MANAYUNK

Photography By Alexa Nahas (alexanahas.com)

Kathy Piccari and Taryn Rager met as managers in the retail industry, and quickly became a dynamic duo in retail design and visual merchandising.  Feeling a bit limited in creative expression, they realized the only way to work in a more personal and flexible capacity was to create an environment with no artistic boundaries.  That led them to establish Harris & Tweed Interiors in 2013.

Aside from the application of basic design principles, Harris & Tweed’s approach to interior design fosters a collaborative relationship between the client’s style and their vision.  The combination of every element that fills the room, from flooring to window treatments, acts as an expression of and is catered to their client’s personality. Harris & Tweed’s visual masterpieces generate responses from their clients that emotionally connect them to the final design concept and enhance the relationship they have with their environment.

Though they design spaces all throughout the Philadelphia area, they recently acquired a studio space in Manayunk. With so many furniture stores lining Main Street, we took them on a tour to get design tips from the experts themselves.

Pompanoosuc Mills

As designers, we look for pieces to satisfy our clients’ needs for beauty, practicality and sustainability.  At Pompanoosuc Mills, we are able to find the best of all worlds in each and every piece! The Danville bed is a perfect example, as it offers a beautiful, sleek design and boasts practicality with the integrated night tables attached directly to the headboard.  The patterned bedding from Zestt adds a little flare to the natural tone of the bed design, and the gray and yellow color palette contributes to a soothing, yet fresh, bedroom ambience. 

Furniture Lifestyle

We believe the synergy between office function and interior design has the power to create a visually appealing space that speaks volumes about your business, its values and your work performance.  At Furniture Lifestyles, we were able to target the necessary components of productivity and design in order to create an organized and functional office space.  This set up is complete with general and task lighting, organization, storage and a privacy screen to shield distractions. We added travel-inspired accessories to compliment the etched desktop, doubling as unobtrusive conversation pieces. The price point at Furniture Lifestyles is so affordable; we were able to add a separate reading nook in the space, all within budget.

 

Nadeau

We are currently working with a client who shares in our design obsession with Nadeau – how lucky are we?  It took mere minutes to pull together some of our favorites from their inventory, but there is an art to designing a room containing all solid-wood pieces.  The key to success in this design scenario is dependent on three things.  Firstly, select 2-3 wood pieces with complementary color tones.  This helps with creating visual balance in a room.  Secondly, add brightly colored accents and textiles to the scene to break up the monotony of similar wood tones or grains.  Thirdly, incorporate white accent pieces into the mix as a way of harmonizing your space.  These lattice chairs are the perfect complement to the lighter-toned table and dining hutch.

 

Dwelling

Space layout and seating arrangements are popular struggles our clients face when trying to make sense of their family room spaces.  Luckily for us, we have 24,000 square feet of design-solution bliss at Dwelling.  Dwelling’s extensive collection of furniture, artwork and accessories provides not only a wealth of inspiration, but offers various solutions for the most complicated family room challenges.  Here, we have a large area to furnish for a client who is requesting plentiful seating.  Not afraid to design out-of-the-box, we decide to play on the angular lines of this contemporary sofa by pairing it with this triangular-shaped coffee table.  These lines provide fluidity of movement between seating choices and offers several points of entry into the room.  Designer tip: Our thoughts on mixing chair styles?  Do it!  Keep to a simple, cohesive color palette and create balance by choosing pieces with equal visual weight and you will create the perfect combination of traditional design and personal style.

 

Rowhouse

Harris & Tweed’s Golden Rule of Interior Design: Have the confidence to mix and match! Gone are the days of matchy-matchy furniture.  Adding variety in genre and mood is a sure-fire way to avoid the “complete collection” look.  Our favorite design tactic is to add richness and depth to your décor by mixing antique, modern and traditional elements, all in one room.  If you already own a nice collection of antiques, make them a focal point by grouping them into an odd number.  Display antiques creatively or call attention to stellar pieces with accent lighting.  Layer your home with sleek furniture and inherited pieces of sentimental value to add uniqueness to the room.  But most importantly, stop by Rowhouse where Linda features THE best antique, vintage, modern and resale items.  From vintage garden accessories to a 1952 Blaupunkt Console Radio and Bar, Rowhouse is the perfect resource for antique enthusiasts!