One of our respondents said, “Outdoor space is essential.” We couldn’t agree more. According to the TPD #StayAtHomeSurvey: 54% of respondents say that they’ve enjoyed using their uncovered outdoor space more than usual while at home over the past few months. Covered back porches, patios and decks are hard at work as well. However, 10% of […]
Working in Context
Private and Public Space Balance
As kids are heading back to school, either in person, virtually, or some combination, many of us are considering how our homes will function for all of our different needs. The balance of public and private space is an important factor when looking at this functionality. When working from home, it’s important to find some […]
TPD #StayAtHome Survey Results Are In
Here at TPD, we spend a lot of time listening to our clients about how they want to be able to use their homes. When it was clear that the COVID-19 pandemic and stay-at-home orders were dramatically affecting people’s lives, we wanted to reach out to folks around the country with a survey and ask […]
Join the Conversation
We’re eight weeks into the pandemic, and what used to feel strange is starting to feel a little normal, which is even stranger. At TPD, we’ve been working remotely, visiting construction sites after hours, and coming up with new strategies to help us work effectively with clients, vendors, and contractors. This transition has been made […]
Open Houses
As the holidays quickly approach, the hubbub of preparation for impending festivities and celebrations goes into high gear. Holiday open houses, hosted in shops, offices and homes, speak to the sense of hospitality that accompanies the season. I’ve been thinking about this hospitality lately, especially in light of a recent three-day workshop I attended in […]
Gratitude
I recently attended a roundtable luncheon attended by women from different professional backgrounds and business endeavors. Our speaker for the luncheon, Kim Davis from Synovus Bank, gave an inspiring talk about our “one thing,” and distributed a lovely illustration by Ellie Tew of the Japanese concept, Ikigai. The Ikigai lies at the heart of the […]
Places Where
We were in NYC for a quick trip to celebrate our twentieth anniversary and our oldest child’s first parents’ weekend at Princeton. While my husband worked at his firm’s NY office, I did what I love to do in the city, and headed to the Met with the express goal of visiting three galleries I […]
Summer Empty Nest
We are fledgling empty nesters for another week. Our oldest is in Italy studying Latin for the month of July, and we dropped off the younger two at their respective camps in northern Alabama last weekend. In truth, this is not the first time we have been childless for a couple of weeks: our kids’ camp […]
Five Ways an Architect Can Save You Money
Last weekend was my 25th college reunion (#legendary), and the whole family attended. A 15-hour car ride left me with some time to catch up on social media, and there’s nothing better for Facebook/Instagram surfing than I-81 in Virginia. Summer is peak renovation season it seems. Owners want to have renovation projects completed by the […]
Expert Guides
When we were in Italy this past summer, we worked with Context Travel for our day at the Vatican Museums. Being vaguely familiar with the crowds made me a little nervous about negotiating the vast museum complex with the kids, and I wanted to make sure they saw the things they needed to see, as […]
“Do you know any contractors?”
Absolutely. I know great contractors who do amazing work. The more important question, however, is who are the contractors that would be a good fit for your project, your investment, and your family. Residential construction is personal, and there is no getting around it: your contractor becomes a part of your family for a little […]
Kitchen Collaboration
So excited to see this great collaboration in Birmingham Home and Garden July/August edition. Working together with a talented friend made this project such a pleasure! View Article in Birmingham Home and Garden‘s July/August 2017 Issue