whole different level!! It brings harmony, balance, beauty and charm to an already interesting room, but it makes it so much more!!

I would encourage you to take your makeover all the way. Work on the basics, but finish your vision with detail and charm. If you’re working on your living room- don’t just stop at sofas, arm chairs, tables and area rugs. Add pillows, throws, vases, books, greens or plants (that’s a MUST!) and art- doesnt have to be expensive, but it should translate a little of your personalty, your lifestyle, it can even be DIY! Do this and you will transform the energy in the room!

Oh, and if you’re working with a professional, please, please, please let them help you finish the space and trust them. You didn’t pick them without doing some research, so you know you can trust them!

Have a lovely weekend, a productive month of March and until the next post….

xoxo…

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Never stop educating yourself,

This past holiday season has been really hectic for me, and I bet it was for you too!

I wanted to have so many projects finalized, and my moto became:

“Organize yourself and get it done today! “

Today, because that’s how I roll. I’m intense, and I like to finish fast everything I start.

I have thought a lot about ways to grow as a person, and as a designer, and I realize they all get summarize into one thing: I want to continue learning, researching, educating myself. I want to keep doing this, year after year. That is the only thing that will keep my focus and my drive.

It’s kind of like a bycicle. I want to climb that mountain each and every day, because it’s the only way I’ll get better and the only sure way not to fall of my objectives. I don’t want to keep going straight or to go downhill.

So dear friends, I hope to share with you this year, my continued growth and all that I wish to learn!

XoXo….

Tammy.

What flooring should you consider for your house?

Lets start by saying this is my opinion, and everyone is entitled to their own. No judgements!

I believe in practicality. There's no point in me recommending a beautuful marble floor to a client who tells me they want a mantenance free floor or that there are small kids in the house. I want my projects to look good when I just finalize them, but also to last for a long time!

I'll break it down by main focus, so here it is:

You don't have pets or small kids in the house and wants a more classic floor to last you a long time? I'd recommend a natural stone- marble, limestrone, etc. You'll have to seal it every year or two depending on foot traffic and usage, but you can always polish it to remove some of the scratches and it adds nice value to the property.

You want a more cozy floor, because let's face it, some of us love walking barefoot! You've got a couple of choices:

1. Hardwood floor is a great option, since it can be sanded and refinished but it can be expensive and it might not work in some climates. Here in Florida with high humidity levels, the boards move a lot and it can be very tricky to keep them looking good. Its easier to make them work for condos but really hard for houses. Also, I don't reccoment it for the kitchen.

2. Engineered wood is a great option- more reliable then hardwood because it has a mdf layer underneath the wood veneer, and it can be sanded a couple of times if needed. Its middle range in price. Cost benefit, a great option!

3. Laminate floor can be tricky. Its a great budget friendly option, but you have to be careful with the thickness. They tend to be inexpensive, but I wouldn't recommend a plank that is under 6mm. The truth is, I've used it personally and chose a 12mm plank. Its equivalent to an engeneer board in my opinion, but there's a catch- it cannot be sanded. I would recommend using a distressed or more rustic option.

Then you have Porcelain tiles. My newest obsession! I love them. There are so many options to choose from! From classic looking ones (such as marble, limestrone) to edgier options (concrete and patterns), to wood looking ones! You can recreate your favorate look with a good upside: No maintenance, long lasting results! 

Often times I'll recommend usign a couple of these options, especially for two story houses, and as I mentioned in the beggining, It all depends in the unique nature of my clients needs.

Until next post.....

Tammy Gammerman

OMG... We are live!

This is awesome... This website was a labor of love... and I'm so proud of how it came out!

I hope to inspire you as you check my blog, my social media, and in general, as you follow my work because I love what I do, and I can't wait to share with you!

For now, this will be a short post, because I'm kind of experimenting and this is new territory for me.

Hope you see you back soon!

Tammy Gammerman