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Thursday, May 24, 2012

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Fairley Fabulous

Tobi Fairley

left: Not just for dining: Fairley used these jadeite plates punctuate the living room wall of a showhouse, then added them to her personal collection. right: The chairs’ swirling silhouettes pop against the red walls with classic white trim.

Interior designer Tobi Fairley is a proud Arkansan (she was born in Little Rock, where she now lives, and grew up in the southern part of the state), but her designs aren’t entrenched in a traditional Southern sensibility. Instead, Fairley’s style is vivacious and bold; her rooms celebrate her love of color, and blend classic, funk, and prep. The result is a fresh, comfortable and colorful take on gracious living.

In addition to her thriving interior design business, which has landed her work on the covers and pages of House Beautiful, Traditional Home, and Southern Living, Fairley is committed to spreading the word on good design. Fairly doesn’t just blog, post on Facebook and tweet; she runs a design camp. So far she’s taught ten camps, and it’s only been a year. Design campers from 15 states plus Canada, have made the trek to learn about the art and business of interior design. She’s covered setting gorgeous tables, designing efficient kitchens, creating outdoor rooms and even blogging about your work.  


Tobi Fairley

Fairley used two colors of solid silk to create large horizontal striped drapery, a trick she learned from her mother.


So, why launch an interior design camp? Basically, Fairley had so many requests from wannabe interns that she figured she could fill a niche. She says, “Fans of my work asked constantly over the years if they could intern for me or shadow me. They offered to do almost anything just to be able to learn. It wasn’t feasible for my team to get our work done with lots of helpers on site, so I thought a classroom setting could be a win-win for us all. I wanted to be a teacher when I was young; it’s very fulfilling.”



Tobi Fairley

A well-upholstered banquette on the reverse side of a kitchen island is a plush alternative to counter stools. 

 

Turns out, Fairley is as inspired by her students as they are by her. She comes away each time with new sources and blogs she didn’t know about. She’s also learned that mixing both trained interior designers and design enthusiasts in a class benefits everyone. Interestingly, the design professionals come away with quite a lot, including all sorts of great DIY projects. She says, “At the end of a session, everyone is truly a happy camper.”

Intrigued by her fervor, we asked Fairley about her earliest days and influences.

The Inside Source: What was your earliest interior design moment?

Tobi Fairley: My favorite activity was raking the pine needles (or pine straw as we call it) in our front yard in the fall. I made 6-inch high “walls” to create a floor plan. Then I brought all sorts of toys and things out into my “pine straw house,” like old pots and pans, blankets and pillows; everything needed to outfit a residence. My dolls had their own rooms with doll beds. I drove my Big Wheel, loaded with all my babies, up to my pine straw abode and played house for hours. I am still a domestic diva: I love to cook and be a mom to my 6-year-old. I guess these activities were precursors to my career and my home life.



The Inside Source: Did your parents’ taste influence you?

Tobi Fairley: My mom has fabulous taste! It’s where I get mine. She was big on organizing; we spent most weekends cleaning out closets, purging things we didn’t need so they could have a home with someone who did. I think mom’s classic taste paired with her desire to keep things edited and organized were instrumental in my design style.  Mom also taught me how to recognize good quality. I remember her teaching me about how patterns on upholstery and clothing should match at the seams.



The Inside Source: What did your bedroom look like when you were growing up?

Tobi Fairley: When I was 12, my mom let me help redesign my room. I remember it vividly. We did it in hot pink and apple green chintz. I got an iron daybed and we made a quilted coverlet for it in green, with hot pink Euro shams that had green flange edges. We made quilted green bolsters with pink button detailing, and also a green chintz lambrequin for my window that had a hot pink balloon shade underneath. I also had a white fluffy lamb’s wool rug.

Tobi Fairley

Southern preppy style gets a modern injection with framed family member silhouettes and a Lucite coffee table.



The Inside Source: So you’ve always loved color?

Tobi Fairley: Yes, and so did Mom. She definitely opened my eyes to the gamut of color I use in my work today. I especially remember our Christmas decorations from the ‘70s and ‘80s. One tree had rich teal blue balls and these great birds with brown feathers and other natural elements. It was totally the brown and blue trend years before it became popular. It incorporated the nature-inspired trend that we see currently in design, too. She was ahead of her time! We also had a tree done in all tones of pink and mauve. 



The Inside Source: Who are your interior design idols, past and present?

Tobi Fairley: Dorothy Draper, David Hicks, and Mark Hampton. As for modern day designers, I love Jamie Drake’s style, and he is also a friend of mine now.



The Inside Source: Three words that best describe your style?

Tobi Fairley: Colorful, comfortable, chic.



The Inside Source: What’s inspiring you right now?

Tobi Fairley: Found objects. I love giving pieces a new life. Because my mom taught me to clean out and give away, I never hung onto things for sentimental reasons. I also had no interest in antiques for many years. That started to change when I entered design school and studied the history of furniture and design. Over the 15 years of my design career, I have become more and more interested in antiques, especially mid-century items and even things from 20 to 30 years ago that I can spruce up.

I am also constantly inspired by fabric colors and patterns. They continue to be the jumping off place for most of my interior projects.

Tobi Fairley

left: Fairley goes glam with a drop crystal chandelier, tufted upholstered wall, and silk curtains. right: The black backgrounds of the six seashell prints play off the black sofa and coffee table.

 

The Inside Source: Do you have any collections?

Tobi Fairley: I have a collection of jadeite dishes. I was always fascinated by the color of the popular dinnerware and storage pieces. I started collecting them about five years ago. I also have a collection of antique and reproduction cake plates. I buy them when I travel and also on eBay. I am dying to start a collection of oyster plates. I saw some fabulous ones in New Orleans.



The Inside Source: I stockpile ______.

Tobi Fairley: Not much of anything. As I mentioned, I love to clean out and throw away. I guess I do have a lot of china and serving ware since I love to entertain. But I don’t hang onto anything that I don’t actually use.



The Inside Source: I splurge on_______.

Tobi Fairley: Shoes! I am a big fan of Christian Louboutin, Oscar de la Renta, Jimmy Choo, Valentino, and Gucci. I keep my shoes for years and it should be no surprise that many of them are very colorful.



The Inside Source: I scrimp on_______.

Tobi Fairley: Not much. If I am going to buy something, I like to buy the best quality I can afford. If I can’t afford it, I wait until I can.



The Inside Source: You’ll never catch me using  ______ in a room I design.

Tobi Fairley: Ha! Never say never! I am pretty open-minded when it comes to design.

Tobi Fairley

Pairs of starburst mirrors, pillows, lamps, and end tables provide perfect symmetry.


The Inside Source: Do you hunt for things on eBay?

Tobi Fairley: Yes. I’ve bought jadeite, cake plates, oyster plates, French porcelain baskets, and hobnail pieces. I love my eBay iPhone app. I use it to keep up with items on my watch list (typically entertaining pieces) while I am on the go.


The Inside Source: Have you ever sold anything on eBay?

Tobi Fairley: I haven’t sold anything yet, but maybe I should try that the next time I am cleaning out and giving things away. It might just pay for my next pair of Jimmy Choos.


Tobi Fairley often sources vintage tableware on eBay. Here are some recent finds:




 

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34f3501b-425e-4609-9c43-7485ae137e43 Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:59:34 PDT Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:59:34 PDT
Hamptontoes
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Great interview! Tobi and I became friends at Blogfest and each time I learn more about her I continue to adore her more and more. She and I have a lot of common threads...loves good shoes (I keep mine a long time too!) and I believe in waiting to buy until you buy what you want. Fabulous Tobi!

4c5a9e0c-4d5d-46a6-9a9e-354507e34925 Fri, 30 Sep 2011 06:23:16 PDT Fri, 30 Sep 2011 06:23:16 PDT
Nanette Baker
comment-post

I love Tobi's work also, and I follow her blog. I enjoyed the interview!

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