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3 Summer Decorating Tips to Create a Welcoming Space

welcoming summer space

Creating a timeless and welcoming space in your home is something that can easily be achieved with a few simple design tricks, but as the seasons change, it’s always fun to mix it up with your décor choices. As the summer sun brightens up the views in Vail Valley, many homeowners are inspired to make some changes around the house with lighter décor options. Check out a few of our favorite summer decoration tips to get your creative juices flowing.

3 Gorgeous Summer Decoration Tips for Your Home

1. Pare Down

An easy way to make your home feel welcoming on those hot summer days is to think of the space in the same way you would think of a summer vacation rental. Throw open the doors and windows, let the sunshine in by pulling back heavy curtains and get rid of any pieces that are dark or fussy. Store your heavy winter throws and trade them in for pops of colors throughout your home.

2. Amp Up Your Bar

Everyone loves a fresh and fruity summer cocktail or mocktail, so why not make your bar area a focal point for the summer season? With a dedicated refreshment station in your home, you can create a relaxation area that is designed to welcome family and friends inside to grab their favorite summer refreshment.

3. Fill Up the Fireplace

You won’t need to use your fireplace for the next couple of months, so why not transform it for the summer? Stack leftover wood inside or position your favorite candles to make good use of the otherwise unused space. If you’re a fan of more natural décor, you can even frame a large amethyst crystal or hunk of coral inside.

Enjoy a Beautiful and Relaxing Summer in Vail Valley

Interested in learning more about the best architecture to complement your design ideas? Contact our architects at TAB Associates online today for more information!

TAB Associates, Inc. North Carolina Architecture Firm Opens its Doors!

Well, here we are again; time to post in the blog. Well let me tell you a little something about the new office in western North Carolina! It is located about 20 miles south of Asheville in Hendersonville. We are one block from Main Street on Church Street. We share the building with Glennwood Custom Builders. They are in Suite A and we are in Suite B. Here is a picture of the front door. Actually, the front door is being replaced with a wood door. We are just waiting on the custom hardware which is a few weeks out. There is a backlit LED sign to go above the door to match the one in the window. It will eventually be moved out to the gable end when the building is renovated. New North Carolina Architecture Firm

Later this summer, the building owner is supposed to be renovating the exterior of the building to a design we did for him.

architecture firm exterior

Corten panels above reclaimed siding with heavy timber beam and king posts gables on new stone and timber columns at each entry. This should be quite the improvement over the green metal mansard and brick veneer existing exterior.

Inside we mixed up the interiors with an ultra-modern reception area and a rustic conference room. We added a Jim Harrison giclée of one of his famous Coca Cola barns. Jim was a favorite South Carolina painter from Denmark, South Carolina about 3 hours south of us.

architecture firm interior architecture firm conference room In the work area, we used what we know works and copied the Edwards office for the desks. We put in a similar Kitchenette, but stayed with the theme in the office and had the cabinets painted a custom color; purple of course.

Now we are marketing to land a few projects. Then we will start to hire some local talent and train them in the TAB ways. We started off by joining the Asheville Home Builders Association. We have recently joined the Land of the Sky Association of Realtors (Asheville’s Board) and the Hendersonville Board of Realtors. Getting emails out to all of the members announcing the opening of this office was a challenge, but was successful. Currently we are licensed in Colorado, North Carolina, South Carolina and Montana. We are nationally certified and can be licensed in any state. If you have any need of an Architect, please contact TAB Associates, Inc.

Best Interior Decorating Secrets to Highlight Your Home’s Architecture

interior design secrets

If you’re like most people, chances are you like to update the interior décor of your home every once in a while. Unfortunately, as you may know from experience, interior decorating is often much harder than it looks. While you may have a good idea of what type of look you’re going for, you may be uncertain in terms of how to achieve this look. Here are two of the best interior decorating secrets that will make your life a lot easier.

Layering

Professional interior designers know rich and interesting spaces tend to feature layering, or pieces of décor on top of other décor. A common example of layering is having framed art lean on top of other framed art. An interior designer may also pair stacks of books with small trinkets to add more layers to a room.

When it comes to layering, a common concern that homeowners have is that there’s no point in putting things in a space if you can’t see them in their entirety. However, one major point of layering is to create a sense of mystery in a space. Don’t be afraid to obscure almost the entirety of an art piece by placing a lamp or plant in front of it. Not only will it make your guests eager to explore your home, but it may even make you feel as if there are things you have yet to discover in your own home.

Negative Space

The power of negative space is another interior décor secret that many professionals take advantage of. Believe it or not, the empty space in a room can be just as important as the actual décor.

The main goal of designing a space is to make it feel and look as balanced as possible. While it’s important that you don’t skimp on furniture, accessories, and art so that a space doesn’t feel exciting and full, you also want to avoid using so much décor that a room feels stuffed and overwhelming.

Taking advantage of negative space and layering is a great way to achieve design balance. For more information about the best architecture to complement your design ideas, don’t hesitate to reach out to our architects here at Tab and Associates!

In the Works – Greg Macik

In our next series of post each of our team members will post about the projects they are currently work on.

It has been an exciting time for TAB Associates the last two years. We have grown from 3 to 8 team members and have expanded with a new office in North Carolina!

We have always kept our portfolio of projects wide, covering all aspects of Architecture. Current project lists include Educational, Resort, Commercial, Single family and multi-family Residential and Master Planning projects.

Personally, as Principal Architect in the Edwards office, I have been here to help guide the office as we transition to the two office company. I have still been producing a lot of work on the board but also helping to direct the office in new marketing opportunities, staff development and just day to day operations.

Enjoy the posts over the coming weeks.

Meet Our Team – CJ Spell

Hello! I am CJ, the newest member of the TAB team. I was born and raised here in the Eagle Valley and after receiving a Bachelor’s of Environmental Design from the University of Colorado Boulder, I packed up my bags and moved to Bozeman, Montana where I earned a Masters of Architecture. Eventually I found my way back to Colorado and spent 3 years in Fort Collins before coming back to the mountains.

Professionally I have strong interests in music performance spaces, community planning, historic preservation, and sustainable design. In the past I have worked on a wide range of design projects from net zero energy residential developments, community music spaces, to office and mixed use buildings. Throughout this journey I have developed a wide range of technical skills to help visualize projects in their early stages to allow for good design decisions.

In my free time you will find me on my next adventure often near a lake, with a camera, friends and fly rod in tow and when not out exploring, I will most likely be in the music studio composing songs that I swear someday I will finish.

How Architectural Elements Can Make a House Feel Like a Home

architectural balance

Balance in a home is important. Balance does not have to mean symmetry; it can mean a sense or feel of balance where one element balances another element. Architectural balance is an idea that has been put forth by some architects in the work they do, and a recent study confirms it.

A House vs. a Home: The Balance of Vail Valley Architecture & Psychology

A study in Australia revealed that one’s psychological state and association of home is directly related to architectural balance. The physical nature of a place can have a significant impact on the dweller’s perception of the place, whether the dweller deems the place a home or just a house. Here are three takeaways from this study.

Traditionally, the concept of home has always been perceived as a psychological construct of our human condition taken from our personal and social lives and our memories. The home was something our minds created through what we perceived to be a home. But now, we know home is both a psychological and architectural concept. Both are intrinsically connected.
Architecture impacts a person’s psyche and has a direct impact on the perception of what a home is or means. The architecture of a structure can — if designed accordingly — positively impact the occupant of the structure and create a connection with it. On the other hand, if the architecture poses no stimulation, the mind is not stimulated and a connection to the structure is not made. The structure, therefore, is just a structure, a place where one lays his or her hat, and that’s all.
The balance between architectural design and psychology is what helps make a house a home. Architectural balance lends itself to this effort through the proper distribution of aesthetically appealing architectural design and elements.

Architects work to bring balance to any house so you have yourself a home, and that’s something you live in with peace of mind. Contact TAB Associates today to assist you in the design of your dream home!

Meet Our Team – Anna Griffith

Hello world! Anna Griffith here from Tab Associates. I have been with TAB Associates for almost a year now and feel so lucky to have found such a great team to work with. I received my masters last spring from University of Colorado Denver and moved to the valley shortly after. It feels so good to be back in the mountains of Colorado.

I was born and raised in Durango, Colorado and received my Bachelors from Montana State University in Bozeman. These small mountain communities have helped shape who I am today and are a continuing reminder of what I hold dear in life.

Through my work, I aim to bring awareness and presence to the natural beauty that surrounds us. One project I am particularly proud of is a 300sf cabin designed for the director of the Colorado Outward Bound program located in Leadville, Colorado. Through the Colorado Building Workshop, 28 students designed and built 7 cabins over the course of a semester. This was an incredibly rich experience which has helped shape the trajectory of my career.

Meet Our Team – Ivan Gonzalez

Howdy, I am Ivan Gonzalez, Project Manager at TAB Associates since 2016. I began life in the metropolitan mountainous city of Monterrey, Mexico and had the privilege of being raised in The Lone Star State, Texas. After attending Texas A&M University and graduating with a Bachelors of Environmental Design, I spent some time working with a medium sized commercial architecture firm in Houston.

An opportunity for a lifestyle change presented itself and I jumped on it like a dog on a bone! I have been in the Valley a few months shy of two years and have been loving it! Being able to learn and contribute to the growth of the valley has been an incredible experience and I feel very fortunate to be working with committed, talented and imaginative minds (both in our office and the teams we collaborate with). Since moving to Colorado I have been enjoying this thing people around here call “snow”, as well as trying to indulge in the lush Colorado forests by way of camping and hiking. During college I got to experience living in Barcelona and got acquainted with several other European countries and cultures, and ever since then I try to keep traveling to new cities and places (foreign and within the US) to continue expanding my knowledge of other cultures and the human interaction across the world.

Since working at TAB Associates I have been able to work on different building types that have greatly contributed to my building construction experience. Upon first arriving at TAB I helped work on some Wendy’s restaurants located in the greater Denver area as well working in construction administration for the remodels of some of the Roaring Fork’s middle and elementary schools and the relocation of ECSD Transportation and I.T. departments in Gypsum. In addition to this I have also worked on a small, off-the-grid cabin near Piney Lake in Vail. Most recently my time has been going into the Red Sandstone Parking Garage that will be opening for the Town of Vail at the end of the year. It is an exciting time to be working at TAB with a variety of project types and clients we are working on, it is extremely exciting to be able to contribute to the development, growth and physical change of the Eagle Valley. Stop on by and say “Hi!” anytime!

Meet Our Team – James McDonough

Valerie and I moved from Crystal Lake, Illinois to Eagle, Colorado in 2015. We came to be closer to our kids. We came to ditch the untenable economy of Illinois. We came without jobs and took time off to explore our new world. We came to get away from urban stress. We came to the mountains.

And we love it here.

I didn’t work for the first year I was here. I had never taken that much time off, but I fought through the guilt and golfed, fished, babysat my granddaughter and just putzed around the house. It was great. In the fall of 2016, I was invited to play golf with a group of guys who I mostly didn’t know. On our way over Cottonwood Pass the driver, Patrick, pipes up … “so James” he askes “ what do you do?”

“Well I don’t do anything,” (Yea, a smart-ass reply because that was what I was doing then)

“OK, what did you used to do?” Patrick persists.

“I’m an architect” I replied, “I designed and built schools in Illinois for 25 years”

“You have to meet Tab Bonidy! He’s got the Eagle schools”

And so I did. I met Tab and Greg and started at TAB Associates in December of 2016. Who would of thunk it? We quit our jobs, sold our house, picked up all our toys and moved to this incredible place, and I land a job doing what I built my career from and love. Designing and building schools. Go figure.

In Illinois, I helped Boards of Education and School Administrators through needs analysis, visioning, programing, budgeting and successful community referendums. From there, I led architectural teams through design and construction of school projects. At TAB, I provide construction administration for the projects while they are being built; In the trenches, working with the district and contractors answering questions, reviewing products and helping make the myriad of decisions, big and little, that go into the complex, multi-use and very public building called a school. It’s the greatest.

Thinking back, there are a lot of favorites:

Niles Township High School: A STEM Lab before STEM Labs were popular

Woodstock SD 200: Bringing a second HS to a small town.

Wauconda SD 118: The first theater in the community.

Mundelein HSD 120: I must have spent at least 15 years to finally get an addition to their High School.

Now I’m here. Building the new schools on 3^rd street where my grandchildren may attend. Very exciting.

Valerie and I love living and working in this valley. We golf, bowl, hike, fish, camp and try to take advantage of all the high country has to offer. We’ve made new friends and are building new relationships.

Meet Our Team – Rachel Hill

Hello, I am Rachel Hill a Project Manager at TAB Associates. I have been with the company for a year and a half and adventuring in Colorado for the past five years. I graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture from Mississippi State University. After I graduated I started working for a local non-profit on the Mississippi Gulf Coast teaching under privileged women general construction and trades skills. This experience helped me gain hands on experience with the construction process as well as onsite architectural detailing. It was this unique experience that helped shape me into a well-rounded designer. I am currently LEED Green Associate certified while I am also working towards completing my architecture licensure exams.

I enjoy working on a variety of different architypes throughout my career, which has created a wide range in my design background with a concentration in hospitality and multifamily design in resort communities. I have been a key design team member on numerous resort villages, hotels, condominiums, retail stores, and restaurants. While at TAB Associates I have been focusing on K-12 educational architecture in the High Rockies of Colorado. Most recently, I lead the project team as we wrapped up the design phases for an extensive renovation and addition at Red Sandstone Elementary School (Vail, CO) and will continue to watch the project take shape as it heads into construction. What I find so unique about educational architecture is how rewarding and personal the experience feels. The students, faculty, and staff are so enthralled and excited about the entire experience that their energy really has a way of inserting itself into the design. My attention to detail and organization skills make me an asset to any team especially in the later phases of design and throughout construction. However, it’s really in the conceptual stages of design that I enjoy watching an idea take shape and form into the building it will become.

While not at the office, I enjoy traveling and getting out to explore the wonderful opportunities that living in Colorado provides. While I moved to the Colorado mountains for the winter activities, summer is my favorite Colorado season. My hobbies include hiking, kayaking, skiing, yoga, painting, and eating quesadillas. And you can always find me cheering on my Mississippi State Bulldogs, Hail State!